Cavs take Game 1 with a 126–113 win, powered by a dominant late‑second‑quarter surge and a huge third‑quarter run that Toronto never recovered from
🏀 Key Takeaways
• Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points, extending his NBA‑record streak of 30+ points in nine straight series openers
• Max Strus was a major X‑factor off the bench with 24 points on efficient shooting, including multiple threes during Cleveland’s game‑breaking run.
• James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists, helping control the pace and ignite Cleveland’s offense. Great start to his postseason
• Toronto’s bright spot: RJ Barrett (24 pts) and Jamal Shead (17 pts, 5 threes) kept them competitive early.
• Cavs went up by as much as 24 points, but nearly blew this large lead in the 4th quarter. It is pivotal that Cleveland learns from this to avoid blowing leads in future games
🔍 How the Game Unfolded
Tight First Half… Until the Final Minutes
The first half was largely back‑and‑forth, But Cleveland then went on a 27–9 run spanning the last 1:11 of the second quarter into the early third to start pulling away. Strus scored 11 during this stretch, and the Cavs shot 10‑of‑16 from the field
Third Quarter: The Knockout Punch
Cleveland outscored Toronto 36–22 in the third, ballooning the lead to over 20. This quarter effectively decided the game, as Toronto’s inexperience showed in their first playoff appearance since 2022
Raptors’ Late Push Falls Short
Toronto scored 37 in the fourth, but the deficit was too large. Cleveland’s largest lead hit 24 points (100–76) early in the final quarter
🎯 What Decided Game 1
• Cleveland’s experience vs. Toronto’s playoff rust.
• Elite guard play from Mitchell & Harden.
• Bench spark from Strus.
• A disastrous third quarter for Toronto