The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't slowing down yet. They dominated the Toronto Raptors to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 115-84 win on Tuesday night.
Raptors vs. Cavaliers 2016 final score: Cleveland dismantles Toronto in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals
The Cavaliers ran the Raptors out of the gym in a 115-84 Game 1 win.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 27 points, and LeBron James scored 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting and added six rebounds and four assists as the Cavaliers moved to 9-0 in the playoffs.
DeMar DeRozan had 18 points to lead the Raptors and Kyle Lowry added eight as Toronto was completely outclassed in its first conference finals game in franchise history.
The Raptors jumped out to a 9-2 lead, but the Cavaliers were just a little rusty after an eight-day layoff. The Raptors weren’t giving up the three-point shot, but the Cavaliers were getting into the lane at will. They shot 68.4 percent in the first quarter to take a 33-28 lead.
The Cavaliers kept it rolling in the second quarter, extending a 6-0 run that ended the first quarter into a 15-0 run to take a 14-point lead. They continued to pour it on with an easy path to the lane on nearly every possession. They outscored the Raptors 33-16 in the second quarter to take a 22-point lead into the half. This possession was a microcosm of the entire quarter:
The Raptors tried to make it respectable in the third, pulling to within 15, but the Cavaliers were too much. They led 95-67 at the end of three and took care of business in the fourth.
The Cavaliers will have a chance at taking a 2-0 series lead in Game 2 on Thursday in Cleveland.
Here are three things we learned.
No three, no problem for the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers rushed through the first two rounds of the playoffs -- and especially their second round series against the Atlanta Hawks -- thanks to a barrage of three-point shooting. They didn't need the three-ball to blow out to a huge first-half lead in Game 1. They were 4-for-8 from three-point land in the first half, but got into the paint at will. James was 7-of-7 from the field through two quarters and all of his buckets came in the restricted area.
The Cavaliers are proving they’re more than just a three-point shooting team. It helps when your opponents are so worried about that skill that they leave the lane wide open.
Kyrie Irving is the best point guard in this series
Lowry set high expectations after going off for 37 in the Game 7 win over the Heat, but Irving put on a show in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He was 8-of-11 from the field in the first half and completely outplayed Lowry, who was 4-for-14 from the field and 0-of-7 from deep. Irving ended the night 11-of-17 from the field and had one jaw-dropping display of handle. It's a good time to be a Cavaliers fan.
This could get ugly
The Raptors have no match for the offensive firepower of the Cavaliers, and there isn't a savior waiting in the wings for them. The Raptors played one of their best offensive quarters of the playoffs in the first, but they still trailed by five. Jonas Valanciunas is out with a sprained ankle, and he will provide some help, but it's not going to make a difference. If the Raptors are going to have any chance of slowing the Cavaliers, they're going to need to slow the game down -- that's how the Thunder beat the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. If the Raptors cannot slow the Cavaliers, it's going to be an quick series.
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