Raptors bounced from NBA playoffs in lopsided Game 7 loss to Cavaliers

CLEVELAND - Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and the rest of the Toronto Raptors were disappointed but proud after getting bounced from the NBA playoffs.

Jarrett Allen had a double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers past Toronto 114-102 on Sunday in Game 7 of their first-round series. Barnes led the Raptors with 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists as Toronto fell to 0-11 in post-season games in Cleveland.

Barnes said that pushing the Cavaliers — whose US$392.4 million payroll, including luxury tax, was the highest in the league this season — to Game 7 was something of a coming-out party for the young Raptors.

"We don't really get that many national television games and we're across the border, so people don't really see it," said Barnes at a post-game news conference. "We work hard, we fight. We can't really do nothing for their opinion, but we just know how we are together. 

CP NewsAlert: Cavaliers bounce Raptors from NBA playoffs with 114-102 win in Game 7

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Cavaliers, fuelled by a decisive 38-point third quarter, defeated the Toronto Raptors 114-102 tonight in Game 7 to win the first-round, best-of-seven NBA playoff series. The Cavaliers advance to the second round to face the Detroit Pistons.

More to come

Raptors’ Ingram ruled out for Game 7 of first-round series with Cavs

CLEVELAND - The Toronto Raptors will be without forward Brandon Ingram for Game 7 of their NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The all-star forward was officially ruled out about 90 minutes before tipoff at Cleveland's Rocket Arena.

Ingram had been seen in a walking boot at the team's shootaround as he attempts to deal with inflammation in his right heel.

He aggravated a previous heel injury and left midway through the second quarter of Toronto's 125-120 road loss in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Raptors, Cavaliers ready to rumble in tonight’s Game 7 NBA showdown

R-J Barrett's fortuitous winning shot with 1.2 seconds left in Friday's overtime reminded Toronto basketball fans of similar glory days in the NBA playoffs.

Barrett's three-pointer from the top of the key hit off the back rim and bounced high above the backboard before going through the net to give the Raptors a 112-110 victory and force tonight's Game 7 in the opening-round series at Rocket Arena in Ohio.

For many fans, Barrett's clutch shot brought back memories of Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce buzzer-beating winner in Game 7 of the 2019 East semifinals against Philadelphia. The Raptors would go on to win the NBA championship.

Barrett and his teammates said Friday's victory was thrilling but noted the focus quickly shifted to tonight's win or go home showdown.

Barrett sinks game-winning overtime three as Raptors stun Cavaliers to force Game 7

TORONTO - RJ Barrett's faith was never shaken. 

Even as he missed all four of his shots in the fourth quarter of the Toronto Raptors' pivotal Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, even as his three-point attempt in the dying seconds of overtime hit the back of the rim, the ball hanging high above the net for nearly a second and a half.

"I knew it was good because it went straight up," said Barrett. "If it goes straight up, you’ve got a chance."

The Raptors were trailing Cleveland by a point when Cavaliers all-star forward Evan Mobley put the ball out of play with 10.9 seconds left to play in the extra period. The turnover gave Toronto one last possession.

Raptors star Brandon Ingram ruled out for Game 6 vs. Cavs; Cleveland leads series 3-2

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors will be facing elimination without Brandon Ingram.

The all-star forward was officially ruled out by the Raptors less than two hours before hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 on Friday night. Cleveland leads the best-of-seven playoff matchup 3-2.

Ingram left midway through the second quarter of Wednesday's 125-120 road loss in Game 5 to the Cavaliers. The two-time all-star aggravated inflammation in his right heel and the Raptors say it has not improved despite a day of rest.

"I think the most important thing is how we react to these situations," said Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic after announcing that Ingram was unavailable to play. "Over the course of our season we were missing different players at different times, and the quality and strength of this team is finding ways for somebody else to step up and to fill in the role and to help the team."

Raptors look to force Game 7 in NBA Eastern quarterfinal with Cavaliers

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors look to extend their season when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of their NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

The Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead in the series and pushed the Raptors to the brink of elimination with a 125-120 win at home on Wednesday.

The Raptors have proved to be a match for the heavily favoured Cavaliers, who boast a lineup featuring stars James Harden, Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell.

Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles have led a Raptors team that has played gritty defence and kept Cleveland's stars off-balance.

Schroder’s halftime speech, 11 points in 4th quarter spark Cavaliers to victory over Raptors

CLEVELAND (AP) — James Harden garnered the most attention in the series of moves the Cleveland Cavaliers made near the NBA trade deadline.

However, the Cavaliers would have been in dire straits Wednesday night without Dennis Schroder.

Schroder scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers came back to beat the Toronto Raptors 125-120 in Game 5 of their first-round series.

“This guy’s played in huge games in the NBA and then on the international scene, so this type of game fits him,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think it started with him getting to the rim and then that loosened up the jumper for him. And then I thought his defense on (RJ) Barrett really got under him, harassed him. He really was Dennis the Menace tonight.”

Schroder, Mobley rally Cavaliers in 4th quarter for 125-120 win over Raptors to take 3-2 series lead

CLEVELAND (AP) — Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley hit a pair of pivotal 3-pointers in the final period and finished with 23 points, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 125-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Cleveland leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is Friday night in Toronto.

James Harden scored 23 points and Donovan Mitchell added 19 for the Cavaliers.

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points while Ja’Kobe Walter added 20 and Jamal Shead had 18 off the bench. All-star forward Brandon Ingram left the game in the second quarter with right heel inflammation.

Brandon Ingram exits Raptors playoff game early with right heel inflammation

CLEVELAND - Raptors all-star forward Brandon Ingram was hurt in Game 5 of Toronto's series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ingram left the game in the second quarter and the Raptors announced he would not return to the floor.

A team spokesperson says Ingram had been struggling with right heel inflammation throughout the series and left the court midgame to have it retaped. When he began to warm-up again it was clear he would not be able to finish the game.

Ingram is averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over four playoff games. He had a point, a rebound and two assists when he was pulled from the game.

Brandon Ingram exits early, Scottie Barnes hobbled as Raptors drop Game 5 to Cavs

CLEVELAND - The Toronto Raptors have played a tough, hard-hitting style of defence throughout their playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That bruising physicality has caught up with them.

All-star forward Brandon Ingram made an early exit and Scottie Barnes limped through the second half as Toronto fell to the Cavaliers 125-120 on Wednesday in Game 5 of the best-of-seven matchup. Cleveland has a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Friday. 

"What can you do? It’s the playoffs. What can you do?" said RJ Barrett during his post-game news conference with bags of ice taped to his knees. "Especially now. Now it’s do or die. Now we’ve gotta go out there and we’ve got to fight, we’ve got to play hard together. 

Scottie Barnes fuels Raptors heading into Game 5 against Cavaliers

CLEVELAND - The Toronto Raptors look to build on a two-game push when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 tonight.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has set the tone, averaging a series-best 25.8 points per game while taking on defensive assignments against Cavaliers stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

He is the first player in franchise history to have four straight 20-point games to start a series.

The best-of-seven NBA playoff series is tied 2-2 after Toronto followed two road losses with back-to-back wins at Scotiabank Arena, including a 93-89 win Sunday.

Raptors look to ‘take defence with us on the road’ to Cleveland for pivotal Game 5

TORONTO - Jamal Shead enjoyed a moment of appreciation from his former head coach at the University of Houston, Kelvin Sampson.

The second-year guard made one of the biggest plays in Toronto's 93-89 win in Game 4 on Sunday when he forced an eight-second violation against Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. The Raptors trailed by a point with 40.8 seconds left.

Scottie Barnes stalked Mitchell in the backcourt with the clock running before Shead ran over and made a play on the ball, diving for it before it went out of bounds as the referees called the violation.

"Sam texted me, it was cool," Shead said of his old coach. "He just said (he was) proud of me, and we just both said culture. That's something that was ingrained in me for four years there (at the University of Houston), so just getting that text from him and him letting me know that he's proud of me was awesome."

Cooper Flagg edges former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg set a host of records for an NBA teenager in an also-ran season for the Dallas Mavericks. Kon Knueppel helped the Charlotte Hornets to a 25-win improvement that almost led to a spot in the playoffs.

It's no wonder they ended up in a tight Rookie of the Year race.

Flagg edged his former Duke teammate to win the award Monday night after becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

The 19-year-old Flagg and Knueppel were first and second in rookie scoring, the first former college teammates to do that since UConn stars Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon in 2004-05. Philadelphia's VJ Edgecombe was the other finalist.

Wolves confirm Edwards has no structural damage in his knee, but he’ll be out for at least a week

DENVER (AP) — Minnesota All-Star Anthony Edwards will be sidelined for at least a week with a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee, a diagnosis the Timberwolves announced Monday before Game 5 of their first-round playoff series at Denver.

Edwards had an MRI that confirmed the absence of structural damage, a relief to the Timberwolves after he was injured in the second quarter of Saturday's Game 4 victory over the Nuggets.

“With Anthony, we dodged a bullet,” coach Chris Finch said. “That's a huge sigh of relief. I know he's frustrated because he's been dealing with the other knee and done all the things necessary to finally get himself off the injury report and as luck would have it, he takes that spill the other day.

“But if we can extend this playoff run for a bit then we'll be lucky enough to get him back, so I think for that he's excited. So, it gives him something to work toward.”