It's pretty clear where the Toronto Raptors had the upper hand over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3.
Winning game 3 was never going to be an easy task for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite how the first two games of this first-round playoff series went, the Toronto Raptors are a talented team with a tough
To the Cavaliers’ credit, they played the Raptors tough for the majority of the game, but let it get away from them when it mattered most.
When asked about where Cleveland lost Game 3, James Harden didn’t hold back and simply said, “the fourth quarter,” and he’s exactly right.
For the most part, the Cavaliers played the Raptors tight through the first three quarters. At that point, the biggest lead for either team was 10 points, with Cleveland always in striking range and one or two shots of taking the lead.
However, the Raptors really pulled away and never looked back in the fourth quarter. It was a combination of a strong offensive run by Toronto and poor defensive execution by the Cavaliers.
Cleveland was outscored 43-23 in the final 12 minutes of the game. Toronto really took advantage of some defensive miscues from the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter. The Raptors' offense exploded, shooting 89 percent (8-for-9) from behind the arc and 73 percent (12-for-23) from the field,
Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) drives to the net against Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) during the second half of game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn ImagesEven head coach Kenny Atkinson emphasized that Cleveland’s defensive effort in the fourth quarter just wasn’t up to par.
”The defense has got to be better; 4th quarter,” said Atkinson. “Then we started missing coverages, got backdoored, lost, lost our focus.”
Another area where the Cavaliers lost Game 3 was the number of times they coughed up the ball. Overall, Cleveland committed 22 turnovers, which turned into 23 Raptors points. That right there is the difference maker on the scoreboard.
Harden continued, “Giving them just easy points in transition opportunities. First two games did a good job, but give them credit, like, they had a different game plan, and, you know, the cause and turnovers.”
Between Toronto's success in the final minutes of Game 3 and their ability to generate turnovers against the Cavaliers, Cleveland can’t let this continue in Game 4.
Clearly, the Raptors found a game plan that worked for them, and if that continues on Sunday, there’s a good chance this series could be headed back to Cleveland tied at two games apiece.
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