Dribbles: Cavs get tough at right time, with Jarrett Allen leading the fight

May 3, 2026

CLEVELAND — Random dribbles from the Cavaliers’ 114-102 home win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of their first-round series Sunday.

1. This was about more than a Game 7. The Cavaliers didn’t just need a win. They needed to push back on something that’s followed them all season.

2. Not tough enough. Not gritty enough. Not built for this time of year. Fair or not, that label has been there.

3. And it sure hasn’t skipped Jarrett Allen. If anything, he’s heard it the loudest. So what happened Sunday night counted for a lot. Not just the result. The response.

4. Interestingly, this game didn’t start like a statement. It started tight, uneasy, a team feeling everything that could go wrong. And for a while, it looked like the same story.

5. Then came the third quarter. That’s where something changed. Not finesse. Not pretty. Something tougher.

6. The Cavs didn’t just outscore Toronto 38-19. They got physical. They owned the glass. They dictated terms. That’s been the knock all year. That they don’t do that. On this night, they did.

7. Allen was right in the middle of it. Just check the numbers: Twenty-two points. Nineteen rebounds. Eight offensive boards. That’s not just production. That’s presence. And for the third time in the series, he also tied his career playoff-high with three blocks.

8. Simply put, Allen controlled the paint in a Game 7. The same guy who’s been questioned for toughness just played like the toughest guy out there.

9. Coach Kenny Atkinson said it best: “Man… he was incredible tonight,” he said. Atkinson later admitted that he sort of thought, “What got into this guy?”

10. James Harden didn’t hesitate either. “When he plays like that, we’re a different ballclub,” he said of Allen.

11. It didn’t hurt that the regular stars also did their part. Donovan Mitchell finished with 22 points on 9-of-20 shooting, adding just enough scoring without forcing the issue. Harden had 18 points, steady and under control, letting the game come to him on instead of chasing it.

12. Evan Mobley chipped in 13 points, while Sam Merrill and Max Strus each added 13 and 12, respectively. So this wasn’t necessarily about one guy saving the day. It was about a team finally playing the right way at the right time.

13. Mitchell on the win: “There’s always a composure amongst the group… that’s what I’ve been saying all season.”

14. Strus, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, and Dennis Schroder all deserve loads of credit They just simply battled. That is what the Cavs need from their reserves and role players.

15. The Raptors didn’t make it easy. Scottie Barnes led them with 24 points despite being in foul trouble much of the night. RJ Barrett added 23, continuing his strong series after the Game 6 heroics.

16. But beyond that, Toronto just didn’t have enough. No Brandon Ingram. No Immanuel Quickley. That’s nearly 40 points of nightly offense missing. By the fourth quarter, it really showed.

17. The Raptors pushed. They hung around. But they didn’t have the legs to finish it. The Cavs did. That’s the part that changes the narrative. For one night, at least, the Cavs were the tougher team.

18. Now comes the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. They pride themselves on physicality, edge, fight. Much like the Raptors. Only Detroit does it even better. “We know what we’re facing,” Harden said. “We got our hands full.”

19. But now, perhaps the Cavs have something they didn’t have before. Namely, some proof that they can play that way when it matters.

20. Not perfect. Not always polished. But tough enough. As Atkinson said, that’s sometimes how you have to win at this time of year.

21. Atkinson on the Pistons: “We’re gonna have to be mentally and physically tough to beat this team. Hopefully this series prepared us for that.”