CLEVELAND — The best two words in sports: Game 7.
The Cavaliers had a chance to close out the series in Toronto in Game 6, but the Raptors survived in overtime on a wild shot by RJ Barrett and forced a win-or-go-home Game 7, putting both teams’ playoff lives on the line.
Entering Game 7 on Sunday, May 3, the home team has won every game in this series. The winner of Game 7 will advance to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The fourth-seeded Cavs and fifth-seeded Raptors tipped off at 7:42 p.m. Follow here for live score updates, analysis, highlights and stats from Game 7 at Rocket Arena:
Who’s winning Cavaliers-Raptors Game 7?
The Cavs lead the Raptors 64-57 with 6:02 left in the third quarter.
Cleveland’s defense has come alive. James Harden made a terrific play to turn a potential Raptors fastbreak into a steal and then an easy layup for Jaylon Tyson.
On the next possession, Jarrett Allen swiped the ball away which led to another fastbreak, with Allen drawing a foul at the rim.
Cavaliers lead Raptors by 10 in third quarter of Game 7
With 7:49 left in the third quarter, the Cavs are holding a 60-50 lead.
The Raptors have missed their first six shot attempts in the quarter, leading to an 11-1 Cavs run.
Donovan Mitchell has called for a flagrant-1 foul on Collin Murray-Boyles, as Mitchell made contact around the head/neck.
A few moments later, Evan Mobley was called for his fourth foul of the night, which will force his exit from the game. And the Cleveland crowd is showing some real frustration with the recent string of calls.
Cavs start second half on 9-0 run to take lead vs Raptors
The Cavaliers have opened up a 58-49 lead thanks to a 9-0 run that has Rocket Arena in a frenzy.
Donovan Mitchell has a 3 and a Euro-step layup, and Evan Mobley has two buckets.
The Raptors don’t seem to have the same energy as in the first half, and the Cavaliers’ stars are taking advantage.
Cavs, Raptors tied at halftime of Game 7
For the first time since it was 0-0 to start the game, the Cavaliers have come back to tie it 49-49 entering halftime.
The Cavs ended the second quarter on a 6-0 run to close the gap, highlighted by 3s from James Harden and then Jaylon Tyson, and third offensive foul drawn by Max Strus on the other end.
In the final minute, Scottie Barnes drew his third foul, now putting him in a bit of foul trouble, joining Evan Mobley.
Harden has a team-high 10 points on 2-for-5 shooting from the floor, and of note, he’s only committed one turnover thus far, a stark contract from his play earlier in the series.
Donovan Mitchell has just seven points on 3-for-9 shooting, and he’s hit only one of his six 3-point attempts. The fact that he hasn’t gotten going but the Cavs still have it tied at halftime is probably a more positive sign for Cleveland.
Overall, the Cavs are shooting just 40 percent from the floor and 33 percent from 3-point range.
Perhaps nobody on the court is playing harder than Max Strus who despite being 1-for-5 from the floor has the highest plus/minus at +16.
For the Raptors, Barnes and Jamal Shead are tied with a game-high 14 points each. Both are 5-for-10 from the floor. RJ Barrett scored nine points to go with three rebounds.
Evan Mobley picks up third foul
Cavs forward Evan Mobley just picked up his third foul with 4:04 left in the second quarter, and he’ll have to be careful for a while.
The Raptors, similar to Game 6, simply cannot stop committing fouls, as they’re now up to 12. But nobody for Toronto is in as much foul trouble as Mobley in the early going.
The Raptors lead 43-36.
Jamal Shead currently has a game-high 14 points. No Cavalier is in double digits as nobody in Cleveland’s lineup has gotten it going offensively aside from perhaps Sam Merrill.
Cavs, Raptors score update in Game 7
With 5:43 left in the first half, the Raptors lead the Cavs 43-34.
Cavs center Jarrett Allen was brought down hard by A.J. Lawson, triggering a flagrant foul review that did not result in a flagrant.
Sam Merrill has had a nice start to Game 7, already with eight points, two rebounds and two assists. He also hasn’t missed, hitting both shots from the floor and from the free throw line.
Raptors have double-digit lead over Cavs in Game 7
The Cavaliers are off to a really rough start on the offensive end in the second quarter, and the Raptors have built a 39-29 lead with 7:07 left in the second quarter.
The Cavs have hit just two of their 10 shot attempts in the quarter, and their resolve is going to be tested early in this Game 7, already facing a double-digit deficit.
Dean Wade has had a very rough night on that end of the floor. In 12 minutes, he’s 0-for-3 from the field with two turnovers and hasn’t given the Cavs much of anything on offense. Though, strangely, he does have the only assist by a Cavs starter so far tonight.
Meanwhile, Evan Mobley has already turned the ball over four times. Donovan Mitchell is 3-for-8 from the floor with seven points, but also with two turnovers.
Early on, the Cavs are losing the turnover battle 10-5.
Cavs trail Raptors 26-24 at the end of the first quarter in Game 7
The Cavs trailed the Raptors 26-24 at the end of the first quarter.
The Cavs were behind by 10 points with roughly three minutes remaining in the opening quarter, but they produced a 7-0 run and finished the quarter much stronger than they began it.
Guard Donovan Mitchell got the run rolling with his first successful field goal of the game, a 3-pointer with 3:06 left. After small forward Max Strus drew an offensive foul against the Raptors, guard Sam Merrill made a pair of free throws with 2:33 remaining, and Mitchell made a jump shot with 2:12 left.
After Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles rattled in a jump shot with 30.8 seconds left, Strus made a pair of free throws with 21.8 seconds remaining.
The Cavs were led in the first quarter by three players who scored five points each: Mitchell, Merrill and point guard James Harden.
Raptors guard Jamal Shead led his team with seven points.
Raptors lead Cavs 22-12 with 3:40 left in the first quarter
The Raptors spent most of the first quarter playing faster and with more aggression than the Cavs. Consequently, the Raptors led the Cavs 22-12 with 3:40 left in the opening quarter.
Guard Jamal Shead made a cutting layup on an assist by RJ Barrett to give the Raptors their first 10-point lead, a 22-12 advantage. Shead put the Raptors ahead by 10 again when his driving layup against forward Evan Mobley’s contest gave Toronto a 22-12 cushion with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter.
Shead led the Raptors at this juncture with seven points. Point guard James Harden paced the Cavs with five points.
Cavs trail Raptors 13-7 with 7:20 left in the first quarter
The Cavs had an awkward start to Game 7. Center Jarrett Allen missed a dunk on their first possession, and forward Evan Mobley stepped out of bounds as he geared up for a 3-pointer on Cleveland’s second possession.
Meanwhile, the Raptors jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a jump shot and a three-point play by forward Scottie Barnes.
The Raptors also drained their first two 3-pointers of Game 7, courtesy of guards Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter.
The Cavs trailed 13-7 during a timeout with 7:20 left in the opening quarter.
Below is some pregame information.
Where to watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors Game 7. Cavs playoffs TV, streaming and radio info
Game 7 between the Cavs and Raptors will be televised nationally by NBC and Peacock. The local radio broadcast can be heard via WTAM (1100-AM) or WMMS (100.7-FM).
Cavs-Raptors injury report for Game 7
Raptors All-Star forward Brandon Ingram (right heel inflammation) has been downgraded to out for Game 7. Point guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain) remains out for the series. He has not appeared in this postseason.
The Cavs have no one listed on the injury report.
Cavs starting lineup vs Raptors in Game 7
The Cavs are starting Dean Wade and sending fellow forward Max Strus back to the bench after starting Strus over Wade in Games 5 and 6. Wade started the first four games of the series.
Here is Cleveland’s starting lineup for Game 7:
Raptors starting lineup vs Cavs in Game 7
Here is the Raptors’ starting lineup for Game 7:
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 01: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts from the court against the Toronto Raptors during the third quarter in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 01, 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)
Cavs playoff schedule. Cavaliers vs. Raptors in 2026 NBA playoffs
Here is the schedule for the Cavs-Raptors series and how the series has played out thus far.
Game 1: Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113; Cavs lead series 1-0
Game 2: Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105; Cavs lead series 2-0
Game 3: Raptors 126, Cavaliers 104; Cavs lead series 2-1
Game 4: Raptors 93, Cavs 89; series tied 2-2
Game 5: Cavs 125, Raptors 120; Cavs lead series 3-2
Game 6: Raptors 112, Cavaliers 110; series tied 3-3
Eastern Conference playoff bracket 2026
No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic; Pistons won series 4-3
No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers; 76ers won series 4-3
No. 3 seed New York Knicks vs. No. 6 seed Atlanta Hawks; Knicks won series 4-2
Cleveland Cavaliers playoff history during their Donovan Mitchell era
This is the fourth consecutive season the Cavs have made the playoffs.
Here are the results from their previous three playoff appearances, all of which have occurred since the Cavs traded for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in 2022:
2024-25: Lost 4-1 in second round to Indiana Pacers after sweeping Miami Heat 4-0 in first round
2023-24: Lost 4-1 in second round to Boston Celtics after beating Orlando Magic 4-3 in first round
2022-23: Lost 4-1 in first round to New York Knicks
Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich cover the Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers score vs Toronto Raptors Game 7 live updates