The Cleveland Cavaliers claimed their first postseason win of the year with a 126-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland with 32 points to pair with four assists in the playoff win. Raptors wing RJ Barrett took point for Toronto with 24 points.
Toronto’s brand of big ball made it an early equal foe on the interior, but an early 3-point barrage would prove to be the biggest thorn in Cleveland’s side as it fought to stay on par with the Raptors. The Cavs’ frontcourt worked to keep things even as they dunked their way to 10 first-quarter points with the help of three assists from James Harden, which gave them enough of a boost to fend off the Raptors and claim a 4-point lead by quarter’s end.
The Cavs would still outpace Toronto from close and long range by the final horn, with Cleveland earning 52 paint points to Toronto’s 36 and a 50% clip from the 3-point line to the Raptors’ 48.1%.
Cleveland’s star guards would keep things in its favor as they found their own stride from beyond the arc just when the Cavs needed it most. Mitchell and Harden combined for eight makes on 14 tries by game’s end while tacking on a combined 54 points and 14 assists.
Evan Mobley, along with a bench star in Max Strus, kept things going from outside as they pushed the Cavs to a dominant lead by the end of the third quarter.