CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs just put the entire NBA on notice, and the Toronto Raptors were the first team to feel the full weight of it. In a Game 1 matchup that felt like a heavyweight bout in the first half — six lead changes,

The Raptors built their identity on defense and pace. Game 1 didn’t look like either. Toronto dropped a 126-113 road decision to the Cavaliers, and the bigger issue wasn’t just the score.

According to Dimers’ highly acclaimed predictive analytics model, the Cavaliers are more likely to defeat the Raptors at Rocket Arena. This prediction is based on the model giving the Cavaliers a 74% chance of winning the game.

After finishing the season with the fifth-ranked defence in the NBA, the Raptors had major problems slowing down the Cavaliers in Game 1. They must search for answers at that end of the court if they want a chance to get back in the series.

Toronto may have struggled in Game 1 of the playoffs against Cleveland but Raptors fans made the most of their time at Jurassic Park

Toronto went 3-0 versus Cleveland this season with wins of 11, 13, and 11 points — all double digits. The Raptors have not been in the playoffs in 2022-23 and has not made it past the first round since 2019-20. The Raptors finished the regular season with the fifth-rated defense and 15th ranked offense.