Defense steps up as Cavs take 2-0 series lead against Raptors

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers' prolific scorers grab the headlines, but role players like Dean Wade just win games. Cleveland grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal with a hard-fought 115-105 verdict over the Toronto Raptors Monday at Rocket Arena. The Cavs travel to Toronto for Game 3 on Thursday. Guard Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while point guard James Harden added 28 points, five rebounds and five steals and power forward Evan Mobley contributed 25 points and eight rebounds. Wade finished with just three points, five rebounds and two steals, but his defensive work on Raptors leading scorer Brandon Ingram has been nothing short of spectacular. Ingram shot 3-for-15 from the field for seven points and five turnovers. This came one after he was held to one field-goal attempt in the second half of Game 1. "I was just trying to keep it out of his hands and be as disruptive as possible," Wade said. "I felt really good, but you know there are more games. I'm already thinking about what sets they are going to run (in Game 3)." Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson marvels at his starting small forward. "It's a luxury of having a 6-9 wing," he said. "He's been phenomenal. B.I. is going to keep coming at you." A 21.5-point scorer during the regular season, Ingrahm is averaging 12.0 on .333 shooting (8-for-24) in the series. "(Wade is) being physical and locked in on his assignment," Mobley said. "He's making it tough on Brandon Ingram every second of the game. He's very versatile. He's a great piece for us." Cleveland's potent starting backcourt was too much to handle for the Raptors, who turned the ball over a season-high 22 times. Mitchell and Harden combined for 58 points. "This was superstars stepping up," Atkinson said. "James had four steals in the second half. Don made some out-of-this world shots." Mobley said Harden is a "natural leader." "Everyone looks up to him," he said. "He's a Hall of Famer. He's great at giving out that info." Atkinson said before the game it would be one of the toughest challenges of the series. "They threw the kitchen sink at us," he said. "We kept our poise. Donovan and James closed it out for us. This was a real playoff win." Mobley converted 11-for-13 from the field, which helped the Cavs shoot .530 from the floor, including .325 from the 3-point line. "He put his head down and got to the rim wanting to dunk on someone," Harden said. "It was another great game from him. We're going to need him." Atkinson said he likes his team's chances. "We have a veteran group," Atkinson said. "You don't want to come back to Cleveland 2-2. This will be a huge game for us (in Game 3)." Cleveland has won 12 playoff games in a row over Toronto and is 14-2 lifetime against the Raptors in the postseason. The Cavs, who never trailed in the game, led 54-48 at halftime. Forward Scottie Barnes paced Toronto with 26 points, while RJ Barrett added 22. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.