Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
2025-26 NBA Post Season
Playoffs, Game 1
Cleveland Cavaliers v Toronto Raptors
Rocket Arena
Cleveland, Ohio
Saturday 18 April 2026
Tip-off at 19:00
Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to continue their dominance over Toronto Raptors in the Playoffs when they face off in
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round at the Rocket Arena on the morning of Saturday, April 18.
The two teams have gone head-to-head three times in the post season, with the Cavs coming out on top each time. They 4-0 in the 2017 Eastern Conference semi-finals and repeated the feat again at the same stage in 2018.
The Raptors have only managed to take two games off them which came the season before in the 2016 Eastern Conference finals when Cleveland triumphed 4-2.
Kenny Atkinson's team finished fourth in the East with a record of 52-30 and went 7-3 at the end of the regular season.
Donovan Mitchell led the scoring for the Central Division franchise, playing 70 games and averaging 27.9 points while also getting 5.7 assists.
Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
Atkinson doesn't expect Toronto to make things easy for the Cavs on this occasion though, after pulling off a 3-0 clean sweep in the regular season with scores of 112-101, 126-113 and 110-99.
"Toronto, we know, that's no picnic; they low-key dominated us in the games we played them this year," he said. "A lot of respect, it's great, Toronto's a great basketball city, great challenge for us, really good team.
"I think they deserve to be where they are. This is gonna be a big challenge for us, that's what I think."
The Raptors took fifth place in the East with a record of 46-36, having closed out the regular season with a 6-4 run.
Brandon Ingram was the standout performer for Darko Rajakovic's team, playing 77 games (the most since his rookie year) and averaging 21.5 points.
Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
Rajakovic made history by becoming the first European to lead a franchise to the Playoffs and the Serbian has urged everyone connected with the Raptors to enjoy the experience.
"We are in the middle of a rebuild; this is not a finished product. There is more work for us to do," he said.
"We have a lot of young players who still have to see a lot of growth, a lot of development, but there is going to be a time and place to talk about next season. I think this is a moment for everybody to enjoy this moment, to seize this moment."
Cleveland Cavaliers v Toronto Raptors - Head-to-head, Post Season
Games played: 14
Cavs wins: 12
Raptors wins: 2
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