The Cleveland Cavaliers held their ground and overcame a close start to their first game of the playoffs. Ultimately, the 126-1113 score didn't tell the whole picture of how lopsided the game was and how out of hand it felt for the Toronto Raptors early in the third quarter.
Notably, plenty of that had to do with the puppet master. James Harden pulled the strings of the offense like only he knows, getting himself and everybody around him easy buckets and wide-open looks at the rim.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen made the most of Harden's pick-and-roll artistry and were aggressive early and often, combining for 27 points and 14 rebounds on 11-of-16 from the floor. Those numbers may not pop off at first glance, but the Cavs didn't need them to take over to run away with this one.
James Harden aced his first playoff test with the Cleveland Cavaliers
At this point in his career, it should come as no surprise that Harden did so well against the Raptors. He controlled the pace of the game, directed traffic like a police officer, and got to his spots with ease time and time again.
He finished the contest with 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting, adding two rebounds, two steals, four three-pointers on seven tries, and -- most importantly -- 10 assists. Oddly enough, he only went to the line twice in the whole game.
This was an overall easy contest for Kenny Atkinson's team. They were the faster, stronger, and more determined team from the jump ball; clearly, those intense workout sessions worked like a charm for this team.
Conversely, it also gave this team a glimpse of what life can be when both big men get involved in the flow of the offense. They alternated attacking the rim, rolling hard, and going after Jakob Poeltl almost mercilessly on every drive.
That opened up so many clean looks for Donovan Mitchell and Harden, and even Max Strus joined the party with 24 points and four three-pointers on six attempts. This is just another example of why it's so crucial to get Mobley and Allen involved, and the Cavs have the greatest pick-and-roll player of his generation leading the way.
Of course, there's still plenty of work to do. The job's far from finished, and they must prove that they can play with this type of intensity for the remainder of the series and the playoffs. Still, it's always nice to get things going with the right foot, especially after how it all ended last season and with all the playoff ghosts surrounding this team.
Add us as a preferred source on Google