By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
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 in thumping the Toronto Raptors 115-84 on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
James made his first nine shots — one an arena-rattling powerhouse dunk — and the Cavs, healthy and hungry after losing in the NBA 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.
Russian center Timofey Mozgov added 2 points and 4 rebounds in 6 minutes of action. Toronto’s Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas is still injured and out of action.