Cavaliers vs. Raptors: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

The Toronto Raptors sure know how to make their fans sweat.

After controlling the majority of Monday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the Air Canada Centre, they allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to seize a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-99 victory. The series is now tied at two games apiece and will shift back to Cleveland for a critical Game 5 on Wednesday.

The backcourt combination of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry was unstoppable for Toronto. The duo combined for 67 points on 28-of-43 shooting from the field. Lowry set the tone with four three-pointers in the first half and finished with 35 points, five assists and three steals, while DeRozan made a handful of contested shots in the fourth quarter on his way to 32 points.

The Raptors also received critical play down low from Bismack Biyombo for the second straight game. He followed his 26 rebounds and four blocks in Game 3 with 14 boards and three swats Monday as Toronto's only legitimate paint presence while Jonas Valanciunas missed another contest.

LeBron James posted 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Kyrie Irving had 26 points and six assists, but Kevin Love struggled with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting, though he did grab seven boards in his 31 minutes. Joe Gabriele of the official Cavs website said the forward was "clutching his left knee" in the third quarter, and Channing Frye played the fourth, finishing with 12 points on four made three-pointers and six rebounds.

ESPN Stats & Info noted that the home squad has won every game these teams have played this season:

The Raptors took an 18-10 lead on Lowry's first three-pointer six minutes into the contest. The Cavaliers, however, used their Big Three of James, Irving and Love (18 combined first-quarter points) to climb back into the game and trim the deficit to 27-24 heading into the second.

ESPN Stats & Info pointed out that the Raptors built their lead with strong perimeter defense:

Toronto continued rolling early in the second (and even drew its first foul since late in the third quarter of Game 3, per SportsCenter), pushing its advantage to 42-31 on Lowry's third three with 6:16 to go before halftime. The Raptors point guard was 3-of-4 from long range, while Cleveland was just 3-of-19.

Lowry had 20 points at halftime as Toronto led 57-41, and Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com reflected on the Cavaliers' play:

But Cleveland cut a 59-41 deficit to 59-52 with 11 straight points in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Raptors responded with a 12-4 run to push their lead to 15 points with less than four minutes remaining until the fourth.

Joseph Casciaro of theScore said it was "quite a Raptors response" and pointed to Lowry and DeRozan's offense, but Biyombo played a part by controlling the paint on the defensive end:

Biyombo may have protected the rim, but there was little he could do when Irving heated up from the outside in the third, scoring 12 of his 23 points to keep the Cavaliers within striking distance, as Casciaro highlighted:

Frye made two threes in 28 seconds early in the fourth to pull the Cavaliers within 78-77. Rick Noland of the Chronicle-Telegram said the pressure was squarely on Toronto:

Cleveland took an 84-83 lead with two straight baskets by James as Toronto consistently failed to register a defensive stop in the opening minutes of the fourth. Nate Duncan of The Cauldron noted that the Raptors' defensive lapses came on the same play:

Both teams then shifted into insane shot-making mode. The Cavs made their first 11 shots of the fourth, but the Raptors took a 98-96 lead on a pair of free throws by DeRozan with 3:59 left.

DeAntae Prince of Sports Illustrated pointed to a possible adjustment for Toronto as Cleveland continued to burn it with pick-and-rolls near the elbow:

"

The Raptors' rim protection is nonexistent right now. They need to get Biyombo closer to the basket.

— DeAntae Prince (@DeAntae) May 24, 2016"

The Raptors defense finally made some stops, and after an Irving three, DeRozan gave it some breathing room with a difficult shot in the lane to make it 103-99. Biyombo then nabbed an offensive rebound a couple of possessions later to give his team a crucial second chance with 42 seconds to play.

The Los Angeles Clippers' Jamal Crawford compared Toronto's backup center to a longtime defensive stalwart:

Lowry scored on a layup with 22.5 seconds left, and Biyombo grabbed his last rebound after three-point misses by J.R. Smith and Irving.

What's Next?

Game 5 is set for Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

While the Raptors have won the last two games, the Cavaliers still have home-court advantage with a potential Game 7 scheduled for Northeast Ohio. As long as James and Co. take care of business in Cleveland—where the Cavs haven't lost this postseason—they will advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.

This is the first time the Cavaliers have been challenged in these playoffs after they swept the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds. Toronto, on the other hand, needed a full seven games in each of its series against the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat to reach its first conference finals.

If the Raptors find a way to win in Cleveland, they could halt the Cavaliers' seemingly inevitable march to the NBA Finals in Game 6, which is set for Friday in Toronto.

Postgame Reaction

James noted how important the Raptors' stars were, per James Herbert of CBS Sports: "You tip your hat to DeMar and Kyle. They did a great job. They're All-Stars for a reason. That's why they're here today. They've carried this team all season."

Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue said there was "no concern" about Love's health and that he simply elected to play Frye down the stretch instead, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press.

The Cavs climbed back in the game thanks to James' play at the elbow.

"We finally found a solution for it at the end, but it was almost too late," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said, per Sean Woodley of TSN 1050.

Casey also praised Lowry, who struggled in the first two games, per Woodley: "You question him—that's when he rises to the occasion."

Said Toronto's DeMarre Carroll, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports: "I think it got louder. Are they letting more people in? I guess they should let the same fans in for Game 6."