The Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors reached intermission tied 49-49 in Sunday’s decisive Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round series at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Center Jarrett Allen missed a wide-open dunk on the opening possession, foreshadowing a cold start in which Cleveland hit just 41 percent of its shots and went 7-for-21 from beyond the arc over the first 24 minutes.
Toronto’s defense repeatedly pushed the Cavaliers out to the perimeter, contributing to 13 Cleveland turnovers and keeping the game at a deliberate pace. Despite the miscues, the Cavaliers closed the half on an uptick, sparked by a late three-pointer from James Harden that gave him 10 points. Donovan Mitchell added seven, while reserve guard Sam Merrill connected on both of his three-point attempts for eight.
Neither team has built a lead larger than single digits, and Cleveland has yet to hold an advantage at any point. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad emphasized rebounding, loose balls and defensive positioning throughout the series, but must improve in those areas after the break to advance and avoid an offseason filled with questions about potential changes involving coach Kenny Atkinson, president Koby Altman, Harden and possibly even Mitchell.
The winner of Sunday’s matchup moves on to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Tip-off for the second half is imminent.
Source: Hoops Wire
