Cavs vs. Raptors, Game 7: Matchup, how to watch, what to expect

And now, it’s down to this.

The Cavaliers had their shot Friday. Actually, a few of them. Chances to close it. Chances to quiet the building. Chances to walk out of Canada and be done with this thing.

Didn’t happen.

The effort wasn’t quite there early. The execution wasn’t there late. And that turnover with the shot clock off? That’s the one that sticks. The one you think about on the flight home.

So here we are. Game 7. Winner moves on. Loser heads into a long summer with a lot of questions. That’s especially the case if the loser is the Cavs.

Game info

Who: Cavaliers (3-3) vs. Toronto Raptors (3-3)
Where: Rocket Arena — Cleveland
When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, Peacock
Line: Cavs -8.5

Injury report

Cavs: None
Raptors: Brandon Ingram (heel) — QUESTIONABLE; Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) — OUT

Expected lineups

Cavs: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Raptors: Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

What to expect

No more adjustments. No more feeling things out. No more “we’ll get the next one.”

This is it. You either impose your will, or you go home.

The Cavs have actually been here before. Not this exact group, not this exact script, but close enough. Two years ago against Orlando, they dropped a winnable Game 6 on the road, couldn’t buy a win away from home, and came back to take care of business in Game 7.

They’re hoping for a rerun. But hope isn’t enough this time of year.

This goes back to everything we’ve been talking about all series. Possessions. Toughness. Execution when things get tight. Head coach Kenny Atkinson has been pretty clear on it — win the scrums, rebound, take care of the ball.

When the Cavs do that, they look like the better team.

When they don’t, they look… average. And Toronto has been more than happy to drag them there.

Then there’s Donovan Mitchell. Game 6 was another reminder. Flashes, sure. But not sustained. Not dominant. Not the guy who just ends a series because he feels like it.

This is the night for that.

You figure James Harden will settle things down. You figure Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will try to control the paint.

But Game 7s? They’re usually about one guy stepping forward and saying, “Enough.”

If that’s Mitchell, the Cavs probably advance. If it’s not?

Well, then the questions start. About the series. About the summer. About where this is all headed.

That’s the deal with Game 7. Nothing subtle about it.