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The Cleveland Cavaliers will have a chance to close out the Toronto Raptors in Game 6. For them to do that, they’ll likely need a superstar performance from at least one of their best players.
1. Donovan Mitchell needs to be a more efficient scorer
Stars often decide closeout games. That will likely be the case here.
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The Cavs were able to win Game 5 due to strong performances from their role players. Dennis Schroder and Sam Merrill all had good showings off the bench, in addition to Evan Mobley reasserting the dominance he showed offensively in the first two games of the series. Those outings allowed Cleveland to scrape by with another lackluster performance — by his standards — from Mitchell. They likely won’t have that luxury on Friday.
One of the ways to tell if Mitchell is playing up to his capabilities is by tracking how efficiently he’s getting into the paint. In the regular season, Mitchell converted 66% of his shots at the rim (60th percentile) and 55% between the restricted area and free-throw line (95th percentile). In the postseason, he’s completing just 52% at the rim (18th percentile) and 50% in the short midrange (88th percentile).
Mitchell’s outside shot is predicated on how he’s attacking the basket. When he’s getting downhill like he’s capable, the defense can’t play as aggressively, which opens up the outside shot and his entire offensive arsenal.
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2. Closing in the fourth quarter
The Cavs had chances to win both games in Toronto in the final frame, but fell apart. In Game 3, the defense collapsed, allowing the Raptors to hang 43 points in the final frame. In Game 4, the offense sputtered out late as they surrendered an eight-point advantage in the final five minutes.
The last four games of the series were tight in the fourth quarter. The team that won that frame went on to take the victory.
This game will likely not be any different.
3. Slowing down Scottie Barnes
Barnes…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/4-keys-cavs-raptors-game-100000157.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-01 10:00:00
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