Cavs take care of business with 131-108 win over Raptors

A strong first quarter from Max Strus helped lead to the blowout victory.

The Toronto Raptors looked like a team playing the second leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday night. The Cleveland Cavaliers showed no mercy as they took care of business with an emphatic 131-108 victory that was more one-sided than the final score indicates.

The Cavs jumped out to a big lead early on led by hot shooting from Max Strus and Sam Merrill. Strus provided 12 first-quarter points on 4-7 shooting from deep. Merrill connected on three triples of his own to lead the Cavs to a 41-17 advantage after one.

Cleveland extended their lead once again in the third quarter when they pushed their advantage to 39 before finally taking their foot off the gas.

It was a complete team effort. Donovan Mitchell was the only Cavalier to finish with over 20 points as he provided 21 on 6-16 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds and 5 helpers.

Six additional players finished in double figures scoring. This included De’Andre Hunter who tallied 18 points and 5 rebounds in a reserve role as Strus returned to the starting lineup.

Evan Mobley’s 12 points don’t jump off the page, but he did have an impressive showing. His defense and playmaking at the start of the game helped the Cavs assert their will early on. Mobley concluded his night with 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.

Darius Garland had another solid showing as he finished with 15 points and 8 assists. Merrill ended the game with 16 points on 4-10 shooting from deep. Strus contributed 14 points in the victory.

The Raptors were led by RJ Barrett who supplied 27 points on 11-18 shooting with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Scottie Barnes added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.

This was a strong showing for the Cavaliers. The Raptors aren’t a good team by any stretch, but this is the type of performance you want to see when you’re going against an inferior opponent. Their ability to quickly turn defense into offense made this a blowout early on.

The Cavaliers will go into the All-Star break with a 44-10 record on a three-game winning streak. Their next game is Thursday, Feb. 20 against the Brooklyn Nets.