NBA playoffs 2026: Raptors-Cavaliers takeaways — Can Toronto make this a series?
The Cavs got whatever they wanted in the paint in Game 1.
The last time these two met in the playoffs was 2018, and the history between them is about as lopsided as it gets. Cleveland holds a 12-2 all-time playoff record against Toronto, winning all three previous series, including back-to-back sweeps in 2017 and 2018. The Raptors came in having swept the regular-season series 3-0, with a legitimate case that this playoff matchup would be different.
Game 1 didn't offer much evidence of that. Cleveland won 126-113, taking an early series lead over Toronto. Here’s what decided it.
Cavs owned the paint The Cavs were brilliant at all three levels, but it was their dominance near the rim that created the biggest advantage in Saturday’s victory. Cleveland scored 48 points in the paint, generating high-percentage attempts off James Harden's pick-and-roll operation and Donovan Mitchell's unrelenting drives. Toronto, meanwhile, managed 30 points in the paint — a workable number in isolation, but a losing number when the team on the other side is getting to the rim that freely.
The Raptors' first dunk as a team didn't come until Scottie Barnes converted one midway through the fourth quarter, by which point the game was effectively over. Sandro Mamukelshvili led the Raptors in rebounding, signaling a major issue if they want to keep up in this series. Jakob Poeltl was a no-show (4 points, 6 rebounds) for Toronto, while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 27 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 9-for-13 from the paint.