"Scottie Barnes' spidey senses are tingling. He peels away from the middle of the floor early and reaches a hand up to contest Jarrett Allen under the rim, holding the ball firm in the air as Allen squirms, trying to muscle it past him. Allen is unable to. The ball falls to Evan Mobley, and it is Collin Murray-Boyles' turn to don the mask. He reaches around Mobley's step-through and swats the ball away from the larger man. But the ball squirts around the floor and eventually falls into the hands of James Harden. He calmly strides into the lane and hits a floater."
"Though it was a wire-to-wire Cavs win, it didn't always seem that way. The Raptors had nine fast break points in the first half, and CMB, as well as Ja'Kobe Walter and Mamu, made the Cavs look fallible in the second quarter. The Raps had two solid back-to-back defensive possessions."
"The third quarter exposed the lack of Raptors' half-court offense as Ingram continued to struggle. As Sam Mitchell alluded to in the broadcast, the Raptors were struggling to score in the half-court against a Cavs' defence, not known to be a defensive juggernaut."
Cleveland maintained a lead throughout the game, with their backcourt making challenging shots. Toronto struggled offensively, particularly in the half-court, despite some strong defensive plays. The Raptors had moments of competitiveness, including fast break points and solid defense, but ultimately could not overcome their scoring difficulties. Ingram's off game compounded the Raptors' issues, while the Cavs capitalized on their opportunities. The third quarter highlighted the Raptors' offensive struggles against a Cavs defense that has not been particularly strong.
Read at Raptors Republic
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