DeRozan nets 32 points as Raptors' defeat Cleveland Cavaliers 99-84

Toronto Raptors centre-forward Bismack Biyombo celebrates his dunk with teammates Cory Joseph and Kyle Lowry during fourth quarter Eastern Conference final NBA playoff basketball action against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Toronto May 21, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)

TORONTO -- The under-rated Toronto Raptors handed the Cleveland Cavaliers their first loss of the post-season.

DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points, while Bismack Biyombo grabbed 26 rebounds -- a franchise record for the playoffs -- to lift the Raptors 99-84 over the Cavaliers in the NBA Eastern Conference final on Tuesday.

The victory cut the Cavs' series lead to 2-1, and marked Toronto's first ever win in the conference finals.

Cory Joseph had 14 points, while DeMarre Carroll and Patrick Patterson finished with 10 apiece.

LeBron James scored 24 points to top the Cavs, who went 10-0 to open the post-season, two shy of San Antonio's NBA record set in 1999.

The Raptors are considered big underdogs against a Cavs team that made quick work of Detroit and Atlanta in their previous two series. Toronto lost its two opening games in Cleveland by a combined 50 points, and had been all but written off.

But the Raptors had hoped being home would give them a boost. It definitely did.

Toronto shrugged off the fatigue of what's been a gruelling post-season schedule and painstakingly put together an 18-point by the second quarter. A three-point buzzer-beater by Joseph sent them into the fourth with an 80-70 advantage.

The Raptors missed eight straight shots in the middle of an ugly fourth quarter to allow the Cavs to pull within eight points, but three straight baskets from Biyombo had Toronto up by 14 with 3:38 to play.

The Congolese big man made like Usain Bolt to celebrate the last basket. He waved his arms to prompt cheers from the delirious Raptors crowd that included Canadian country singer Shania Twain and retired NFL star Terrell Owens.

The fans needed little prompting.

With the Air Canada Centre crowd on its feet as the clock ticked down, Mo Williams sunk a three with just over a minute to play cut the Raptors' lead to 12 points, but the game was already out of hand. Lowry's three on Toronto's next possession was merely bonus.

Led by the brick wall of Biyombo, the Raptors' defence held the Cavs to 35 per cent shooting, while shooting 46 per cent themselves. The dominated the boards 54-40, and outscored the Cavs 36-20 in the paint.

James was the subject of some tense -- and entertaining -- moments late in the first half, when a skirmish broke out between Biyombo, Joseph and Tristan Thompson. Thompson inadvertently smacked James with a flailing elbow and the four-time NBA MVP hit the deck hard. Perhaps a bit too hard. Twitter lit up with Academy Award memes.

Some 2,500 fans watched the game on the giant screen in "Jurassic Park," and the lineup to get in before tipoff wrapped around the outside of the ACC.

Game 4 is Monday in Toronto, while Game 5 is Wednesday in Cleveland.

DeRozan and Lowry combined for 20 points to put the Raptors up 27-24 to end the first quarter -- the first quarter in the series they'd outscored the Cavaliers.

Despite Lowry sitting out much of the second in foul trouble, the Raptors went on a 16-2 run and a finger roll from Patrick Patterson gave them an 18-point lead 1:22 before halftime. They went into the break up 60-47.