Raptors' wild comeback thwarted by LeBron James' buzzer-beater

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With less than 10 seconds remaining in Saturday night's Game 3 matchup between the Raptors and Cavs and the score tied, LeBron James took the ball, dribbled the length of the floor and lofted a soft floater toward the basket. As the final buzzer sounded, the ball dropped through the net — and with it the Raptors' hopes of avoiding a brutal 0-3 hole.

James finished with a game-high 38 points, seven assists and six rebounds in Cleveland's 105-103 victory, setting the table for a possible sweep in Game 4 on Monday night. Kevin Love added 21 points and 16 rebounds, and sharpshooter Kyle Korver contributed an efficient 18 points (6-of-8 from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point range).

Kyle Lowry carried the offensive load for the Raptors with 27 points and seven assists, and rookie OG Anunoby stepped up with 18 points of his own, including the game-tying shot before James' buzzer-beater. DeMar DeRozan was limited to only eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Dwane Casey elected to keep DeRozan on the bench for the closing stretch of the fourth quarter.

If you missed any of the action from a wild Game 3, check out the stats and highlights below...

Game 3 box score | Play-by-play

Final: Cavs 105, Raptors 103

11:18 p.m. ET — LEBRON JAMES WINS IT! The four-time MVP dribbles down the left side of the floor, jumps high into the air and throws a runner off the glass to beat the buzzer. Unbelievable.

11:16 p.m. ET — OG ANUNOBY TIES IT! After Green makes one of two free throws, C.J. Miles throws the ball ahead to Anunoby, who drains the 3-pointer with 8.0 seconds on the clock. What a shot!

11:13 p.m. ET — LeBron James drives hard to the basket, and he draws a late foul on Serge Ibaka. He misses the first free throw, but makes the second. Kyle Lowry quickly pushes the ball up the floor for an easy layup. The Cavs' advantage is back down to two.

The Raptors stop the clock by fouling Jeff Green. He will head to the line for two free throws. Only 15.4 seconds now.

11:10 p.m. ET — Fred VanVleet pulls up for a contested 3-pointer from the top of the key off a sideline inbound play, but the ball bounces off the front of the rim. The Cavs control the rebound and call timeout. Cavs 101, Raptors 98 with 49.8 seconds left. (Note: DeMar DeRozan has been sitting on the bench for the end of the fourth quarter. A surprising move by Dwane Casey.)

11:05 p.m. ET — Kyle Lowry has carried the Raptors down the stretch. He's up to 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and Toronto is only down four.

11:01 p.m. ET — Score update: Cavs 97, Raptors 90 with 3:40 remaining in regulation.

10:56 p.m. ET — LeBron James is firing daggers at the hearts of Raptors fans.

10:48 p.m. ET — And the lead is down to five! Kyle Lowry finds an easy lane to the basket in transition, and Cavs coach Tyronn Lue needs a timeout. The Raptors aren't going down without a fight. Cavs 85, Raptors 80 with 8:12 on the clock.

10:44 p.m. ET — Fred VanVleet with a TOUGH bucket inside. This guy just doesn't quit.

End of third quarter: Cavs 79, Raptors 65

10:35 p.m. ET — Kevin Love takes control with nine points in third quarter, helping the Cavs maintain a sizable lead. He's got 21 points and 15 rebounds, and that production has allowed Tyronn Lue to give LeBron James significant rest. The Raptors must start the fourth quarter strong. The season is on the line.

10:26 p.m. ET — Kyle Korver finds plenty of space for his third 3-pointer of the game. This can't happen with a shooter of Korver's caliber. The Raptors need better communication in these situations.

10:15 p.m. ET — Signs of life from the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan attacks and completes the and-one play. Toronto will need more of this aggression moving forward.

10:07 p.m. ET — So... anybody gonna cover that guy?

Halftime: Cavs 55, Raptors 40

9:49 p.m. ET — A 16-2 closing run gives the Cavs a 15-point cushion heading into the locker room. Once again, there are no answers for LeBron James (15 points, five assists, four rebounds). The All-Star forward continues to dictate the pace of the game, and he's getting help from Kevin Love (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Kyle Korver (12 points, 2-of-4 from 3-point range).

If the Raptors want to mount a comeback, they will need more from DeMar DeRozan, who has only three points on 1-of-9 shooting. It all starts with Toronto's best player.

9:39 p.m. ET — Is this LeBron James spin move going to work forever? It might work forever.

9:25 p.m. ET — LeBron James is just going full Incredible Hulk to the basket. He rattles off seven consecutive points for the Cavs, but Cleveland only has a three-point advantage midway through the second quarter.

9:21 p.m. ET — C.J. Miles already has eight points off the bench, and three of them came with a high degree of difficulty.

End of first quarter: Cavs 24, Raptors 19

9:13 p.m. ET — After a dreadful first few minutes, the Raptors recover to limit the damage. Kyle Lowry increased his offensive aggression with DeMar DeRozan out of the game, scoring seven points and handing out two assists. LeBron James has six points for the Cavs, and Kevin Love is in double-double territory with six points and eight rebounds.

9:05 p.m. ET — The Raptors respond and cut the deficit down to five. They definitely couldn't afford to let the Cavs increase the lead. DeMar DeRozan helped spark the run, but he is also back on the bench after picking up two quick fouls.

8:54 p.m. ET — It's all Cavs so far. Cleveland jumps out to a 14-4 lead halfway through the first quarter. The Raptors are only 2-of-11 from the field as a team.

Oh, and LeBron James is doing LeBron James things.

8:44 p.m. ET — George Hill opens up the scoring with a 3-pointer from the corner, but OG Anunoby answers with a soft floater in the lane. The Raptors are pushing the pace early.

8:41 p.m. ET — A small tweak to the Raptors' starting lineup: Fred VanVleet will replace Serge Ibaka and join Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, OG Anunoby and Jonas Valanciunas. Let's see if that small-ball group forces the Cavs to make any adjustments.

8:20 p.m. ET — Kevin Love exploded for 31 points in Game 2. What will he do for an encore?

8:05 p.m. ET — The Raptors enter the Quicken Loans Arena led by DeMar DeRozan.

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Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News.