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Raptors down Cavs to open season

Dec 27, 2011 - 6:08 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Jose Calderon finished with 15 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, leading a balanced scoring attack the Raptors used to earn a 104-96 victory over the Cavaliers in their season opener.

Seven Toronto players scored in double figures. In addition to Calderon, DeMar DeRozan had 15, while Ed Davis and Leandro Barbosa both netted 14 points. Andrea Bargnani and Amir Johnson scored 13 apiece, while Jerryd Bayless ended with 10.

The Raptors shot better than 53 percent in winning their first game under new head coach Dwane Casey. He was named to the position in June, after Toronto had gone 22-60 during the 2010-11 season under Jay Triano.

The Cavaliers were playing their first game with rookie guard Kyrie Irving, who they selected first overall in the June draft. Irving started, but struggled in just more than 26 minutes, shooting only 2-of-12 and scoring six points. He did, however, total seven assists to only one turnover.

"It's disappointing. You want to play really well. The whole world's watching," Irving said. "You want to play well for your teammates at the end of the day, but like I said, it's a learning process."

Ramon Sessions scored 18 points off the bench to lead Cleveland, which trailed for most of the game, but drew within a possession multiple times in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers were within 88-85 when Antawn Jamison hit a floater with 6:26 to play.

However, DeRozan followed with a jumper at the other end. After the Cavaliers missed two shots on the ensuing possession, DeRozan hit another shot for a seven-point lead, and Cleveland couldn't catch up.

The Cavaliers went scoreless for 2 1/2 minutes later in the fourth quarter, allowing the Raptors to expand their lead to double digits. DeRozan dunked with 33.9 seconds left for a 101-91 lead, and Toronto held on from there.

"I thought we took a little bit of a step back on the defensive end after what we've been doing for the last couple weeks," said Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott. "Thought we had a little bit of lack of trust and communication."

The game was tied, 23-23, after a close first quarter, but the Raptors started to pull ahead in the second. Cleveland was leading by four when Barbosa drove for a layup that sparked a 15-2 run.

Bayless and Barbosa canned consecutive threes, and a Davis dunk ended the rally for a 42-33 advantage with 5:50 to play.

Toronto carried a 52-42 lead into the break and led by as many as 15 in the third quarter. The Cavaliers did get within seven when Daniel Gibson drained a jumper with 1:26 to play, but Bayless followed with a three and the Raptors went into the final quarter ahead 78-70.

Game Notes

Cleveland went 19-63 last season...Omri Casspi, who the Cavaliers acquired from the Kings in the offseason, scored two points in his Cleveland debut...Johnson had a game-high 13 rebounds for the Raptors...The Cavaliers made 20-of-28 free throws, and committed only seven turnovers.