20160205-BOSCLE

Marc D'Amico

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CLEVELAND – Cam Newton might be dabbin’ come Super Sunday, but for now, it’s Avery Bradley’s time to celebrate.

Bradley canned a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer Friday night in Cleveland to give the Boston Celtics an improbable 104-103 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.

Boston scored eight points during the final eight seconds of the game to polish off its incredible comeback.  Bradley’s 3-pointer splashed through the net from the left corner after he received a wrap-around dish from Isaiah Thomas.

“It’s a great feeling,” a cool, calm and collected Bradley said after the game.  “It’s a blessing from God that I even had a chance to get open.  I lost the ball for a second and I didn’t even think I had enough time to get the shot off, but I did and it’s just a great feeling.”

Bradley’s shot capped off a chaotic final 10 seconds of the game.  Cleveland twice led by as many as four points during those final 10 seconds, yet the Celtics continued to claw away.

Jae Crowder hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to make it a two-point game, and following two free throws from Kyrie Irving, Evan Turner made a driving layup along the baseline as J.R. Smith inexplicably fouled him.

Turner headed to the free-throw line with 4.9 seconds left and a chance to make it a one-point game.  His shot, however, missed off the rim and to the left, leading to Marcus Smart’s signature play of the night.

“Intentionally, I was put in to foul (Timofey) Mozgov, but neither one of us were actually expecting Evan to miss the free throw,” Smart explained.  “Once he did that, I decided to go for the ball, and instead of the foul, we came up with a good play.”

Smart beat Mozgov with his first step and got into Mozgov’s body, taking away a free pass to the rebound.  Amid a collision of bodies underneath the basket, the ball trickled out of bounds off of Mozgov’s leg, giving Boston a chance to inbound the ball from the baseline with 4.9 seconds left on the clock and tie or win the game.

Brad Stevens, summing up the final seconds of the game, accurately stated, “This game can change quickly, and you’ve just got to stay with it.”

Boston did exactly that, even on the final play of the game.

The team was out of timeouts but Stevens was afforded an opportunity to draw up a game-winning play while the referees reviewed the missed free throw.  They called into the NBA’s Replay Center to determine without question which team should have possession of the ball.

Stevens’ first option was to go to Evan Turner for the tie, but LeBron James, whom Stevens later called “really freaking smart” for adjusting his defensive position, squashed that idea.

The next option was to go to Thomas, who was coming off of a screen and into the left corner.  Thomas caught the inbound pass and had a brief look at a shot before 6-foot-9 Tristan Thompson closed out on him.  Thomas then drove along the baseline, drawing two defenders, and whipped a left-handed pass around his right hip and back to Bradley, who was replacing Thomas in the left corner of the court.

As Bradley stated, he didn’t catch the ball cleanly.  His momentum was taking him to his left, but Thomas’ pass was off the mark to Bradley’s right.  Somehow, Bradley reeled the ball in, gathered his feet and let loose on the biggest shot of his six-year career.

“It’s extremely difficult,” Smart said of the shot, “because you have to focus on getting the ball first, and then making sure you’re behind the 3-point line, and then making sure you get the ball off on time.  So you have to do numerous things, and everything went the right way for us.”

Bradley’s teammates ambushed him on the court as they celebrated their momentous victory.  Not only had they downed the East’s top team, but they did so in miraculous fashion on the road and in an incredibly hostile environment.

This contest legitimately felt like Game 1 of a playoff series.  The home team came out guns-a-blazing, jumping out to a 14-2 lead.  The crowd viciously booed the Celtics, and in particular Kelly Olynyk, who still draws the ire of Cleveland fans long after he inadvertently injured Kevin Love during last season’s playoff series.  Boston struggled throughout the first half while facing such obstacles.

“It was definitely the closest game this year that felt like a playoff game,” said Tyler Zeller, who came off the bench to score 16 points.  “There were times when we were trying to make calls and Jonas (Jerebko) couldn’t hear us.”

Yet somehow, the Celtics managed to overcome it all, score eight points during the final eight seconds, and shock the reigning Eastern Conference champions on their home court.

“In the big picture, it really does count as one (win),” said Stevens, “but it gives you a sense that you’re improving and getting better.”

It also gives the hero of the night, Bradley, and all of his Celtics teammates a reason to celebrate on Friday night.

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Bradley, C’s Shock East-Leading Cavs in Cleveland

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Avery Bradley gave Boston a 104-103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night.  His bucket was the deciding factor, but another play – a bone-headed one – made Bradley’s shot possible.

Media row couldn’t believe it when a Cavaliers player committed a foul with 4.9 seconds left as Evan Turner put home a layup to make it a two-point game.

Then they realized J.R. Smith was the player who committed the foul, and to the group, it all made sense.

To Smith’s slight credit, replays showed that the contact he made with Turner was relatively minimal.  However, in that situation, at that stage of the game, he should have just allowed Turner to put home an uncontested layup.

Even if Turner made the shot, Cleveland would have the ball with 4.9 seconds left.  Boston, meanwhile, had no timeouts.  All the Cavs needed to do was make two free throws, and the game almost certainly would have been over.

But Smith instead chose to challenge Turner’s drive and contest him along the baseline.

Turner wound up missing the free throw, and Marcus Smart wound up tipping the ball off of LeBron James before it bounced out of bounds, which gave the C’s one more possession to get the win.

Bradley hit the shot, and you’ll hear plenty about that, but it was J.R. Smith’s bone-headed foul that gave the C’s a chance.

Evan Turner did it again.  And by ‘it,’ we mean logged a double-double.

Turner did so for the second time in three games by tossing in 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds Friday night in Cleveland.  Friday’s double-double marks his third of the season.

Turner made half of his 16 shot attempts on the night and three of his four free throws.  His 19 points trailed only Isaiah Thomas’ 22 on the team.

As always, the versatile wing made plenty of plays for other teammates, as well.  He dished out six assists to tie for the game high in that category.

Boston outscored Cleveland by 11 points while Turner was on the floor.  His plus/minus rating was more than double that of the next-best Celtic.

Marcus Smart on what he told Avery Bradley following his game-winner.

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 104, Cavaliers 103

Boston Celtics

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Photos: Celtics vs. Cavaliers - Feb. 5, 2016

Friday, February 5 - Celtics at Cavaliers

Pregame - Stevens, Lue Discuss Game Plans for Tonight

CLEVELAND – Quicken Loans Arena will host a rematch tonight of last season’s first-round matchup between the Celtics and the Cavaliers.  A whole lot has changed since that series.

First and foremost on the list is that Tyronn Lue has become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.  He was named to the position on Jan. 22 and will coach his eighth game tonight.

Cleveland also will be at full strength against Boston for the first time since the early portions of Game 4 of last season’s playoff series.

Kevin Love is back at full strength and playing strong basketball under Lue.  Meanwhile, Irving, who missed these teams’ first matchup of the regular season with a knee injury, is back in the lineup for Cleveland as well.

Brad Stevens spoke ahead of tonight’s game about the difficulties that exist when those two players are both healthy and surrounding the best player in the world, LeBron James.

“Obviously, just two more guys that are elite players in the league,” the coach said.  “Kyrie’s ability to make plays off the bounce and Kyrie’s ability to put pressure on your defense by having to draw two to him off pick-and-rolls a lot is very difficult.

“When Love is posting, he often draws the attention of two.  And when he sets a pick and pops or is in space, you have to be there on his catch.”

Stevens concluded, “It makes it really difficult, especially when they’re around LeBron.”

While Boston does not have players of similar rank to James, Irving and Love, it does pose its own set of challenges to be handled by the Cavaliers.  Lue chose not to go into detail about his schematic preparation for the Celtics, but did discuss some of the challenges the team poses.

“The only preparation is we have to play hard,” he said.  “This team, they play very hard, extremely hard.  They’re a tough team.  They’re a physical team.”

Lue then discussed Boston’s offensive system and said, “They cut with pace, they push the ball, take 3-point shots.”

For the second time in one answer, Lue said that his message to his team is that it must match Boston’s energy at both ends.  Suffice to say that Stevens’ message will be a bit different.

Boston’s coach is likely to address his team from a much more schematic standpoint, as the C’s will be tasked with containing three All-Star-caliber players.

Many things have changed since these two teams matched up during last postseason, but these two coaching messages likely did not.

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DraftKings Stevens, Lue Discuss Game Plans

CLEVELAND – Tyronn Lue began his coaching career with the Boston Celtics back in 2011.  Now, four and a half years later, he’ll face his former team as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lue joined Doc Rivers’ coaching staff with the Celtics as an assistant for the 2011-12 season, two years after he had retired as a player.  Those around him quickly realized that he had a knack for the coaching side of things.

Jared Sullinger joined the Celtics during Lue’s second season with the team.  The big man said that Lue’s demeanor stood out to him from the very beginning of their relationship, which began with Lue as Sullinger's head coach during the Orlando Pro Summer League.

“He was like a calming effect for our team,” said Sullinger.  “He never got frustrated about a lot of things.  He was always cool, calm and collected.”

That included moments during which Rivers was at the other end of the spectrum.

“As Doc was yelling at you,” Sullinger said, “T-Lue would pull you to the side and talk to you on the side and you'd pretty much get the message from T-Lue through a calming effect.  That helps so many basketball players out.  I know for sure it helped me out.”

Lue also made an impact on his peers.  Jay Larranaga, who is now in his fourth season as an assistant on Boston’s coaching staff, joined the team during Lue’s second season in Boston.  Larranaga remembers the impression Lue made on him during their very first conversation.

“I think Tyronn, the first time you meet him, you recognize how intelligent he is, how well he knows the game,” said Larranaga.  “And then the more time you spend with him you realize what a generous heart he has and what a good person he is.

“That was my first year in the NBA,” the coach continued, “and he was somebody who played in the NBA for a long time and had great respect from all the players and coaches and really went out of his way to make me feel at home and to help me in my growth and development as a coach.  He’s just somebody that I have a lot of respect for.”

Neither Larranaga nor Sullinger are surprised that Lue rose to a head coaching position in such rapid fashion.

“I just always expect success for Tyronn.  He’s just somebody I had a lot of respect for, really from my first impressions of him as a person, as a coach,” said Larranaga.  “It doesn’t surprise me that he’s a head coach.  I think he’s really well suited for the job that he has.”

From a player’s perspective, Sullinger said, “He deserves it. Going to LA and being an assistant for Doc (with the Clippers), and then being, I think, one of the highest-paid assistant coaches ever, and then now he's a head coach.  He took his bumps and bruises, but I'm cheering for him.”

Those who worked with and played for Lue during his time in Boston have great admiration for him and are proud of what he has accomplished during such a short time.  However, tonight, he is the opponent.

The Celtics want nothing more than to deal him a loss during his eighth game as a head coach.

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Tyronn Lue Left a Lasting Impression in Boston

Taylor Snow

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Here are five things to watch out for when the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.

Like many teams approaching the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics are beginning to feel the effects of the season-long grind.

It's fortunate that Boston, which has won seven of its last eight, is not facing any major injuries right now. A few of its players, however, are certainly banged up.

Jae Crowder, for example, has injured the same right leg on two separate occasions during the last three games. Luckily for the C’s, he’s a hard-nosed type of player who has little issue pushing through the pain.

“I’m a little banged up but it’s a part of it,” Jae Crowder said Wednesday night after Detroit forward Marcus Morris fell on the back of his leg. “It’s about that time of the season where a lot of guys are getting nicks and knacks.”

Isaiah Thomas has also been experiencing wear and tear, as it has become customary for him to receive lengthy postgame massages. He says he’s just about ready for the All-Star break.

“This is the point where you kind of want that break,” Thomas said Wednesday night. “Guys are banged up, but it happens to everybody and you just have to keep pushing through till break comes.”

That break will begin on Thursday, but Boston has appointments with four opponents first.

The first foe on the Celtics' list is the Cavaliers, who will host them tonight.

Cleveland beat Boston handedly, 89-77, when the two squared off at TD Garden on Dec. 15. That win included a 49-31 second-half drubbing.

Boston’s primary struggle during that contest was matching up against Cleveland’s physicality, and that’s not surprising considering the Cavs’ size advantage.

The Cavaliers have an average weight of 231 pounds, which according to Basketball-Reference.com, makes them the heaviest team in NBA history. When they faced Boston last time, the Cavs’ starting lineup had an average weight of 240 pounds, compared to the Celtics who averaged out at 220 pounds.

Cleveland’s size advantage enabled it to crush Boston in the paint, 44-24.

The Celtics may have been dominated inside the last time they met the Cavs, but they’ve been cruising in that category of late.

Boston outscored New York in the paint on Tuesday, 58-28. The following night it drubbed Detroit in that category, 54-26.

That’s an insane 112-54 advantage in the paint over the last two games, which has to give the Celtics confidence heading into a matchup tonight that is bound to be physical inside.

The Celtics play at the fastest pace (101.1 possessions per game) in the Eastern Conference. Their pace dropped significantly, however, when they played Cleveland in December.

The Cavs slowed the C’s down, and as a result, Boston had its lowest scoring output of the season. Evan Turner says that needs to different this time around.

“I think the first game we played them this year our offense wasn’t too great and they got going and they hit some shots,” said Turner. “We have to make them uncomfortable, and we have to be clicking and our pace has to be great.”

Unlike Boston, the Cavaliers haven’t played at a fast pace for the majority of the season.

Newly appointed head coach Tyronn Lue is attempting to change that, however. The former Celtics assistant coach has made it a major point that he aims to get the Cavs in better shape so that they can become a more fluid, faster-paced machine.

His philosophy seems to be affecting Cleveland's performance already. The Cavs have won five of their last six and scored at least 110 points in each of those victories. That included a 117-103 rout over the top defensive team in the league, the San Antonio Spurs.

Helping with that offensive production has been Kyrie Irving, who returned to action in mid-December after missing the first month and a half of the season recovering from a fractured knee. The point guard has averaged 17.2 points 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game since his return.

Irving was not in Cleveland’s lineup when it faced Boston in December, so that means the C’s have one more weapon to worry about this time around.

watch-it-celtics-at-cavaliers

Watch It! – Celtics at Cavaliers

Gaining confidence and in search of a test, the Boston Celtics are getting one of their biggest of the season Friday night.

The surging Celtics visit the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time since being swept in last year's playoffs.

Boston (29-22) has won 10 of 13, averaging 110.5 points after putting up 100.5 during a 6-9 stretch.

Defense was vital to the Celtics' seventh win in eight tries Wednesday, yielding 37.6 percent shooting on their way to beating Detroit 102-95.

Their attention, however, quickly turned to Cleveland (35-13), which beat them 89-77 in Boston on Dec. 15.

"They're No. 1 in the East right now, they're playing very well, so I'm interested to see how we go out and play against them," center Tyler Zeller told the team's official website. "We've got our work cut out for us, (but) we're playing well, and hopefully we can keep doing it."

The Celtics had season lows in points and field-goal percentage (32.2) in the first meeting while going 9 of 32 from 3-point range.

"I haven't seen them a lot since our game, but they handled us here," coach Brad Stevens said. "Obviously they have a few of the better players in the NBA, so it's going to be a heck of a challenge."

LeBron James is fifth in the NBA with 24.9 points per game, while Kevin Love is among the reboundings leaders with 10.6. They combined for 44 points and 15 boards in December.

James averaged 27.0 points in the playoff series, which saw Love (shoulder) get hurt in Game 4 and miss the rest of the Cavs' run to the NBA Finals.

Kyrie Irving missed this season's meeting with the Celtics recovering from knee surgery stemming from his injury in the finals. The guard has shown no lingering effects while averaging 25.0 points over the last four games.

Irving is averaging 22.9 points in 15 games against Boston, including a combined 56 in two home postseason contests.

Cleveland is trying to bounce back from Wednesday's 106-97 loss at Charlotte that ended a five-game winning streak. James, Love and Irving accounted for 61 points, but the Cavaliers were outscored 33-17 in the third quarter, two days after overcoming a 30-15 third to beat Indiana 111-106 in overtime.

They're shooting 12 of 42 during the third quarter in the last two games.

"We're (terrible) in the third quarter right now," James said. "We need to figure it out. I don't know what it is. I know coach (Tyronn Lue) and the coaching staff are trying to pinpoint what the case may be.

"We're doing a good job of playing great basketball in the first half, but our third quarters are pretty awful right now. We've got to figure that out."

The Celtics' Isaiah Thomas is averaging 12.4 points on 30.9 percent shooting over his last five regular-season meetings with the Cavs, making 3 of 15 shots in December.

Thomas' career-high 21.4 points per game is a big reason why he'll make his All-Star Game debut Feb. 14.

He's not putting too much importance on this matchup.

"It's the biggest game just because it's the next game," Thomas said. "No matter if we play Cleveland or somebody else, the next game is always the most important.

"We gotta go in there and handle business. We know it's gonna be probably a hostile environment. They're a great team, but we're not going to back down from anybody."

20160205‑BOSCLE