The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Celtics take Game 1 of East finals
James struggles with 15 points, seven turnovers.
Former Hawk Al Horford of the Boston Celtics celebrates a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at TD Garden on Sunday in Boston. Horford finished with 20 points.
The assignment
BOSTON — for Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris in his first start this postseason was easy to explain but nearly impossible to execute. His job: Guard LeBron James, and keep the four-time NBA MVP from running the Celt- ics out of their own gym in the Eastern Conference finals for the second year in a row.
“He’s obviously the best player in the game,” said Morris, who during the week boasted that he was up to the challenge and Sunday explained why he wanted it.
“Because I’m a competitor. He’s the best player, and I’m going to be able to tell my kids this one day.” Morris scored 21 points
and added 10 rebounds while pestering James into a playoff-high seven turnovers —
and a playoff-low 15 points — and the Celtics opened a 21-point, first-quarter lead to scorch Cleveland 108-83 in Game 1.
Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Al Horford had 20 for Boston, which ran off 17 points in a row in the first and never allowed the Cavaliers within single dig- its again. The Celtics led by 28 when Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue pulled James for good with 7:09 left. Game 2 is Tuesday night. “I have zero level of concern at this stage,” said James, who was 5 for 16 from the floor and missed all five 3-point attempts. “I’ve been down before in the postseason, but for me there’s never any level of concern — no matter how bad I played tonight, with seven turn- overs, how inefficient I was shooting the ball.” Kevin Love had 17 points
and eight rebounds, and James added nine assists and seven boards. The Cavaliers missed their first 14 3-point attempts of the game and shot just 32 percent in the first half. By that time, Boston led 61-35 — the biggest halftime playoff deficit in James’ career.
“I think we’re very alert to the fact that we’ll get a heavyweight punch on Tuesday night,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “It’s another great challenge, another great opportunity to expe- rience something for this team.”
With injured stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving on
the bench in street clothes, the Celtics continued their stunning run this season with what may have been the most surprising turn of events yet. A year after dropping the first two games at home against Cleveland in a five-game East final, the Celtics pounced on James, and the favored Cavaliers were never really in it.
Tip-ins
Cavaliers: Kyle Korver’s 3-pointer with nine minutes left in the third period was their first after missing 14 in a row. It cut the deficit from 28 points to 65-40 . ... Tristan Thompson had eight points and 11 rebounds.
Celtics: The Celtics improved to 8-0 at home this postseason. They do not have to win on the road to reach the NBA Finals . ... Boston’s 36-18 lead at the
end of one quarter was the second-largest in a playoff game in franchise history.
Fast start: Horford made his first seven shots and scored 10, including eight straight, during the 17-0 run that turned a three-point deficit into a 21-7 lead. After James wiggled his way to a layup — Cleveland’s first points in 4 minutes, 43 seconds — Boston ran off eight more points in a row; Brown had six of them, and he finished the quarter with 13 points and five rebounds.