Dennis Schröder led the Cavaliers’ cost within the closing interval, scoring 11 of his 19 factors.
It’s been stated that each recreation in a playoff sequence is completely different. And certainly, Recreation 5 of the primary spherical sequence between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors was a very completely different expertise than Recreation 4.
By the tip of the third quarter on Wednesday, the 2 groups had mixed to attain 21 extra factors than they totaled over 48 minutes simply two nights earlier. The 3s had been falling, transition alternatives had been considerable, and neither workforce may get stops.
However the Raptors went chilly within the closing interval, the Cavs lastly took care of the ball, and Cleveland escaped with a 125-120 victory to take a 3-2 sequence lead.
James Harden and Evan Mobley led the Cavs with 23 factors apiece, whereas Donovan Mitchell and
every completed with 19. The Raptors misplaced Brandon Ingram to a heel damage, however they nonetheless had six guys in double-figures.
Listed here are some notes, quotes, numbers and movie as the house workforce improved to 5-0 on this sequence:
1. Cavs lastly maintain the ball down the stretch
This has been a lopsided sequence in regard to the transition recreation. In line with Synergy monitoring, the Raptors have outscored the Cavs by 79 factors (139-60) in transition over the 5 video games.
The Raptors had been pushing off rebounds and even getting some early offense after made pictures on the opposite finish of the ground on Wednesday.
However what actually fueled their transition recreation had been live-ball turnovers, and the Cavs had 9 of them by the third quarter. Every of these 9 live-ball turnovers led on to a Toronto layup or 3-pointer in transition, 22 factors complete …
The Cavs’ closing live-ball turnover of the evening got here with 7:03 left within the third quarter. It led on to a wide-open nook 3-pointer for Jamal Shead. Cleveland had three extra turnovers after that, however they had been all lifeless balls.
The Raptors received a few half-court scores after the Shead 3, and at that time, they’d scored 92 factors on simply 66 possessions (1.39 per). However when the Cavs’ live-ball turnovers stopped, the Toronto offense slowed down. The Raptors missed some open 3s within the fourth quarter, however they’d simply 5 transition factors within the closing interval and scored solely 28 factors over their closing 35 possessions (0.80 per).
“It will get their momentum going,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson stated in regards to the live-ball turnovers. “We nonetheless haven’t found out a approach to clear that up. If we need to win on the highway, we gotta discover a approach.”
2. Schröder and Strus make large performs
Harden and Mitchell mixed to attain solely one of many Cavs’ 25 factors within the fourth quarter. As a substitute, different guys made the large performs and massive pictures on that finish of the ground.
One purpose the Cavs traded for Schröder on the deadline was his big-game expertise, each within the NBA and for the German Nationwide Workforce.
“Once we had been speaking about buying and selling for him, that’s one of many issues that got here up,” Atkinson stated. “This kind of recreation matches him.”
Schröder led the cost within the closing interval, when he scored 11 of his 19 factors.
The primary bucket was essentially the most spectacular. It was late within the shot clock and Schröder was matchup up one-on-one with Scottie Barnes, probably the greatest defenders within the league.
However he beat him going proper and unfurled a scoop shot simply out or Barnes’ attain that put the Cavs up 5 …
After one other drive previous Ja’Kobe Walter, Schröder had the Raptors on their heels.
And so they then gave him house to hit a pair of pull-up jumpers earlier than ending his evening with a tricky floater over Barnes.
By way of the primary 4 video games, the Cavs had scored an anemic 82 factors on 93 possessions (0.88 per) with Schröder on the ground. However he’s all the time able to giving them some juice off the dribble, and he was important to their fourth-quarter offense in Recreation 5.
Schröder stays a reserve, however Max Strus was within the beginning lineup in Recreation 5, changing Dean Wade. Atkinson stated afterward that it wasn’t about any points with Wade, however that Strus gave them higher spacing and extra playmaking.
Certainly, Strus made a few big performs off the dribble within the fourth quarter. First, he attacked a Walter close-out, drew assist, and dropped off a move to Jarrett Allen …
And on the very subsequent possession, he attacked one other Walter close-out and drew a foul within the paint.
Neither Schröder nor Strus had any of the Cavs’ 15 turnovers on Wednesday. And if they’ll proceed to supply secondary playmaking, they’ll relieve a few of the strain on Harden and Mitchell.
3. Mobley hits well timed 3s
Final season, Mobley appeared to have discovered his jumper, capturing 37% from past the arc and making extra 3-pointers in 2024-25 (85) than he had in his first three seasons mixed (67). However this season, he dropped again down beneath 30%, and his long-distance shot usually appeared uncomfortable.
By way of the primary 4 video games of this sequence, Mobley was 2-for-11 from past the arc. And thru the primary 35 minutes on Wednesday, he hadn’t tried a 3-pointer.
After which, because the Raptors went chilly on the opposite finish of the ground, Mobley shot 3-for-3 from 3-point vary over the ultimate 13 minutes. After three scoreless possessions, he gave the Cavs some life with a wide-open 3 from the left wing off a baseline out-of-bounds play within the closing minute of the third.
Early within the fourth, Collin Murray-Boyles helped off of Mobley within the strong-side nook, and Mobley made him pay. A couple of minutes later, Mobley was seemingly simply making an attempt to get out of the best way of a Schröder-Harden ball-screen. However Schröder handed him the ball as he cleared out to the left wing. Jakob Poeltl closed out gradual and Mobley let it fly …
“We would have liked them,” Atkinson stated of Mobley’s three 3s. “I do know that’s not his bread and butter, however he hit ’em with confidence. I assumed these 3s had been actually well timed.”
It’s extra necessary that Mobley performs large and finds methods to attain inside. But it surely’s very seemingly that the Raptors will hold daring him to shoot, and typically, that would be the best choice.
4. Raptors lose Ingram, lose the bench minutes
Ingram left halfway by the second quarter after re-aggravating a heel concern that’s been bothering him.
A.J. Lawson began the second half in his place however performed simply two minutes.
Each within the common season and on this sequence, the Raptors have been significantly better with Barnes on the ground with out Ingram, who’s now capturing simply 19-for-58 (33%) within the playoffs. However his absence clearly compromises the Raptors’ skill to creates pictures of their half-court offense.
With Toronto additionally lacking Immanuel Quickley, its depth can be being examined. And in rather less than 19 minutes with both Barnes or RJ Barrett on the bench on Wednesday, the Raptors had been outscored by 14 factors.
The most important advantage of the Cavs having each Harden and Mitchell is that they’ll have no less than one on the ground for all 48 minutes, and the identical goes for Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
They need to proceed to have the benefit when each groups have reserves on the ground, they usually’ll look to shut out the sequence when it strikes again to Toronto for Recreation 6 on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
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John Schuhmann has coated the NBA for greater than 20 years. You’ll be able to e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and follow him on Bluesky.