Cavs let Schroder cook in 4th, take 3-2 series lead over Raptors

Cleveland — with Cavalry Trailing at halftime in a crucial Game 5 of a first-round series against them Toronto Raptorsexperienced Dennis Schroeder Deliver a message to the home locker room.

Then, in the fourth quarter, he led the team by example.

Schroder played the entire fourth, scoring 11 of his 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting as the Cavs outscored the Raptors 25-17 in the final period and earned a 125-120 victory. The Cavs lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 on Friday in Toronto.

“We have to win this game,” Schroeder said. “It’s all about momentum. They had momentum going into 5 games because they won two in a row. We played in front of our fans and we didn’t play how we should have played.

“I felt like I had to say something to the group, so we can get up and play Cavs basketball and play to our standards.”

Schroder, a 32-year-old veteran who arrived in Cleveland in a February trade, said he urged the team to return to their ethos of playing through the bigs. Evan Mobley And Jarrett AllenTime to play with more aggression and energy.

Schroder’s late surge helped cap off the comeback before the Cavs trailed 74-67 at the half and trailed 103-100 entering the fourth quarter. According to ESPN Research, the Cavs won their first playoff game after starting the fourth quarter since 2018, when they came back to beat the Raptors in the 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

“When we were talking about trading for (Schroder), that’s one thing that came up: This guy has had huge games in the NBA and then on the international scene,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “This kind of game suits him.

“He was, as we like to call him Dennis, the menace tonight.”

At one point, when Schroeder was leaving it in the fourth quarter, Atkinson tried to make a substitution Donovan Mitchell And Mobley is back in the game. But Mitchell said both he and Mobley prefer to leave Schroeder in the game.

“It’s about the group,” Mitchell said. “It’s working. We’re getting stops. And I think the biggest thing about this group is, it’s about the collective. It’s not about one person or two people. We know who we are and we know what Dennis is bringing. You run the hot hand.”

While the Cavs made headlines for possession James Harden Before the trade deadline in February, they also acquired Keon Ellis And in a three-team trade with Schroder Sacramento Kings And Chicago Bulls. Schroder’s acquisition was unheralded, but helped keep Cleveland grounded after a rocky first half against Toronto.

The Cavs gave up 23 points off turnovers in the first half but committed just five of their 15 turnovers in the second half and one in the fourth quarter when Schroder was sharing the ball-handling duties.

“Give Dennis the ball,” Harden said with a laugh when asked about limiting turnovers.

And yet, Schroder saw limited action in this series before Game 5, averaging just 11.3 minutes per game through the first four games and sitting out the entire second half of Game 3 before his outburst on Wednesday.

“Big games. I like big games,” Schroeder said. “I love the playoffs. I think every player is working for that moment.”

After regaining control of the series, Atkinson said he believes Wednesday’s win is the kind that could help build resilience for what Cleveland hopes will be a long playoff run.

“We’re trying to get over the hump,” Atkinson said. “We’re trying to get to the next level. It’s a real mental challenge for me. Game 5, 2-2, those are high-pressure moments. You’re down. You can feel the crowd getting nervous. I think we took a step tonight.”