Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

By Joel Reyes

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors will square off in the first round of the 2026 Eastern Conference Playoffs after finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, in the East standings.

 

Alta Sports breaks down this best-of-seven series, identifying the key players for both teams, their previous head-to-head matchups, as well as the schedule for this mouth-watering showdown.

 

 

Best-of-7 Schedule (PH time)

 

Game 1 – Toronto at Cleveland (Sunday, April 19, 1 a.m.)

 

Game 2 – Toronto at Cleveland (Tuesday, April 21, 7 a.m.)

 

Game 3 – Cleveland at Toronto (Friday, April 24, 8 a.m.)

 

Game 4 – Cleveland at Toronto (Monday, April 27, 1 a.m.)

 

Game 5 – (if necessary) – Toronto at Cleveland (Thursday, April 30, TBD)

 

Game 6 – (if necessary) – Cleveland at Toronto (Saturday, May 2, TBD)

 

Game 7 – (if necessary) – Toronto at Cleveland (Monday, May 4, TBD)

 

Head-to-head matchups in 25-26 season

 

The Raptors swept their season series against the Cavaliers, winning all of their three meetings in the 2025-26 campaign. 

 

Toronto stamped its class against Cleveland, winning all of their matchups by double digits.

 

The Raptors won their first two meetings on the road, recording a 112-101 victory on Nov. 1 and a 126-113 triumph on Nov. 14. They completed the sweep on November 25, securing a 110-99 win over the Cavs.

 

Key Players

 

Brandon Ingram powered Toronto's offense, averaging a team-best 21.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season. 

 

Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images

 

He faced the Cavs three times in the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 22.7 points, 6.7 boards, and 3.7 assists.

 

The Cavaliers, on the other hand, will be led by Donovan Mitchell, who averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds this season.

 

He averaged 24.0 points and 7.0 assists through  two meetings with Toronto this campaign.