After a convincing Game 3 win and a rock fight Game 4 victory, the Toronto Raptors would drop Game 5 in enemy territory to the Cavaliers in an entertaining, yet crushing 125-120 defeat. Cleveland now holds a 3-2 series lead going into a high-stakes Game 6 on the Raptors' home hardwood of Scotiabank Arena.
In a game where Toronto lost Brandon Ingram early to an untimely injury and Scottie Barnes was noticeably banged up in the second half, the Raptors were still able to keep things within reach, all things considered. However, in the fourth quarter, Toronto's offense stagnated, and Cleveland found a much-needed spark to push them over the edge.
But no other player shined brighter in the fourth quarter than veteran reserve Dennis Schroder.
Dennis Schroder helps seal the deal for Cavs in Game 5 win over Raptors
The renowned FIBA legend and NBA journeyman played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter, leading the Cavs with 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Schroder finished the game with a total of 21 minutes played, going 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep, for a total of 19 points. His sudden spark couldn’t have come at a worse time for Toronto, who were struggling to replicate this kind of fourth-quarter blitz from any of their players.
RJ Barrett went just 1-for-7, Ja’Kobe Walter was 1-for-5, Jamal Shead also went 1-for-5, and Scottie Barnes was held to 0-for-5 from the field in the fourth.
In a quarter where the star Cavs duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell took a back seat, Cleveland couldn’t be more thrilled to see Schroder step up as their saving grace.
If you can still recall, Schroder had a short stint with the Toronto Raptors during the 2023-24 NBA season. He provided valuable depth at the point guard position after moving on from Fred VanVleet. Schroder showed some promise while with the Raptors, although there were times when his brazen play could sometimes take the shine away from the key drivers (especially Scottie Barnes).
Ultimately, Schroder was traded at the 2024 deadline in a salary dump and his Raptors tenure was cut short.
Going into this series, a proven veteran like Dennis Schroder could prove to be a real threat to the Raptors in this head-to-head matchup. Last year with the Pistons, Schroder showed he can step up in a playoff atmosphere when the opportunity arises, shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from three.
While Schroder started the series relatively quiet, his Game 4 performance looked like a player who was quickly finding his rhythm. In Game 5, the Cavs saw his true playoff form take full effect.
It has to sting for Toronto, especially in a game where it seemed like they could finally break their Cleveland curse (they had been 0-9 going into the Game 5 affair), until one-time Raptor Dennis Schroder had something to say about that.
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