The Toronto Raptors did give it their all, but it wasn’t enough. They saw their season come to an end on Sunday night, as the Raptors fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7, 114-102, although considering the expectations heading into the 2025-26 campaign, even making it this far, against a true contending team in the Cavs, has to be a moral victory at the very least.
In the end, the Raptors simply lost steam. Brandon Ingram may not have had the best series, but his absence sapped the team of so much offensive firepower. But even as Ingram went down with an injury, Scottie Barnes’ excellent two-way play gave Toronto a puncher’s chance at an upset.
In Game 7, Barnes recorded 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, and he was way too busy guarding everyone on the floor from James Harden to Evan Mobley. The Raptors do need a few more pieces if they were to take the next step, but one thing’s for sure: Barnes being this good already, and at just age 24, means that the team’s future is blindingly bright.
“For this stage of his career, I think he gave it all. He made a huge stride and I think he got so much better in this playoff series, but this is not the best version of Scottie… I think we’re going to see an even better Scottie next year,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
Barnes did give it his everything, but the Cavs simply had too many weapons for the Raptors to keep up with come Game 7. Being on the road also made it difficult for Toronto in the end to advance to the next round, as the home team won every game in this hard-fought series.
Nonetheless, Barnes can hold his head high and look forward to next season with excitement soon after the sting of losing in Game 7 tides over.
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