5 burning questions heading into Raptors-Cavaliers Recreation 7

In relation to the NBA playoffs, ethical victories are by no means what groups are after.

And but, when the Toronto Raptors returned to the post-season for the primary time in 4 years, that gave the impression to be all that was on the desk.

Seemingly outmatched within the expertise division and with a status for falling quick towards the league’s finest, Toronto’s playoff run would’ve been deemed successful after little greater than a handful of scrappy efforts.

However after making a behavior of smashing expectations — and a 39.5 win projection — all through the common season, they’ve continued doing so within the playoffs. Proving they belong precisely the place they’ve labored to place themselves, and alongside all the other Eastern Conference teams combating for his or her post-season lives within the coming days.

And with RJ Barrett’s miracle moonshot falling by way of the ring on Friday night time, the Raptors have earned the fitting to play for far more than feel-good moments.

The precise to proceed profitable basketball video games. Like on Sunday, in Recreation 7 (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+ at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT).

Till then, listed below are 5 burning inquiries to ponder over as we head into the winner-takes-all matchup — the seventh Recreation 7 in Raptors historical past.

It was simply over two years in the past that Darko Rajakovic went on his famous post-game rant and proclaimed that Barnes “goes to be the face of the league.”

On the time, it felt like nothing greater than a first-year head coach sticking up for his star participant. At this time? It could possibly be seen as a prophecy coming to fruition ahead of anticipated.

In a sequence with one sure-fire Corridor of Famer, one of many league’s premier scorers and a DPOY on the opposite aspect, the Raptors ahead has been one of the best and most constant cornerstone participant.

“Scottie goes to do no matter it takes to win, he is such a selfless man,” Rajakovic mentioned after Recreation 6, when his franchise ahead racked up 25 factors, a franchise-record tying 14 assists, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks in 48 minutes of motion. “He’ll take the toughest challenges on the defensive finish to protect, rebound, push the ball in transition, and all he needs to do is win.

Barnes leads all gamers within the sequence in assists (9.0) and minutes (39.3) whereas rating second in factors (24.2) and steals-plus-blocks (3.1).

The 24-year-old has routinely knifed by way of the Cavaliers’ defence, both along with his decisive drives or his precision passing. And when Barnes has stopped wanting doing both, he is made essentially the most of it by flattening his middies or producing free throws. All whereas taking over the James Harden task defensively and sprawling across the courtroom to assist his teammates generate stops.

Barnes has already accomplished plenty all through the post-season, but when the Raptors are going to tug off the upset on Sunday and safe their first-ever highway playoff win in Cleveland, he’ll should proceed appearing as a rising tide that lifts his crew’s boat on each ends.

Does RJ Barrett have extra heroics in retailer?

When the Mississauga, Ont., native spoke after morning shootaround on Friday and mentioned “an elimination recreation suits into the persona of this crew,” it is unlikely that even he knew how emphatically that assertion could be confirmed appropriate.

And it was becoming that the person who wrote the cheque was finally the one who made certain it was cashed.

But it is also what Barrett has finished all sequence. Even earlier than his Recreation 6 winner capped a 24-point outing, he had been essentially the most constant scorer between each groups. His 24.3 factors per recreation not solely lead all Raptors and Cavaliers, however rank ninth amongst all playoff gamers — doing it on 50.5 per cent capturing from the sphere and 42.1 per cent from past the arc.

Barrett’s additionally chipped in a team-best 7.5 rebounds per recreation and a playoff career-high 3.7 assists, to pair with some gritty, much-improved defence towards the likes of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and, from time to time, even Donovan Mitchell.

So, though Barnes is the wagon that the Raptors have definitely hitched onto, Barrett is the four-wheel drive that pushes his crew into high gear. His behavior of producing paint touches, slashing in transition and shifting Cavs gamers out of the best way with “shoulder-boulder” drives, as Kenny Atkinson described, has opened up numerous alternatives for himself and his teammates. All of which might be wanted but once more on Sunday, and possibly even one other fortunate bounce or two.

“One recreation to determine all of it,” Barrett mentioned. “Going into Cleveland, Recreation 7, goes to be a troublesome job, however that is what we’re constructed for.”

We all know the hometown hero positively is.

Can the Raptors decelerate James Harden and Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland?

It is typically been mentioned a sequence would not begin till a highway crew wins, and in line with Ja’Kobe Walter, earlier than he pitched in 24 factors of his personal in Recreation 6, “that is details.”

However to ensure that his Raptors to win the “massive recreation,” and actually begin (and finish) the four-five matchup, the sophomore and his teammates should discover a strategy to decelerate the Cavaliers’ star duo in Cleveland.

Harden and Mitchell have each discovered their fair proportion of success all through the sequence whereas within the pleasant confines of Rocket Enviornment, producing extra offence and doing it extra effectively. Most notably, the pair have been far simpler pull-up threats at dwelling, which could possibly be a game-breaking bonus in Recreation 7 to counter the Raptors’ overwhelming defensive stress. The pair have a median efficient field-goal fee of 74.2 per cent on pull-up makes an attempt at dwelling in comparison with simply 48.9 per cent on the highway. This could lend properly to Mitchell, possibly greater than another Cavalier, because the star guard appears due for a breakout efficiency after a largely underwhelming six video games to this point.

“Defend dwelling courtroom,” Mitchell mentioned after Recreation 6, when requested what his mindset is heading into Sunday. “It is all you are able to do.”

It is no secret that the languid shot-taker has been lower than his regular-season self all through the sequence. Ingram’s high two qualities all through the 82-game marketing campaign had been his scoring chops and his availability.

However after averaging practically 10 fewer factors within the playoffs than within the common season — on an enormous dip in field-goal effectivity — and now that his standing for Recreation 7 stays unsure because of a heel harm, it is exhausting to discern what, if any, impression the all-star can have on Sunday.

Ingram was seen sporting a strolling boot whereas sauntering round Scotiabank Enviornment on Friday, and within the crew’s final replace, it was talked about that he’d nonetheless been experiencing fairly a little bit of ache in his proper heel.

And though the Raptors managed to power a Recreation 7 with out him, his absence might be felt. Prefer it was on Friday, when the offence sputtered to a 4-of-17 displaying within the fourth quarter, and Cleveland received the body by 11 factors and compelled additional time. Ingram has not been a constant shot-maker in his first playoffs with the Raptors, however he has been a keen shot-taker, and that does matter. Confidence that allowed him to spark a pivotal 10-0 run in Recreation 3, and to hit an uber-clutch three towards the top of Recreation 4. There’s a lot to be mentioned about gamers unafraid of the most important moments — a lesson Barrett reminded everybody of in Recreation 6.

To not point out, his presence essentially shifts the geometry of the Cavaliers’ defence. The NBA makes use of a metric dubbed “gravity” to measure how a lot consideration a participant attracts in comparison with what the spacing on the ground predicts. And Ingram’s gravity ranking skyrocketed from top-25 within the common season to top-five throughout the playoffs. Atkinson admitted as a lot earlier than Recreation 6, noting how his finest defenders shift their consideration near-exclusively to Barnes and Barrett with out Ingram on the courtroom.

And it is why Rajakovic acknowledged that his crew might want to take a do-it-by-committee method ought to Ingram be unavailable on Sunday.

“It is (the) crew. It can’t be, ‘Oh, we will designate one participant to do this.’”

Fortunately, the Raptors have a steady of children keen to fill in these gaps. Like Jamison Battle did in Recreation 3, and Walter did in Recreation 6. And the way Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles have finished with their elevated offensive spurts — pairing with their defensive acumen — all through the sequence.

“I do not fear about these younger guys in any respect,” Barrett mentioned. “They’ve the fitting mindset, they put within the work, they’re some canines.”

Which crew wins the possession battle?

To say the Raptors and Cavaliers have performed to a 3-3 stalemate would each be a significant “duh” assertion and likewise underselling how tight the sequence has been.

Tied in nearly statistical classes by way of six video games, it speaks to what each coaches harped on since earlier than the sequence started, and that is the worth of the possession battle. Extra alternatives with the ball are extra possibilities to perform constructive outcomes.

And both sides has tried to realize a bonus in its personal methods. The Raptors do it by producing turnovers, main all playoff groups in complete factors off opponent miscues. And the Cavaliers do it by attempting to win on the glass and dictating tempo.

“The large one with the possession recreation for us is rebounding,” Atkinson defined.

“That is eight ranges above all the pieces else. We have to discover a strategy to hold them off the boards. (In Recreation 5, the Raptors had been) plus-13, , 13 extra pictures than us. We received as a result of we shot 50 per cent on our threes … we won’t dwell in that world.”

The crew to win the possession battle has received 4 out of six video games between the Raptors and Cavaliers to this point. The 2 outliers had been Recreation 3, when the Raptors hit 61 per cent of their threes and made 14 extra area objectives, and Recreation 6, which got here right down to a shot from Barrett and a bounce aided by the basketball gods.