Cavaliers Dominant Second Half Enough To Overcome Early Struggles in Game 5

The Cleveland Cavaliers had just enough in the tank to shift their 1st-round series back in their favor and defeat the Toronto Raptors in a 125-120 Wednesday win. James Harden and Evan Mobley ended the all-important matchup with 23 points apiece. Toronto wing RJ Barrett
responded with 25 points of his own as one of two Raptors with a playoff double-double.

Max Strus entered the starting lineup for the first time since Cleveland's final bout of the regular season, when forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin starred in what would be a showcase for the Cavs' bench crew.

The 3rd-year Cavalier would end the night with eight points in what would be his return to the starting five in postseason play after a streak that spanned just over three years and 11 playoff series as a member of the Cavs and Miami Heat. Dean Wade, who suited up in a starting spot in Cleveland's first four matchups, would end the night with seven points and three rebounds.

A Tale of Two Teams

A tale of split personalities made the Cavs look like two different teams after every timeout: one that kept getting in its own way and one that played with something to prove in a defining Game 5.

The Cavs couldn't hold the Raptors back as they fell behind by six points before they took their first timeout. A spark from Sam Merrill, along with the scoring efforts of Harden and Donovan Mitchell, put the Cavs back on track as they opted to go smaller to match Toronto's own small-ball lineup.

While Cleveland never fell too far into a chasm as it continued to fight back with spotty surges, every big-time run or game-saving play was met with some kind of self-inflicted counter as Cleveland's old habits continued to spring to life at the worst possible moments. A double-digit disparity in the fastbreak proved to be a calling card for the Raptors, while a number of picked-off passes only added to 14 Cavaliers turnovers.

The Cavs would let up 74 points in the first half, including 40 in the second quarter, as the Raptors hit just over 64% of their tries in the opening half. The Jekyll to Cleveland's Hyde would ultimately win out as the Cavs poured on points in a 4th-quarter scoring barrage highlighted by Mobley, who ended the matchup with more 3-pointers than he had in the whole series on his way to a perfect three for three night from beyond the arc. The Cavs would ride the wave of their newfound confidence to outscore the Raptors 58-46 in the second half, which included an 8-point difference in the fourth quarter.

A number of do-or-die games will ultimately shape the Eastern semis after the Cavs took a key step forward in the first round with a Wednesday victory.

The Detroit Pistons fought for their playoff lives with a win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, but one game still separates the Magic from their first appearance in the semis since 2010 after a spotty series of playoff trips since the end of the Dwight Howard era. The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics each hold three wins over their opponents with the chance to seal things for good in Thursday-night bouts. The Cavs can seal things off with a defining road battle after their postseason momentum fell off a cliff as the Raptors claimed two wins in Toronto.

The Cavs will tip off against the Raptors on Friday in Scotiabank Arena.

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