2026 NBA Playoffs - East First Round - #4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #5 Toronto Raptors (CLE WINS 4-3)

[JujitsuFlip]

The Cavs tend to do a lot of quiet collusion, so my assumption is Harden and the Cavs already have an agreement to extend him, and part of that was another silent agreement to extend Mitchell too as long as we keep going "all in" to support him.

...No matter how badly things may go in the playoffs, the Cavs will still try to shoot for the moon this Summer. So Evan's long-term happiness may not even be an issue if the Bucks decide to accept him as the major part of a Giannis trade this Summer and LeBron decides to return to kick off his retirement tour.

While i think that's very possible, if they can't beat a hobbled Raptors squad in round 1, i say forget all that.

I know in the past Cavs fans have said we have to honor all our behind closed doors wink wink deals to maintain goodwill with player agents but idc. Yes Harden called out Morey publicly for backing out of a handshake deal too.

But who cares? If these guys are not upholding their part on the court, why do the Cavs have to pay them more money?

If 36 year old Harden and 29 year old Mitchell can't get it done, i think it would be absolutely wild to trade the 24 year old DPOY for Giannis.

I'd say pivot the exact opposite way and get what ever draft assets and young player assets you can for Harden, Mitchell, and Allen.

[JonFromVA]

Mitchell looks fine. An injured player would be trying to shorten their possessions, not doing whatever this is:

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I see a floor spacing / confidence problem in each of those snippets. Mitchell or Harden had easy passes to open "shooters" and instead tried to force up tough shots in a packed paint.

Also Kenny's offense isn't supposed to be everyone stand still at the 3pt line and wait for a kick out, there's supposed to be constant cutting and moving; but much of that has gone out the window when they traded for Harden and Schroeder.

The difference is Mitchell can usually make tough shots but that's what often fails him as his annual soft tissue injuries strike post-All-Star break.

[BigDan245]

Brandon Ingram still in a walking boot....They upgraded him to questionable just for the hell of it.

[SA37]

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If Ingram can just give Toronto 2-3 ~5 minute stints off the bench and he can get 10-12 points, I think the Raptors might eke this one out. Or maybe that is just me wanting to see Harden knocked out in the 1st round But I'll root for the Raptors just because they're the underdogs here.

[JonFromVA]

The Cavs tend to do a lot of quiet collusion, so my assumption is Harden and the Cavs already have an agreement to extend him, and part of that was another silent agreement to extend Mitchell too as long as we keep going "all in" to support him.

...No matter how badly things may go in the playoffs, the Cavs will still try to shoot for the moon this Summer. So Evan's long-term happiness may not even be an issue if the Bucks decide to accept him as the major part of a Giannis trade this Summer and LeBron decides to return to kick off his retirement tour.

While i think that's very possible, if they can't beat a hobbled Raptors squad in round 1, i say forget all that.

I know in the past Cavs fans have said we have to honor all our behind closed doors wink wink deals to maintain goodwill with player agents but idc. Yes Harden called out Morey publicly for backing out of a handshake deal too.

But who cares? If these guys are not upholding their part on the court, why do the Cavs have to pay them more money?

If 36 year old Harden and 29 year old Mitchell can't get it done, i think it would be absolutely wild to trade the 24 year old DPOY for Giannis.

I'd say pivot the exact opposite way and get what ever draft assets and young player assets you can for Harden, Mitchell, and Allen.

Alas, Dan Gilbert still owns the team.

Remember how awful things looked back in 2014 until somehow we won the draft lottery?

I should still have a post on the TWolves forum explaining why the Cavs could be their best option for a Kevin Love trade. They were mulling over some awful trades and didn't consider they could end up with the top pick in the draft; but few people knew what the Cavs had been up to behind the scenes.

[YogurtProducer]

Nah...a fully healthy Cavs team not dominating a Raptors team missing their starting point guard and all-star forward/leading scorer is all about how mentally weak the Cavs are.

This series should not be at a game 7 if all the so-called experts were so right about Cleveland being sooooooo much better a team than the Raptors.

Spoiler...Cleveland isn't so much better. If the Cavs pull out game 7 and win...it is still a huge L for how weak they looked against a Raptors team missing 2 key starters but still took 7 games to beat.

Cavs aren't fully healthy though.

Donovan Mitchell pretending to have a sore leg to excuse his putrid play doesn't count.

I watched Barnes literally drag his leg around all of game 5.

[YogurtProducer]

I can and will continue to do so.

Saying the Cavs aren't fully healthy is just a fact. On top of Mitchell not being healthy, Allen has been playing with a bad knee the entire series. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it isn't true.

Also, you don't get to use Ingram being injured as an excuse. He's been terrible all series long. Now you and many other raptors fans are suddenly acting like he would've been useful. At this point this comes across as you fishing for excuses for what you think is the inevitable, which is Toronto losing game 7.

Poeltl has been banged up all year and continues to be this series. Barnes got hurt and was very much hindered in game 5 and even in game 6 didn't look 100%. Ingram is out. Quickley is out. Walter was sick and very much much showed it in game 3 and 4.

Cavs dont have an injury card to play. Toronto is significantly more banged up.

Ingram has been bad. Ingram is still more valuable playing because he is a body that can handle NBA minutes. Right now when Barnes is off the floor we got NOTHING going offensively. At least Ingram can get a shot up.

[mtcan]

You keep mentioning the player salary like that means something. Your second most impactful player in this series is on a rookie deal. News flash my guy: no one cares how much money the players you're currently missing make. It's this kind of mindset that made people think this would be a one sided series in the Cavs favor. One of Cleveland's best players in this series makes less than 10 million a year, and that's entirely due to his defense.

And ah yes, the 23 points Ingram put up on 26 shots. Yes, I'm sure that's what Toronto desperately needs in a series where they're shooting, what, close to 50% from the field?



Yes, just like the injury report for Jak has been clear all series long, even though we know he's been playing with a bad back. Just like the injury report has been clear all series long for Barnes, even though we know he's been playing with an injury the past two games.

I can't believe I need to say this to an adult, but just because a player is suiting up to play doesn't mean they're 100%. That's not how it works.



Again, not how basketball works.

You take Harden out of the equation, Cleveland is forced to play with a more movement based offense which is when they're at their best. It's one of the reasons why Toronto is succeeding in limiting it because their offense is too predictable. Miami learned this lesson the hard way last year when Merrill went to the starting lineup and Clevelands offense became a free flowing movement based unit, Miami struggled to keep up with it and Cleveland utilized their depth to run circles around their defense. And you'd have better defense with Merrill (I assume he would be the starting two guard) in place of Harden.

Losing Allen would be a different story. You lose his rebounding and cutting, and now Bryant is being forced to get more minutes. On the other hand though, Wade gets put back in the lineup and the Merrill/Strus/Wade minutes have been great for Cleveland.

I could be wrong about all of this. But my point is that basketball does not work in the form of "we're missing player A therefore we should be worse". It depends on matchups.

In this case, losing Quickly has hurt your offense but it has helped your defense, which is one of the reasons why Toronto has been able to take this to seven games. It's left Cleveland without anyone to hunt on offense. Stuff like that matters.



Coping mechanism? You said the Cavs were healthy. I'm telling you they aren't. Go back through all the threads and tell me when I EVER at any point used injuries as an excuse. You're not going to find any because I know better than to pull that card. That was never the point.



And this right here, along with other things, showcases a clear lack of understanding of the game of basketball on your end.

Why are the Cavs not supposed to be in a game 7? Because they have the superior roster? Based on what? Accolades? All star appearances? Stats? Stats show Toronto to be a top five defense in the league while Cleveland is a top five offense. On that alone they're on even playing field. Obviously once context comes into play, that starts to change. Cleveland is obviously better than their record, but can't the same be said about Toronto? You guys have had a lot of injury issues throughout the season yet here you are with the fifth seed. But for some reason you and many others are going with this bizarre argument that the Raptors have a really poor roster while Cleveland's roster is vastly superior. That simply isn't the case, at least based on what I'm seeing.

As good as Clevelands offense was in the regular season, it's not suited for post season play. James Harden, as much as I love to rag on the guy, is a big reason for this. We have over a decade of his style of play being a problem for his teams, why are you guys surprised that it isn't working again, especially when he's well past his prime? Mitchell is an excellent post season player, but he struggles against lengthy perimeter defenders who like to play physical. Why are you guys surprised that he's not playing well? You guys constantly talk about how Barnes is better than Mobley, yet are surprised that Barnes is out playing him. Again, I ask, why? How out of touch and clueless are you when it comes to the rest of the NBA?

My point is if you and others had ANY clue what you were talking about, you wouldn't be claiming the Cavs should've won by now. Yes, they could've put this series away in 5 had the played smarter in game 4. They could've ended it last night had they been a little bit luckier. But given that they lost last year in large part because they couldn't handle the Pacers physicality, and they lost in 23 because they couldn't handle the Knicks physicality, I find myself sitting here asking, what were you expecting and did you just start watching yesterday?



Am I prepared for something that I predicted would happen months ago? Yes, it's literally something I've been complaining about for a while now. I literally said in the very first thread about this series that I wouldn't be surprised at all if the raptors won, because I, unlike you and many, many other raptors fans, know the Cavaliers and how they play.

Oh the copium.

gl in game 7. See you on the other side.

Absolutely pathetic that this is your response. Thanks for proving me correct.

Again with the copium.

So you can blame a possible game 7 loss on Donovan being "injured" but can overlook the fact that you are playing a undermanned Raptors team.

Weak ass sauce.

Raptors probably will lose because are missing 2 of our starters and the Cavs are supposedly more talented even before the injuries to Quickley and Ingram. I'm accepting of that but facts are facts. If the Cavs are to lose while missing 2 of the starters that helped them to this point in the playoffs...it would be understandable as well.

But don't try to equivocate Donovan playing at less 100% to Quickley and Ingram being NOT AVAILABLE AT ALL. It's not the same.

[JujitsuFlip]

The Cavs tend to do a lot of quiet collusion, so my assumption is Harden and the Cavs already have an agreement to extend him, and part of that was another silent agreement to extend Mitchell too as long as we keep going "all in" to support him.

...No matter how badly things may go in the playoffs, the Cavs will still try to shoot for the moon this Summer. So Evan's long-term happiness may not even be an issue if the Bucks decide to accept him as the major part of a Giannis trade this Summer and LeBron decides to return to kick off his retirement tour.

While i think that's very possible, if they can't beat a hobbled Raptors squad in round 1, i say forget all that.

I know in the past Cavs fans have said we have to honor all our behind closed doors wink wink deals to maintain goodwill with player agents but idc. Yes Harden called out Morey publicly for backing out of a handshake deal too.

But who cares? If these guys are not upholding their part on the court, why do the Cavs have to pay them more money?

If 36 year old Harden and 29 year old Mitchell can't get it done, i think it would be absolutely wild to trade the 24 year old DPOY for Giannis.

I'd say pivot the exact opposite way and get what ever draft assets and young player assets you can for Harden, Mitchell, and Allen.

Alas, Dan Gilbert still owns the team.

Remember how awful things looked back in 2014 until somehow we won the draft lottery?

I should still have a post on the TWolves forum explaining why the Cavs could be their best option for a Kevin Love trade. They were mulling over some awful trades and didn't consider they could end up with the top pick in the draft; but few people knew what the Cavs had been up to behind the scenes.

I cannot lie, i was way too high on the 2013 iteration of the Cavs hahaha talked myself into Andrew Bynum having decent knees (until he slept with Jamahl Mosley's wife, oops). I also didn't think Anthony Bennett would turn into the biggest draft bust ever. Kyrie coming off an All-Star season. Dion Waiters had a huge ego, was putting in off season work. We had Andy and just needed him to stay healthy for 1 season. Jack was a solid vet guard, i met him, he's a humble dude. CJ Miles could stroke it from 3. Gee was an absolute dog. Young bigs in Zeller and TT. Delly prior to the Steph stopper legacy.

Ah, those were the days, a delusional fan just trying to make the 8 seed, no expectations.

[xAIRNESSx]

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BI likely out

[GeorgeSears]

Speaking of legacy games, the Cavs gotta win this one.

[mtcan]

Speaking of legacy games, the Cavs gotta win this one.

Yup. Pressure is ALL on the Cavs. Huge changes coming if they lose.

I have already learned so much about our own Raptors players that I'm excited to see, in the offseason, how we adjust the roster based on what we have seen this series

[Tnasty4l]

WINNER
CAVS:
SPIDA: 25+pts 4+rbs 4+asts
MOBS: 21+pts 8+rbs 3+asts

LOSER
RAPTORS:
SB4: 22+pts 8+rbs 7+asts
RJB: 19+pts 5+rbs 3+asts

[Doranku]

Been very disappointed with Spida's performance this series. Playoff Spida may be dead and gone if they lose this series

[GeorgeSears]

Been very disappointed with Spida's performance this series. Playoff Spida may be dead and gone if they lose this series

Playoff Spida is kind of like Playoff Murray. Both have been living off the bubble performances. Mitchell was good last season, and Murray was good in 2023, outside of that though? nothing much.

[Homer38]

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[HardenGoat]

Should be a great game despite the injuries. Raptors are just a tough as nails defensive team that has been getting enough offense from Scottie, Barrett, and their rookie gem finding. There’s no quit in them which is why we are at game 7. Plus they have the backing of an entire country of fans which makes their home games tough. This is reflected in the poll as usual. Atkinson needs to find an adjustment that gets Spida his driving lanes. I think Mobley should be getting more freedom to get a bucket as well early in the game. He's had had solid post scoring moves this series. If anything he can put key defenders into foul trouble which would force an adjustment by Toronto. Harden is playing well overall but is best suited to protecting a cushion type lead. I would actually prefer Schroeder taking the rock more when the game needs a quicker bucket. Cavs will win this one at home, but shout out to the pesky Raptor fans for stirring the pot and making it fun!

[mtcan]

Should be a great game despite the injuries. Raptors are just a tough as nails defensive team that has been getting enough offense from Scottie, Barrett, and their rookie gem finding. There’s no quit in them which is why we are at game 7. Plus they have the backing of an entire country of fans which makes their home games tough. This is reflected in the poll as usual. Atkinson needs to find an adjustment that gets Spida his driving lanes. I think Mobley should be getting more freedom to get a bucket as well early in the game. He's had had solid post scoring moves this series. If anything he can put key defenders into foul trouble which would force an adjustment by Toronto. Harden is playing well overall but is best suited to protecting a cushion type lead. I would actually prefer Schroeder taking the rock more when the game needs a quicker bucket. Cavs will win this one at home, but shout out to the pesky Raptor fans for stirring the pot and making it fun!

Win or lose...I'm proud of my team and the effort put forth despite missing 2 out of our starters.

I've already gotten everything that I wanted from the first 6 games in terms of seeing how our guys handle the bright lights of playoff basketball. Barnes, Barrett, Walter, Murray-Boyles and Shead have proven themselves to me and I couldn't be happier.

Without BI's scoring and gravity on the offensive end...I don't think Barnes and Barrett have enough left in the tank to carry the team for 4 more quarters. It's asking too much. The 4th quarters of games 5 and 6 show us that a legit 3rd scorer (what BI should be when healthy) is absolutely needed to take the load off of Barnes and Barrett when the legs get a tired and the shots start falling a bit short.

I expect a blowout one way or another. Cavs probably come out swinging and the game is decided by halftime....or the Raptors with a big lead heading into the 2nd half and hopefully weather a 4th quarter push from the Cavs.

[Green Backpack]

Tons of pressure on Cleveland. Highest payroll, Harden trade, home court advantage, Raptors missing 2 starters, Game 7. I think they'll come out firing really hard tonight.

[djsunyc]

Tons of pressure on Cleveland. Highest payroll, Harden trade, home court advantage, Raptors missing 2 starters, Game 7. I think they'll come out firing really hard tonight.

cavs role.guys hit their 3s at home. raptors kids winning on the road in game 7 is a tall task.