3 things to watch in Raptors-Cavaliers Game 2

James Harden found plenty of success on the pick-and-roll during Game 1.

If the Toronto Raptors plan to win their first playoff series since 2020, it would help by winning a road playoff game. Actually, that’s non-negotiable — the Raptors must win one in Cleveland at some point in this first-round series and their second chance is Monday.

The Raptors are hoping for a stronger second half than what they offered in Game 1, a return to action by guard Immanuel Quickley who’s dealing with a hamstring issue and also a way to muster enough defense to keep the Cavs from ripping through scoring streaks.

As for the Cavs? This is what James Harden, a veteran of these postseasons, cautiously said after his Cavs playoff debut:

“We’ve got a long way to go. Our job is to stay in the moment and take one game at a time. Things happen fast. Our job is to focus on what we can do better, then come out in Game 2 and be ready to go.”

Here are three things to watch for in Monday night’s Raptors-Cavaliers Game 2 (7 ET, Peacock/NBC Sports).

1. Ingram needs to shoot Toronto back into this series

The leading scorer for the Raptors seemed frustrated during a nearly invisible second half of Game 1 and then huffy afterward when he flatly declared the Raptors can’t win a playoff series, or perhaps even a game, when he takes only one shot in the half.

And he’s right. The Raptors can bring their A-game otherwise, but if Ingram is a ghost in the moment of truth, which was the case when he scored just four points and was more of a decoy, beating the Cavs four times in a series seems like a wish.

Also, Ingram is fairly one-dimensional offensively. He can shoot, mainly from mid-range. That’s pretty much it. He doesn’t pass, either willingly or smoothly. He’s a finisher, not a starter. Therefore, if he isn’t getting touches, and rather frequently, he’s not involved in the offense.

This falls on the shoulders of coach Darko Rajaković, who strangely shifted from a strategy that worked all season and changed it up suddenly. If Ingram is not only shooting frequently but getting buckets, the Cavs’ defense is forced to make adjustments and suddenly players such as Scottie Barnes could take advantage of more open shots.

2. Harden’s pick-and-roll can pick Toronto apart

The arrival of Harden this season not only gave the Cavs an elite passer, but also a pick-and-roll expert. You see, lots of players can pass, but what about the passing method? How many can run off screens and make crisp decisions like Harden?

Harden is built for this type of play because he’s big and can leverage his body against his defender, he can use his dribble to reach the rim, and he can spot his screener rolling to the hoop for an easy basket if the defense gives Harden too much respect.

Harden has made a career out of this, much like John Stockton all those years in Utah. What’s more, the Cavs’ big men can feast, which is important. When put in a situation where they must create for themselves, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley often struggle when trying to beat their man off the dribble.

But when they’re catching passes from Harden and only need to dribble once if at all, it enhances their ability to score, especially if they get open looks. Six of their 11 field goals in Game 1 were assisted by Harden.

The big surprise is why Donovan Mitchell and Harden don’t engage more often on the pick-and-roll. It would leave the defense in a bind, because in a pick-your-poison situation, whom do they leave open? And wouldn’t Mitchell thrive in a pick-and-pop, allowing him to shoot open jumpers?

Of course, that’s assuming Mitchell actually knows how to set a screen. It sounds simple, but hard to do for volume shooters who normally aren’t in that situation until late in their careers when they become role players

Anyway: Toronto must figure out a way to tame this strategy or it could be a short series.

3. Who wins battle of the bigs?

In Game 1 this was no contest; the Cavs for the most part controlled the game from 5 feet in. Mitchell in particular was able to go downhill all night without seeing a threatening defender in his grill.

Cleveland on paper has the advantage, at least from the center position. While Allen dealt with injuries over the last few weeks, he seemed frisky enough in Game 1. He and Mobley combined for 14 rebounds and the Cavs out-rebounded Toronto, 33-27.

As for Jakob Poeltl, the Toronto starting center is coming off a less-than-stellar season where his place in the pecking order slid along with his impact. He played only 21 minutes in Game 1 as the Raptors turned more to rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili, both of whom were decent but not particularly imposing.

This is a case of bad timing for Poeltl. He was a solid player for the Raptors the last few years and Toronto handed him a rich extension, but he has since dropped more than a few hints that his best years are behind him. His minutes and production are all at their lowest since his developmental years which were spent in San Antonio. He averaged 10.7 points during this season, his lowest since 2020-21 (8.6 ppg), and his 7.0 rebound average was last this low in 2019-20 (5.7; in fewer than 20 minutes per game).

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.