The playoffs are undoubtedly one of the most exciting aspects of basketball. It’s the home of iconic moments and unlikely successors. Saturday marked the start of the 2026 NBA playoffs, which began with the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Going into this game, Cleveland possessed home-court advantage over Toronto. It’s hard to argue that the fans didn’t show up, with their immense amount of roaring and demand. Jurassic Park in Ontario, Canada, was also rowdy.
With Immanuel Quickley sidelined for the Toronto Raptors with a mild right hamstring strain, it was all on other contributors like Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles to showcase a defensive identity and speed. Spoiler, that didn’t go as planned. However, it’s a best-of-seven series, so anything can happen.
3 Takeaways From Raptors’ Game 1 Loss Against Cavaliers
Lack Of Speed At Center
Jakob Poeltl has been Toronto’s starting center this season when he plays. With that being said, if you’ve watched Poeltl, he suffers injuries more often than not. Although he possesses strength and easy athletic ability to put the ball in the net, speed hasn’t always been there. In his first appearance since 2018-19 in a playoff game, that lack of speed showed.
Throughout the four quarters, Poeltl allowed the Cavaliers’ dual-big-threat in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to run right past him. Mobley and Allen both combined for 27 points, while Poeltl was scoreless throughout the first half.
In order for this not to occur, or better yet, limit this issue, a change at the center position may be needed. Murray-Boyles was extremely efficient in Saturday’s loss. Boyles’ six-foot-seven frame can potentially help Toronto defend at a higher level.
Let Ingram Shoot The Rock More
One week ago, Brandon Ingram was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week mainly because of his season-high 38-point masterclass against the Miami Heat, which punched Toronto’s ticket to the fifth seed. It’s safe to say, this kind of performance didn’t appear in Game 1.
Ingram shot 5-9 from the field, which was higher than both RJ Barrett’s 7-13 and Scottie Barnes’ 6-14 outing. Moreover, Ingram recently mentioned in a press conference how he could’ve been ”more productive.” Ingram also added how ”shooting nine shots is not going to win a basketball game.”
More often than not, if a player is stating that, expect a change in the game plan from the coach. It’s conceivable to see coach Darko Rajaković utilize Ingram more. However, with this load of expectations comes minimal need for errors.
Committing Fewer Turnovers
Toronto committed 18 turnovers in their 113-126 loss to Cleveland. Although the Cavaliers accumulated 17, it didn’t matter since they contained the Raptors on offense. Toronto’s lack of will to keep the ball away from Cleveland led to easy transition points. Donovan Mitchell’s 32-point night was a major factor in the turnover ratio for the Raptors.
For Game 2, it’s necessary that on every drive to the rim, there be at least one or two individuals at the three-point line. This would basically prevent turnovers on Toronto’s end from becoming an easy Mitchell or James Harden layup.
Featured Image: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
