Evan Mobley dropped 25 points, while Donovan Mitchell contributed 21 as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a dominant 136-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors in their season opener on Wednesday night.
Caris LeVert was nearly perfect from the field, going 8-for-9 and finishing with 19 points, while Jarrett Allen added 14. The Cavaliers, who had previously lost four consecutive season openers against Toronto, led by as many as 33 points in the blowout win.
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes struggled in his season debut, managing nine points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Chris Boucher led the Raptors’ bench with 18 points, rookie Gradey Dick chipped in 16, and Immanuel Quickley had 13 points in 14 minutes before exiting due to injury.
Takeaways
Cavaliers: Mobley was highly efficient, shooting 9-of-14, helping Cleveland dominate inside with a 68-38 advantage in points in the paint. Dean Wade started in place of the injured Max Strus (right ankle) and contributed eight rebounds.
Raptors: Toronto opened its 30th NBA season with a special homecoming for former stars Damon Stoudamire, T.J. Ford, and Jerome Williams. However, the on-court performance failed to excite the sellout crowd of 19,800, as turnovers plagued the Raptors, leading to 30 points for Cleveland. Many fans left early as the game slipped away.
Key Moment
Immanuel Quickley fell hard under the basket after being fouled in the second quarter. He checked out with 2:24 left in the first half and did not return. The Raptors later announced he had suffered a right pelvic contusion.
Key Stat
Cleveland went on a 20-4 run in the final 5:09 of the first half, fueled by six Toronto turnovers. The Cavaliers had five dunks in that span, including three by Allen, and took a commanding 69-49 lead into the break.
Up Next
Cleveland returns home to face the Detroit Pistons in their home opener on Friday night, while Toronto will host former head coach Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers the same evening.
