Cleveland's Raptors Curse Outlasts LeBron
Mitchell and Harden carry Cleveland's playoff torment of Toronto into Game 6
Cleveland holds a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 at Scotiabank Arena, and the Cavaliers have now beaten Toronto 12 straight times in the playoffs. LeBron James left Ohio years ago; the humiliation he perfected stayed right there in the rotation. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are doing the rest.
Toronto's best answers to Evan Mobley's size and speed are both compromised. Scottie Barnes is managing an injured quadriceps and Brandon Ingram re-aggravated a heel injury and left Game 5 early.
That injury report is about as bad as it gets for a team already facing elimination. Without Barnes and Ingram at full strength the Raptors have no credible way to match Cleveland's frontcourt length or slow their guards transition off turnovers.
The 'LeBronto' nickname was retired when James packed up for Los Angeles, but the dynamic it named never actually left Cleveland. If the Cavaliers close this out Friday, Toronto will have lost 13 consecutive postseason games to the same franchise across three very diferent rosters.