Jarrett Allen turns the lights out on Raptors season, leads Cavs to Game 7 win

May 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) goes for a loose ball against Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) during the first half of game seven in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images CLEVELAND — To say losing Game 7 to the Toronto Raptors would be disastrous for the Cleveland Cavaliers is an understatement. Eight years of building led to the most expensive roster in the league that traded for a 36-year-old former All-Star at the deadline just to save this season.

Dropping this game would’ve been an indictment of every decision the front office made that led to this point, as well as the players who once again got bounced in the playoffs by a lower-seeded team. However, judgment day has been cancelled. Or at the very least, it’s been put off for at least a week.

It wasn’t pretty in the first half, but a strong response in the second half was enough to close out a plucky Raptors team in seven games, 114-102. It should’ve never gotten to this point, but the Cavs did what they needed to grab a win. And at this point, that’s all that matters.

As has been the case throughout most of this series, the Cavs started poorly. Jarrett Allen missed a wide-open dunk on Cleveland’s first offensive possession. That set the tone for what became a disastrous first quarter.