The NBA Conference Semifinals are set after the Cavaliers knock off the Raptors in Game 7.
Another decisive Game 7 has sent a team to the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers toppled the Toronto Raptors 114-102.
The 12-point victory didn’t come easily for the Cavaliers. After a tight contest through the first half, a strong third quarter helped Cleveland pull away. Toronto was outscored 38-19 in the period with Cleveland center Jarrett Allen doing a lot of the damage.
For more on Allen’s performance and the elite company he now shares, here is Cavaliers Roundtable writer Spencer German’s recap.
The Cavaliers’ win extends their franchise Game 7 home win streak to 5-0 and now sets up a Central Division showdown with the Detroit Pistons in the second round.
Cleveland opened their series against Toronto 2-0 before the Raptors tied things up by winning games three and four.
The two teams then exchanged wins down to the Cavaliers’ series-deciding effort. The entire second round of the NBA postseason is now settled with the slate set to begin Monday night.
- New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers (May 4 - 7:00 p.m. ET)
- San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (May 4 - 8:30 p.m. ET)
- Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (May 5 - 6:00 p.m. ET)
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers (May 5 - 7:30 p.m. ET)
The Cavaliers exited last year’s playoffs in the second round, falling to the Indiana Pacers in a gentleman’s sweep (4-1).
Indiana would go on to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, finishing as runner-ups to the champion Thunder, who are looking to repeat as the No. 1 seed in the conference again this year.