Raptors Take 74–67 Edge into Halftime of Game 5 in Cleveland
raptors-hold-74-67-halftime-lead-over-cavaliers-in-game-5
The Toronto Raptors carried a 74–67 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers into halftime of Game 5 on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, capitalizing on a sudden collapse by the Cavaliers’ defense.
Scoring accelerated sharply compared with Game 4, when Cleveland limited Toronto to 93 points for the entire night. Through two quarters on Wednesday, the Cavaliers had already surrendered 74.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff opened with Max Strus in place of Dean Wade, but the change was followed by an immediate nine-point deficit. The Raptors later expanded the gap to 12 before Cleveland chipped away.
James Harden paced the Cavaliers’ comeback attempt, while Donovan Mitchell struggled to find consistency. Turnovers and missed assignments continued to plague Cleveland, allowing Toronto to dictate a messy tempo.
Center Jarrett Allen was largely quiet in the opening half, an absence felt on both ends of the floor. Coaches and teammates will look for greater impact from the 6-foot-11 rim protector over the final 24 minutes.
Cleveland will need a sharper, more physical effort after the break to avoid falling behind further as the best-of-seven series continues.
Source: Hoops Wire
