Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 5 live score, updates, highlights from 2026 NBA playoffs first-round series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took a convincing 2-0 series lead on the Toronto Raptors. Many national and local media believed the series was over after game 2. Then Toronto went and won two consecutive games.

In game 4, Toronto held all Cleveland scorers to 20 points or less with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combining for only 39 points on the night. In the first two Cavaliers wins. For Toronto, Scottie Barnes got very little help in those first two games. The big offseason acquisition of Brandon Ingram only scored 24 points over those two games. In games 3 and 4, Ingram is closer to his output expectation scoring 36 points of the last two.

Toronto will need to keep up the physicality. Cleveland doesn't fair as well against overly physical teams. If the physicality is less and Cleveland can shoot over 40% from the floor, the Cavaliers could end this series quickly. If Toronto can make things difficult, they could stretch this series. The longer this series goes, the worse it is for Cleveland and the better it is for Toronto.

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In-game content will appear here once the game has begun.

"Game 5, let em know!" 🗣️@spidadmitchell is fired up as the Cavs seek a 3-2 lead🕷️Game 5: 7:30 PM ET, ESPN pic.twitter.com/Ce467Di7ib

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