Dennis Schroder Went Off in the Fourth and the Cavs Just Took Control of This Series

The Cleveland Cavaliers just did what good teams do at home: they won when it mattered most. Down 12 at multiple points in Game 5, they clawed back to beat the Toronto Raptors 125-120 Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and now they're sitting at 3-2 in this first-round series with a chance to close it out in Toronto on Friday.

Dennis Schroder was the spark plug. He dropped 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter alone, exactly when Cleveland needed someone to ignite the offense. James Harden finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in a series-high 39:45 minutes, even if he did rack up six turnovers. Evan Mobley was steady with 23 points and nine boards, and Donovan Mitchell chipped in 19.

The Comeback Run That Changed Everything

Here's the sequence that broke Toronto's back: the Cavaliers went on a 27-8 run late in the third quarter that carried into the fourth. By the time Max Strus hit two free throws with 4:19 left, Cleveland had a 122-111 lead and the Raptors were reeling. Schroder's midrange jumper and 3-pointer mid-fourth quarter got the sellout crowd fully locked in, and that's when you knew it was over.

The fourth-seeded Cavs have now won all three home games in this series. That's playoff hockey right there, and fourth-seeded isn't supposed to look this comfortable at home.

Toronto's Point Guard Disaster Gets Worse

The Raptors came in already without point guard Immanuel Quickley, who's out the entire series with a right hamstring strain. Then Brandon Ingram injured his right heel in the second quarter and didn't return. That's two starters down, and it showed.

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points, and Ja'Kobe Walter had a career playoff-high 20 points on 6-of-14 from three. Scottie Barnes added 17 points and 11 assists, and Jamal Shead came off the bench for 18. But here's the thing that should scare Raptors fans: Walter and Shead combined to make 10 three-pointers after going 0-for-17 in the previous two games. Toronto shot 64.4% in the first half and led 74-67 at the break, but couldn't finish.

Game 6 is Friday in Toronto. The Cavs can put this series away.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.