Cricket Exchange reports that the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a 99-84 road loss to the Toronto Raptors, with Kyrie Irving delivering one of the poorest playoff performances of his career. Irving went just 3-for-19 from the field, including 1-of-7 from three-point range, though he did go a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. He finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and just 1 assist, posting a game-worst plus-minus of -14.

This marked Irving’s worst shooting night in postseason play. He went scoreless from the field in the first, third, and fourth quarters. Both his points and assists were new lows for this year’s playoffs. Prior to this game, Irving had been exceptional, leading the Cavaliers in scoring in five playoff games, including the first two matchups of the Eastern Conference Finals. He held the team’s highest usage rate, even higher than LeBron James, and was the Cavaliers’ most effective player driving into the paint, averaging 1.29 points per drive.

In Game 2 of the Eastern Finals, Irving shot 10-of-17 when contested but only 1-of-5 on wide-open attempts, drawing even more defensive attention than James. His impact had prompted praise from both teammates and analysts—James even called his performance MVP-caliber, while ESPN noted his dominance. It was thanks to players like Irving that the Cavaliers had previously been viewed as championship favorites, boasting historically strong offensive numbers.

Yet momentum is only as good as your next game. In this outing, Irving’s struggles started early—he missed all six of his first-quarter shots and scored only from the free-throw line. Before tip-off, he had stated that beating the Raptors on the road would require Cleveland to impose its preferred style of play, using strong defense to fuel fast breaks. “We’ve got to push the pace, but it starts with defense,” Irving said. “That’s how LeBron and I get our transition game going.”

Unfortunately, the plan fell short. Irving also faltered on the defensive end, allowing Kyle Lowry to score 8 points in the opening quarter. While Irving responded with 9 points in the second quarter after the Raptors went up by 9, it was a short-lived spark. He again failed to register a field goal in the third and fourth quarters and didn’t earn a single free throw in the second half.

Irving’s playing style leans heavily on isolation. In Game 2, 19 of his 22 shots were self-created, requiring no help from teammates. This same trait explains his low assist numbers—just three in Game 2 and only one in this loss. While this one-on-one ability is often praised, it can become a double-edged sword when the shots aren’t falling.

To make matters worse, Irving failed to take advantage of Lowry picking up his third foul early in the game. After the final buzzer, he was seen walking back to the locker room wearing only a black tank top. His left hand was clutching his chest, and he leaned on a staff member’s shoulder. Although it appeared he might be in pain, Irving later confirmed he was okay.

Cricket Exchange will continue monitoring Irving’s condition and performance as the series progresses, with hopes that he can bounce back and restore the Cavaliers’ offensive rhythm.