The Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back for a huge Game 5 win and a 3-2 series lead over the Toronto Raptors.
Let’s go over today’s losers.
LOSER – The First Half
I can’t blame anyone for feeling antsy in the first half. To be honest, if you weren’t starting to worry about a full-blown panic attack, then I don’t know how you do it. This first half had disaster written all over it.
The Raptors could not miss in the first two quarters. They had 74 points at halftime on 64% shooting from the floor and 59% shooting from downtown.
No one thought that would be sustainable, but it’s more than enough in one half to steal a Game 5 on the road.
How did the Raptors do it?
Scottie Barnes was the driving force. He put immense pressure on the rim with his downhill attacks, while his playmaking provided a counter. Drawing multiple defenders and hitting the open man is easier said than done. Barnes had the Cavalier defense scrambling to keep up.
Adding fuel to the fire, Cleveland again turned it over like crazy. The Raptors eventually scored 28 points off turnovers in this game, with a good chunk of that coming in a frantic first half.
WINNER – Feeding the Bigs
Clearly, something changed in the second half. The Cavs managed to overcome a 12-point deficit and storm back for a double-digit lead of their own before winning in the closing minutes.
Feeding the bigs was the key to all of that.
Dennis Schroder (more on him soon) apparently told the Cavs as much. At halftime, Schroder addressed his team and told them where they’ve been going wrong. His proposal? To return to ‘Cavs basketball’ play prioritizing Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley as focal points of the offense. I guess Schroder reads Fear the Sword, or any Cavs blog, for that matter.
The results were immediate. Mobley and Allen re-established the Cavaliers’ efforts in the paint by rolling to the rim and creating easy opportunities. By playing inside-out, the Cavs offense settled into a more sustainable groove — all while energizing the bigs on the other end of the floor.
All of a sudden, Allen and Mobley were rejecting shots and anchoring an elite defense. After coughing up 74 points in the first half, Cleveland only allowed 46 in the second (just 17 points in the fourth). Mobley and Allen’s six combined blocks were a big part of that. Getting them more involved on offense was what sparked it.
Mobley finished with 16 points in the second half, including three clutch triples to secure the win.
WINNER – Dennis Schroder
I had a feeling that Schroder could have a big game in the playoffs. I, however, did not think it would come in such a pivotal moment.
Schroder, for all intents and purposes, saved the Cavs season. This was shaping up to be a crushing Game 5 loss at home. Instead, Schroder more than doubled his total points for the series (he scored 19 points tonight and had only scored 18 points in the previous games combined). More than half of Schroder’s scoring game in the fourth quarter.
Toronto has played an aggressive style of defense at the point of attack. For example, if James Harden has the ball, you can bet a second Raptor is lurking at the nail, cheating off the wing and providing additional help on any potential drives.
This is what opened the door for Schroder to succeed.
Any attention on Harden meant room for Schroder to attack. He was quick to catch the ball and burst to the rim on these opportunities, making the most of the defense being preoccupied with his teammates. That extra ball-handler on the court made a huge difference for Cleveland, as the Raptors had previously stifled their offense with this aggressive help.
Schroder didn’t just have it rolling downhill; he was knocking down three-pointers, as well. Scoring from all three levels made him tonight’s hero — and even Donovan Mitchell was content sitting on the bench to let Dennis cook.
“It’s about the group,” Mitchell said about allowing Schroder to stay in the game. “It’s on me to take a step back… I know who I am, y’all know who I am… but the only thing that matters is winning the game.”
I didn’t expect Schroder to save the day, but I sure am happy he did.
