This era of Cleveland Cavaliers basketball has become synonymous with playoff collapses. How it happens changes. The final result doesn’t.
This time, it was RJ Barrett who broke Cleveland’s heart by hitting a game-winning three that careened off the rim, hung in the air for eternity, and then fell through the hoop with just over a second to play to keep the Toronto Raptors season alive. That shot turned what would’ve been a 110-109 win for the Cavs into a 112-110 victory for Toronto.
For as good as that
shot was, Barrett should’ve never had an opportunity to attempt it, at least not for the win.
The Cavs had the ball up one with 11 seconds to play. Head coach Kenny Atkinson subbed Dennis Schroder, the Game 5 hero, into the game for the crucial possession and decided to inbound the ball in the backcourt.
Toronto applied pressure, but Schroder broke it, bursting into the front court. Then, inexplicably, he attempted a pass to Evan Mobley — the worst free-throw shooter on the court — when the Raptors were going to inevitably foul and send Cleveland to the line. As bad as that decision was, something far worse happened. The ball just sailed through Mobley’s hands.
If that inexplicable mistake doesn’t happen, that shot from Barrett might not have either. Or at the very least, it probably wouldn’t have won Toronto the game.
But to blame the loss on just one play is disingenuous. The Cavs lost this game in the first three quarters due to their inattention to detail, incoherent offense, poor lineup decisions, and the inability of their stars to rise to the occasion.
The Cavs sleptwalked through the first three quarters against a Raptors team that was without their starting point guard and leading scorer from the regular season. They approached the game with the same intensity you’d expect from the second night of a back-to-back in January. Not a closeout playoff game.
The Raptors took advantage. They were the aggressors as they jumped out to a 10-point lead at the break, and then extended it to 15 midway through the third quarter.
This game had all the makings of any of the previous Cavs no-shows in the playoffs. Except this time, they fought back.
Defense, not offense, got the Cavs back into the game.
The attention to detail that wasn’t there at the start of the game was suddenly there. This resulted in the Raptors going three-and-a-half minutes without scoring and putting up just 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland’s offense wasn’t great, but it did enough to get them back into the game. Donovan Mitchell came alive, scoring 11 points in the final frame.
For as well as the Cavs played throughout the fourth, they couldn’t get over the hump to either tie or take the lead. They found themselves down two with 16 seconds left, before Evan Mobley hit a clutch finger roll to tie the game.
A missed Jamal Shead three-pointer sent the game to overtime.
The Cavs then grabbed their first lead since the opening quarter off a James Harden midrange jumper. Then, a Mitchell finger roll with 34 seconds left gave the Cavs a two-point advantage.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, that would be the last shot attempt they would get.
Jamal Shead drew a shooting foul on the following possession. He split his free throws, making it a one-point game.
Cleveland grabbed the rebound on the missed shot. Mitchell advanced it into the forecourt and was then fouled. The Raptors had a foul to give, which meant the Cavs had to do it again before they could attempt free throws. Then Schroder threw it away, Barrett hit the three, and the Raptors escaped with the victory.
Mobley was the lone bright spot in the loss for Cleveland. He played one of the best games of his career, considering the moment. Mobley came up with numerous big shots, including a triple at the end of regulation and a game-tying basket just before the close of the fourth quarter that kept the Cavs in this game. He finished with 26 points on 9-15 shooting with 14 rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Mitchell struggled to get anything going until the fourth quarter. He ended the evening with 24 points, but it took him 26 shots to get there. He had just five rebounds, two assists, and three turnovers in the loss.
Harden struggled to find his scoring touch. He went 5-14 from the field for just 16 points. He did, however, provide nine big rebounds, including five on the offensive end, to go along with nine assists. Turnovers were once again a problem for the Cavs, and Harden was the biggest culprit as he committed four.
Toronto was led by 25 points from Scottie Barnes on 11-21 shooting to go along with 14 assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter had 24 points apiece.
The Cavs are one loss away from their season ending. Game 7 will be back home on Sunday evening.
