Inside the Cleveland Cavaliers' Game 3 Loss to the Toronto Raptors

The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn't claim a much-needed Game 3 win as they fell to the Toronto Raptors in a 126-104 loss on Thursday.

Evan Mobley and Max Strus joined four other Cavs with double-digit nights as they scored a combined 30 points.

Scottie Barnes took point for Toronto with 33 points, a playoff high for the 2-time All-Star, to complete a postseason double-double.

Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Scottie Barnes (4) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) during the first half of game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

James Harden played quarterback for the Cavs early just as a few teams searched for one of their own on the first night of the NFL Draft.

He set the tone for Cleveland with an early dot to Donovan Mitchell, who came charging in off an early cut to strike first for the high-flying Cavs. Mitchell, who was already a solid receiver and backcourt partner for Harden during the regular season, has earned some quarterback moments of his own during the playoffs with pinpoint feeds to Mobley and Strus. Harden navigated through a slower shooting night with four assists as he continued to play half-court signal caller alongside his All-Star teammate.

The Raptors climbed right back with the help of Barnes and RJ Barrett, who have played hero for Toronto with leading performances in their first two matchups. The duo scored a combined 66 points on the night as a two-man show gave the Raptors just enough momentum to keep the Cavs at bay well into the first-round game.

The two would end the bout with just more than half of Toronto's points as they seemingly forgot how to miss from long range, while Barnes would keep the momentum going with 11 assists. Rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles continued to be a small-ball anchor for the Raptors as he scored 22 points through tough takes to the hoop even as the Cavs matched with Jarrett Allen at the five.

Strus and Jaylon Tyson would keep the Cavs afloat, but it wouldn't be enough for Cleveland to fully retake the lead as Toronto came out on top of a frustrating back-and-forth battle. A one-sided run in the fourth saw a number of gut-punch plays as the Raptors carved out a 22-point difference after the Cavs entered the quarter down by just two points.

Toronto shattered a streak a decade in the making as it avoided its 13th-straight playoff loss to Cleveland. The Cavs last fell to the Raptors in the playoffs in 2016, when Toronto tied things up in the Eastern Conference Finals at two games apiece before the Cavs steamrolled their Canadian counterparts behind dominant performances from its then-big three. Cleveland's star trio of the present, which proved pivotal in pulling out to an early 2-0 lead this season, entered the night averaging 77 points per night in the Cavs' first pair of playoff games. The three fell behind in the Game 3 loss with 48 points and a combined 19% clip on 21 tries from the 3-point line.

The Cavs took one step back from their 3rd-straight Eastern semis appearance in a row. Should it find its bearings over its next few matchups, Cleveland could move on to face the 1st-ranked Detroit Pistons, with whom it split its regular-season series at 2-2, or the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic.

The two sides are deadlocked in a 1-1 tie after the Pistons responded to a Game 1 loss with a low-scoring victory on their home floor. While the Cavs recently battled the Magic in a 2024 playoff series, they last faced the Pistons in the playoffs during their historic 2015-16 playoff run, when a scoring spree now-Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving helped guide the Cleveland to a first-round sweep.

The Cavs will tip off against the Raptors at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday in Scotiabank Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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