Cleveland Cavaliers ease past Toronto Raptors in NBA playoff opener

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harden-james/zm5V3CZo/"]James Harden[/a] added a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/strus-max/l6o0LpGA/"]Max Strus[/a] scored 24 points off the bench for Eastern Conference fourth seeds [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland[/a], who will try to build on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/cleveland-cavaliers-xGk13Tb6/toronto-raptors-CxtbCMdU/?mid=YFhydgse"]their win[/a] when they host game two of the best-of-seven series on Monday.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barrett-r-j/AoZEtF3g/"]RJ Barrett[/a] scored 24 points for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-raptors/CxtbCMdU/"]Raptors[/a], who never led after the opening minutes and trailed by as many as 24.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-donovan/hhFqipLe/"]Mitchell[/a] has now scored at least 30 points in an NBA record nine straight playoff series openers.[/p][p]"[b]You see the focus[/b]," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said of Mitchell. "[b]How he just gets more locked-in than ever. The goal for him now is to sustain, whatever that looks like, however many games we go, now it's sustaining and keeping that consistency[/b]."[/p][embed guid="d2f6554b-0bc0-4996-8603-33b2824a4b20" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2045592491122909250" social-type="twitter" /][p]Three other series opened Saturday. The East's third-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]Knicks[/a] host the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-hawks/xAO4gBas/"]Atlanta Hawks[/a], while in the West, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokic-nikola/dUHaiJ5n/"]Nikola Jokic[/a]'s third-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver Nuggets[/a] host the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota Timberwolves[/a], and the fourth-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Los Angeles Lakers[/a] host the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston Rockets[/a].[/p][p]The Lakers and Rockets series pits Lakers superstar [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a] against an old rival in Houston's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/durant-kevin/pKXcd9rI/"]Kevin Durant[/a].[/p][p]But James is shouldering a heavy load with league-leading scorer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doncic-luka/pQ4ZBK0o/"]Luka Doncic[/a] and teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/austin-reaves/xlCMu1nk/"]Austin Reaves[/a] sidelined indefinitely in the wake of late-season injuries.[/p]