Cavaliers and Rockets' Blowout Wins Highlight Monday's 2017 NBA Playoffs Action

The second round of the NBA playoffs continued Monday with a convincing win from the defending champions and a dominant victory for the Houston Rockets out West.

The Cleveland Cavaliers handled the Toronto Raptors with relative ease at Quicken Loans Arena, 116-105, in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. Toronto finished on an 11-2 run after the contest was all but decided.

The Rockets were even more impressive in their 126-99 victory at AT&T Center and were never challenged after building a 30-point halftime lead.

Here is a closer look at the action.

Matchup	Result
Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers	116-105, CLE
Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs	126-99, HOU

Cavaliers Steamroll Raptors

The Cavaliers enjoyed plenty of time off after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round, but LeBron James wasted little time reminding basketball fans of his status as one of the best players in history.

The King torched the Raptors for 35 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and was so comfortable he could fake taking a drink from the crowd:

It wasn't a solo effort, as Kyrie Irving notched a double-double with 24 points, 10 assists and a spectacular statement pass to James off the backboard to set the tone from the opening quarter:

Cleveland drilled 14 three-pointers and didn't let a single Raptor score more than Kyle Lowry's 20 points. While the Cavaliers looked like title contenders again, Toronto's struggles were nothing new from a historical perspective considering it is now 1-12 in Game 1 of playoff series in franchise history.

The Raptors already bounced back from a Game 1 loss in their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, but it will be much more difficult to do so against James and the Cavaliers. Their comeback effort starts Wednesday in Game 2, where a victory would mean a split in Cleveland and a much different narrative heading back home.

Rockets Seize Home-Court Advantage in Evisceration

The Spurs looked nothing like the consistent machine that has dominated the NBA so often throughout head coach Gregg Popovich's tenure.

They couldn't stop Houston's overwhelming offense in the fleeting moments where the game was actually on the line and ultimately surrendered 22 three-pointers. Michael C. Wright of ESPN noted the performance marked a Rockets playoff franchise record for threes.

James Harden spearheaded the effort with 20 points and 14 assists and was essentially "toying" with the home team throughout:

He was far from the only Rocket to thrive Monday, as Trevor Ariza posted 23 points and Clint Capela notched a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard did what he could on the other side with 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, but he was no match for the Rockets' firepower. Leonard and Tony Parker (11 points) were the only Spurs starters to score in double figures.

San Antonio is now facing something of a must-win in Wednesday's Game 2. A loss would mean a 2-0 deficit with two straight games in Houston, which would be a daunting task for even the 61-win Spurs.