20150421-BOSCLE

Boston Celtics

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CLEVELAND – The third quarter hasn’t been kind to the Celtics in Cleveland.

On Tuesday night, a 17-4 run to start the third dug the Celtics a 14-point hole, and similar to Sunday’s Game 1 loss, the Celtics never climbed out of it.

As the Celtics tried to retake the lead the during the fourth, the Cavaliers leaned on their stars and held off the Celtics for a 99-91 win in Game 2 that has the Celtics staring at an 0-2 series deficit as they return to Boston.

“The third quarter has killed us both games. That’s why we’ve been fighting from behind in both games,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

Specifically, foul trouble hurt the Celtics immediately after opening the third, as they picked up four fouls in the first few minutes of the second half.  That put the Cavs on the line for every ensuing whistle in the period.

Game 2 wasn’t too much different than Game 1, except that this time, the Celtics kept the game tight for the entire first half.

Cleveland’s strong start to the third quarter was highlighted by a spectacular half-court alley-oop from LeBron James to Kevin Love, who caught the ball with his back to the basket and flushed the dunk behind his head.

Two buckets later, James was swinging from the rim and kicking his feet at Marcus Smart’s head after another alley-oop, this time from Irving, and Cleveland had opened up a 14-point lead, its largest of the night. With the score at 68-54 Cavs, the Celtics had to once again start the uphill battle, which is tough enough against any NBA team. But against James, Irving and the Cavs, it has twice proven insurmountable.

When the fourth quarter rolled around, the Celtics had closed to within seven points. In response, the Cavaliers went exclusively to their best players – James and Irving – and no one else scored for them during the final stanza. James had 15 of the Cavs’ 24 fourth quarter points, and Irving had the other nine.

“They’re good players. They’re great players. We challenged Kyrie a little bit better. He’s a really explosive ball-handler and scorer,” Stevens said. “And when LeBron just puts his shoulder down and wants to get where he wants to go, it’s hard to stop him from getting there.”

For the Celtics to get where they want to go, which is back to Cleveland for a Game 5, they’re going to have to win at least one of their next two games in Boston –preferably both to have a fighting chance in the series.  Over the first two games, what’s become clear is that they’re relying on Isaiah Thomas to provide the offensive punch. Too often, the Celtics’ offense is sluggish when Thomas isn’t on the floor. Thomas finished with another 22 points, 10 of which came from the free-throw line.

Jared Sullinger also made a solid offensive contribution, adding 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench, and Tyler Zeller had his moments. But the Celtics only shot 39 percent from the field and can’t expect to compete with Cleveland’s firepower when they aren’t converting in the paint.  The longer the game went on, the more the Celtics seemed to settle for outside shots.

The Celtics’ other pesky problem from Game 1 reappeared in the fourth quarter, as they gave up multiple offensive rebounds in the final minutes that sealed their fate.

“We’ve just got to keep attacking the glass like we were in the first half,” Sullinger said.

The Celtics played the Cavaliers closer in Game 2 than they did in Game 1, but they’re taking no solace in a minor improvement that didn’t bear fruit in the win column as they head home trailing 0-2.

“We don’t like to do moral victories around here,” Sullinger said. “We want to win.”

Thomas called Game 3 a “must-win” on the postgame podium, and there’s not much more to say. The Celtics on Thursday night return to TD Garden for their first postseason game in two years, and Game 4 follows on Sunday.

The Celtics need to win both games in Boston to make this a series.

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Third Quarter Again Deadly for C's in Cleveland

RE: Trying to slow down LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in the final quarter:

RE: The Cavs' response to the Celtics' runs:

RE: If he sees LeBron James' intensity change in the fourth quarter:

RE: His confidence after winning two games:

RE: Having a solid third quarter for the second straight game:

RE: Knowing he doesn't always have to carry the scoring load:

RE: Taking over in the final minutes of the game:

RE: His performance in the fourth quarter:

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That's What He Said - Celtics at Cavaliers

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There’s a saying in the NBA that talent always rises.  Such was the case Tuesday night in Cleveland.

As the Celtics made a late push to steal Game 2 on the road, the Cavs turned to their two superstar players to lead them to a victory.  LeBron James and Kyrie Irving did just that.

Cleveland’s star duo combined to score all 24 points that the Cavs put on the board during the fourth quarter.  James accounted for 15 of those points, while Irving scored nine.

Each player scored pivotal buckets during the fourth.  James and Irving each turned a one-possession game into a two-possession game twice.  James first did so via a critical jumper, and next via a free throw and a layup.  Irving used a 3-pointer and a jumper to account for his two momentum-shifting plays.

Simply put, James and Irving weren’t going to allow the Cavs to lose this game.  They put Cleveland on their backs during the fourth quarter and led the Cavs to a 99-91 victory and a 2-0 series lead.

Isaiah Thomas was Boston’s best player during the final two months of the regular season. That trend certainly hasn’t changed as the team has headed into the NBA Playoffs.

Thomas scored 22 points for the second time in as many games Tuesday night in Cleveland.  That total led the Celtics for the second consecutive contest.

The free-throw line was kind to Thomas Tuesday night, as he went to the stripe for a game-high 10 attempts.  He capitalized on all of those freebies, accounting for more than half of Boston’s 19 makes from the free-throw line on the night.

Thomas also led the game in assists for the second time this series.  He dished out seven helpers during Game 2, tying LeBron James for the highest total in the game.

This 22-point performance was very efficient.  Thomas reached the feat despite attempting only 14 shots and missing all three of his 3-point attempts.

Boston may be trailing by two games in this series, but no one can fault Thomas for that fact.  He has been outstanding during both games, but now he needs some help to get the job done.

Brad Stevens on how well the Celtics defended LeBron James and Kyrie Irving

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Ford Keys to the Game: Cavaliers 99, Celtics 91

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Photos: Celtics vs. Cavaliers - Apr. 21, 2015

LeBron James called it nerves and Kevin Love said it was anxiousness, but whatever affected the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first 14 minutes of their playoff opener isn't something they plan to repeat.

What James does seem intent on doing again is making sure Love is a big part of the offense.

The Cavaliers will try to make sure their performance from the final three quarters provided a blueprint for a better beginning in Tuesday night's Game 2 against the Boston Celtics.

Boston shot 57.1 percent in the first quarter Sunday and pushed its four-point lead to eight early in the second quarter before Cleveland settled itself in the first playoff game at Quicken Loans Arena in nearly five years.

The Cavaliers outscored the Celtics 53-25 over the next 18 minutes en route to their 113-100 win, with Love scoring 14 of his 19 in that stretch after failing to hit the rim on four of his first five shots.

"It's very important that Kev stays involved," James said. "For our ultimate goal, Kevin has to be in the rhythm or at least touching the ball and feel like he's a part of what we're doing, which he is.

"Even with Kev's shot not falling early, I felt like just the rhythm he was in, the aggressive mode he was in will pay off for us later."

Love scored more than 40 percent of his points and took more than 38 percent of his field-goal attempts in the first quarter during the regular season, but did all of his damage after the opening 12 minutes Sunday.

Fellow playoff rookie Kyrie Irving said he was glad to have Game 1 out of the way, but he certainly didn't look like he was bothered by the spotlight. Irving had 20 of his 30 points - and all five of his 3-pointers - in the first half. In the 30 minutes he, Love and James were on the floor, Cleveland put up a 127.2 offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) while holding Boston to 89.9.

"We are the Big 3," said Irving, who joined James as the only Cavaliers to score 30 in their playoff debuts. "We have really great players on this team, but we set the tone."

Celtics coach Brad Stevens was reintroduced to that notion after Irving sat out both games against Boston earlier this month while James and Love played sparingly.

"They make you pick your poison," he said. "We have to pay attention to LeBron. We have to pay attention to Love and Irving. Your margin is greatly decreased when you're playing a team of this caliber.
"You just have to be great on both ends the whole time. All 48 minutes."

The Celtics need to do better on the glass in Game 2 after getting outrebounded 46-34 while letting the Cavs grab 15 of their own misses. Only Evan Turner (seven) had more than five boards, though he was a minus-18 overall in his 34 minutes while often being hounded by James.

Isaiah Thomas was productive off the bench with 22 points and 10 assists, helping make up for a starting backcourt that only totaled 17 points. Avery Bradley was 3 for 10 from the field while he and Marcus Smart spent much of their energy trying to stay in front of Irving.

"We're still confident," Thomas said. "Coach said we did a lot of really great things and we did some bad things. They kind of evened out, and that's why we ended up losing the game. So we're still confident.
"Guys are ready for Game 2, knowing that good or bad you've got to have a short memory."

The Cavs swept the first two home games in their last four first-round series before James left for Miami.

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Game 2 Preview: Celtics at Cavaliers

CLEVELAND – Isaiah Thomas didn’t win the Sixth Man of the Year Award on Monday, but he'll still be the first man that the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be looking to lock down on Tuesday.

The NBA on Monday released voting results on the award, and Thomas finished second behind Toronto’s Lou Williams. Williams received 78 first-place votes, while Thomas drew 33 first-place votes. But given Thomas’ double-double in the Celtics' 113-100 Game 1 loss to the Cavs, you can bet he’ll draw plenty of attention in Game 2.

“They’re crowding me a lot, putting two guys on me,” Thomas said before the Celtics practiced Monday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena. “I’ve just got to find the open guy, and try to make the right play as much as possible.”

Celtics coach Brad Stevens concurred with Thomas, noting that he’s not worried about Thomas scoring, but instead, what happens with the offense when he’s got the ball in his hands.

“Whether he scores 20 (sic) like he did yesterday or he scores five, the goal is for our team to get good shots,” Stevens said. “They’re going to pay him a lot of attention. He just has to continue to make the right basketball play.”

Thomas finished Monday’s game with 22 points and 10 assists, but he wasn’t happy with committing five of the Celtics’ 14 turnovers.

“I had a few turnovers that I can control, like jumping in the air,” Thomas said. “But I can fix those, so hopefully in Game 2 it will be a different story.”

Another player looking to change the narrative in Game 2 is Avery Bradley, who scored just seven points on 3-for-10 shooting. Three of his seven misses were way off, as Bradley hoisted a trio of airballs.

“We were able to watch film this morning, and we know what we need to improve on and how we need to execute on the offensive end, and that’s our main focus going into tomorrow,” Bradley said.  “I feel a lot more confident. I feel like we can execute better on the offensive end and get ourselves a lot more easy buckets. I feel like we can space the floor better and make it harder on them, make them have to guard.”

For Brad Stevens, team rebounding was a point of emphasis from the morning film session.

“Defensive rebounding was obviously a major factor here. You’ve got to do a great job with your guards and rotating because you’re going to be in some rotations with their level of talent on the first shot,” Stevens said.  “We’ve got to be great at it, not only cleaning up rebounds but also rotating and blocking out.”

The Celtics certainly can’t afford to allow the Cavs to grab another 15 offensive rebounds in Game 2, and they certainly don’t want to allow 13 treys, either. They’ll have to better on the boards, and across the board, if they want to tie the series up before the scene shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Thursday.

20150421‑BOSCLE

Third Quarter Again Deadly for C's in Cleveland

That's What He Said - Celtics at Cavaliers

Ford Keys to the Game: Cavaliers 99, Celtics 91

Photos: Celtics vs. Cavaliers - Apr. 21, 2015

Game 2 Preview: Celtics at Cavaliers

Celtics Work to Correct Game 1 Mistakes