For a team that had been 0-23 when trailing at halftime in road playoff games Reilly Smith Jersey , the Toronto Raptors sure went about ending that drought and advancing in the playoffs in an usual way: The second unit, led by Fred VanVleet, created the comeback.

Using a tremendous effort at both ends of the court from reserves, and 24 points from Kyle Lowry, the Raptors came back to beat the Washington Wizards 102-92 in Game 6 on Friday night and end their Eastern Conference first-round series.

"Those guys have some ugly possessions, but most of the time, they figure it out," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said about his bench players, who overwhelmed Washington's in points, 21-6, and rebounds, 15-3, in the second half. "We trust them. We trusted them all year."

Toronto fell behind by 12 points in the first quarter and by 53-50 at the end of the second.

The Raptors' first lead did not come until the third quarter, and they were back down by five points entering the final period.

Never in franchise history had the Raptors won after trailing at halftime in a postseason away game, the team said, citing the Elias Sports Bureau.

"It's a different year. It's a different team," VanVleet said. "We've just got to keep our composure going forward and leave the past in the past."

With star guards Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who had a personal series-low 16 points Womens Saquon Barkley Jersey , resting to begin the fourth, VanVleet steered the turnaround, and the Raptors outscored Washington 29-14 in the last quarter. Bothered by a bad right shoulder, VanVleet had played a total of three minutes in the series until Friday, but he was just what Toronto needed in this game, with five points, four assists and four rebounds.

"On the road, in a hostile environment, I just wanted to be another support guy out there, that can ease the starters a bit," VanVleet said. "You know, me running the team and playing defense and stuff, I can do those things in my sleep."

It allowed DeRozan to play only 33 1/2 minutes total, and Lowry 31 1/2, compared with more than 40 each for Washington's All-Star guards, John Wall and Bradley Beal, who looked tired by the end.

"It was great to have our full bench back. Freddie back out there with the guys," DeRozan said. "Just a testament to what they did all year."

Pascal Siakam had 11 points and eight rebounds and used his length to hound Wall Womens A.J. Green Jersey , while VanVleet was a pest to Beal.

Jakob Poeltl and C.J. Miles each scored seven. It was VanVleet's 3-pointer with center Marcin Gortat in his face that tied the game at 78, and Miles' 3 with about 8 1/2 minutes remaining that gave Toronto its first lead of more than a single point, at 84-80.

"I'm still looking for that manual that says you can't play that second unit. They're too young. They're too this. They're too that," Casey said. "They closed it out for us tonight."

The home team had won each of the first five games, but the Raptors were finally able to break that road hex. The East's No. 1 seed will face LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers or the Indiana Pacers next. The Pacers forced a Game 7 on Sunday by avoiding elimination with a 121-87 victory over the Cavs on Friday night.

Asked whether he has a preference for the upcoming opponent, DeRozan answered with one word: "No."

This marks the Raptors' third consecutive trip to the second round of the playoffs; they last failed to get that far in 2015, when they were swept in the opening round by the Wizards.

But this time, Washington bowed out earlier than it was hoping when the season began with grandiose talk of a run to the conference finals. Instead, the Wizards were without Wall for 41 games and wound up with the No. 8 seeding.

Wall had 23 points and eight assists in Game 6; Beal scored 32. But none of that mattered to the fans who started heading to the exits early as the Wizards' run of eight home playoff wins in a row came to a close.

"We got some looks," said Wall, whose entire team had only 12 assists. "We just missed them."

TIP-INS

Raptors: After averaging 18.5 turnovers in Games 3 and 4 at Washington, Toronto had only seven in Game 6.

Wizards: Were without starting SF Otto Porter Jr., who had a medical procedure Friday to prevent permanent muscle damage because of compartment syndrome in his left leg. … Kelly Oubre Jr. started in place of Porter and hit his first 3-point attempt, before missing all six other shots he took.

UP NEXT:

Toronto will host Games 1 and 2 in the second round, no matter the opponent. The Raptors lost to the Cavaliers each of the past two seasons – swept in the second round a year ago, and beaten in six games in the conference finals in 2016.

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After an anemic first couple months of the season, the Dodgers are powering balls out of the stadium at a near record rate.

Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger each hit a solo home run, Joc Pederson added a two-run shot and Los Angeles defeated the Chicago Cubs 7-5 on Wednesday night.

The Dodgers improved to 17-6 in June and have slugged a major league-leading 51 homers this month. That's the second-most during any month in franchise history. With three days remaining Youth Evgeni Malkin Jersey , they have a chance to overtake last year's team that set the record with 53 while the single-season record of 58 in a month is within reach, too.

"It just seems like they're taking really good swings," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "When there's a mistake in the strike zone, we hit it hard."

The Dodgers hit 25 home runs in late March and April and 31 in May. The current surge is being generated by a variety of players.

"It's scary facing us," Bellinger said. "We're clicking right now."

After not homering in a 9-4 loss to the Cubs on Tuesday that snapped their four-game winning streak, the Dodgers got going early despite not having Matt Kemp in the lineup. The outfielder, who is hitting .311, served a one-game suspension after losing his appeal with Major League Baseball for a scuffle with Texas catcher Robinson Chirinos on June 13.

Muncy homered over the center-field wall in the first for his ninth long ball this month and 16th of the season. The ball hit something beyond the wall and bounced back onto the field, grazing center fielder Albert Almora Jr. in the head.

Later in the inning, Yasmani Grandal's two-run double with two outs gave the Dodgers the lead for good, 3-2.

Pederson followed in the second with his 10th homer of the month to make it 5-2. Enrique Hernandez extended the lead with an RBI single.

Alex Wood (4-5) allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings to earn his third straight win. The left-hander struck out six and walked none, retiring the final seven batters he faced.

Kenley Jansen earned a four-out save, his 21st of the season.

Chicago made it close after Wood exited. He was replaced in the eighth by Scott Alexander, who walked Jason Heyward and gave up a single to Javier Baez before Willson Contreras hit a two-run double to pull the Cubs to 6-5.

Ben Zobrist grounded back to Alexander, putting the potential tying run on third, but Jansen came in and struck out Addison Russell to end the inning.

"The at-bats had great approaches," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I thought we hit the ball all over the place. Javy hit it to right and right center. Same with Contreras. Good approaches. We played our butts off, we just didn't get it."

Bellinger homered leading off the eighth against Randy Rosario Youth Terrell Suggs Jersey , tying Muncy for the team lead with 16 homers and making it 7-5.

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (5-8) gave up six runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings, failing to go at least five innings for the first time in 16 starts this season. The team has lost five of his last six starts.

"I'm just searching right now, it's just bad," Hendricks said. "I don't know mechanics and I'm trying to focus mentally and go pitch-to-pitch. Something is just off. I've had troubles in my career, but this is up there as one of the toughest."

Chicago took the lead in the first on a two-run homer by Contreras.

In the fifth, Heyward reached on an infield single that Wood raced to pick up along the first base line. He flipped to Bellinger, and first base umpire Alan Porter signaled that Heyward was out. But the ball came loose and second baseman Logan Forsythe, backing up the play, fired to the plate. Ian Happ, who singled leading off, was called safe to leave the Cubs trailing 6-3.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: Chicago closer Brandon Morrow (lower back tightness) was activated off the DL. He had been sidelined since June 20 after experiencing back spasms while taking his pants off. … RHP Tyler Chatwood will be available soon. Chatwood has been on paternity leave after his wife gave birth last Sunday.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (right rib microfracture) will throw three innings in a rehab start at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. If it goes well, he will have a bullpen session this weekend and could possibly return to the rotation next week. … INF-OF Chris Taylor (left hamstring) wasn't in the lineup for the sixth straight day but pinch hit in the seventh and will start on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Cubs LHP Jose Quintana (6-6, 4.26 ERA) starts the series finale against LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-4, 2.94). Quintana is better on the road (3.22 ERA) than at home (6.00). Making his second start since coming off the disabled list, Kershaw is 5-3 in nine career starts against Chicago with a 2.64 ERA.

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