Cleveland remains perfect
James scores 24 in 3 quarters as playoff record improves to 9-0
CLEVELAND — Still unbeaten, still undeniable.
The Cavaliers are rolling through the East with ease.
LeBron James hardly missed and scored 24 points in three quarters, Kyrie Irving scored 27, and Cleveland picked up where it left off before a long layoff by thumping the Toronto Raptors 115-84 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night.
James made his first nine shots — one an arenarattling powerhouse dunk — and the Cavs, healthy and hungry after losing in the Finals a year ago, shot 67 percent from the field in the first half while improving to 9-0 this postseason. Cleveland is the first team to start the playoffs with nine straight wins since San Antonio reeled off 10 in a row in 2012.
“It’s our preparation,” James said in explaining the Cavs’ so-far-pristine postseason. “We understand the moment and guys are rising to that.”
The 31-point win is the most lopsided in Cleveland’s postseason history.
But unlike their secondround series when they made 77 3-pointers and swept Atlanta, the Cavs did most of their damage from close range. Cleveland made just 7 of 20 3-point attempts.
DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points and Bismack Biyombo added 12 for Toronto, which had just one day to prepare for the Cavs after going to seven games with Miami.
“I thought they were the fresher team, the quicker team,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.
Kyle Lowry, who scored 35 points in the Raptors’ series-clinching win over Miami, was held to just eight as he and the Raptors were roughed up in their first appearance in the con- ference finals.
Unless Toronto figures some things out quickly, these Raptors will be extinct, too.
Game 2 is Thursday night.