The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 3 to the Toronto Raptors by 22 points.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
Instead, the Cavaliers got blown out by 22 points in Canada.
Toronto beat Cleveland by a final score of 126-104. The Cavaliers now lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
After the game, Cleveland stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden spoke about the disappointing loss.
“They came out protecting homecourt,” Mitchell said. “They did not want to go down 3-0. Nobody wants to do that. They’re not a team that would come out and allow that. They’re not going to just let us come in here. They’re going to make adjustments, whether it’s playing hard or whether it’s top-locking, whether it’s crashing, or it’s sprinting transition, whatever they decided to do, they did it with more force and aggression.
“I think when you are ... I don’t want to say timid, but I think when you’re not as forceful as the home team and then they start making shots and the crowd is behind them, you get the result you get.”
“We will respond. We ain’t got no other choice,” Harden said. “We didn’t expect to win 16 games in a row. You know what I mean? Guys [are] a little frustrated, which I get it, they’re supposed to be. We’re supposed to be. But find a way to weather the storm, figure it out and be better for Game 4. It’s a part of the whole process.”
Mitchell had 15 points and five rebounds in Game 3 while shooting 7-of-16 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3. Meanwhile, Harden finished with 18 points and eight turnovers on 5-of-13 shooting overall and 3-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
“We weren’t forceful enough,” Mitchell said. “I think the force is the biggest thing.”
The Raptors were led by RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. Both forwards scored 33 points. Barnes also added 11 assists.
Let's see how the Cavaliers respond in Game 4. They will either take a 3-1 series lead or suffer another setback and see the series get tied at 2-2.
Cavaliers Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavaliers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.