Cavs go up 2–0
- The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 to take a 2–0 lead in their first-round series. (beaconjournal.com) - The win featured dynamic performances from Donovan Mitchell and James Harden that pushed the series firmly in Cleveland’s favor. (beaconjournal.com) - Monday’s slate moved many series into Game 2, and oddsmakers still see room for higher seeds to recover. (usatoday.com)
Cleveland beat Toronto 115-105 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference series. (nba.com, apnews.com) Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and James Harden added 28 at Rocket Arena, where Cleveland also won Game 1, 126-113, on Saturday, April 18. (apnews.com, nba.com) The Cavaliers led 26-19 after one quarter and never trailed, building a 16-point edge in a game with zero lead changes. Evan Mobley added 25 points, Jarrett Allen scored 10, and Cleveland shot 53% from the field. (nba.com) Toronto got 26 points from Scottie Barnes and 22 from RJ Barrett, but the Raptors committed 22 turnovers that turned into 22 Cleveland points. Cleveland finished with 14 turnovers. (nba.com) The series opened as a 4-versus-5 matchup in the East, but Cleveland has won the first two games by 13 and 10 points. Through two games, the Cavaliers are averaging 120.5 points to Toronto’s 109.0. (nba.com) This matchup also revives a familiar playoff history. Cleveland entered the series with a 13-2 all-time postseason record against Toronto and had already won the previous three playoff meetings between the franchises in 2016, 2017 and 2018. (nba.com) Monday’s result came on a night when several first-round series moved to Game 2, with higher-seeded teams still trying to protect home court before the schedule shifts cities. Cleveland and Toronto resume Thursday, April 23, in Toronto for Game 3. (usatoday.com, nba.com) For Toronto, the immediate problem is simple: the Raptors have not found a way to slow Mitchell and Harden for two straight games. For Cleveland, the task is the one it earned Monday night — closing out a series it now controls. (nba.com, apnews.com)
