Six things the Raptors must overcome in Game 7 against the Cavaliers

The Toronto Raptors aren’t supposed to be here.

But they are anyway, and it’s the best-case scenario for a team surviving mostly off their instincts. They’ve learned to live with injuries to key players and miraculously adapted to the harsh environment of playoff basketball.

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They have one last mountain to climb in their Game 7 matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that’s mandatory for any team playing with house money.

With a monumental upset now potentially in play, here are six things the Raptors must overcome ahead of the 7:30 p.m. EST tip-off:

History

The Raptors are 3-3 in Game 7:

Won 116-89 against the Miami Heat (2016)

Won 92-90 against the Philadelphia 76ers (2019)

That’s not a bad winning percentage compared to the rest of the league. Legacy organizations like the Boston Celtics (0.729) and Los Angeles Lakers (0.666) rank the best, especially amongst those with the most experience. Modern-day contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder (8/13) and the New York Knicks (7/16) offer a more realistic spectrum of results.

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The real concern lies with the fact that home teams have won 74 per cent of the time throughout the history of the NBA. For all of the discourse surrounding the length of the regular-season, there’s still tremendous value in putting in the work during the marathon of a grind.

Troubles in the fourth

After averaging 35.3 points in the fourth quarter throughout the first four games of the series, the Raptors have mightily struggled in the final frame during the last two contests. Cleveland has figured something out or is playing with more urgency. They’ve limited Toronto to an average of 14.5 points in Games 5 and 6. The Raptors are also a combined -19 during this stretch. A part of their issue can be attributed to the loss of Brandon Ingram.

Assuming Ingram won’t be available despite his status being upgraded to questionable, this won’t cut it in Game 7. Even if the Raptors get off to a great start and figure out how to maintain it, it’ll all come down to whether they can produce in the final 12 minutes.

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Can the Canadian do it again?

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Publish date : 2026-05-03 11:30:00

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