Raptors match franchise record for points in half with 79 vs. Cavs

The Toronto Raptors offense was lights out through the first two quarters at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night.

When the halftime buzzer rang, the top squad in the Eastern Conference held a 79-64 lead over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Toronto's 79 points tied a franchise record for the most scored in any half. That number dates back to Jan. 11, 1997 when the Raptors dropped 79 on the New Jersey Nets en route to a 123-106 victory.

On Wednesday, the Raptors converted 32-of-51 from the field (62 percent), 3-of-5 from the charity stripe, and a scorching 12-of-18 from behind the arc. Their 12 3-pointers also tied a franchise record for a first half, equaling a mark set against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 13, 2005.

To put that hot start into perspective, no LeBron-led team has ever allowed that many points in a half during his 15-year career.

Toronto actually trailed 42-38 at the end of 12 minutes but rode the play of its second unit for the better part of the second quarter to take back the lead. Guard Fred VanVleet - who returned to action after dealing with a hand contusion for multiple games - led the way with 14 points and four makes from deep, while fellow reserves Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam, and Delon Wright each had seven points.

Wednesday marks the Raptors' third game in four nights.