DeRozan struggles, fights through flu-like symptoms in win over Cavs

In perhaps their biggest game of the season Friday night, the Toronto Raptors lost their All-Star shooting guard for a crucial stretch in the second half.

It might be more accurate, though, to say they never really had him.

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, in a matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, DeMar DeRozan suffered flu-like symptoms, and his game suffered accordingly.

Struggling with his jumper from the tip, DeRozan seemed curiously devoid of energy, unable to bully his way to the basket as he's so often done this season when his shot isn't falling. He missed his first 10 field-goal attempts before heading back to the locker room and staying there for the latter half of the third quarter and the first seven minutes of the fourth.

He returned at the 5:05 mark, and though it wasn't quite a Jordan-esque flu-game performance from there on out, he did make his only field goal after getting back in the game, taking a pass from Kyle Lowry on a cut to the basket and finishing a layup in traffic.

Nor was that a small bucket. It pulled the Raptors to within two points with three-and-a-half minutes remaining, and Lowry - who played the game of his life - took it from there.

DeRozan's line looks unsightly (six points on 1-of-11 shooting), but he fought through his struggles and helped his team complete the comeback. At the moment he re-entered the game, the Raptors trailed 91-82. From that point forward, they outscored the Cavs 17-6.