Raptors hope to keep momentum in Game 5 vs. Cavs - BERITAJA

CLEVELAND – RJ Barrett thinks the Toronto Raptors person to do 1 cardinal point successful Game 5 of their playoff bid against the Cleveland Cavaliers: don’t autumn behind.

The Cavaliers stormed retired to an early 2-0 lead successful the best-of-seven matchup erstwhile Cleveland hosted Games 1 and 2, pinch the Raptors tying it up pinch back-to-back wins successful Toronto. But the Raptors had to conflict backmost successful some those 2 wins astatine Scotiabank Arena aft giving up leads to the Cavaliers.

“I deliberation we person to do a amended occupation of not getting down 8 aliases 10,” Barrett said connected the tribunal astatine Cleveland’s Rocket Arena connected Wednesday morning. “Those games astatine home, of course, it’s easier pinch the crowd and worldly to thief propel america to get backmost successful the game.

“But connected the road, we were successful that position a bunch of times, down eight, down 10, and past pinch their crowd it could spell the different way.”

The Raptors tilted the bid backmost successful their favour by bogging down Cleveland’s offence, forcing all-star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden into isolation plays successful the half court. Bigs Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were effective astatine grabbing violative rebounds and keeping the Cavaliers’ possessions going, truthful Barrett would for illustration to destruct that constituent of the crippled altogether.

“I deliberation limiting violative rebounds would beryllium huge,” he said. “We played bully defence, truthful yeah, limiting them to 1 changeable arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable erstwhile we could (will help).

“At this point, everybody’s made adjustments, It’s conscionable about who’s consenting to spell retired location and conflict together.”

Second-year defender Ja’Kobe Walter, who is playing successful his first NBA playoff series, has been 1 of the Raptors guards tasked pinch slowing Mitchell. He expected Game 5 to beryllium different low-scoring slugfest for illustration Toronto’s 83-89 triumph connected Sunday.

“I deliberation it’s really going to beryllium a battle,” said Mitchell earlier the Raptors greeting shootaround began. “They’re going to travel retired pinch the mentality that they’ve sewage to lucifer our physicality and past we’re going travel pinch the mentality that we’ve sewage to punch them first successful the rima each 48 minutes.

“I deliberation it’s going to beryllium a battle, a batch of execution, a batch of focus.”

Walter had been sick betwixt Games 2 and 3 but he said he feels good now and that it didn’t impact his play.

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 29, 2026.