Jamison Battle delivered a breakout performance, scoring 20 points on perfect shooting and draining a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the final minutes to lead the Toronto Raptors past the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-101 on Friday night in the NBA Cup opener for both teams.
Battle hit all seven of his field-goal attempts, including six from beyond the arc, and sealed the game with two deep 3s in the final 90 seconds — first extending Toronto’s lead to 105-98 with 1:07 remaining, then putting it out of reach half a minute later for a 108-98 advantage.
RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram also scored 20 points each as the Raptors snapped a four-game losing streak following their season-opening win. Scottie Barnes added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, including the go-ahead basket late in the third quarter that swung the momentum back to Toronto after trailing by 10 earlier in the period.
Cleveland, playing without Donovan Mitchell (hamstring tightness) and Jarrett Allen (broken finger), relied on strong performances from Evan Mobley, who scored 29 points, and De’Andre Hunter, who added 26. Rookie Jaylon Tyson chipped in 18 points off the bench.
The short-handed Cavaliers briefly reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter before Battle’s long-range barrage put the Raptors ahead for good. Toronto outscored Cleveland 31-21 in the final frame to secure its second win of the season.
Up Next:
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Raptors: Return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
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Cavaliers: Continue their homestand Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks.
