Mitchell's 30 Points and Harden's 28 Points Send Cavaliers Past Raptors, Up 2-0 in Playoff Series

The Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling, and Toronto has no answers. Donovan Mitchell dropped 30 points and James Harden added 28 as the Cavs dominated the Raptors 115-105 on Monday night, pushing their first-round series lead to 2-0. The Cavaliers never trailed. Not once.

This wasn't a one-man show either. Evan Mobley chipped in 25 points and eight rebounds, marking the fourth time this postseason era that Cleveland has had at least three players score 25 or more in a playoff game. It's a lineup that's nearly impossible to defend when all three are clicking at the same time.

Cavaliers' Historic Dominance Over Toronto

Here's something that should terrify Raptors fans: Cleveland has now won 12 straight playoff games against Toronto, tying the NBA postseason record for consecutive wins against a single opponent. This streak goes way back, starting with the 2016 Eastern Conference finals when the Cavs won the final three games. Then they swept Toronto in the second round in 2017 and again in 2018. That's the kind of dynasty-level consistency that defines a series.

Cleveland isn't alone in that company. The Cavaliers share that 12-game streak with their own winning runs against Detroit and Atlanta. The Los Angeles Lakers once had a 12-game winning streak against Seattle from 1980 through 1989.

Harden's Playoff Legacy and Toronto's Fight

Harden's 28 points also moved him into seventh place on the playoff career assists list with 1,139. He also recorded five steals, marking the fourth time he's posted at least that many in a playoff game. That's elite two-way basketball.

Toronto fought back midway through the fourth. Scottie Barnes, posting a playoff career-high 26 points, hit a driving layup to get the Raptors within 99-90. Mitchell had other plans, firing off seven straight points to bury the comeback attempt. RJ Barrett added 22 points and nine rebounds for Toronto, but it wasn't enough.

The Cavaliers built a 73-57 lead midway through the third quarter before Toronto countered with a quick 16-6 run. Just enough to keep it close, not enough to change the outcome.

Game 3 shifts to Toronto on Thursday night. The Raptors are staring down elimination territory, and the Cavs are playing like a team that knows it.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.