Cavaliers win Game 7, bracket set

The NBA playoff bracket is finally clean. Cleveland took the last open spot Sunday night, beating Toronto 114-102 in Game 7 and turning a messy, swingy first-round series into a pretty simple result by the end — the Cavaliers are through, and the second round is set. The big thing that changed was the third quarter. Toronto controlled most of the first half, but Cleveland came out of halftime and broke the game open with a 38-point quarter that flipped the whole night. (espn.com) ### How did Cleveland actually win this? Not with one giant late shot. That’s the interesting part. Cleveland won by grinding Toronto down in the middle of the game, then keeping enough control in the fourth. The Cavs trailed 49-48 at halftime, then outscored the Raptors 38-19 in the third quarter. Once that happened, Toronto was chasing instead of dictating. (espn.com)the headline-level scoring line, but Allen was the force that made the game tilt. He finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds, tying a playoff career high in points, and Cleveland kept getting second chances and interior control from him. Mitchell also had 22, and James Harden added 18 for a team that didn’t need one superhero finish so much as three reliable creators and finishers. (espn.com) ### What happened to Toronto? Toronto had the kind of first half that makes an upset feel real. Scottie Barnes scored 24 and RJ Barrett added 21, and the Raptors were in front for most of the opening two quarters. But the offense flattened out after halftime. A 19-point third quarter in a road Game 7 is basically the nightmare version of “just stay close” — especially once Cleveland started controlling the glass and forcing Toronto to play from behind. (espn.com) ### Why does the third quarter matter so much? Because Game 7s usually tighten into half-court possessions and short rotations. If one team can create a real gap before the final six minutes, the pressure changes sides. Cleveland did exactly that. Instead of needing a last-possession bailout, the Cavs entered the fourth with breathing room. That’s a much safer script, and it let them avoid the chaos Toronto used to steal Game 6. (espn.com) ### So what’s the bracket now? In the East, it’s Cavaliers vs. Pistons and Knicks vs. 76ers. In the West, it’s Thunder vs. Lakers and Timberwolves vs. Spurs. NBA.com’s bracket shows Cleveland, the No. 4 seed, advancing to face top-seeded Detroit, with Game 1 scheduled for Tuesday night. CBS’s updated playoff schedule shows the full second-round field now locked in. (nba.com) ##(espn.com)m bracket pairing. Cleveland and Detroit split their four regular-season meetings, and now the Cavs go straight from a seven-game series into a matchup with the East’s top seed. Detroit also just survived its own Game 7 against Orlando. So both teams arrive tested — but not exactly rested. (espn.com) ### What’s the r(nba.com)h a miracle. The Cavs survived it by finding one dominant stretch at the exact right time, then letting Allen, Mitchell, and Harden close the door. That matters now because the first round is over, the bracket is full, and every remaining series starts with a much clearer question — not who got in, but who still has enough left.