Raptors beat Cavaliers in Game 4, stars struggle as series ties 2-2

Toronto turned Game 4 into a test of resilience and physical edge, outlasting Cleveland 93-89 at Scotiabank Arena to even the Eastern Conference first-round series at 2-2. Scottie Barnes scored 23 points and hit the go-ahead free throws in the final minute, Brandon Ingram also finished with 23, and RJ Barrett added 18 as the Raptors answered every late push from a Cavaliers team that could not find a clean finish.

The decisive stretch exposed the gap between Toronto’s execution and Cleveland’s reliance on its headliners. Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles controlled key possessions, with Murray-Boyles finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Toronto closed on a 17-5 run after Cleveland had led by five with about 2 1/2 minutes left. The Raptors did it despite going just 4-for-30 from 3-point range, winning instead with defense, rebounding and free throws.

Cleveland’s stars never fully took command. Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points on 6-for-24 shooting, with 12 of those points coming in the fourth quarter, while James Harden added 19 points but committed seven turnovers. Cleveland finished 10-for-40 from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 18 times, a costly combination in a game decided by a possession or two.

The final minute captured the Cavaliers’ unraveling. On a crucial possession with 49 seconds left, Mitchell failed to get the ball across half court in time, and the Raptors converted the mistake into the winning sequence at the stripe. Cleveland also had four cracks at the basket in about 90 seconds late in the game, but the offense settled, stalled and finally broke against Toronto’s pressure.

The result carried more weight than one tied series. Toronto had not won consecutive postseason games since its first-round loss to Philadelphia in 2022, and Game 4 followed a Game 3 breakthrough in which Barnes scored a career playoff-high 33 points with 11 assists and Barrett also posted a career playoff-high 33. That 126-104 win snapped Toronto’s 12-game playoff losing streak against Cleveland and showed the previous game was no fluke.

Game 5 moves to Cleveland on Wednesday, April 29, with the series now reduced to a fresh pressure test for the Cavaliers’ stars and a validation of Toronto’s depth and discipline. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said Toronto had the physicality and energy advantage in the last two games, while Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said his team kept guarding and did not flinch.