CLEVELAND — Center Jarrett Allen delivered 22 points and 19 rebounds Sunday night, steering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114-102 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their first-round series.
Allen, appearing in his first career Game 7, erupted after a halftime tie. The 27-year-old scored 14 points and grabbed 10 boards in the third quarter alone, helping Cleveland outscore Toronto 38-19 in the period and seize control at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We needed the inside scoring and offensive rebounding, and he was incredible tonight.”
The normally reserved Allen was noticeably animated from pregame introductions onward. Following a fourth-quarter skirmish, he shouted “Go home” toward the Toronto bench, punctuating the Cavaliers’ advance.
Star backcourt held in check
Donovan Mitchell finished with 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting, while James Harden added 18 points despite a 3-for-9 night. Cleveland still won by double digits, a development Mitchell called encouraging: “It isn’t just about me and him. It’s everybody in that locker room.”
Raptors depleted but competitive
Scottie Barnes scored 24 points and pulled down nine rebounds, and RJ Barrett had 23 points for Toronto, which was making its first playoff appearance since 2022. The Raptors were without Brandon Ingram (right heel) for the final two games and missed Immanuel Quickley for the entire series because of a hamstring injury.
Atkinson credited Toronto’s physical play for toughening up his club: “These types of series build you up. I’m glad we went through it.”
Next up
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers move on to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is set for Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Source: ESPN
