Raptors rain threes on Cavaliers in 133-99 rout

Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey had a simple solution to the Cleveland Cavaliers: shoot the three.

Fred VanVleet came off the bench with 22 points, including 6-for-8 from three-point range, as Toronto dropped Cleveland 133-99 on Thursday night.

C.J. Miles scored 16, going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, as the Raptors (29-11) set a season-high with 18 three-pointers.

Centre Jonas Valanciunas was dominant in the paint, earning a double-double with 15 points and 18 rebounds as Toronto spread the floor.

Before the game Casey encouraged his team, especially the bench, to focus on three-point shots, to make them “with conviction.”

Casey’s reliance on the bench was necessary with former allstars Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka missing the game.

Lowry was out with a bruised tailbone. He was hurt after a nasty fall in Toronto’s 114-113 overtime win in Brooklyn on Monday night and also missed the Raptors’ 90-89 loss to the Miami Heat Tuesday.

Ibaka served a one-game suspension after throwing punches with Miami’s James Johnson.

LeBron James had 26 points for Cleveland (26-15) and led all scorers. But the Cavaliers could not keep up with the play of Toronto’s bench.

Starters J.R. Smith and Isaiah Thomas were ineffective. The pair were a combined 2-of-20 shooting with Smith held scoreless.

It was the second of a tough three-game stretch for the Raptors where they played the Southeast Division-leading Heat, the Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers, and next face the NBA champion Golden State Warriors Saturday.