NBA Playoffs 2016: Cavaliers crush Raptors in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

With the Raptors so intent on stopping the Cavaliers from beating them from deep, Cleveland adjusted. They attacked the lane with ease on their way to a 55.4 percent shooting performance as they went 7-of-20 from deep in a blowout win as they moved to 9-0 in the playoffs.

This play is just one example of the Raptors’ shaky defense.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

BARK UP SOME #OTHER TREE: All the pride in the world didn’t keep the Raptors from getting treated like anonymous marks by the Cavaliers as Cleveland won Game 1 of the East finals 115-84. Kyrie Irving and LeBron combined to shoot 22-for-30; Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined to shoot 13-for-31. LeBron dunked the Dinos into oblivion for good measure. That’s all she wrote. Here’s Ken Berger on the monster Tyronn Lue has created.

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:

Ideally, the play on the floor is is the main focus of the NBA playoffs. The Cavs, however, made Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals very uninteresting as they blew the Raptors off the floor. That led for plenty of airtime for the announcing trio of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson to fill.

It got a little weird.

LEBRON. JAMES. IS. HERE. Welcome to the Eastern Conference Finals, Toronto. You now meet Super Bron.