The Toronto Raptors refused to go quietly—and now this series is anyone’s game.
Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram each scored 23 points as the Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 on Monday to tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece. It was not pretty—Toronto shot just 4-for-30 from three-point range—but the Raptors defended, fought, and found a way. That has been enough two games running.
Game 5 shifts to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Barnes Delivers When It Matters for the Raptors
Barnes was everywhere when it counted. He finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists—and when the game was on the line with 34 seconds remaining and Toronto trailing 87-86, he drew the foul on a drive to the basket and converted both free throws to give the Raptors an 88-87 lead they would not relinquish.
“We’re just trying to go out there and win, take it one possession at a time,” Barnes said. “That’s all we’re focussing on.”
It was Toronto’s first back-to-back postseason wins since their first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022. For a team that spent much of this series looking like the underdog, that is significant.
“We just never, never flinched,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic. “We continued guarding and guarding.”
Ingram’s contribution was equally important, though it came with a rocky start. He missed nine of his first ten attempts, then closed the half by making three in a row—including a buzzer-beating three that gave Toronto a 38-36 lead at the break. From there, he settled in and delivered. Rajan Jeffery Barrett added 18 and Collin Murray-Boyles posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in another mature performance from the rookie.
Cleveland’s Self-Inflicted Wounds
The Cavaliers gave this game away as much as Toronto took it.
Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points but shot just 6-for-24 overall and 4-for-12 from deep. He missed two shots in the final 25 seconds, including a three-pointer that would have tied the game, and committed a critical error by failing to get the ball across halfcourt in time with less than a minute remaining—handing possession back to Toronto.
“I made a mistake in a crucial moment,” Mitchell said. “I got some open looks tonight and they just didn’t fall.”
James Harden added 19 points but had 6 turnovers to just four made baskets in the first half alone. Cleveland finished with 18 turnovers for the game—a total that makes any result other than a loss improbable. Sam Merrill contributed 14 points and Jarrett Allen hauled in 15 rebounds, but the Cavaliers were outscored 10-2 in the final 1:54 of the fourth quarter. That stretch sealed it.
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged the momentum Toronto has built at home without pretending it changes the broader picture. “There’s no doubt they’ve had the physicality advantage, the energy advantage these last two games. Usually happens with the home team. We’ve got to turn it back around. That’s how the playoffs go.”
Harden remained defiant. “We had an opportunity tonight to win the game. We’re definitely confident about where we are.”
Both teams, notably, struggled from three-point range throughout—Cleveland shot 10-for-40 from deep, Toronto just 4-for-30. With NBA Commissioner Adam Silver watching from the stands, it was a reminder that playoff basketball is not always about shooting. Sometimes it is about who stops flinching first.
Toronto did not flinch. Cleveland did. Now it is a best of three.
