How to Watch Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 2 - NBA Playoffs on Peacock
This Monday, the NBA Playoffs head to Peacock with an exclusive First Round game.
The NBA on NBC's coverage of the NBA Playoffs officially launched Sunday night with a doubleheader of First Round action, but we're just getting started. Over the next several weeks, NBC Sports will bring you several games across the Eastern and Western Conference, culminating at the end of May in exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals.
Before we get there, though, we have this week to look forward to, including not one but two tripleheaders of basketball action on two consecutive nights. It all starts Monday on Peacock, as we check in on Game 2 of the series between Eastern Conference contenders the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs won the first game, and lead the series 1-0 coming into Game 2.
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How to Watch Raptors vs. Cavs Game 2 (April 20)
The Raptors and the Cavaliers are set to tip off at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, April 20, live from Rocket Arena in Cleveland. NBC Sports' Mark Followill will be on the play-by-play call, alongside analyst and NBA veteran Robbie Hummel, with courtside reporting from Chris Mannix.
This game is the only game of the night streaming exclusively on Peacock, so be sure to log in and catch the action. You can also show up early for Peacock's exclusive pregame show, NBA Showtime, set to stream at 6 p.m. ET for a look at the Playoffs action so far and a look ahead at the games of the night.
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What to expect from Raptors vs. Cavaliers
The NBA Playoffs are always unpredictable, so every series could go to either team, but Raptors vs. Cavs is a particularly tight matchup. We're talking about a 4 Seed (Cleveland) versus a 5 Seed (Toronto) here, and while the Cavs pulled off a pretty hefty regular season lead in the final standings, all bets are off in the postseason.
Why is this one so evenly matched? Well, for one thing, while the Cavs would seem to be the better team on paper, the Raptors had their number throughout the regular season, sweeping Cleveland across three games and winning by double digits every single time. The Cavs are one of the league's Top 5 scoring teams, but Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and the rest of the Raptors squad have been able to consistently slow them down just enough to pull out the win.
Another thing to watch for: The Cavs are heading into the postseason just a bit battered, not enough to dampen their hopes of advancing, but maybe enough for the Raptors to jump out to an early lead in this series. Both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley sat out with lower-body injuries at the end of the regular season, and while they should be good to go in time for the series tipoff and beyond, it's always worth watching to see how much they have in the tank. Still, the veteran presence of players like James Harden, plus home Court advantage on Monday night, mean that things still look pretty good for the defenders of The Land.
