Raptors have to respond

The Toronto Raptors were able to fight their way back into the NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning Games 3 and 4 at the Air Canada Centre. Then the series shifted back to Cleveland, and everything went back to the way it had been.

In the all-important Game 5, the Cavaliers came out and blew the Raptors out of the barn, winning 116-78 in front of a sold out crowd at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland had the game sewn up by the end of the first half, scoring a 65-34 advantage at the break. It was a stunning reversal of fortune for the Cavaliers, who looked tentative and lost throughout the prior two contests.

Now, with their backs to the wall, the Raptors have to figure out how to get back on the winning track or face elimination. Toronto was abysmal in every possible way on Wednesday night, shooting, 39.1 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Cleveland scored at will, notching a 57.1 field goal percentage. Toronto also committed 19 turnovers and hit just 3-of-17 from behind the three-point arc. It was hideous basketball at the worst time, with the Raptors getting a brutal 7-of-20 combined performance from DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

The reality for the Raptors is very simple. If they don’t play their best game on Friday night, they are going home while the Cavaliers celebrate on their court. In the short term, that will be a brutal pill to swallow. In the long term, both the team and the fans will realize what an incredible ride this has been for a team that has reached new heights in the franchise’s history.

For now, none of that matters. Toronto is still in the heat of the fight, hoping to score one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. The Raptors needs a pair of huge performances from Lowry and DeRozan, while Bismack Biyombo protects the paint. It won’t be easy and most believe Cleveland is going back home with a trip to the Finals in hand, but the Raptors have proven they can beat the Cavaliers with their backs to the proverbial wall.

Toronto could do wonders for its future by forcing a Game 7. The Raptors would get more experience while having the knowledge that they can force the beast of the East to the edge and back.

Cleveland is going likely going to pull this series out of the fire whether it be in Game 6 or 7, but each win for the Raptors means value.