
Martinook lifts Canes in 2OT after goal overturn
Martinook lifts Hurricanes in double overtime against Senators
The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the NBA Playoffs series 2-0 against the Toronto Raptors, extending the Raptors' playoff win drought to nine years. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden played key roles in this commanding performance.
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Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell force Raptors to 9-year NBA Playoffs drought after Game 2 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have now taken a commanding 2-0 NBA Playoffs series lead over the Toronto Raptors. For most fans, this will still be a shock. But for longtime members of the Cavs faithful, it was not at all new. This is because Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are just continuing an Eastern Conference legacy that was started when LeBron James still played for the franchise.
The reason why the Cavaliers were heavily favored against the Raptors was more than the fact that they were the higher seed six wins. It was because the Raptors had not won a single NBA Playoffs game against the team for nine years, per StatMuse. For context, the last time the Raptors were able to triumph was when LeBron James still played for the Cavaliers back in Game 4 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals.
After that, the Raptors would lose 11-straight NBA Playoffs games and end their postseason fast in the hands of the Cavaliers.
This game was not different and showed. Donovan Mitchell put up an offensive masterclass which brought the Cavaliers to a 115-105 win. He put up 30 points while knocking down 56.52% of his shots from the field while also knocking 40% of his threes. Mitchell also dropped a game-high five assists to keep the Cavaliers offense going.
The Toronto Raptors have not won an NBA Playoff game for nine years.
The last playoff game the Raptors won was Game 4 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are the key players contributing to the Cavaliers' success in the playoffs.

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James Harden, on the other hand, put out an all-around performance for the Cavaliers. He scored 28 points as 64% of his shots saw the bottom of the net. Whenever Mitchell was not holding the ball, Harden took on playmaking duties as he dropped four assists. But, this was not the best part of his NBA Playoffs performance. Harden was a defensive menace. The Cavaliers veteran recorded five steals, five rebounds, and a block to prevent the Raptors from gaining any sort of offensive momentum.
Nine years is a long time. If the Cavaliers continue this, this NBA Playoffs drought will last for over a decade while James hands over ownership of the Raptors to Mitchell and Harden.