Takeaways as Raptors Show Progress in Loss to Cavaliers

The Toronto Raptors saw Chris Boucher break out in a narrow loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday

Jan 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) drives against Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher (25) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

Cleveland Cavaliers 132, Toronto Raptors 126

Showing Some Fight

The Raptors can compete.

That’s what made their losses earlier this week so frustrating. This team isn’t as bad as it looked against the Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks. Wednesday’s game, despite the lopsided score against the New York Knicks, hinted at progress, and Thursday’s effort against the Cavaliers only reinforced that impression.

Of course, Toronto won’t be competitive every night. There will inevitably be more blowouts over the next few months. But when it comes to effort and resilience, the Raptors have no excuse not to show up.

They proved that by going toe-to-toe with Cleveland on the second night of a back-to-back, even carrying a lead into the fourth quarter. The problem for Toronto was Darius Garland, who simply proved too much. He hit a dagger step-back three over Scottie Barnes in the final minute, and Toronto’s offense couldn’t keep pace down the stretch.

Did the Raptors benefit from an uncharacteristically strong night from beyond the arc? Absolutely. The three-point differential has been a glaring issue for Toronto this season.

But even without the long ball, the Raptors looked much sharper against the Cavaliers. Defensively, their rotations were crisp most of the night, the ball movement was purposeful, and the half-court offense was effective. Barnes delivered one of his most complete performances of the season, confidently knocking down jumpers over Cleveland’s towering frontcourt.

In the fourth quarter, with nobody else able to contain Garland, Toronto turned to Barnes. He rose to the challenge, blocking off a late layup attempt in a last-ditch effort to spark a comeback. Still, Garland’s 40-point explosion was too much for the Raptors to overcome.

Despite the loss, this was the kind of performance Toronto has been waiting to see from its young core. It’s less about the final score and more about the process. Competing against one of the league’s best teams — even without Donovan Mitchell — is a step in the right direction and a foundation the Raptors can build upon.

Breakout Boucher

Chris Boucher can help someone.

It might not be the Raptors, who have been inconsistent in their use of Boucher over the past two seasons. But with his mid-sized contract and relentless energy off the bench, finding a suitor at the trade deadline shouldn’t be too difficult.

He deserves that opportunity too.

Boucher fell completely out of Toronto’s rotation earlier this week, only to reignite in garbage time against the Knicks, scoring 10 points in just four minutes. He followed that with an almost flawless performance against Cleveland, shooting 5-for-8 from three-point range and nailing his first five attempts from deep in a 23-point, 12-rebound showing on Thursday.

In the third quarter, he slipped behind Cleveland’s defense with a sharp baseline cut, finishing off a pinpoint pass from RJ Barrett to put Toronto up by 11.

Boucher’s most notable play, however, didn’t even show up in the box score: the typically trigger-happy Boucher passed up a good three-point look to set up an even better shot for Ja’Kobe Walter.

Considering how lackluster Toronto’s bench was on Wednesday, the way the group responded on the second night of a back-to-back was crucial against a stellar Cavaliers team. Jamal Shead chipped in with a season-high 15 points, including three three-pointers.

No Center Lineup

The Raptors experimented with a center-less lineup in the second quarter, using Scottie Barnes as their de facto big man. It’s a look Toronto has rarely deployed this season, but given Kelly Olynyk’s struggles this year, it’s a wrinkle the Raptors might want to explore more often.

The potential development of Jonathan Mogbo — currently with Raptors 905 — could provide another small-ball option as the season progresses. With Olynyk’s lackluster play of late, giving someone else a shot in those bench minutes might be a move worth considering for Toronto.

Up Next: Detroit Pistons

The Raptors will wrap up their road trip on Saturday night when they take on the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET.