Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener

On the night of one of the most anticipated home openers to the 2018-19 NBA season, the Toronto Raptors kicked it off with a definitive victory.

The Toronto Raptors had fans from all over to join together to watch one of the most highly anticipated home openers in the franchise’s 23 years of existence, with all eyes on newly acquired superstar talent, Kawhi Leonard, who made his debut.

The building was electric, introductions of the 2018-19 squad cheered on loudly by fans, potentially living up to all the offseason hype.

The new-look Raptors faced off against the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers (albeit without LeBron James), and were relentless from beginning to end in their 116-104 win.

Kyle Lowry was highly efficient, posting 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the floor to go along with eight assists, one steal, one block and five 3-pointers. Kawhi Leonard did not disappoint either, posting a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Three other Raptors posted double-digits in the scoring column: Fred VanVleet with 14, Pascal Siakam with 13 and Danny Green with 11.

In the first quarter it was a back-and-forth affair, with the Cavaliers showing lots of heart and effort, especially on the glass and getting physical in the paint.. The Raptors were able to grab a hold of a lead by the end of the first quarter (28-25), and never looked back.

Toronto took care of business on its home court, producing highlight level passing sequences while running the transition offense at an elite level. Here’s a look at three takeaways from the 2018-19 season opener.