Remember when the Cleveland Cavaliers were shooting their way through the Eastern Conference with three-pointer after three-pointer? The Toronto Raptors certainly did, which might have proven their biggest undoing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The ever-dominant and ever-versatile Cavaliers scored 50 points at the rim on Tuesday night en route to an easy 115-84 win over the Raptors. LeBron James, predictably, proved his team’s most effective scorer from that hallowed estate, making his first nine shots during a 24-point, six-rebound, and four assist performance in just 28 minutes of playing time. He shot 11-of-13 from the field overall and an incredible 11-of-12 from the restricted area.
James’ performance served as a microcosm of his team’s overall. Cleveland attempted just 18 three-pointers in Game 1, 11 fewer than their previous postseason low, taking full advantage of Toronto’s no-help defensive approach to wreak absolute havoc down low.
The Cavaliers’ shot chart is a laughable exercise in interior fortitude.
Protecting the three-point line is one thing; doing so at the expense of protecting the paint is another entirely. And unfortunately for Toronto, it just couldn’t keep up with Cleveland’s über-efficient offense despite a promising start that rendered playoff-long shooting struggles a thing of the past.
The Raptors shot 42.1 percent from the field and connected on just 5-of-24 from beyond the arc. DeMar DeRozan managed just 18 points on 17 attempts despite making his first five tries, and Kyle Lowry scored eight points on 4-of-14 shooting. Most troubling? Toronto went to the free throw line just twice in the first half, a reality that perhaps accounted for its 22-point deficit intermission as much as anything else.
Nothing transpired in Game 1 that made you believe this series might eventually become competitive. The basketball world’s worst fears were realized, basically, which means the optimistic hopes of Cavaliers fans were, too.
Just what might be the Raptors’ answer to slowing Cleveland down if they can’t protect the paint? The wine and gold have already shown they can beat teams with three-point shooting that would make the Splash Brothers jealous. If James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and company can consistently attack the rim with this much success, too?
The question of whether Cleveland can beat the Raptors will be moot and it will be time to ask a different one. With the Golden State Warriors trailing on the other side of the bracket, could the Cavaliers have emerged as title favorites?
There’s no way to know for certain until the NBA Finals tip off early next month. But after Game 1, it’s never been more obvious that Cleveland will give us the opportunity to find out.
