The Cleveland Cavaliers insist their belief has not wavered as they prepare for Game 5 of their first-round matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The series is tied 2-2, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Cleveland squandered an eight-point cushion with about five minutes remaining in Monday’s Game 4, allowing Toronto to pull even despite what guard James Harden described as a “pretty bad” performance by the Raptors. Speaking after practice, Harden said the Cavaliers’ issues are rooted in their own mistakes.
“If they were doing something we didn’t understand or couldn’t control, then it’d be a different conversation,” Harden told reporters. “But I think everything we’re doing is self-inflicted.”
The veteran guard pointed to his turnovers as a correctable problem, noting that many giveaways come from lapses in focus or forcing highlight plays instead of simple passes. Harden emphasized that the team has identified its trouble spots and feels equipped to fix them.
“We’re extremely confident,” he said. “This series is just getting started basically. Game 5 is an opportunity to take advantage of the series.”
Donovan Mitchell echoed that sentiment after the Game 4 defeat in Toronto, stressing the importance of defending home court as the series shifts back to Cleveland. “They protected home court, and now it’s our job to do the same,” Mitchell said.
With the matchup now a best-of-three, the Cavaliers believe they can close out the Raptors without returning to Canada. Game 6, if necessary, would be in Toronto, with a potential Game 7 back in Cleveland.
Source: Hoops Wire
