By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round best-of-seven series.
“I love big games. I love the Playoffs. I think every player is working for their moment,” he mentioned during his postgame press conference in Rocket Arena. “You just have to embrace it. I have been through a lot of big games in my career, and I’ve seen it. Experience, of course, matters, but at the end of the day, the urgency and the energy have to be there. Experience doesn’t matter either.”
The 32-year-old German point guard, who was traded to the Cavaliers midway through the 2025-26 Regular Season, took command of the game late to help Cleveland secure a 3-2 lead in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google.
“I was just trying to be aggressive. We were speaking at halftime, making sure that we play Cavs basketball, and I think I just tried to come out and bring the energy, try to help as much as I can to get the W,” mentioned the Braunschweig native.
His impact extended beyond the stat sheet. Earlier in the series of press conferences, Donovan Mitchell revealed that Schroder had delivered a speech at halftime to motivate his teammates.
“It’s Game 5. We need to win this game. It’s all about momentum. They had the momentum going into Game 5, because they won two in a row. We played in front of our fans, and we didn’t play how we should have. I felt like I had to say something to the group so we can rise and go play Cavs basketball, play to our standards,” the experienced floor general commented regarding his message.
Mitchell was quick to credit his teammate for the turnaround, stating, “He really led that charge, especially in that fourth.”
Even the opposing sideline acknowledged the veteran’s performance. “That’s the beauty of the Playoffs, because in each game somebody else steps up,” commented the Serbian head coach of the Raptors, Darko Rajakovic.
The Cavaliers now head to Toronto for Game 6 on Friday night with a chance to close out the series.
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 2-3 (101-112, 98-83, 105-113, 88-94, 116-109)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 3-2 (126-113, 115-105, 104-126, 89-93, 125-120)
3. New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 3-2 (113-102, 106-107, 108-109, 114-98, 126-97)
4. Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 3-2 (123-91, 97-111, 108-100, 128-96, 97-113)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 4-0 (119-84, 120-107, 121-109, 131-122)
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 3-1 (107-98, 101-94, 112-108, 96-115)
3. Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 2-3 (126-115, 114-119, 96-113, 96-112, 125-113)
4. San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 (111-98, 103-106, 120-108, 114-93, 114-95)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – Winner 2
6. San Antonio Spurs – Winner 3
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions