The Toronto Raptors led for all but 4.8 seconds.

Unfortunately for them, those 4.8 seconds were the last few of the game, and saw the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers sneak out a gutsy win at Scotiabank Arena on the back of some impressive performances from Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Mobley.

Despite a tough loss that was a slightly more forceful Scottie Barnes tip away from being a victory, the Raptors don’t have too much to hang their heads about. They played well for the vast majority of the game, and just weren’t able to find the final gear to close out a good opponent Friday night.

It happens.

The defeat snaps Toronto’s five-game winning streak and puts them at a 6-4 record on the season. That’s still four wins better than where they were after 10 games in Tampa last year. Perspective!

Here are three key (brief!) Raptors takeaways.

Raptors Takeaways From Game Against Cavaliers

Rookie of the Year bout

After a two-game sabbatical due to a sprained left thumb, Barnes returned to the lineup to go head-to-head with arguably the leading Rookie of the Year candidate in Evan Mobley.

The duo played well for their respective clubs, with each offering a variety of positives from their impressive skill sets. Barnes with his usual energy on the glass, his innate sense for when to fire a picturesque pass. Mobley with his sturdy presence at the rim, he’s awkward-yet-adroit touch around the basket.

“Both really good players with bright futures,” head coach Nick Nurse told reporters post-game. “You can see the size and the skill combination that they both have and they’re gonna be around for a long time I would imagine, both of them, and just continue to get better. That will probably be an interesting matchup to watch as the years roll by here.”

Mobley finished with 18 points, five rebounds and two blocks on 57.1 percent true shooting, while Barnes countered with 12 points, 11 boards, four assists and two blocks on 31.6 percent true shooting.

In the end, of course, it was Mobley who came away with the win, his Cavaliers escaping at the buzzer, Barnes’ near-game-winning tip just a tad short.

“I would say it was a good matchup,” Barnes said. “He was pretty good, pretty solid player. Can rebound, has a big presence at the rim and he can really finish around the rim. And they ran some stuff through him as well, so it was a good matchup.”

Gambling, feast or famine

As is well known by now, the Raptors play a hyper-aggressive defensive scheme that often has them making gambles for steals at the perimeter. It’s something that Gary Trent Jr. has done all season thus far (mostly to great success; he had a career-high six steals against Cleveland) and something that OG Anunoby has been doing with more recklessness than usual.

Oftentimes, due to the Raptors’ overall extreme length and athleticism, the style pays dividends and aggressive lunges like that are rewarded. The rest of the time, it leaves the Raptors out in the cold, with a man completely taken out of a play and the opponent given a clear window to a wide-open look.

“I can think of three or four really clearly where we gambled and really paid for it—like really paid for it,” Nurse said. “I think one was a dunk and a couple more were threes but they were really close to going the other way and that’s the fine line you’re walking when you’re playing so aggressively.

“We’re going to have to live with that sometimes and hope that they don’t just make us pay immediately and in such a big way. Maybe they’ll miss a shot or somebody will throw it away or something like that, but that’s kind of the price you pay once in a while for being super aggressive. I think I can live with that.”

Flynnjection of positivity

After completely falling out of the rotation earlier this season and only playing garbage time in a couple games, Malachi Flynn has seen the floor in meaningful spot minutes over the last three games.

True, he only played 2:36 against the Cavaliers, but those minutes were the latest in a string of recent examples that saw the sophomore guard seemingly comfortable on the floor, playing within himself and the team’s system. Not only did he play well defensively, his offensive decision-making was largely flawless as he made proper pass after proper pass and stepped into shots at the right moments.

“For the most part he’s been solid defensively,” Nurse said. “He is an injection of shotmaking; I think he’s gonna find his way to a decent in-the-lane shot or a pull-up three or something and I think he’s had pretty impactful minutes. I know it’s pretty short three- or four-minute stints but he’s been pretty impactful and done a good job.