Cavaliers vs. Raptors: Game 3 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

The Toronto Raptors went 2-0 at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the regular season, and they stuck with that successful theme versus the Eastern Conference favorites as they captured a 99-84 Game 3 win Saturday night at Air Canada Centre.

The Cavaliers now lead the conference finals 2-1 with Game 4 slated for Monday evening at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

While it would have been easy for the Raptors to crumble after getting shredded in consecutive contests, the Atlantic Division champions looked like a revitalized group thanks to the leadership of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo.

Yes, that Bismack Biyombo.

DeRozan led the scoring charge with a game-high 32 points (12-of-24 shooting), and Lowry dropped 20 points to go with six rebounds and three assists. But Biyombo brought the noise on both ends of the floor under must-win circumstances, as ESPN.com's Mike Mazzeo observed: 

In 39 minutes, Biyombo finished with seven points, a franchise-record 26 rebounds and four blocks, with this one accompanied by a Dikembe Mutombo-esque finger wag: 

As a team, the Raptors shot 45.8 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three-point range while outscoring the Cavaliers 36-20 in the paint. 

The Cavaliers didn't reside on the polar opposite end of the efficiency spectrum, but they weren't far off. 

After living below the free-throw line in Games 1 and 2, the Cavaliers settled for contested jumpers on a number of occasions Saturday while LeBron James, Channing Frye and J.R. Smith did the heavy lifting.

James had a strong 24 points and eight rebounds to pace Cleveland, and the addition of five assists to his final line allowed the King to move into elite territory among postseason distributors, according to the NBA's official Twitter account:

Smith and Frye added 22 and 11 points, respectively, but the story for the Cavaliers offense revolved around the inefficiency of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The star floor general mustered 13 points on 3-of-19 shooting, and Love—who went scoreless in the first half—made a single shot to finish with three points in the loss.

And even though the Cavs trailed by only three points following the first quarter, it was clear from the opening tipoff that Toronto was more energized. 

Lowry dropped eight first-quarter points after posting 10 total in Game 2, and DeRozan was locked in. After filling it up to the tune of 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting in Game 2, DeRozan went nuclear over the first two quarters Saturday with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. 

Thanks to those contributions, the Raptors scored at rates reminiscent of their 56-win regular season, per NBA.com's John Schuhmann:

But the star of the first half was Biyombo. 

The Raptors needed an attitude adjustment, and the big man provided one by crashing the glass and protecting the rim with tremendous determination. Over the course of his 19 scoreless first-half minutes, Biyombo hauled in 16 rebounds and swatted two shots.

As HoopsHype noted on Twitter, the impending unrestricted free agent is due for a major raise when the salary cap spikes in the summer: 

The Cavaliers fell behind by 13 points at halftime, and a couple of factors contributed to the slippage. 

Defense was a big problem, as ESPN.com's Zach Lowe noted:

But a failure to replicate the successful offensive formula from Games 1 and 2 put a cap on Cleveland's scoring potential over the first 24 minutes.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Cavaliers managed eight points in the paint in the first half after averaging 53 per game in Cleveland during their pair of blowouts.

The Cavaliers made a small dent in Toronto's lead by outscoring the Raptors 23-20 in the third quarter as Frye and Smith provided reinforcements, but it wasn't enough to make the opposition flinch. 

Toronto continued to grapple with the Cavaliers in the trenches in the fourth quarter, and some determined defense allowed the home team to overcome a pedestrian offensive display over the game's final stages.  

The Raptors will now attempt to build on their Game 3 momentum with a pivotal Game 4 approaching.

The Cavaliers need not worry, though. According to SportsCenter, James' teams have never lost a playoff series after mounting a 2-0 edge.

And after tasting defeat for the first time in the postseason, Cleveland should come out locked, loaded and focused Monday as it seeks to capture a 3-1 series lead and head back to Northeast Ohio with a chance to close out the Raptors.

Postgame Reaction

Following the win, DeRozan discussed his team's mindset with ESPN: 

Rapper Drake also chimed in on Instagram:

As for Saturday's action, the bosses of both teams praised Biyombo's intensity. 

"He was huge... He's the spirit of our team," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said of Biyombo, per TSN's Josh Lewenberg.  

"They were winning, they were kicking our butts so he has the right to wave his finger," Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue said, according ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin.  

Lewenberg also relayed comments from James, who provided an in-depth answer to a question concerning his involvement in on-court confrontations:  

Elsewhere, Casey took plenty of time to critique the officials' performance following another physical battle, per Lewenberg: 

Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver provided a comprehensive overview of Casey's post-game grievances: 

"I get fouled the same way (as the Cavs) and I don't fall to the ground badly," Biyombo added, according to Sportsnet's Eric Koreen. 

NBC Sports Radio's Doug Eberhardt noted Casey will likely hear from the league regarding his pointed remarks: 

Ultimately, Casey noted the Raptors were successful because of how they responded to backlash following Games 1 and 2. 

"Everybody thought we were going to get swept and I thought that fueled us," he said, per Herbert.