The Eastern Conference bracket is wide open as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors head into Game 6. The cumulative score through five games is Cleveland 559, Toronto 557. The Cavs survived a scare on Wednesday and won Game 5 at home.
They looked to be in control of this series after the first two games. They struggled to score in the two games in Toronto and this suddenly became a tight series. The Cavs found their offense again in Game 5, but we’ll see if they packed it for another trip across the border.
How to Watch Cavs vs Raptors Game 6 in the UK
Game 6 is on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, which is 12:30 am Saturday in the UK. Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game on Prime Video.
Key Factors for Raptors
Brandon Ingram left in the second quarter of Game 5 with heel inflammation and is listed as questionable for Game 6. He’s shot just 19-for-58 (33%) in this series. He is certainly capable of turning a game the Raptors’ way if he can get hot.
Most important for Toronto is the health of Scottie Barnes, who suffered a quad contusion in the second quarter of Game 5. After scoring 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting in the first half, Barnes had just three points and missed all six of his shots after halftime.
Barnes has been the Raptors’ most important player on both ends of the floor. On offense, he’s averaging 24 points and eight assists. On defense, he’s spent most of his time defending James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, also providing some help in the paint.
If his quad is still bothering him and he’s limited in any way on Friday, the Raptors could be in trouble.
What the Cavs Need to Do
The Raptors have done well in this series, given the continued absence of Immanuel Quickley, their most prolific 3-point shooter in the regular season. Even with Quickley, they were one of three playoff teams that ranked in the bottom 10 in both 3-point percentage (35.4%, 21st) and 3-point rate (36.3% of their shots, 25th). Through five games in this series, they’ve been outscored by 54 points from beyond the arc.
The team that won the possession game was the team that won Games 1-4. Over the first two games, the Cavs got nine more shot opportunities than the Raptors. And over Games 3 and 4, the Raptors got 21 more shot opportunities than the Cavs.
But Game 5 went the other way. Cleveland won despite getting a lot fewer shots. Turnovers were even, but the Raptors dominated the glass. The issue was that the Raptors’ 15 offensive rebounds resulted in only 13 second-chance points. The Cavs shot much better in the paint, from 3-point range.