Three Things to Know: Raptors look like the No. 6 seed after beating Cavaliers

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The stakes entering Thursday night’s Cavaliers vs. Raptors game were clear: One of these teams is going to win 45 or 46 games and still finish as the No. 7 seed in the East. That means said team falls into the play-in tournament and faces Brooklyn with Kevin Durant (and, for the Cavaliers, also Kyrie Irving) in the first game. Lose that, and it’s a one-game, win-or-go-home showdown with Atlanta or Charlotte, two teams where Trae Young or LaMelo Ball can trigger an offensive explosion any given night and win one game.

Those high stakes meant Thursday’s showdown between the Cavaliers and Raptors had a bit of a playoff feel — getting the No. 6 seed matters in the East.

Toronto looked much the better team Thursday. The Raptors were more physical on both ends, they executed like a team that had been in big games before — many of their core players have a championship ring from 2020 — and they had the best player on court in Pascal Siakam, who scored 35.

“His name is Pascal ALL-NBA Siakam” pic.twitter.com/gdQVM2fghU

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 25, 2022

(Note to the Raptors hype machine: Siakam has played slightly better this season than his All-NBA campaign, but he’s not making the top six forwards this time around. Sorry. The field is just too deep with guys who had better seasons.)

Toronto was in charge from the second quarter on and won comfortably, 117-104.

The Raptors have now won 6-of-8, while the Cavaliers have stumbled to a 3-5 record in those same games.

The Raptors and Cavaliers are