NBA Playoffs: Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 1 recap, full highlights

The Cavaliers trounced the Raptors in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night

There was a stark contrast between the paths to the Eastern Conference Finals of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. While the Cavaliers cruised and barely broke a sweat on their way to the East Finals after two four-game sweeps, the Raptors needed seven games in each of the first two round to make it to the matchup against the Cavaliers. However, no one knew whether the experience of the Raptors or the rest of the Cavs would pay off.

As it turns out, the Cavaliers wasted very little time proving that nothing at all mattered except the fact that they are the superior team in this series.

Everyone favored the Cavaliers in this series against the Raptors to advance to the NBA Finals, but I’m not sure anyone expected them to emphatically make the statement that they did in Game 1 on Tuesday night. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were relentless in attacking the rim with Jonas Valanciunas in the lineup for Toronto. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry was ice-cold in a Game 1 once again.

With all of that working for the Cavs and against the Raptors, things got out of hand early and the Cavaliers ran out to a big lead and held on to move up 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Three Stars

LeBron James, Cavaliers – 24 points, four assists, six rebounds, two steals, one block, 11-13 shooting

Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers – 27 points, five assists, two steals, two blocks

DeMar DeRozan, Raptors – 18 points, five assists

Highlights

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Next Game

Game 2 between the Cavaliers and Raptors will be played in Cleveland on Thursday, May 19. It will have an 8:30 p.m. ET tip-off and be on ESPN once again.

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