CLEVELAND -- Lying in wait while the other Eastern Conference semifinals played out, a well-rested Cleveland Cavaliers pounced on the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night at the Quicken Loans Arena to take a 1-0 series lead in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals.
Kyrie Irving sizzled with 27 points and 5 dimes while LeBron James had 24 points and 5 boards as the Cavs scored a 115-84 rout to draw first blood in the best-of-7 series. KeVin Love, the other part of Cleveland's Big 3, finished with only 14 markers but Iman Shumpert and veteran Richard Jefferson combined for 17 off the bench.
Toronto, which emerged from a grueling 7-game series against the Miami Heat, looked weary against the Cavaliers. The Raptors shot just 42.1 percent from the field (32-of-76) and missed 19 of their 24 3-point attempts. The Raptors were also mauled off the boards, 45-23.
DeMar DeRozan netted 18 points for Toronto but his backcourt partner, fellow All-Star Kyle Lowry, struggled mightily, carding only 8 points while missing 10 of 14 field goals. Bismack Biyombo turned in 12 points and 4 rebounds.
Game 2 is Thursday night at the Q Arena.
Photo: Kyrie Irving was money on Tuesday night, scoring 27 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised past the Toronto Raptors, 115-84, in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals series.
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