Raptors fall to Cavaliers in Game 1 as Toronto returns to playoffs

The NBA playoffs officially got underway Saturday, but the Toronto Raptors didn’t get the start they were hoping for.

Toronto fell 126-113 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, marking the team’s first playoff appearance in four years.

The playoffs follow the NBA’s play-in tournament, which ran from Tuesday to Friday and determined the final two seeds in each conference.

Teams that lost in the play-in were eliminated, while winners advanced to the first round.

While the Raptors kept things close in the first half Saturday, Cleveland pulled away in the second, building a 21-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes led Toronto’s offence, with Barrett scoring 24 points — the most ever by a Canadian in a Raptors playoff debut.

For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, while Max Strus added 24 off the bench in a playoff career high. James Harden had 22 points and 10 assists, and Evan Mobley chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Outside Scotiabank Arena, fans gathered in Jurassic Park, with many braving rainy conditions to watch the game.

For many, the playoff atmosphere brought back memories of 2019, when Toronto captured its first NBA championship.

Despite the Game 1 loss, fans said they remain confident the team can bounce back in the best-of-seven series.

Game 2 is set for Monday in Cleveland.

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