The Cleveland Cavaliers gave their fans a scare during their Game 5 matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, but the squad was ultimately able to earn an important victory to take a 3-2 series lead in the first round.
While the Cavs are now just a win away from advancing in the postseason, they haven’t played at a particularly high level in their series against the Raptors. Many have taken notice, and 2016 champion Channing Frye offered a lot of his thoughts on social media on Wednesday.
During Game 5, Frye said that if the Cavs lose, nobody on their roster will be untouchable. While the Cavs did win the game, they still have work to do to avoid a major playoff letdown.
If the Cavs don’t win the whole team is a starfish at the sea world petting zoo. https://t.co/32q0bMEM5X
— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) April 30, 2026
Later, Frye, answering a question about Cavs big man Evan Mobley, argued that there’s a lot on the line for the team in the first round.
If they don’t get past this round I have to reevaluate the vision. https://t.co/Bumum9JUqq
— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) April 30, 2026
When the regular season wrapped up, many felt like Cleveland was in line for a favorable playoff path on the Eastern Conference side of the bracket. In fact, the Cavs were reportedly happy they drew the Raptors instead of the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
REPORT: The Cavs were happy they drew the Raptors instead of the Hawks, per @ChrisFedor 👀
“There was always a feeling inside the Cavs organization of, ‘Alright, good. We got Toronto instead of Atlanta.'" pic.twitter.com/jBfHJ5W15p
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) April 21, 2026
After Games 1 and 2 between Toronto and Cleveland, it certainly looked like the Cavs were going to cruise to a series victory, as they took a 2-0 lead by winning each of the first two games by double digits.
However, a blowout loss in Game 3 followed by a close loss in Game 4 meant that Cleveland was going to have to do it the hard way. The squad responded with a 125-120 win on Wednesday, which will give it a chance to clinch in Game 6 on Friday.
The Cavs may need to put together a bit of a run in these playoffs in order to justify their roster being kept intact going into next season. With stars Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen and the aforementioned Mobley in the fold, expectations are high, but the franchise still hasn’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals during the Mitchell era.
An early playoff exit could spell major changes for the team in the offseason.
