CLEVELAND — With the Cavaliers trailing at halftime of a pivotal Game 5 of their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, veteran Dennis Schroder delivered a message to the home locker room.
Then, in the fourth quarter, he led the team by example.
Schroder played the entire fourth, scoring 11 of his 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting to help the Cavs outscore the Raptors 25-17 in the final period and seal a 125-120 victory. The Cavs own 3-2 lead in the series, with Game 6 set for Friday in Toronto.
“We needed to win this game,” Schroder said. “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 play.
“I felt like I had to say something to the group, so we can rise and go play Cavs basketball and play to our standards.”
Schroder, a 32-year-old veteran who came to Cleveland in a February trade, said he implored the team to return to the principles it was built on, playing through their bigs, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and with more aggression and energy.
The Cavs trailed 74-67 at the half and were down 103-100 entering the fourth quarter before Schroder’s late surge helped them pull off the comeback. It was the first time the Cavs had won a playoff game after trailing to begin the fourth quarter since 2018, when they came back to beat the Raptors in the 2018 Eastern Conference semifinals, according to ESPN Research.
“When we were talking about trading for [Schroder], that was one of the thing that came up: This guy has played in huge games in the NBA and then on the international scene,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “This type of game fits him.
“He was, as we like to call him, Dennis the menace tonight.”
At one point, while Schroder had it going in the fourth quarter, Atkinson attempted to make a substitution to bring Donovan Mitchell and Mobley back into the game. But Mitchell said he and Mobley both preferred to leave Schroder in the game.
“It’s about the group,” Mitchell said. “This is working. We’re getting stops. And I think the biggest thing about this group is, it’s about the collective. It isn’t about one person or two people. We know who we are and we know what Dennis is bringing. You ride the hot hand.”
While the Cavs made headlines for grabbing James Harden before the trade deadline in February, they also acquired Keon Ellis and Schroder in a three-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and the Chicago Bulls. Schroder’s acquisition was unheralded, but he helped steady Cleveland after a rocky first half against Toronto.
The Cavs gave up 23 points off turnovers in the first half but committed only five of their 15 turnovers in the second half and one in the fourth quarter while Schroder was sharing ball-handling duties.
“Give Dennis the ball,” Harden said with a laugh when asked about limiting turnovers.
And yet, Schroder had seen limited action in this series before Game 5, averaging just 11.3 minutes per game through the first four games and sitting out the entire second half of Game 3 before his outburst on Wednesday.
“Big games. I love big games,” Schroder said. “I love the playoffs. I think every player is working for that moment.”
After regaining control of the series, Atkinson said he believed Wednesday’s win was the kind that could help build resiliency for what Cleveland hopes will be a long playoff run.
“We’re trying to get over the hump,” Atkinson said. “We’re trying to get to the next level. That’s a real mental challenge to me. Game 5, 2-2, these are high pressure moments. You’re down. You could feel the crowd getting nervous. I think we took a step tonight.”
