Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors tie their 2026 NBA Playoffs first-round series on ESPN to open Sunday’s slate.
We’re bringing you the best of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights from Sunday’s action.
What we know about Sunday’s games:
- Teams with a 2-1 lead have historically gone on to win an NBA Playoffs series 80% of the time.
- With a 3-1 lead, it’s been 95.6% of the time, with 13 teams recovering from such a gap in NBA history.
- If the series goes to 2-2, the home team for Game 5 has won 73.1% of the time.
Final scores
Raptors 93, Cavaliers 89 (Series tied 2-2)
Spurs @ Trail Blazers – Watch (SA leads 2-1)
APRIL 26, 2026 / 5:01 ET
Spurs down 17 at half
It’s been a brilliant showing on both sides of the ball through two quarters for Portland, who leads San Antonio. 58-41 at intermission. The team has a double-digit rebounding advantage while shooting a higher percentage from the field than the Spurs. There’s a big discrepancy in free throws as well, with the Blazers making 11 in the first half compared to San Antonio’s three.
“It’s like shooting blind…”
Somehow… Donovan Clingan got this 👌 to go!
Blazers lead the Spurs, 58-41 at the break of G4! pic.twitter.com/kI7AOancc2
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026
Victor Wembanyama looks healthy after clearing concussion protocol, but is only 4-of-12 from the floor. Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox are the team’s leading scorers with 10 apiece.
Area 51 🛸
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/gT0NOxOvDQ
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026
OH MYYYYY 😤🔥
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/rZOWjomyWm
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026
Avdija and-one ⬇️
TURBOOOOO https://t.co/jqR6SlvyG5 pic.twitter.com/xH5l79WH3C
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 4:45 ET
18-3 Portland run 😳
The second quarter has belonged to the Trail Blazers. Portland leads 52-37 in the closing minutes of the first half. Deni Avdija is up to 11 points while pushing the pace and finding teammates like Robert Williams for this strong alley-oop finish.
Deni Avdija throws it up.
Robert Williams III throws it down!PORTLAND IS BUZZING 🔊 pic.twitter.com/JsZRIHxVrn
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026
Jrue Holiday added to the run with a deep three to beat the shot clock.
jrue from DEEP. pic.twitter.com/FhV65j7Xva
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 4:20 ET
Close after 1Q
Portland leads by two after the first quarter, thanks to a balanced scoring effort. No Trail Blazer is in double figures, but seven different players are in the scoring column already.
Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, hasn’t missed a beat in his return from a one-game absence.
W3MBY 🏹
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/4JlJo9kHAy
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026
🦊↗️👽
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/wE4adpE6Fq
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 4:07 ET
Best of 7, now best of 3
It wasn’t pretty, but Toronto won a pivotal game 4 to avoid being on the brink of elimination. The theme of this game was the Raptors’ execution late in quarters, opposed to Cleveland’s. Toronto manufactured scoring runs at the end of the first half, third, and fourth quarters that ultimately swung the game.
Scottie Barnes (23 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast) was superb, while Collin Murray-Boyles (15 pts, 10 reb) added a double-double off the bench. RJ Barrett made big shots late, while Brandon Ingram matched Barnes with a game-high 23 points.
TORONTO ENDS THE GAME ON A 17-5 RUN.
THEY TAKE GAME 4 AT HOME.
SERIES TIED 2-2 HEADING BACK TO THE LAND. pic.twitter.com/u2rK780FRH
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026
The series returns to Cleveland for game 5 on Wednesday.
APRIL 26, 2026 / 4:02 ET
Getting to work early
Getting right to work 👽
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/ajBqGfwun8
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026
THREE-MANI WASSUP pic.twitter.com/G7XFakSXfj
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 3:49 ET
Toronto on verge of victory 👀
RJ BARRETT WITH THE BUCKET.
RAPTORS FORCE THE TURNOVER.THIS SEQUENCE BY TORONTO 👀
THEY LEAD BY 3 WITH 6.3 SECONDS LEFT ON ESPN. pic.twitter.com/72bJIrmEia
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 3:39 ET
Wemby is good to go
After missing game 3, Victor Wembanyama returns today against the Trail Blazers. Here’s the starting lineups for both teams as the action gets going in Portland.
LET’S GO 🔥@Ticketmaster | #sponsored pic.twitter.com/PUcb0PQtUy
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026
Our Game 4 starters ‼️ pic.twitter.com/kdIEcZKl4w
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 3:05 ET
12-2 Raptor run closes 3rd
Toronto used a late rally to close the gap before the fourth quarter, just like they did before halftime. With Cleveland’s stars struggling from the field, the opportunity is there for Toronto to even the series on their home court.
Q3 ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Pkcq0TIJnS
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 2:55 ET
James Harden is the only Cleveland player in double figures with under 3:00 to play in the 3rd quarter. Evan Mobley found some success early in the third quarter but only has 6 points. Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen have just 15 points combined so far.
EV4 starting of the second half STRONG.@evanmobley | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/HblkLodb6v
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 26, 2026
The Cavaliers lead 56-53 with the final fram approaching.
APRIL 26, 2026 / 2:20 ET
Raps close the gap before HT
This one has teetered on ugly as both teams are shooting below 35% from the field with a combined 18 turnovers. Toronto found its stride late, however, as Brandon Ingram snapped out of his cold spell.
Listen to the crowd come alive as Ingram hit nothing but net on this buzzer-beating triple.
THAT CROWD POP>>> https://t.co/8DjfK6C3g3 pic.twitter.com/ejtSAaGLRE
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 2:13 ET
Injury updates ⚠️
According to NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt:
- Victor Wembanyama’s status is still up in the air, hours ahead of game 4 versus Portland. San Antonio Head Coach Mitch Johnson is still unsure of the Kia DPOY’s availability today after entering concussion protocol due to a hard fall in game 2.
- Donte DiVincenzo is expected to have surgery this afternoon on his ruptured right achilles tendon. The Villanova product started all 82 regular season games for Minnesota before suffering the non-contact injury in the opening moments of game 3 versus Denver.
APRIL 26, 2026 / 2:08 ET
Murray-Boyles getting busy 👏
The Raptors still trail Cleveland with time running out in the first half, but their rookie big man is showing a lot of promise. Collin Murray-Boyles is up to 9 points off the bench today.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/raNKOdLqOz
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 26, 2026
Get HOT CMB 😤 pic.twitter.com/3jDbj3kMgN
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 1:48 ET
Low scoring first quarter
Each team scored in the closing seconds of the first quarter as the Cavaliers took a 17-14 lead into the break.
JT at the first quarter buzzer for the lead!@jaylontyson | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/ea9vOjVfCv
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 26, 2026
THIS CMB DUNK NEAR THE END OF Q1 WAS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rnneGmbsJP
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 26, 2026
1,144 assists & counting
James Harden is regarded as one of the best scorers in the league, but he’s also a top distributor. The Beard has made the postseason in 17 years straight, and adds to his legacy while climbing the all-time playoff assists list.
History for James Harden!
The assist that moved him into 6th on the all-time postseason assists list 👏 https://t.co/dBtArePPIh pic.twitter.com/49eWs1BikO
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 1:36 ET
Mitchell shake & bake 3️⃣
😮💨 Criss cross applesauce.@spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/G3haAbJkvx
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 26, 2026
APRIL 26, 2026 / 1:25 ET
Edwards suffers bone bruise
Minnesota’s All-Star guard went down in the first half of game 3 between the Timberwolves and Nuggets and will not return for the remainder of the series. Shams Charania reports that Anthony Edwards is expected to miss multiple weeks due to the left knee injury.
Just in: Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has sustained a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee and is expected to miss multiple weeks, sources tell ESPN. Results showed Edwards avoided any ligament damage, but he will now miss time. pic.twitter.com/zVgDQtxXRd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2026
Scuffle under review 🔔
The Wolves managed to win without Edwards or Donte DiVincenzo, but an altercation broke out just before the final buzzer sounded. Charania adds that rulings are expected to be made before game 5 regarding possible suspensions.
APRIL 26, 2026 / 1:17 ET
Meet Scottie at the rim 😤
Scottie Barnes has set the tone early in Toronto. Both teams struggled to find early baskets, until Barnes finished a dunk in transition over Dean Wade.
A pair of early slams for Scottie Barnes 😤
BARNES IN 3 MIN: 6 PTS, 3-3 FGM
Strong start for Toronto at home! pic.twitter.com/8MaF4tTTNS
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026
Moments later he flushed a two-handed dunk in the half-court, prompting a Cleveland timeout. All of Toronto’s points thus far have come in the paint, as the lead 8-3 with 8:20 to play in the first.
APRIL 26, 2026 / 12:30 ET
Starting Lineups: Cavaliers-Raptors, Game 4
Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Toronto Raptors in Game 4 of their 2026 NBA Playoffs series at 1 ET on ESPN.
All stats from Thursday’s Game 3, which the Raptors won 126-104.
Cleveland:
- PG James Harden (18 pts, 4 ast)
- SG Donovan Mitchell (15 pts, 5 reb)
- SF Dean Wade (5 pts, 5 reb, 1 stl)
- PF Evan Mobley (15 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast)
- C Jarrett Allen (12 pts, 3 blk)
Toronto:
- PG Ja’Kobe Walter (0 pts, 2 reb)
- SG RJ Barrett (33 pts, 5 reb)
- SF Brandon Ingram (12 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl)
- PF Scottie Barnes (33 pts, 11 ast)
- C Jakob Poetl (8 pts, 6 reb)
APRIL 26, 2026 / 12:15 ET
Sunday’s injury report
Immanuel Quickley is out for the Raptors, while A.J. Lawson is available.
Jordan McLaughlin and Victor Wembanyama are questionable for the Spurs.
Joel Embiid is doubtful for the 76ers. Tyrese Maxey is available, while Kelly Oubre Jr. is questionable.
Luka Dončić is out for the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is questionable. Kevin Durant is questionable for the Rockets.

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