Irving shines in demolition of the Raptors

Associated Press

INDEPENDENCE

Kyrie Irving dribbled behind his back and then behind his back again, leaving Toronto’s Cory Joseph grasping at air.

Irving pulled off a few other dizzying spins and other did-he-just-do-that moves while finishing with 27 points, five assists and two steals. He even got free for a rare breakaway dunk as the Cleveland Cavaliers overpowered the Raptors by 31 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Irving did a little of everything, but perhaps his most significant action came off the floor.

As Cleveland’s reserves were putting the finishing touches on the 115-84 blowout Tuesday night, raising the unblemished Cavs to 9-0 in these playoffs, Irving danced along the sideline to the delight of a smiling LeBron James, who looked like a proud older brother.

“He’s waited a long time to get back to this position,” James said Wednesday following practice. “The kid is playing some great basketball right now.”

The kid has been brilliant in his second postseason.

Irving has outplayed a group of talented point guards who haven’t been able to stay with him or stop him. He has already left Detroit’s Reggie Jackson, Atlanta’s Dennis Schroder and Jeff Teague in his wake, and unless the Raptors can come up with a defense to re-route the Cavaliers — who had nine dunks in Game 1 — from unimpeded attacks at the rim, Kyle Lowry will become Irving’s latest victim on his tornadic path back to the NBA Finals.

One of four elite guards in the NBA’s final four, Irving, whose playoffs ended last year when he freakishly shattered his kneecap in Game 1 of the Finals, has taken the scoring burden off James.