Raptors respond at home as Barnes, Barrett inspire Game 3 win over Cavaliers

TORONTO: After dropping the opening two games of their first-round playoff series on the road, the Toronto Raptors returned home facing a clear challenge. They needed to respond or fall into a 3-0 deficit, territory few teams in NBA history have come back from.

The early stages of the series had been dictated by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who controlled tempo and execution in Cleveland, extending a long-standing postseason dominance over Toronto.

Back at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, they delivered.

Led by Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, the Raptors secured a 126-104 victory in Game 3, cutting the series deficit to 2-1 and recording their first win of the matchup, while also snapping a 12-game playoff losing streak against Cleveland.

The result underlined the importance of home court after two difficult outings away, with Toronto producing a more balanced and controlled display.

For Barrett, the moment carried additional significance.

The Mississauga native was playing his first playoff game in Toronto and responded with one of the standout performances of his postseason career.

“Energy in the building was crazy. Definitely helped us out a lot. And I just played hard, and I played hard. That's the result,” Barrett said.

Barrett finished with 33 points, including a decisive fourth-quarter stretch that helped separate the teams.

“Tough. Tough, resilient group. I think a night like tonight was good to build some confidence and just show that we’re here, we’re in this series. When we play like how we did today, everybody together, everybody playing hard, locked in on the game plan, we can make some noise,” he said.

Barnes matched him with 33 points and added 11 assists, setting the tone with his aggression and