How to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors 2026 NBA Playoffs Game 5
The Cavs and Raptors look to take a 3-2 lead in Cleveland on Wednesday night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won the first two games of their 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Playoff series against the Toronto Raptors. Then, the Raptors ripped off back-to-back victories to even the series at two games apiece. The sides will be back on the court on Wednesday, April 29, at the Rocket Arena on the banks of Lake Erie. The winner will take an important 3-2 series advantage into Game 6 in Toronto on Friday night. But before that, Game 5 will tip at 7:30 p.m. ET in a game airing on ESPN. If you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch the game, but don’t want to get roped into a month-long contract, we recommend streaming it with a one-day pass to Sling TV. You can also stream it on ESPN Unlimited.
How to watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
- When: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV or on ESPN Unlimited.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream Cavaliers vs. Raptors:
What is the schedule of the Cavaliers vs. Raptors 2026 NBA Playoffs series?
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Matchup | Outlet(s)/Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, April 18 | Game 1 | 1 p.m. | Raptors at Cavs | Cavs 126, Raptors 113 |
| Monday, April 20 | Game 2 | 7 p.m. | Raptors at Cavs | Cavs 115, Raptors 105 |
| Thursday, April 23 | Game 3 | 8 p.m. | Cavs at Raptors | Raptors 126, Cavs 104 |
| Sunday, April 26 | Game 4 | 1 p.m. | Cavs at Raptors | Raptors 93, Cavaliers 89 |
| Wednesday, April 29 | Game 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Raptors at Cavs | TNT, HBO Max |
| Friday, May 1 | Game 6^ | TBA | Cavs at Raptors | TBA |
| Sunday, May 3 | Game 7^ | TBA | Raptors at Cavs | TBA |
^=if necessary
Why we recommend watching Cavaliers vs. Raptors on Sling TV
Sling TV has long been one of our top choices for watching the NBA, thanks to its everyday low price, ever-growing subscription options, and judicious mix of channels — especially in larger markets. At just $46 per month, you can sign up for either the Sling Orange or Blue base plans, depending on which channel lineup makes the most sense for your viewing needs. In this case, Sling Orange would be your best bet to watch the Cavaliers vs. Raptors game. Of course, you could always get Sling Orange and Sling Blue for just $61 monthly and have access to all of the streamer’s base package channels.
However, customers who don’t need a full month of Sling service can sign up to watch via Sling’s new Passes. Sling’s Day Pass will allow you to sign up for its Orange plan for one day for just $5. That means you can pay just $5 to watch the Cavaliers vs. Raptors game with Sling TV, which is far less than you’ll be asked to pay at other streaming services. That lower price and heightened flexibility are why we recommend Sling TV for watching all of the biggest games on ESPN.
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.
Can you watch Cavaliers vs. Raptors for free?
If you are just looking for a streaming service to watch this specific game and nothing else, there are options available for you. DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV all offer free trials, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s industry-leading trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
The YouTube TV trial is a bit more difficult to nail down. The world’s largest live streamer is currently advertising a 21-day free trial, but our investigating indicates that it is not available to all users, and that some consumers only get an offer of two free days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the signup process. But for three free weeks of service, it is probably worth jumping through a few hoops.
So, if you are looking to watch the game and as much of the playoffs for free as possible, I would recommend giving YouTube a shot, and see if you can capitalize on its three-week free trial offer.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
Watch Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 4 highlights
What are all of the streamers you can use to watch the Cavaliers vs. Raptors game?
Fortunately for sports fans, numerous different streaming services will stream the game, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed Sling TV and the free trial options above, but there is one more, and it offers a different type of streaming arrangement.
In addition to the live TV streaming options, since the game is being broadcast on a channel that is part of the ESPN family of networks, there is one more choice. ESPN Unlimited can be used to stream all the NBA and NHL Playoffs games appearing on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 for $30 per month.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
How to watch Cavaliers vs. Raptors from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the game as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action, no matter where you are in the world, with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming like Sling TV in order to stream the game with a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.
While ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available