TORONTO — All eyes were on how the Cavaliers would respond to being blown out by the Toronto Raptors in Game 3.
Well, the Cavs lost 93-89 to the Raptors 93-89 in Game 4 on Sunday, April 26, at Scotiabank Arena. Now the best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series is tied 2-2 and headed back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday, April 29.
Both teams struggled to shoot well, but the Raptors outlasted the Cavs in a slugfest to tie the series, again outmuscling Cleveland as the duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden again struggled to match their performances of Games 1 and 2.
Here are instant reactions and analysis from Game 4 between the fourth-seeded Cavs and fifth-seeded Raptors:
Cavs vs Raptors Game 4: Ryan Lewis’ instant reaction
For the Cavs, it was a horrendous time for a truly horrendous shooting performance. It wasn’t just the rate at which they missed, but that so many shots weren’t really even close to going in, and it cost them dearly.
James Harden looked like a different player between the games in Cleveland and Toronto. He and Donovan Mitchell were dynamic in Games 1 and 2, and that evaporated in Toronto, especially for Harden, who committed 15 combined turnovers in Games 3 and 4.
The massive problem for the Cavs moving forward is the Raptors might have shown that Cleveland can still be pushed around in Games 3 and 4 just like in previous years, which is something that can be difficult to fix during a series or even a playoff run.
The Cavs looked to be in total control after leaving Cleveland up 2-0 in the series. That is certainly not the case now, and the Raptors have a mountain of momentum heading into Game 5. If the Raptors know they can outmuscle and out effort the Cavs every night, Cleveland is in trouble.
Cavs vs Raptors Game 4: Nate Ulrich’s instant reaction
The rocks in this rock fight were actually boulders. Although the Raptors won, no one who spent an afternoon watching this game won. If you want to claim Game 4 set the sport back decades, you’re not going to face a lawsuit for defamation.
Just consider these shooting percentages. From the field: Cavs 37%, Raptors 32%. From the free-throw line: Cavs 65%, Raptors 75%. On 3-pointers: Cavs 25%, Raptors 13%.
And it’s not like either team put on a defensive clinic. Open shot after open shot missed. Some didn’t even hit the rim.
As for the “force” the Cavs are obsessed with discovering? May the force be with you, Cleveland, because it’s still absent.
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 4 recap, instant reactions
Reporting by Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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