It was not pretty for most of the night, but the Toronto Raptors have made a habit this postseason of finding ways to win games that looked like they were slipping away. On Sunday, April 26, they did it again, holding off the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 at Scotiabank Arena to even their first round playoff series at 2-2.
Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes each finished with 23 points, and a suffocating defensive effort over the final two minutes did the rest.
Ingram refuses to disappear despite a rough start
If there was a single storyline that defined Game 4, it was Ingram’s refusal to let an abysmal shooting start derail his night. He missed nine of his first 10 attempts and looked like a player who might disappear entirely from the game plan. He did not.
Late in the second quarter, Ingram caught fire with three straight 3 pointers, capping the run with a buzzer beater that gave Toronto a 38-36 halftime lead. That sequence changed the game’s emotional tenor entirely. He continued to contribute in the fourth quarter when the Raptors needed him most, finishing 6 of 23 from the field a number that would have defined most performances but felt beside the point given the circumstances.
His willingness to stay aggressive through a cold stretch is exactly what playoff basketball demands, and on Sunday night it paid off.
Barnes delivers when it matters most
While Ingram’s comeback story carried the narrative, it was Barnes who delivered the definitive moment of the game. With the score tied and 34 seconds remaining, Barnes stepped to the free throw line and converted both attempts to give Toronto an 88-87 lead.
Cleveland had chances to answer. Donovan Mitchell, who had been ice cold for most of the night, attempted a 3 pointer in the final seconds that would have tied the game. It did not fall, finishing a difficult evening for the Cavaliers star that ended at 6 of 24 from the field and 20 points. Barnes finished with nine rebounds and six assists alongside his scoring, anchoring a defensive stretch that saw Toronto outscore Cleveland 10-2 in the final 1:54.
Turnovers doom the Cavaliers when it counts
Cleveland had the personnel to win this game. Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley represent one of the more complete rosters remaining in the Eastern Conference bracket. What they did not have on Sunday was ball security.
The Cavaliers committed 18 turnovers across the game, with Harden responsible for six of them in the first half alone. He managed just four made baskets in the opening 24 minutes a stretch that forced Cleveland to chase the game rather than control it. Mitchell did heat up in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of his 20 points in the final period, but the deficit proved too steep to fully climb out of.
Jarrett Allen was strong on the boards with 15 rebounds, and Sam Merrill chipped in 14 points off the bench. Toronto’s 4 of 30 shooting from 3 point range should have left the door open for Cleveland to steal the game. The turnovers slammed it shut instead.
What Game 5 means for both teams
The series shifts to Cleveland on Wednesday for Game 5, and the stakes could not be clearer. For the Raptors, the challenge is replicating the kind of fourth quarter discipline they showed Sunday in an arena that will be loud and hostile. Their 3 point shooting is a real concern going 4 of 30 from deep is not a sustainable formula on the road and they will need either Ingram or Barnes to carry the offensive load from the opening tip rather than waiting for a late game surge.
For the Cavaliers, Game 5 is about correcting the turnovers and jumpstarting Mitchell before the fourth quarter. Their talent is not in question. Their ability to protect the ball and execute early is. Whichever team addresses its flaws most effectively on Wednesday will likely advance to the second round.