Cavs vs. Raptors

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavs were dormant in the first half against the Raptors, but the second half was a different team in the 105-102 win over Toronto.

Cleveland scored just 42 points in the first half against the Raptors, but a new energy emerged as the team exited the locker room after the break.

Max Strus ignited the Cavaliers’ offense with his 20-point third quarter, tying the highest-scoring quarter of his career. The momentum swung when Strus hit a 25-foot three-pointer to tie the game 67-67, but the following 25-foot three-pointer he made gave Cleveland a lead that they never looked back from. The arena shook as the crowd erupted, and it wasn’t even the loudest it would get.

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The Cavs fed off Strus’ performance, and the entire team got going. Tristan Thompson grabbed back-to-back offensive rebounds that led to a five-point swing to start the fourth quarter.

Cleveland used the shot beyond-the-arc to their advantage as after making three three-pointers in the first half, the Cavs found their stroke from long range and doubled their amount in the second half, making seven.

In the closing minutes, Strus and Donovan Mitchell weren’t able to get their shots to fall, so the Cavs leaned on their other stars that round out their starting lineup. Allen and Mobley were skying for lob flushes that only they could get, and Garland attacked the basket with his change of speed and direction to give Cleveland the edge.

Mitchell wasn’t able to get out of his shooting slump with 10 points on 4-of-17 from the floor. This was his lowest-scoring performance since Feb. 2, 2022, against the Grizzlies when he scored six points. But most importantly, after a game where he was disappointed in his late performance, Mitchell sealed the win with two clutch free throws with under 10 seconds in the game.

Even without Cleveland’s star player at playing to his full potential, the Cavs showed how deep their roster runs in a hard nose win that came down to the final seconds.

Up Next

The Cavs continue their five-game homestand, hosting the Hawks on Tuesday with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.