TORONTO — Twenty-five times.
That’s how many instances of the words “force” or “forceful” were uttered by Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson, guard Donovan Mitchell and forward Evan Mobley after Cleveland’s Game 3 loss to the Raptors in Toronto.
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The Cavs won Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland before the Raptors took it to the Cavs in Game 3, beating them 126-104 to bring the series to 2-1. Game 4 is at 1p.m. April 26.
The Raptors beat the Cavs on the scoreboard and beat them up on the court. And they did with — as the Cavs said 25 times in fewer than 25 minutes of news conferences — plenty of force.
“I think it started at the beginning of the third quarter. They won some 50-50 balls,” Atkinson said before adding the magic words. “Force, forceful plays, [we] kind of didn’t do the dirty work that’s necessary to win on the road.
“There’s just a force involved, right? That’s the best word I could use. Pretty much at every position, down the line, they won the force [plays].”
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs Game 3 photos
Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) tries to dribble past Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) during the first half of game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs Game 3 photos
Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) tries to dribble past Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) during the first half of game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs Game 3 photos
TORONTO, CANADA – APRIL 23: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers warms up ahead of Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on April 23, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs Game 3 photos
Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) during warm up before game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs Game 3 photos
Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during warm up before game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors NBA playoffs Game 3 photos
Apr 23, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliersguard Dennis Schroder (8) during warm up before game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Cavs stats vs Raptors in playoff series, Game 3 loss
Despite finishing with 22 turnovers, the Cavs were within one possession heading into the fourth quarter. Then, with a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, the wheels fell off, and the Raptors for the first time in the series imposed their will.
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Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett both poured in 33 points for the game. Jamison Battle nearly blew the roof off the Scotiabank Center by drilling four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter alone. Collin Murray-Boyles was terrific with 22 points off the bench.
And now the Cavs will be forced to play at least a Game 5, and the Raptors will have a chance to force an even 2-2 series with a win in Game 4.
“I think the biggest thing is, one, not overreact. It’s one loss,” Mitchell said, referencing how the Cavs need to respond. “I understand that we weren’t going to go 16-0 if we’re trying to achieve what we want to achieve. You give credit where credit is due, and then we go back and fix it.”
Wait for it. Mitchell continued, “I think it really just starts with our force.”
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There it is.
“Force” in a game can be difficult to quantify. But it could be illustrated in Game 3 by how Barnes got to his preferred spots at will. Or how the Raptors muscled their way through screens. Or how the Cavs failed to break through some top-blocks on the defensive end. Or how Battle was able to sneak away for some open 3s, including one of them off a forced offensive rebound after a free throw that acted as the real back-breaker in the fourth quarter. Or how James Harden was bullied into eight turnovers.
“I just don’t think our force [was there tonight],” Mitchell said. “We weren’t forceful enough with it. [Evan Mobley and I] have seen top-locks before, but our force coming off of it, I think was really the issue.”
Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett celebrates as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) tries to walk away during Game 3 of an NBA playoffs first-round series April 23, 2026, in Toronto, Ontario.
Donovan Mitchell stats in playoffs
Atkinson talked after the Game 2 win about how the Cavs were able to battle on the physical side of things to a better degree than they maybe had a year ago. The Raptors responded by counterpunching, in a way. With a large, physical lineup, Toronto effectively muscled the Cavs out of their spots and their spacing enough that they won Game 3 and injected new life into the series.
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The Raptors poured in 14 3s, but the dirty work was done in the paint in the seconds before getting somebody open to shoot them.
“Yeah, similar to what Don was saying, just our force,” Mobley said, when asked about the issues defensively. “We got to meet them early, not let them get into the paint as easy. They switched up some of the offense and some of the plays on how they were attacking, but I think we just had to be more active and more detail-oriented and knowing what’s going on and attacking it with force.”
At one point, Mitchell acknowledged he was sounding like a broken record. But it’s largely because they all came to the same conclusion, and it was clear what they felt was lacking in Game 3, as well as what needs to be added in Game 4.
“I really think it’s just like a level of force,” Mitchell said. “They came out protecting home court. They did not want to go down 3-0. Nobody wants to do that. … I think when you’re not as forceful as the home team and then they start making shots and the crowd is behind them, you get the result you get.”
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Ryan Lewis covers the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs determined to add ‘force’ to series after Game 3 loss to Raptors