Raptors Season Ends in Game 7 Heartbreak vs. Cavaliers

Despite a hard-fought series, the Toronto Raptors’ playoff run came to a close in Cleveland as a third-quarter surge by the Cavaliers proved insurmountable in Game 7.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are seeing their season come to an end after a 114-102 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs inside Rocket Arena.

Much like the first six games of the series, the home team built momentum and were able to pull out a win. Things were close between the Raptors and Cavs in the first half with Cleveland going into the locker room up by a single point.

In the third quarter, the Cavs made the right adjustments, outscoring the Raptors 38-19 to build a lead that Toronto could not get back.

Raptors Can't Crash the Glass

Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson fouls Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The turning point in Game 7 was the Raptors' inability to secure second-chance opportunities. Cleveland’s frontline dominated the boards 60-33, which allowed the Cavaliers to sustain possessions and wear down the Toronto defense.

Without the ability to limit Cleveland to one shot per trip, the Raptors found themselves constantly on their heels, unable to ignite the fast-break transition game that had been their lifeline earlier in the series.

In particular, Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen scored 22 points while grabbing 19 rebounds. His efforts to dominate the rebounding in the game is what pushed the Raptors out of the game.

Raptors Fight to the Finish

Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Despite the double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, Toronto refused to concede. Led by the aggressive rim-attacking of Scottie Barnes and timely perimeter shooting from Ja'Kobe Walter, the Raptors managed to trim the lead to single digits in the final minutes.

The veteran poise of the Cavaliers ultimately held them off, but the Raptors’ resilience in a hostile Rocket Arena environment proved that this young core possesses the competitive DNA necessary for high-stakes playoff basketball.

What's Next For Raptors?

The Raptors can feel accomplished for making it back to the playoffs for the first time in four years, but they should not be satisfied with how things ended. The Raptors were capable of getting further in the playoffs, so they need to identify where they went wrong and what they need to do in order to avoid an early exit again next year.

As the off-season begins, the focus will shift to maximizing the cap space available to surround Barnes with veteran shooters and a defensive anchor who can prevent the rebounding disparities that plagued them in Game 7 and the rest of the series.

The next date the Raptors will circle on their calendar is the NBA Draft, which takes place on June 23-24.

Sign up for our free newsletter, which will bring all Toronto Raptors On SI stories every weekday to your email.