Preview of NBA Playoff Game Between Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers CLEVELAND (Interstat) — The Cleveland Cavaliers, armed with home-court advantage and a superior regular-season record, will host the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series on Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers (52-30) enter as the Eastern Conference’s higher seed, having won 22 more games than the Raptors (46-36) during the campaign. However, the season series heavily favored Toronto, which swept all three regular-season matchups. The Raptors won 110-99 at home on Nov. 24 and posted two road victories in Cleveland, 126-113 on Nov. 13 and 112-101 on Oct. 31. Toronto arrives after a dominant 136-101 victory over Brooklyn in its regular-season finale last Sunday. All-Star forward Scottie Barnes recorded a triple-double in that contest with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Barnes has been the engine for the Raptors, averaging a near triple-double over his last 10 games and posting triple-doubles in two of his final three outings. Cleveland concluded its schedule with a 130-117 win over Washington, led by guard Tyrese Proctor’s 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Proctor’s role has fluctuated, but his recent performance suggests increased responsibility entering the postseason. The Cavaliers’ form has been inconsistent, alternating wins and losses over their final six games, including a 124-102 loss at Atlanta on April 10. The Raptors’ playoff hopes will hinge on Barnes’ all-around play and support from forwards Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett, who combined for 51 points in the finale. Cleveland will counter with its depth and the home crowd, looking to reverse its regular-season fortunes against Toronto. Sportsbooks list Cleveland as a 7-point favorite. The over/under is set at 217.5 points. The series will continue with Game 2 in Cleveland on Monday.