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Look, we knew beating the Cleveland Cavaliers wasn't going to be easy. But Game 1 of Toronto's Eastern Conference finals series was, in a word, turrible. Losing the first game of a playoff series is all too common for this team, as the Raps fell to 1-10 in Game 1s since the franchise's inception.
It's time for the Raps to wipe the slate clean and put forth a better effort in Game 2. Want some good news? Toronto is a perfect 6-0 in the postseason following losses, with their last pair of back-to-back setbacks coming on March 25.
Cleveland has yet to lose in the playoffs, and it's quite clear rust is not a factor for a squad that played just eight games in the 33 days before the second round concluded. The Dinos played 14 games during that span and nearly gave their fans heart attacks along the way.
Stopping LeBron James is much easier said than done, but DeMarre Carroll was simply manhandled in Game 1. Bron Bron set a playoff-career best by going 11-of-13 from the floor with all of his buckets coming in the paint. Yikes.
The Raptors were downright embarrassed on Tuesday. I'm not guaranteeing a win, but I expect we'll see a different team tonight.
Before you hit the comments, check out Daniel Reynolds' preview. Let's do this.