Lowry, DeRozan help Raptors even up series 2-2 against Cavs

Toronto Raptors guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined to score 67 points in the team's 105-99 victory over Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday evening to tie the Eastern Conference Finals series 2-2.

Lowry scored a game-high 35 points on 14-for-20 shooting including four three-pointers while DeRozan added 32 points for the second straight game.

"Once he gets going, it opens up everything for me on the floor," said DeRozan of his teammate following the win. "He knows how to orchestrate what needs to be done."

The 67 points combined by the duo was their highest in the postseason, eclipsing the 63 points scored in Game 7 of Eastern Conference semifinals victory against Miami on May 15.

This was the fourth time in the post-season that the duo has scored 55 or more points in the playoffs. The Raptors improve to 3-1 in those games.

Toronto as a team shot 53.8 percent, the first time in the postseason that they have shot better than 50 percent.

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey was impressed with Lowry's ability to bounce back after struggling in the first two games of the series shooting 28.6 percent (8-for-28) with 18 points total.

"He's a little pit bull. You question him and that's when he rises to the occasion," Casey responded to reporters following the game. "He's always bounced back. He's done that his whole life. Through college, through high school, in his first years in the NBA. That's what makes him the All-Star that he is."

In the last two games, Lowry has responded by shooting 21-for-33 (63.6 percent) and 55 points total.

Raptors will look to carry their momentum into Cleveland for game 5 on Wednesday.

"We're four games deep into learning. It's a match," said Lowry. "When they punch, we punch back. When they punch three times, we punch four times back." Endit