The Cleveland Cavaliers Adjustment That Flipped Game 5

Dennis Schroder is the reason the Cleveland Cavaliers are still alive.

Apr 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder (8) celebrates his three-point basket against the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Dennis Schorder kept the Cleveland Cavaliers alive after his heroic fourth quarter in Game 5 Wednesday night at Rocket Arena.

If you thought this was a sentence that would be said once he was acquired by Kony Altman and staff at the trade deadline, I'd have told you to get a lottery ticket.

The Cavaliers needed someone that could help them win, they needed the role player who could close the game out. Schroder not only did that, but he flipped the series to the benefit on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Schroder finished the game with 19 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter, with no Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes limping his way through the game. Schroder spotted the Raptors' weakness and took full advantage. When Donovan Mitchell was asked by Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson to come into the game, he told Atkinson to keep him on the bench and let Schroder cook.

How Schroder flipped the series

Now, the Cavaliers have flipped the series to their advantage, and with their 3-2 lead, they are now just one win away from securing the series and advancing to the conference semifinals.

How often the Cavs will be able to rely on Schroder is a big question, as his play has been up and down through the series. But they live to fight another day thanks to his play.

As the series moves to Toronto, the Cavaliers look to be the healthier team, although this series is yet to see a road team get the win.

The Cavs now have their opportunity to end the series in Toronto, one of Schroder's former teams from his lengthy career. You'd have to imagine the Raptors will now have his play on their radar, and for Schroder, his basketball IQ can be very handy knowing Toronto's current state.

How the Raptors will try to balance Schorder will be interesting.

While he's not a member of the Cavs starting fiive, he has shown the ability to create chaos in this matchup. Even if Toronto is able to take him out of the game, he is often sharing the court with Donovan Mitchell or James Harden, and sometimes like the start of the fourth quarter, they're playing all at the same time.

While the beginning of the fourth quarter of Game 5 should be an anomally, it worked this time. Now, the Cavs know they have another option they maybe didn't expect to have.