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The Cleveland Cavaliers survived a thriller against the Toronto Raptors, largely thanks to Dennis Schroder.
Schroder, we all owe you an apology. You might have just saved the season.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
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Donovan Mitchell
19 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers
This started off as another poor showing from Mitchell. Despite a pair of absurd three-pointers in the first half, Mitchell’s decision-making was once again off from the start. He’s struggled to read Toronto’s defense in every game since Game 2 — but he finally found a groove again in the second half.
It wasn’t perfect. But Mitchell put his head down, and windmill gathered his way back into the interior. His scoring in the paint was a positive, and it helped turn the momentum back in Cleveland’s favor as they began their rally.
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Notably, Mitchell was absent for a long stretch during the fourth quarter. Head coach Kenny Atkinson says that was because Mitchell insisted the Cavs keep Dennis Schroder, who was on a heater, in the game instead of him. For all of the complaints we have of Mitchell getting tunnel vision on offense — he’s still one of the more humble superstars in the league. He’ll get bonus points for that.
“It’s on me to take a step back,” said Mitchell. “I know who I am, y’all know who I am… the only thing that matters is winning the game… I could score zero points, as long as we win, I don’t give a damn.”
Grade: C–
James Harden
23 points, 5 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 6 turnovers
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This game looks different if Harden doesn’t meet the moment with his scoring in the first half. Toronto couldn’t be stopped, rampaging to 74 points in the first two quarters. Harden kept the Cavs in the race by scoring 19 points of his own to keep Cleveland’s deficit in single digits.
Again, it wasn’t perfect. This was Harden’s fourth game of the series with 5+ turnovers (he had six tonight). Being careless with the ball contributed to 28 points off turnovers for the Raptors. Still, if it wasn’t for a few of his…
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Publish date : 2026-04-30 05:48:00
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