The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to an 11-point win, 116-105, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semis, with what was their most impressive defensive showing in a long time.
The final score was not indicative of their overall dominance in the game, as they took their foot off of the pedal in the last 6 minutes of the game, allowing their bench to take over.
The Cavs made quick work of the Indiana Pacers in the first round, the result of their sweep was a week off while they awaited the winner of the Bucks-Raptors series. There were talks about rust being a worry for the Cavs because of the week off.
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But those worries were put to rest quickly. The Cavs started the game on a 10-0 run, busting out to a 7 point lead within the first 2 minutes. Midway through the first, they went on another 10-0 run, and the Quicken Loans Arena was rocking. The Raptors struggled early, missing multiple layups and open shots. Their offensive woes resulted in a lowly 18 point first quarter and a 12-point deficit.
At the start of the second quarter, Cleveland pushed its lead to 18. The Raptors responded with a furious 19-3 run led by Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, cutting a huge lead down to just 2. Lowry, who came into the game only averaging 14 points in the playoffs, scored 15 in the first half, Ibaka chipped in with 12, and DeRozan mustered 10 points while fighting through relentless double teams. The Cavs responded with a run of their own, and they would go into halftime with a 14 point lead. The Big 3 was effective, all scoring in double digits in the first half.
Toronto started the third quarter with a much-needed sense of urgency, stringing together a 10-1 run, forcing Cleveland to take an early timeout. The Cavs responded with a furious run that pushed their lead to 16 at the halfway mark of the third quarter. J.R. Smith did a great job of harassing DeRozan, with the aid of some double teams, he was able to keep the ball out of DeRozan’s hands, and force him into tough looks. P.J. Tucker stepped up in the quarter, scoring 8 points on a perfect 4-4 shooting. The Cavs’ ball movement was crisp and fluid, pushing them to a 22-point lead by the end of the third.
Kyrie mix session
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The fourth quarter was one of finishing touches for the Cavs. As was the case all game, Cleveland had an emphatic response to every Toronto run. One bright spot for the Raptors was the offensive production of their non-superstars P.J. Tucker and Serge Ibaka. They also were solid from deep, connecting on 39% of their threes. When all was said and done, the Cavaliers added to the Raptors abysmal playoff Game 1 drought, pushing them to 1-12 since 2001 in the first game of a series.
LeBron James was impressive, tallying 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 dimes. Kyrie added 24 points and an impressive 10 assists, while K. Love chipped in 18 points and 9 boards. Tristan Thompson added 11 points and a scrappy 14 boards.
Demar DeRozan was quiet, with 19 points and 4 rebounds, while Kyle Lowry dropped 20 points and 11 assists. P.J. Tucker added 13 points and 11 rebounds, with Ibaka scoring 15 points, and grabbing 6 boards.
Game 2 will be played in Cleveland, Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:00 p.m. eastern time.