Cavaliers win Game 7, 114-102

Cleveland is through, but the interesting part is how it happened. Game 7 against Toronto looked tight for a half, then the Cavaliers turned it into a rebounding clinic and a paint game the Raptors couldn’t survive. The final was 114-102 on Sunday, May 3, and Cleveland moves on to face Detroit in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The score says comfortable win. The path there was more revealing. (nba.com) ### Why did this game flip after halftime? Toronto led through the first half, and the series had basically been dead even — tied 669-669 in total points through six games. Then Cleveland closed the second quarter on an 11-2 run, opened the third on an 11-1 burst, and suddenly the whole game changed shape. The Cavaliers won the third quarter 38-19, which was the real knockout punch. (nba.com) ### Why was Jarrett Allen the center of it? Allen was the force that made Cleveland’s second-half surge real. He finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and 2 assists, and 14 of those points came in the third quarter alone. Most of his offense came right at the rim, but the bigger thing was how often he (nba.com) Toronto had as a team. (nba.com) ### Was this just Allen, or a full team thing? It was both. Donovan Mitchell also scored 22, and James Harden added 18, but Cleveland’s edge was bigger than one scorer getting hot. The Cavaliers dominated the glass 60-33, including 20-7 on offensive rebounds. In a winner-take-all game, that kind of gap is brutal — extra s(nba.com)rgin was the biggest in a winner-take-all game since 1987. (espn.com) ### What does this say about the series? Basically, this was a home-court series all the way through. The home team won every game — no road winner once. That matters because it tells you Cleveland didn’t solve everything. The Cavs were strong enough to protect Rocket Arena and survive pressure, but they also needed a Game 7 at home to finish off a No. 5 seed. That’s advancement, not domination. (nba.com) ### What happened to Toronto? Toronto got real production from Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett — Barnes had 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Barrett scored 23 with 6 assists. But once Cleveland owned the paint, Toronto was chasing the game. The Raptors just didn’t have enough answers for Allen’s size or enough possessions to survive the rebounding gap. (espn.com) ### Why does the Detroit matchup feel different? Because Detroit is the No. 1 seed, and this won’t be a softer landing. Cleveland now gets the Pistons in the East semis, with Game 1 on Tuesday, May 5, in Detroit. Kenny Atkinson framed it pretty clearly after the game —(espn.com), the thing that won Game 7 now gets tested against a team built to punch back. (nba.com) ### Does this win mean Cleveland is rolling? Not exactly. It means Cleveland passed the test in front of it, and did it with a formula that can travel — defend, rebound, finish inside. But the catch is that Detroit is better at leaning on those same margins. Cleveland reached the second round for the third straight season(nba.com)step forward instead of just a repeat. (espn.com) ### Bottom line The Cavaliers didn’t just survive Game 7. They found the version of themselves that makes sense in May — Allen controlling the paint, Mitchell stabilizing the offense, and everyone else feeding off extra possessions. That was enough for Toronto. Detroit is a harder question.