It all comes down to this.
The Cavaliers, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, won Games 1, 2 and 5 in Cleveland. The fifth-seeded Raptors captured Games 3, 4 and 6 across the northern border. The series returns to Rocket Arena for a do-or-die Game 7 for both teams. Based on the trends of the series, it should be advantage Cavaliers at home, though anything can happen in a one-off elimination game—especially coming off of three games decided by five points or fewer.
The winner of Sunday’s game will face the No. 1 seed Pistons, who came back from a 3–1 series deficit to survive a near-disaster against the Magic with a decisive Game 7 win in Detroit. Sports Illustrated’s NBA staff will be locked in all game long, bringing you the essential updates and highlights from the final game of the NBA playoffs’ first round.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors live updates, scores, highlights
How we got here ...
Early on, it looked like the Cavaliers, who retooled their roster at the trade deadline by acquiring future Hall of Famer James Harden, might run away with this one. Cleveland won Games 1 and 2 by double digits, and the Raptors’ hot and cold offense seemed to be struggling to thaw out.
And that is why they play seven games.
Things completely flipped in Toronto. The Raptors dominated Game 3 and won a Game 4 slugfest to even things up. Games 5 and 6 again went to the home teams, but the margins continue to shrink, with the last game ending on a miraculous shot by RJ Barrett. This has become an incredibly competitive series, living up to its billing entering the postseason.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors game-by-game results
- Game 1: Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113
- Game 2: Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105
- Game 3: Raptors 126, Cavaliers 104
- Game 4: Raptors 93, Cavaliers 89
- Game 5: Cavaliers 125, Raptors 120
- Game 6: Raptors 112, Cavaliers 110 (OT)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 7 Scores, Live Updates: Cleveland Opens Third Quarter on a Heater.
