Cavaliers vs Raptors live updates: Cleveland leaves no doubt with Game 1 rout

The 2026 NBA postseason is officially underway, and the Cleveland Cavaliers opened it with an emphatic statement.

The Cavs ran away from the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round series, winning 126-113 on Saturday, April 18. Cleveland went into halftime clinging to a seven-point advantage, but it started the third quarter on a 21-6 run to open up a 22-point lead it wouldn't relinquish.

Donovan Mitchell had 11 points in that back-breaking third, and led all scorers with 32 points. It's the ninth consecutive 30-plus-point Game 1 for Mitchell and that's the longest such streak in NBA playoff history.

Max Strus added 24 points, including eight in the third, and James Harden contributed 22 points and a game-high 10 assists in his first playoff game with the Cavs.

Game 2 will be Monday night in Cleveland at 7 p.m. ET.

Want to see the full National Basketball Association schedule for April 18 and how to watch all the games? Check out our sortable NBA schedule to filter by team or division.

Cavs score vs Raptors in Game 1

• Cleveland 126, Toronto 113 — Cavs lead series 1-0

Cavaliers vs Raptors highlights

Cavaliers vs Raptors leaders

Cavaliers leaders

• Points (126): Donovan Mitchell 32, Max Strus 24, James Harden 22
• Rebounds (33): Jarrett Allen 7, Evan Mobley 7, Sam Merrill 4
• Assists (24): James Harden 10, Donovan Mitchell 4, Evan Mobley 4
• Steals (9): James Harden 2, Donovan Mitchell 2, Dean Wade 2

Raptors leaders

• Points (113): RJ Barrett 24, Scottie Barnes 21, Brandon Ingram 17
• Rebounds (27): Sandro Mamukelashvili 8, Jakob Poeltl 6
• Assists (29): Scottie Barnes 7, Brandon Ingram 4, Collin Murray-Boyles 4
• Steals (3): RJ Barrett 1, Sandro Mamukelashvili 1, Jakob Poeltl 1

Cavs vs Raptors prediction

Our staff made its series picks for Cavaliers vs. Raptors before Saturday's Game 1:

• Lorenzo Reyes: Cavaliers in seven games
• Scooby Axson: Cavaliers in six
• Mark Giannotto: Cavaliers in six
• Jon Hoefling: Cavaliers in six
• James H. Williams: Cavaliers in six
• Marcus Smith: Cavaliers in six

Cleveland Cavaliers third quarter run

The Cavs opened the third quarter on a 21-6 run, including a 9-0 start out of the gate. And who's leading the way? That would be Max Strus, who made eight points before the Raptors called a timeout at 5:37 mark. Strus has a game-high 19 points for the game.

Cavaliers leaders at halftime

• Points (61): James Harden 15, Donovan Mitchell 13, Max Strus 11
• Rebounds (18): Evan Mobley 4, Jarrett Allen 4, Sam Merrill 3
• Assists (12): James Harden 6, Donovan Mitchell 4
• Steals (5): Donovan Mitchell 2

Raptors halftime leaders

• Points (54): Brandon Ingram 13, Scottie Barnes 11, RJ Barrett 11, Jamal Shead 11
• Rebounds (15): Jakob Poeltl 3, Collin Murray-Boyles 3
• Assists (16): Brandon Ingram 4, Scottie Barnes 4
• Steals (1): RJ Barrett 1

Raptors vs Cavaliers halftime stats

• Cleveland is 20 for 38 from the field (52.6%), 8 for 17 from 3-pointers (47.1%) and 13 for 17 from the free throw line (76.5%).
• Toronto is 21 for 40 from the field (52.5%), 8 for 15 from 3-pointers (53.3%) and 4 for 9 from the free throw line (44.4%).

What time is Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 1?

Tip off between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, April 18.

How to watch Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 1

All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11:45 a.m.

• Matchup: TOR at CLE
• Date: Saturday, April 18
• Time: 1 p.m. (ET)
• Venue: Rocket Arena
• Location: Cleveland, Ohio
• TV: Amazon Prime Video and Rogers Sportsnet Toronto
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video and Rogers Sportsnet Toronto

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