Things got chippy during Game 5 of the Raptors-Cavaliers series tonight as James Harden was involved in two scuffles in a physical and tough display on the court. The Cavaliers managed to claw their way to a victory after being down by 12 points early in the first quarter and eventually taking a 3-2 series lead with a 125-120 win.
Late in the fourth quarter, James Harden got into a scuffle with RJ Barrett when he tried to pick up the ball from the Raptors’ bench during a timeout.
Another James Harden scuffle with a Raptors player, this time with RJ Barrett. https://t.co/IR5AwnKRX2 pic.twitter.com/T9sh4e9HtV
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) April 30, 2026
Almost the entire Cavaliers bench rushed to play peacemakers, but the two players in the center of the scuffle were very unhappy with each other as they eventually got separated. RJ Barrett spoke to the media at the postgame press conference and addressed this moment with James Harden.
“No, nothing, the ball was just by our bench, and he went to pick up the ball,” said Barrett on whether he had any insight into the scuffle. “I take everything as disrespect. Don’t walk over to our bench and pick the ball up.”
“James Harden is a guy that I have tremendous respect for. I always watched him while growing up. But who cares right now? Don’t walk over to our bench and pick up the ball. If I went over to their bench to pick up the ball, I’d expect the same thing.”
This was not the only instance where Harden got under the Raptors players’ skin. Things got heated at the beginning of the second half itself when Harden got into it with Scottie Barnes during a jump ball.
Scottie Barnes and James Harden get into a shoving match. 👀 pic.twitter.com/YAhIUIkbW2
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) April 30, 2026
Harden stuffed the box score tonight and ended up with 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. He shot 7-13 from the floor (53.8 FG%) and 4-8 from beyond the arc (50.0 3P%).
Meanwhile, RJ Barrett led the charge for the Raptors with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in Game 5. He shot 9-19 from the field (47.4 FG%) and 2-5 from beyond the arc (40.0 3P%). But it was not enough as the Cavaliers stole the win by five points.
The Cavaliers are now headed to Toronto for Game 6 of this series. They will look for a win at home to force a Game 7 back in Cleveland.
