Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a dominant 136-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors in their season opener Wednesday night. Mobley scored 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Mitchell added 21 points, helping Cleveland to their first win in a season opener against Toronto in five tries.
Caris LeVert played a key role off the bench, scoring 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while Jarrett Allen contributed 14 points and seven rebounds. Cleveland built a commanding lead early and maintained control throughout the game, reaching a 33-point advantage at one point.
Toronto’s Scottie Barnes struggled in his season debut, shooting just 3-of-14 from the field and finishing with nine points. Raptors’ forward Chris Boucher provided a spark off the bench with 18 points, and rookie Gradey Dick added 16, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Cleveland’s dominance in the paint and transition.
The Cavaliers outscored the Raptors 68-38 in the paint, with Mobley and Allen leading the way. Cleveland also capitalized on Toronto’s sloppy play, forcing 19 turnovers and turning them into 30 points.
The Cavaliers pulled away late in the first half, going on a 20-4 run over the final five minutes to extend their lead to 69-49 at halftime. During that stretch, Cleveland’s defense forced six turnovers, and Allen had three dunks to energize the team and the crowd.
Toronto’s lackluster defense and inability to protect the ball were glaring issues. The Raptors were outworked in nearly every aspect of the game, with many fans at Scotiabank Arena leaving early as Cleveland continued to pour on the points in the second half.
