The Cleveland Cavaliers took down the Toronto Raptors in Game 1, but James Harden still believes there are things the team can clean up.
A win is a win, and you’ll never hear anyone complaining about that. However, there is always room for improvement, growth, and progress, and that’s exactly what James Harden focused on in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 1 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Yes, the Cavaliers took a 1-0 series lead, and did so pretty convincingly with a high-scoring second half. At one point, the Wine and Gold had a 22-point lead over the Raptors.
Still, after the game, Harden admitted, “we still didn’t play well.”
Where exactly to Cleveland’s superstar guard feel like the team didn’t play up to their standards? Well, just about every aspect of the game.
“I think just [our] overall game,” continued Harden. “We had shots in the first half [that] we missed. This game is a make-or-miss league. A couple of scout reports detail that we messed up on.”
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) looks to pass as Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) defends during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesWatching the game and looking at Cleveland’s box score, Harden is exactly right that the Cavaliers didn’t play to the best of their ability. They only had a seven-point lead heading into halftime after shooting 52 percent from the floor, while letting Toronto shoot 53 percent from behind the arc.
Harden also thought Cleveland must do a better job of limiting turnovers and admitted that it starts with him. Harden did dish out 10 assists, but also committed four of the team’s 15 turnovers. The Raptors ended up scoring 24 points off these Cleveland miscues.
Moving forward, Harden believes the Cavaliers must work on “being consistent with it.”
“Like we didn't make shots in the first half. We just stay away from officials and things that we can't control, and just control what we can control, and keep pushing possession by possession. I think we did that.”
Thankfully, the Cavaliers were able to overcome these miscues and not play their best game to take the series opener. They did this behind an efficient, scouring, and defensive third quarter in which Cleveland outscored Toronto 36-22.
However, the Cavaliers can’t rely on halftime adjustments and second-half comebacks to secure wins. If Cleveland doesn’t clean up some of the aspects that Harden points out, the Raptors could find themselves on the winning end of a few games, making this best-of-seven set closer than it probably should be.
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