Celtics stifle James, Cavaliers in Game 1
BOSTON – Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals started badly for Cleveland. Then, it got worse.
Boston smothered the Cavaliers with its defense and crushed them with its offense. Up 21 points in the first quarter and 28 in the second, the Celtics defeated the Cavs 108-83 on Sunday.
It’s just one game, but the Cavs have offensive and defensive issues that might be difficult to resolve against the versatile, physical, athletic and younger Celtics. Cleveland rebounded after losing Game 1 at home to Indiana. Can it do the same in this series?
Second-year guard Jaylen Brown had 23 points and eight rebounds and veteran do-everything center Al Horford had 20 points, six assists, four rebounds and two blocks for Boston.
Game 2 is Tuesday in Boston (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
First quarter doomed Cavaliers: Trailing 7-4 in the first quarter, the Celtics went on a 30-6 run, including a 17-0 spurt, and built a 34-13 lead with 1:12 left. Brown had 13 points and Horford 11. Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier each had just two points in the first quarter, but they were each +16.
Boston had outstanding ball movement and great defense, making 14 of 22 shots and holding Cleveland to 7-for-22 from the field.
LeBron James’ subpar performance: James entered the game averaging 34.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and nine assists in the playoffs and had been dominant against Toronto in the conference semifinals.
But Boston’s pressure defense forced James into a pedestrian performance: 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting, nine assists and seven rebounds. Before Sunday, James had scored at least 22 points in 11 playoff games this season.
He also had seven of Cleveland’s nine turnovers – a statistic that won’t sit well with turnover-conscious James. It’s the first stat he looks at in the box score.
Boston’s starters shine: Celtics starters scored 88 points and had balance. In addition to Brown’s and Horford’s double-figure performances, Marcus Morris had 21 points and 10 rebounds; Tatum had 16 points and six rebounds; and Rozier contributed eight points and eight assists.
Boston coach Brad Stevens made the decision to start Morris and bring Aron Baynes off the bench to counter Cleveland’s attack.
“I’ve said this not enough times, that you can’t have better leaders than Al and Baynes. Like you can’t,” Stevens said before the game. “They’re both our two oldest players. They are totally selfless. They are totally in it for the team. They wrap their arms around young guys. The young guys feel ownership with them. Like it’s as good as it gets.”
Cleveland’s poor shooting: The Cavaliers shot 36 percent from the field, including 15.4 percent on 3-pointers. Cleveland missed its first 15 3-pointers and made just four. The three-ball is a major part of the Cavs offense, and they need that shot going in to be successful. The Cavs struggled with their 3-point shooting against Indiana in the first round but made 41.1 percent against the Raptors.
James, J.R. Smith, Kevin Love and Kyle Korver were a combined 2-for-17 on 3-pointers against the Celtics. Love (team-high 17 points) joined James as the other Cavs starter with double figures in scoring.
Cavaliers’ bench production: Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench for Cleveland, and Tristan Thompson added eight points and 11 rebounds. But that wasn’t enough to compensate from the lack of production from the starters. Given Cleveland’s defensive struggles, coach Tyronn Lue might consider putting Thompson into the starting lineup.