James Harden passes Larry Bird on playoff scoring list in Cavaliers' blowout Game 1 win

Harden filled the secondary scoring role to perfection, playing a convincing Robin to guard Donovan Mitchell's Batman. Mitchell scored a team-high 32 points, which also happened to be his 32nd 30-point playoff game since 2018, the fifth-most in the NBA during that span, only trailing Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (both 35), Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (34) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (33).

With Mitchell as the primary option, Harden was able to fill the gaps against the Raptors. He was particularly impactful as a facilitator, connecting with center Jarrett Allen on two early possessions for a pair of slam dunks.

Arguably his best pass came in the second quarter, when Harden and power forward Evan Mobley ran a pick-and-roll that ended with a perfectly placed ball that was just out of reach of Raptors 7-foot center Jakob Poeltl.

Harden became just the fourth player in league history to reach the playoffs in each of his first 17 seasons when Round 1 tipped off, and that extensive experience was palpable against the greener Raptors.

The 2017-18 MVP will need more of the same going forward for Cleveland to advance beyond the East semis, where its season's ended the past two years.

Game 1 showed that even with just 26 regular-season games on the Cavs, Harden already has developed an impressive amount of chemistry with his teammates. For a player who's had his share of playoff disappointments over the years, Saturday was a promising start. Cleveland needs Harden to follow that blueprint all postseason if it's to go on deep run.