The 2026 NBA Playoff bracket is set, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors in the first round.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took down the Washington Wizards, 130-117, for their final game of the regular season. However, it wasn’t what was happening at Rocket Area that Wine and Gold fans were entirely locked into throughout the day.
Heading into Sunday, the Cavaliers had locked up the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the No. 5 seed was still up in the air between the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
After the slate of games was over, the Raptors overtook the Hawks to secure the fifth seed and will take on the Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
It really did come down to the final wire, too. Atlanta lost to the Miami Heat, while Toronto took down the Brooklyn Nets.
That meant it was all up to the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics. A loss by the Magic meant the fifth seed for the Raptors. Boston built a double-digit lead, but the Magic came back to make it a five-point game with under two minutes left. In the end, it was the Celtics who came out on top.
Oct 31, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) in the third quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesTaking a closer look at Cleveland and Toronto’s first-round matchup, Kenny Atkinson said on Sunday before Game 82 that he’d already started to scout a potential matchup for the first round, whoever Cleveland’s opponent ended up being.
“I think we all know the percentages,” said Atkinson. “Maybe watch some film, look at the numbers. I just wasn’t going to sit idle and wait. You always feel like you’ve got to get ahead of the preparation.
In the regular season, the Cavaliers lost all three contests against the Raptors. Cleveland allowed their opposition to score 116.0 points per game, while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 36 percent from behind the arc in those matchups.
On the offensive end of things, the Cavaliers only scored 104.3 points. The shooting numbers weren’t great for Cleveland in these matchups, as they connected on 49 percent from the field and 28 percent from behind the arc.
Anything can happen in the playoffs and in a best-of-seven series, though. Considering the makeup of each roster, Cavaliers vs. Raptors could be one of the more intriguing first-round matchups.
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