Mitchell scores 30, Harden adds 28 as Cavaliers beat Raptors 115-105 for 2-0 series lead

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, James Harden added 28 and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a 115-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Evan Mobley had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had at least three players score at least 25 points in a postseason game for the second straight season and fourth time overall.

“They threw the kitchen sink at us, gave us a lot of different looks and (we) kept our poise,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Donovan and James closed it for us, but I thought our defense kind of forced them to go small. This is what the playoffs are about. They came at us hard and we responded.”

Cleveland — which never trailed — has won 12 straight playoff games against Toronto, tying the NBA postseason record for consecutive wins against an opponent. The streak began in the 2016 Eastern Conference finals, when the Cavaliers took the final two games. Cleveland swept Toronto in four games in the second round in 2017 and '18.

The Cavaliers also have 12-game winning streaks against Detroit and Atlanta, while the Los Angeles Lakers had a 12-game run against Seattle from 1980 through '89.

Scottie Barnes led Toronto with a playoff career-high 26 points. RJ Barrett had 22 points and nine rebounds.

The Raptors had 16 fast-break points after being held to a season-low three on Saturday. But Toronto committed a season-high 22 turnovers that led to 22 Cavaliers points.

“The only time the game got away was when we made a lot of turnovers. We played super hard, we adjusted to how the game was going, and did certain things that helped us,” Barnes said.

The series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Thursday night.

Harden had four assists to move into seventh place on the playoff career list with 1,139. He also had five steals, the fourth time he’s had at least that many in a playoff game.

A driving layup by Barnes got Toronto within 99-90 midway through the fourth quarter. Mitchell responded with seven straight points to put it away.

The Cavaliers had a 73-57 advantage midway through the third quarter before the Raptors countered with a 16-6 run.

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) shoots in front of Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) dunks next to Toronto Raptors guard Ja'kobe Walter, right, in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Toronto Raptors guard Ja'kobe Walter (14) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reach for the ball in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) grabs a rebound next to Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson (0) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles, right, grabs a rebound next to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, left, in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) grabs a rebound next to Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots over Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) gestures to the crowd in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Toronto Raptors in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

NEW YORK (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 32 points and the Atlanta Hawks rallied to stun the New York Knicks 107-106 on Monday night, tying their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.

McCollum led a late surge that was almost for naught when he missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining. The Knicks rushed the ball up the court without any timeouts left, but Mikal Bridges missed a jumper as time expired.

The Hawks had trailed the whole second half and were down 12 after three quarters. Atlanta chipped away and a basket by McCollum gave the Hawks a 101-100 lead — their first of the series in the second half — with 2:09 to play. He made another for a three-point lead, and after Jalen Brunson tied it with a 3-pointer, McCollum answered with another jumper to make it 105-103 with 33 seconds to play.

Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points off the bench and Jalen Johnson scored 17, including a basket with 10 seconds left for a four-point lead for the No. 6 seeds, who host Game 3 on Thursday.

Brunson had 29 points for the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18.

The Knicks are trying to reach the second round for a fourth straight season, their longest stretch since the 1991-92 to 1999-2000 seasons, and seemed well on their way.

Towns, who had four points in the first half, scored 14 in the third quarter as the Knicks extended the lead to 78-64. They were still ahead by eight with under five minutes remaining.

But their young players who sparked the Hawks' surge after the All-Star break finally made some plays before McCollum — ignoring profane jeers after he and Jose Alvarado went nose-to-nose and were each given technical fouls in the third quarter — then closed it out.

McCollum was acquired in the January trade for Trae Young, the Hawks star who was a former playoff villain at Madison Square Garden. He filled the role perfectly Monday, outplaying Brunson in the second half and stealing a game that looked lost.

Josh Hart had 15 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Knicks.

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New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) falls as he attempts to drive past Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) blocks Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) attempts to drive past New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) drives past Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)