By: BHS Sports Staff
April 23, 2026
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been consistently in the playoffs the last few years, but they have not had much success seeing as they have not made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in this era of Cleveland basketball. In fact, their last conference finals appearance came in 2018. Could this year flip the script?
Cleveland finished the regular season with a record of 52-30, 12 fewer victories than last season. Their final clip earned them the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Their trade deadline acquisitions have made a huge impact with James Harden (20.5 points per game), Dennis Schroder (8.2 points per game), and Keon Ellis (8.3 points per game along with one steal per game).
The Cavaliers first round matchup is a bit of a familiar foe from the 2018 second round, the Toronto Raptors. Our Canadian friends finished with a record of 46-36 and went 4-0 against the Cavs in the regular season.
But so far, the Raptors dominance has not carried into the playoffs. In Game 1 hosted in the 2-1-6, it started off very back-and-forth, but a highlight was Max Strus hitting a buzzer beater lay-up to end the first quarter. At the end of the first half, Cleveland led 61-54.
The Cavaliers continued to do well in the second half as they powered their way to a Game 1 victory, 126-113. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 32 points, Strus had 24 points off the bench, and Harden added 22 points and 10 assists.
In Game 2, the Cavs were led by their big three of Mitchell, Harden, and Evan Mobley. Mitchell had 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Mobley had 25 points and 8 rebounds, and Harden poured in 28 points in a 115-105 victory.
With a 2-0 series lead, the Cavaliers are riding high as they shot very well from the field in these first two games and really came out strong defensively in both second halves.
Game 3 will be played tonight in Toronto and will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. Tip-off is at 8:00.
Is this finally going to be the year where the Cavaliers get over the hump, like they did in 2016? We sure hope so!
To keep up with the Cavaliers playoff run, click on the Cleveland Cavaliers website.
Regarding Brooklyn athletics, here is the upcoming schedule for the Hurricanes.
- April 23: Baseball vs. Harvey (5:00)
- April 23: Softball vs. Euclid (5:00)
- April 24: Baseball @ Euclid (4:45)
- April 27: Baseball vs. Cuyahoga Heights (4:30)
- April 27: Softball vs. Independence (5:00)
- April 28: Baseball @ Cuyahoga Heights (4:30)
- April 29: Softball vs. Fairview (5:00)
Go Cavs and Canes!
{For up-to-date events and schedules, visit Brooklyn Hurricanes Athletics.}
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 