Cavs bend early, then find another gear to surive, advance

CLEVELAND — This wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t clean. It was pressure-packed, heavy, and at times, a little too close for comfort.

But in the end, the Cavaliers did what they had to do. They survived.

Cleveland closed out Toronto 114-102 in Game 7 at Rocket Arena, punching its ticket to the second round and avoiding what would have been a brutal first-round exit.

Given the expectations, the payroll, and the midseason swing for James Harden, anything less would have left a lot of uncomfortable questions.

Instead, they move on.

Stars Stayed Ready

If there was a theme heading in, it was composure.

Coach Kenny Atkinson said it beforehand. Donovan Mitchell and Harden looked like it was just another night.

“Business as usual,” Atkinson said.

And when things got tight early, that calm mattered. Toronto jumped out fast. The building got tense. You could feel it.

But the Cavs never unraveled. They chipped away, tied it by halftime, then flipped the switch.

Impactful Third

This is where it turned. The Cavs came out of the halftime break and took control. Completely.

A 38-19 third quarter. Game over. That’s when the weight lifted. The crowd felt it. The team did too.

From there, it was about finishing. And Cleveland finally looked like the team it was supposed to be.

What It Means

Let’s be honest — this was about avoiding disaster as much as it was advancing.

Lose this game and the offseason gets loud. Fast.

Instead, the Cavs get a reset. A chance to build on something instead of explaining it.

Next up: Detroit. And now, at least for a moment, the Cavaliers can exhale.

More coming in Dribbles later.

BOX SCORE | Cavs 114, Raptors 102