After two straight disappointing playoff runs, the Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30) are playing with modest expectations in the 2026 playoffs. Still, against a Toronto Raptors (46-36) team that’s been up and down all season, the Cavs are favored to advance in this opening series, and they looked like the better team tonight en route to a 13-point win (126-113) in Game 1.
Donovan Mitchell, who was the NBA’s seventh leading scorer this season (27.9 points per game), stood out as the best player on the floor tonight, with 32 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and zero blocks on 55.0% shooting and 85.7% shooting from three. Star point guard James Harden wasn’t far behind with 22 points, two rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and zero blocks on 44.4% shooting and 57.1% shotoing from three, while Max Strus finished with 24 points, three rebounds, zero assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 80.0% shooting and 66.7% shooting from three off the bench.
For the Raptors, veteran swingman RJ Barrett led the way with 24 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 53.8% shooting and 50.0% shooting from three. 24-year-old Scottie Barnes added 21 points, one rebound, seven assists, zero steals, and zero blocks, on 42.9% shooting and 75.0% shooting from three. Point guard Jamal Shead, meanwhile, dropped 17 points, one rebound, two assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 54.5% shoting and 83.3% shooting from three.
The Cavaliers were winless against the Raptors this season, going 0-3 in all their previous matchups. The catch? All three games were before James Harden’s arrival, which has reinvigorated this once reeling franchise. Among other things, his impact was on display tonight, and it will be one of the many things to monitor throughout the series.
1. Star Power Is Cavs’ Greatest Advantage
The Raptors are a team that lacks a true, undisputed superstar, and that’s one of the many reasons why they couldn’t get the edge tonight. This isn’t the regular season anymore, and the playoffs come with increased pressure that not everyone can handle. That’s what makes the presence of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden so important. While they cannot do everything for the Cavaliers, they can always be trusted to get a bucket when the stakes are high, and they both answered the call today in a critical game.
Together, Mitchell and Harden combined to score 54 of the team’s 126 points, along with five rebounds, 14 assists, and four steals. While James wasn’t the most efficient with his shot (44.4% shooting in 33 minutes), he contributed in other ways, mostly as a playmaker, to help balance the spread. In the end, it made all the difference as the Raptors’ best guys (Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram) just couldn’t keep up.
2. Physicality Will Define The Series
Historically, Cleveland’s weakness has been physicality and aggression under the rim. Despite their size and elite defense, they’ve gotten punked in the past by bigger, feistier teams like the Knicks, who the Cavs lost to in the first round back in 2023. Everyone was watching to see how they would come out playing today, and it was a major contrast to last year’s showing. Tonight, they set the tone early by bringing the aggression and matching Toronto’s physicality throughout the game.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were particularly dominant under the rim, holding Jakob Poeltl to four points on 50.0% shooting. Arguably, the greatest mark of the Cavs’ relentless effort tonight was the 28 personal fouls, made by a group that was fighting to win every loose ball and make life difficult for any Raptors player who dared challenge their presence in the paint. If the Cavs can maintain this attitude for the rest of the series (and beyond), it could be the key to coming out victorious and changing the perception that this group is soft.
3. Cleveland’s Secret Weapon Off The Bench
The Cavs are famously stacked in the starting lineup, with four All-Star-level players making up a formidable unit. After that, things can get more uncertain, but tonight’s win shows they are more than just their starters. With 40 bench points, it was a show of depth in Cleveland, and one player in particular stood above the rest: 30-year-old Max Strus, who delivered 24 points, three rebounds, zero assists, zero steals, and zero blocks on 80.0% shooting and 66.7% shooting from three.
Going forward, when any of the top guys are having an off game, they can just look to Strus or someone like Jaylon Tyson or Sam Merrill to fill in the gaps and provide a crucial spark. In competitive series like these, it can make all the difference and may just save the Cavs down the road when one of their stars is struggling or unavailable. The Raptors, meanwhile, don’t pack nearly the same punch off the bench, and that was made obvious pretty early on.
