Celtics defenders are ‘mobile’

Cavaliers expect hard-fought series

The Cavaliers are defending Eastern Conference champions and had their way with the Boston Celtics in the playoffs the last two times they met.

The last thing the Cavs want to do is give the Celtics bulletin board material before the Eastern Conference finals begin at 3:30 p.m. May 13 at TD Garden in Boston.

As Cavs guard Kyle Korver sees it, the series with the Celtics will more closely resemble the hardfought

seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers than the fourgame sweep of the Toronto Raptors because of the tenacious defense the Celtics play. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue agrees.

“Indiana was really good

defensively, first of all,” Lue said after practice May 11. “But Boston led the league in defensive efficiency. They have guards that can pressure the basketball. They can lock and trail and chase on pin downs.

“They have a mobile five. Al Horford can switch out and guard pick-and-rolls, guard multiple positions, so they are very flexible defensive-wise.”

The Cavaliers swept the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs in 2015. That was the year former Celtic Kelly Olynyk separated Kevin Love’s shoulder, ending Love’s

postseason quickly.

They did not meet in 2016. The Cavs eliminated the Celtics in five games last season.

Olynyk no longer plays for Boston, but the intensity of the rivalry remains. Love is expecting another rugby scrum, which means how the series unfolds could be determined by how closely the games are officiated.

“They’ve played very physical in the playoffs and I think that that’s definitely helped them,” Love said. “And for a team with younger guys, I think has been great for them. They really not only picked up their level of play on the offensive end, but defensively they’ve done a great job.”

The Celtics advanced to the conference finals by beating

the Bucks in seven games and the 76ers in five games. The Celtics held Milwaukee under 100 points in each of the last three games of the series. They held the Sixers under 100 once.

The Pacers held the Cavaliers under 100 four times. The Cavaliers lost three of those games. The fewest the Cavs scored against Toronto was 105 in Game 3 when LeBron James broke a 103-103 tie on a buzzer-beater.

“I think offensively we were pretty good this last series,” Lue said. “Guys are coming together. We have our rotations, who we want to play. The guys are doing a great job picking up what we want to do on the fly.”

The Celtics will naturally

focus on James, who is averaging 34.3 points per game in the playoffs, but guard George Hill is another part of the team’s success. Hill, acquired from Sacramento at the trade deadline, is getting his first chance to play with the Cavaliers in the conference finals.

“With his speed, his athleticism, being able to get to the basket and dunk and finish around the hoop, he helps our team out a lot,” Lue said. “I think he’s been great at just attacking. He and Kevin have a great thing going with that pick and roll.”

Game 2 is set for 8:30 p.m. May 15 in Boston. The teams will have three days off before playing Game 3 at Quicken Loans Arena at 8:30 p.m. May 19.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE LeBron James drives against the Celtics’ Marcus Morris earlier this season. James is looking to join an elite list of players to appear in eight consecutive NBA finals.