Scottie Barnes hobbled as Raptors drop Game 5 to Cavs

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives on Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, In Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

The Toronto Raptors have played a tough, hard-hitting style of defence throughout their playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That bruising physicality has caught up with them.

All-star forward Brandon Ingram made an early exit and Scottie Barnes limped through the second half as Toronto fell to the Cavaliers 125-120 on Wednesday in Game 5 of the best-of-seven matchup. Cleveland has a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Friday. 

“What can you do? It’s the playoffs. What can you do?” said RJ Barrett during his post-game news conference with bags of ice taped to his knees. “Especially now. Now it’s do or die. Now we’ve gotta go out there and we’ve got to fight, we’ve got to play hard together. 

“Everybody has to step up.”

Barrett, from Mississauga, Ont., and Barnes each had a double-double for the Raptors. Barrett led Toronto with 25 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Barnes scored 17 points, dishing out 11 assists.

Barnes, however, was noticeably slower in the second half after he took a shot to his quad while driving to the net. He also missed an offensive possession after getting hit in the eye, lingering under the Cavaliers basket as he tried to see properly again.

“Couldn’t play with that same pace that I was trying to play with, just having a little limp out there,” said Barnes, who had a visible limp as he made his way to the podium. “I was just trying to push through it, trying to win the game.”

Head coach Darko Rajakovic said Ingram had been struggling with right heel inflammation throughout the series and left the court in the second quarter to have it retaped. When Ingram began to warm-up again it was clear he would not be able to finish the game.

Barnes said that although Ingram has struggled offensively in these playoffs — he’s averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over four playoff games and had a point, a rebound and two assists when he left the game — his scoring potential means he still draws defenders and helps clear out the paint for his Raptors teammates.

“We need him out there on the floor,” said Barnes. “The way they guard him, his shotmaking ability. When he’s out there on the floor, he makes big plays for us on the defensive end as well, trying to get him rebounds, get him blocks.”

With Ingram out and Barnes slowed, guards Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead, both in their second years in the league and playing in their first playoff series, stepped up. Walter had 20 points and Shead added 18 off the bench.

But the Cavaliers offence was red hot in the final two quarters, finished with 53.1 per cent on field-goal attempts including making 18 of 36 three-pointers. James Harden and Evan Mobley both had 23 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland. 

Backup point guard Dennis Schroder, who played 51 games for Toronto in 2023-24, had 19 points. Eleven of Schroder’s points came in the fourth quarter.

“I thought we were a very resilient team tonight, even though we lost over here,” said Rajakovic. “We were constantly trying to find ways, finding different lineups, finding guys who can help us win the game. 

“It came down to this: they shot 50 per cent from the three-point line, made 18 threes.”

The series now heads back to Toronto with the Raptors in a must-win situation. If they can tie the series back up on Friday then the Cavaliers will host Game 7 on Sunday.

Toronto has never won a playoff game in Cleveland, dropping 10 consecutive games at Rocket Arena over four playoff series.

“It’s gonna take everybody. It’s gonna take everybody,” said Barrett, praising Walter and Shead. “The good thing about our team is when we’re at our best, we’re fighting, we’re scrappy and we’re playing together. That’s what playoff basketball is. 

“I’m very confident in us, especially going home with our fans. Everybody’s seen what that’s like. We played a good game tonight. Give them credit. We’ll be ready for Friday.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press