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

[canada_dry]

the funniest thing about this series imo is that everyone keeps saying the raps' frontcourt is undersized - when they're BIGGER than the cavs' frontcourt.

I mean if you count small forwards as front count sure on the technicality. Maybe. But you know what's meant... the 4/5.

SF have been counted as front court players since 1891, where have you been? Lol

I know it has. Hence i said thats technically accurate...But its also not whats being referred to when talking about their bigs in particular. We're talking about Allen and Mobley.

[canada_dry]

the funniest thing about this series imo is that everyone keeps saying the raps' frontcourt is undersized - when they're BIGGER than the cavs' frontcourt.

I mean if you count small forwards as front count sure on the technicality. Maybe. But you know what's meant... the 4/5.

yeah the raps are bigger at the 4/5.


Allen 6'9" height 9'3" reach, 243lbs
Mobley 6'11" height, 9'2" reach (?), 215lbs
Wade 6'9" height, 8'10" reach (?), 228lbs

Poeltl 7'1' height, 9'4" reach, 253lbs
Scottie 6'7" height, 9'0" reach, 237lbs
CMB 6'6" height, 8'11" reach, 245lbs
Mamu 6'9" height, 8'11 reach, 240lbs

heck you could thrown in Ingram who probably has the closest body to Mobley - 6'9" height, 9'2" standing reach, 190lbs.

Yeah but poetl is playing backup minutes. The ones doing the damage are 6'6 CMB at the 5 and 6'7 barnes at the 4.

[BigDan245]

I wouldn't be shocked to see the Cavs dominate games 5 and 6. The Raptors are out of adjustments. If the Cavs can solve the ball pressure of the Raptors with this time off, games 5 and 6 won't be competitive.

Problem with that is, I don't really trust Atkinson or the players. If they really think having Harden/Mitchell dribbling the ball at the top for 15 seconds is the way to attack them, Raptors very well might just win the next 2.

Getting into quicker sets and attack a guy like Poetl when he's out there should be a priority. As well as doing whatever it takes to dump the ball inside.

[YogurtProducer]

From my handheld watch timing, it was 8 seconds before Shead even touched him. Refs aren't gonna bail out braindead plays, and Mitchell wasn't making it over in time even if Shead didn't move.

Might need to get that handheld watch calibrated, lol

https://official.nba.com/l2m/L2MReport.html?gameId=0042500134

They incorrectly missed the illegal contact by Shead prior to the 8 second violation occurring.

At most it is like 7.9 seconds.

Which at that point, what are we doing here? You are crying because they called an 8 second violation .1 second to soon (and we all know Mitchell wasn't gonna make it over in time even if Shead wasn't there).

[BigDan245]

From my handheld watch timing, it was 8 seconds before Shead even touched him. Refs aren't gonna bail out braindead plays, and Mitchell wasn't making it over in time even if Shead didn't move.

Might need to get that handheld watch calibrated, lol

https://official.nba.com/l2m/L2MReport.html?gameId=0042500134

They incorrectly missed the illegal contact by Shead prior to the 8 second violation occurring.

At most it is like 7.9 seconds.

Which at that point, what are we doing here? You are crying because they called an 8 second violation .1 second to soon (and we all know Mitchell wasn't gonna make it over in time even if Shead wasn't there).

It's embarrassing to complain about that IMO. No one in their right mind would have called a foul in real time on that.

[deck]

If we really want to nit pick the 8 second call, the clock starts about a second late. The entire time the ball is in Harden's hands, the clock hasn't started. It was an 8 second violation before Shead touched Mitchell.

[JujitsuFlip]

Might need to get that handheld watch calibrated, lol

https://official.nba.com/l2m/L2MReport.html?gameId=0042500134

They incorrectly missed the illegal contact by Shead prior to the 8 second violation occurring.

At most it is like 7.9 seconds.

Which at that point, what are we doing here? You are crying because they called an 8 second violation .1 second to soon (and we all know Mitchell wasn't gonna make it over in time even if Shead wasn't there).

It's embarrassing to complain about that IMO. No one in their right mind would have called a foul in real time on that.

Yeah, it's embarrassing to want the game called correctly lmao

You're the same guy who desperately wanted the Cavs to be the 3 seed... So yeah, checks out.

Good job Dan, keep up the great takes!

[mihaic]

At most it is like 7.9 seconds.

Which at that point, what are we doing here? You are crying because they called an 8 second violation .1 second to soon (and we all know Mitchell wasn't gonna make it over in time even if Shead wasn't there).

It's embarrassing to complain about that IMO. No one in their right mind would have called a foul in real time on that.

Yeah, it's embarrassing to want the game called correctly lmao

You're the same guy who desperately wanted the Cavs to be the 3 seed... So yeah, checks out.

Good job Dan, keep up the great takes!

I thought there were more incorrect calls in favour of the Cavs, than the Raptors, in the last 2 minutes report. But I didn't really count, perhaps I am wrong?

BTW Bane undercut a player in the same manner as Shead on Mitchell, and there was no call. In tonight's game

They were simply letting them play. Like the Raptors commentator said, they called mostly blatant stuff only, or fouls on shooters. It was actually entertaining imo.

In Jack Armstrongs words: play through it.

[JujitsuFlip]

It's embarrassing to complain about that IMO. No one in their right mind would have called a foul in real time on that.

Yeah, it's embarrassing to want the game called correctly lmao

You're the same guy who desperately wanted the Cavs to be the 3 seed... So yeah, checks out.

Good job Dan, keep up the great takes!

I thought there were more incorrect calls in favour of the Cavs, than the Raptors, in the last 2 minutes report. But I didn't really count, perhaps I am wrong?

BTW Bane undercut a player in the same manner as Shead on Mitchell, and there was no call. In tonight's game

They were simply letting them play. Like the Raptors commentator said, they called mostly blatant stuff only, or fouls on shooters. It was actually entertaining imo.

In Jack Armstrongs words: play through it.

As long as the free throw disparity is something like 40 to 20, in the Cavs favor on Wednesday night, then i agree, play through it lol

[JustLucky]

I mean if you count small forwards as front count sure on the technicality. Maybe. But you know what's meant... the 4/5.

SF have been counted as front court players since 1891, where have you been? Lol

That might be one of the most hilarious things I've ever read. A user on a basketball forum not knowing that a SF is part of the frontcourt is like a baseball fan not knowing the shortstop is part of the infield.

while a sf is considered frontcourt. they are not considered a "big" i heard windhorse call jamision battle a big on his podcast. I guess cleveland fans just dont know

[Johnny Bball]

I think that Orlando win makes game 5 even bigger.

[AussieRules]

I’m surprised this series’s has only 3 pages. This, besides the Minnesota series has been best series this playoffs

[JujitsuFlip]

I’m surprised this series’s has only 3 pages. This, besides the Minnesota series has been best series this playoffs

The first 4 games produced 100+ pages so they lock it and start a new one. Too many pages bogs the server down trying to load everything.

[AussieRules]

I’m surprised this series’s has only 3 pages. This, besides the Minnesota series has been best series this playoffs

The first 4 games produced 100+ pages so they lock it and start a new one. Too many pages bogs the server down trying to load everything.

Ok that makes sense, haven’t been on here in a while

[Iwasawitness]

SF have been counted as front court players since 1891, where have you been? Lol

That might be one of the most hilarious things I've ever read. A user on a basketball forum not knowing that a SF is part of the frontcourt is like a baseball fan not knowing the shortstop is part of the infield.

while a sf is considered frontcourt. they are not considered a "big" i heard windhorse call jamision battle a big on his podcast. I guess cleveland fans just dont know

The hell are you talking about? This isn't about what is and isn't a big. A SF is part of the front court. That's always been a thing. We can talk about technicalities and what have you but at the end of the day, SFs are front court players.

[QingJames]

I wouldn't be shocked to see the Cavs dominate games 5 and 6. The Raptors are out of adjustments. If the Cavs can solve the ball pressure of the Raptors with this time off, games 5 and 6 won't be competitive.

Problem with that is, I don't really trust Atkinson or the players. If they really think having Harden/Mitchell dribbling the ball at the top for 15 seconds is the way to attack them, Raptors very well might just win the next 2.

Getting into quicker sets and attack a guy like Poetl when he's out there should be a priority. As well as doing whatever it takes to dump the ball inside.

True, the Raptors are out of adjustments as they have been making increasingly more effective adjustments every game, particularly with regards to defending Mitchell and Harden. Kenny has wisely not made one single adjustment in 4 games, except to swap Wade and Merrill’s roles defensively. I am sure he knows very well how to solve the ball pressure that shut down Cleveland’s guards over the last two games, he just hasn’t done it yet because he wants to save that experience for the game 5 home crowd.

[QingJames]

Yeah, it's embarrassing to want the game called correctly lmao

You're the same guy who desperately wanted the Cavs to be the 3 seed... So yeah, checks out.

Good job Dan, keep up the great takes!

I thought there were more incorrect calls in favour of the Cavs, than the Raptors, in the last 2 minutes report. But I didn't really count, perhaps I am wrong?

BTW Bane undercut a player in the same manner as Shead on Mitchell, and there was no call. In tonight's game

They were simply letting them play. Like the Raptors commentator said, they called mostly blatant stuff only, or fouls on shooters. It was actually entertaining imo.

In Jack Armstrongs words: play through it.

As long as the free throw disparity is something like 40 to 20, in the Cavs favor on Wednesday night, then i agree, play through it lol

6 free throws off intentional fouls at the end.
2 off a blatant flagrant by the rat Sam Merrill trying to injure CMB and take him out of the series (injuries to 2/5 of the Raps’ starting lineup isn’t enough for a fully healthy Cleveland to beat them, apparently).
Harden with the terrible closeout on Ingram fouling him while he shot a 3.
Mitchell idiotically and intentionally fouling Barnes at the end of the third because he thought the Cavs had a foul to give, and they didn’t.

That’s 11 free throws right there in the fourth quarter and 2 at the very end of the third that were entirely and solely the fault of Cleveland’s players. That’s the entire FT disparity right there, friend.

[Backcountry]

That last 2-minute report must be embarrassing for the refs and the league. I've never seen so many INCs on one of those reports! And yes, Shead should have been called for a foul on Don before the 8-second violation, but there were just as many incorrect calls against the Raps as the Cavs in that last 2-minutes.

I hope that that many wrong calls triggers a review of the officiating crew.

[tradejosehesux]

I thought there were more incorrect calls in favour of the Cavs, than the Raptors, in the last 2 minutes report. But I didn't really count, perhaps I am wrong?

BTW Bane undercut a player in the same manner as Shead on Mitchell, and there was no call. In tonight's game

They were simply letting them play. Like the Raptors commentator said, they called mostly blatant stuff only, or fouls on shooters. It was actually entertaining imo.

In Jack Armstrongs words: play through it.

As long as the free throw disparity is something like 40 to 20, in the Cavs favor on Wednesday night, then i agree, play through it lol

6 free throws off intentional fouls at the end.
2 off a blatant flagrant by the rat Sam Merrill trying to injure CMB and take him out of the series (injuries to 2/5 of the Raps’ starting lineup isn’t enough for a fully healthy Cleveland to beat them, apparently).
Harden with the terrible closeout on Ingram fouling him while he shot a 3.
Mitchell idiotically and intentionally fouling Barnes at the end of the third because he thought the Cavs had a foul to give, and they didn’t.

That’s 11 free throws right there in the fourth quarter and 2 at the very end of the third that were entirely and solely the fault of Cleveland’s players. That’s the entire FT disparity right there, friend.

Not to mention the whistle overwhelmingly favoured the Cavs in games 1-3 (in each game).

Don’t want to ever hear someone with Harden on their team complain about the whistle.

[JujitsuFlip]

I thought there were more incorrect calls in favour of the Cavs, than the Raptors, in the last 2 minutes report. But I didn't really count, perhaps I am wrong?

BTW Bane undercut a player in the same manner as Shead on Mitchell, and there was no call. In tonight's game

They were simply letting them play. Like the Raptors commentator said, they called mostly blatant stuff only, or fouls on shooters. It was actually entertaining imo.

In Jack Armstrongs words: play through it.

As long as the free throw disparity is something like 40 to 20, in the Cavs favor on Wednesday night, then i agree, play through it lol

6 free throws off intentional fouls at the end.
2 off a blatant flagrant by the rat Sam Merrill trying to injure CMB and take him out of the series (injuries to 2/5 of the Raps’ starting lineup isn’t enough for a fully healthy Cleveland to beat them, apparently).
Harden with the terrible closeout on Ingram fouling him while he shot a 3.
Mitchell idiotically and intentionally fouling Barnes at the end of the third because he thought the Cavs had a foul to give, and they didn’t.

That’s 11 free throws right there in the fourth quarter and 2 at the very end of the third that were entirely and solely the fault of Cleveland’s players. That’s the entire FT disparity right there, friend.

That was the softest flagrant I've ever seen lol play on. Cavs didn't get those exact same calls in game 1, zero consistency in the officiating.