5-19-17 at Celtics

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breaking-down-the-w-may-19-2017

Breaking Down The 'W' - May 19, 2017

clejsykes

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Wrap-Up -- There’s stealing homecourt advantage from an opponent, and then there’s what the Cavaliers did to the Celtics on Friday night in Boston.

The Wine and Gold took a two-touchdown lead after one quarter and things just got worse for Boston from there – much worse – as Cleveland took a 41-point lead into intermission (the largest halftime edge in NBA Playoff history) and barely looked back in the second half, handing one of the NBA’s proudest franchises a 130-86 thumping at TD Garden.

The Cavaliers went wire-to-wire over Boston in Game 1 and dismantled the Celtics at home in the final meeting of the regular season before that. Now in a 2-0 hole against a team that hasn’t lost a Playoff game since last June, Brad Stevens’ squad will now have to find some answers quickly with the Eastern Conference Finals shifting back to Cleveland.

Cleveland set franchise marks for most points scored in a Playoff game (130) and biggest margin of victory (38) – running their postseason win streak to 13 straight games – tying the 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers for the longest run of all-time.

Friday night’s beating in Beantown was thorough.

Offensively, Cleveland shot 57 percent from the floor, canned 19 three-pointers, more than doubled Boston’s production on the fastbreak, 24-11, and at one point led by an even 50 points.

Defensively, the Cavs held Boston to 37 percent shooting, forced 21 turnovers and held the Conference’s top scorer, Isaiah Thomas, to just two points on 0-for-6 shooting. Thomas didn’t return to action in the second half after suffering a hip injury before intermission.

Once again, LeBron James led the way – finishing with 30 points, going 12-for-18 from the floor, 4-of-6 from long-distance, adding seven assists, four boards, four steals and three blocks in just three quarters of work.

”(LeBron) is playing at an unbelievable level and he's really setting the tone early for us in the games,” praised Tyronn Lue. “When we're getting stops defensively and we're guarding the way we've been guarding, he's able to get out in transition and get to the basket. And when he's making his three-point shot, you're in for a long night.”

Kevin Love – who, like the rest of the starters, sat out the fourth quarter – doubled-up for the second straight contest, tallying 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including a 4-of-9 mark from deep, and leading both squads with 12 rebounds in the win.

Kyrie Irving rediscovered his shooting stroke on Friday night, adding 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting.

”We don’t take this for granted at all, I’m going to continue to say it, because we understand how valuable it is to win on the road or win any games in the Playoffs,” said Irving. “Now we put our focus to Game 3 and prepare for a home court game against a great team like the Celtics. It’s going to be tough.”

The Big Three combine for 74 points as the Cavs cruise in Game 2.

For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown led the squad in scoring with 19 points off the bench, going 7-of-11 from the floor. Through the first two games of the series, the Boston rookie has been their most impressive player – going a combined 12-for-18 from the floor, leading the Celts with nine boards in Game 1.

Brad Stevens went with a lineup change to start Game 2 – replacing Amir Johnson with Gerald Green – but it obviously didn’t make much difference, with Cleveland piling up 72 points before halftime.

”Our team is in a great groove, and I'm happy to be a part of that groove,” said LeBron following the lopsided victory. “At the end of the day, we want to try to put ourselves in position to win every game – that's the goal. Can you do that? Sometimes you come out with an L, but it's how you learn from those experiences that's going to help you out the next time. We’re in a good groove as a team, and we want to try to continue that going home.”

Turning Point -- This one got away from the Celtics quickly – with the Cavaliers showing now mercy in the second quarter after taking a double-digit lead after one.

It’s impossible to single out a particular run because the Wine and Gold simply unleashed a 12-minute avalanche on both ends – shooting 58 percent in the period and canning six three-pointers while holding the Celtics to 25 percent shooting and forcing eight turnovers.

By the three-minute mark of the second quarter, the Cavaliers had outscored Boston, 34-8, in the period – upping their lead to an even 40.

When J.R. Smith hit a twisting 16-foot fadeaway at the halftime buzzer to put the Wine and Gold up at half, 72-31, winning was a mere formality for Tyronn Lue’s squad the rest of the way.

By the Numbers – 8 … straight games that LeBron James has tallied at least 30 points during Cleveland’s current postseason run, including nine of Cleveland’s 10 Playoff games in 2017. James also tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, having now posted 10 straight postseason games scoring at least 25 points and shooting 50 percent from the field.

Quotable – Boston’s Jaylen Brown, on what happened in Friday night’s Game 2 at Boston …

Up Next -- With the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals in the books – and the Cavaliers coming home having thoroughly dominated the Celtics – the series shifts back to Cleveland for next two. Game 3 goes down on Sunday night at The Q, with Game 4 set for Tuesday. If the series continues beyond that point, the Cavs return to Boston for Game 5 next Thursday, come home for Game 6 on Saturday night and return to Beantown the following Monday if the ECF goes the distance.

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Wine and Gold Demolish Celtics, Bring Home 2-0 Series Lead

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#CavsCeltics Game 2 Road Game Watch Party

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#CavsCeltics Game 2 Photos - May 19, 2017

clejgabriele

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We’re one game into the Eastern Conference Finals and the Cavaliers still haven’t lost a game in the 2017 Playoffs, running their winning streak to 12 straight – one victory shy of the NBA’s all-time mark – with a 117-104 win on Wednesday night.

That victory wasn’t much different than Cleveland’s most recent regular season win at the TD Garden – jumping out to a big lead and flummoxing the Celtics the rest of the way.

Cleveland’s starting frontline was dominant – combining for 90 points and 30 rebounds as the Wine and Gold improved their Playoff record to 33-4 against Eastern Conference squads since 2015, including a 16-3 mark on the road over that span.

In beating Boston for the fourth time in five tries this season, the Cavaliers once again opened up at least a 20-point lead – running their advantage to 26 points at intermission and leading by as many as 28 in the third. The Celtics mounted a mini-rally to end the third quarter, but these aren’t the same Cavaliers from the end of the regular season, and Kyle Korver’s triple to start the fourth followed by four straight free throws from LeBron snuffed out their Game 1 comeback hopes.

The two clubs square off for Game 2 on Friday night with history on Cleveland’s side – owning a 17-1 series record when going up, 1-0, and having never lost a series when leading 2-0 (14-0).

Nine games into the 2017 Playoffs and we have no idea at what point LeBron James is in his career. While most of his peers and Draft classmates have settled into the back nine, James only seems to be getting better – as quoted by Celtics coach Brad Stevens after Cleveland’s Game 1 win.

LeBron notched his seventh straight 30-point game in the victory – a 38-point, nine-rebound and seven-assist effort, his 68th career contest of at least 30, 5 and 5.

On the night, LeBron was 14-of-24 from the field and 9-of-11 from the stripe – completely controlling the tempo and wearing down – by some counts – eight different Celtic defenders in the process.

Even if the Celtics can figure out how to improve on the glass or get Isaiah Thomas warmed up, they still don’t have an answer for the King – and if Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith or Channing Frye start heating up from outside, that task will get even tougher.

Jae Crowder, who started off on James, had a solid night offensively – leading the Celtics (along with Avery Bradley) with 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting, including 4-of-6 from long-range.

Now well into the postseason, it’s safe to say that Kevin Love has had his best year since joining the Wine and Gold in 2014.

He’d been relatively quiet through the first two rounds, but insisted that he was good with whatever offensive role he was assigned as long as the team kept winning. But on Wednesday night, Love was the aggressor – notching 11 of his Playoff career-high 32 points in the second quarter and adding 18 more in the third.

On the night, Love finished 9-for-16 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from long-range and 8-of-9 from the stripe – leading both teams with 12 boards. It was Love’s third double-double of the postseason.

The man who saw his first Playoff run as a Cavalier ended at the TD Garden has had a good groove against Boston all season – averaging 25.8 points and 12.8 boards in four games (regular season and Playoffs) – shooting .447 from beyond the arc with a .933 mark (28-of-30) from the stripe.

Amir Johnson is a ceremonial starter for the Celtics and saw just four minutes of action on Wednesday. Kelly Olynyk, who shot Boston into the ECF with a big Game 7 against Washington, returned to Earth on Wednesday night – going 1-for-6 from the floor off the bench.

The Cavaliers had a distinct rebounding edge over the Celtics during the regular season and through the first three quarters on Wednesday night, that trend continued – outrebounding Boston, 28-14, at intermission and 33-26 heading to the fourth. Overall, the Cavs starting frontline outrebounded the Celtics’, 30-17.

Kevin Love led everyone with a dozen – LeBron and Tristan Thompson added nine boards apiece.

Like Love, Thompson notched a Playoff career-high in scoring, finishing with 20 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting – becoming the only player in Cavs history to hit at least seven field goals without a miss in a Playoff game.

Thompson has been quiet on the offensive end in the 2017 postseason; Wednesday was just his second double-digit scoring performance despite shooting .593 from the floor. But he’s been a beast on the boards – especially the offensive glass, where he’s grabbed 45 of his 94 total boards this postseason.

Double-T has grabbed at least five offensive boards in five of the Cavs’ nine Playoff games, including six of Cleveland’s 12 in Game 1.

Boston’s starting center didn’t get off to a great start in the series, with Al Horford finishing with just 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting. He and Jae Crowder snagged eight boards apiece, with rookie Jaylen Brown leading the Celts with nine.

Cleveland knows that if it can stop or slow down Isaiah Thomas, they can control the series.

Boston’s two-time All-Star put up three 30-point games against the Wine and Gold during the regular season, but the Cavs kept him completely off-balance in Game 1 – holding the sixth-year guard to just 17 points on 7-for-19 shooting, including 2-of-7 from long-range. Tyronn Lue’s squad also did an excellent job of keeping him off the line, holding him to just three free throws on the night.

Thomas did manage to lead both teams with 10 assists, but overall he barely made a dent on the contest in Game 1.

After heating up in the fourth quarter of Game 4 in Toronto, Kyrie Irving cooled off from the floor on Wednesday night in Boston – going just 4-of-11 from the floor for 11 points. Irving was solid on the defensive end however, finishing with two steals and a block, while handing out six assists.

Uncle Drew has had some big nights in Boston over his career and the prolific scorer from Duke is poised to find his rhythm and go on a scoring barrage at any time.

keybank-five-keys-cavaliers-at-celtics-game-2

KeyBank Five Keys: Cavaliers at Celtics, Game 2

The defending NBA Champion Cavaliers aim to take a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Tipoff in Game 2 from TD Garden is at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

Following Wednesday's 117-104 victory in Game 1, the Cavaliers won their franchise-record 12th consecutive postseason game dating back to Game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals.

CAVS TO DON NAVY JERSEYS.
        From where to catch all the action to Friday's game notes, Cavs.com has you covered.

The 12 straight wins are tied for the second-longest playoff winning streak in NBA history (12 straight by Detroit from 1989-1990, San Antonio in 1999 and L.A. Lakers from 2000-2001) and just one shy of tying the NBA’s longest playoff winning streak of 13 straight wins (L.A. Lakers from 1988-1989). (Elias Sports Bureau)

In Wednesday’s Game 1 victory, Cleveland limited Boston to just 39 points in the first half (2017 opponent season low for a half) on 16-45 (.356) shooting and a 2-16 (.125) mark from deep. In addition, the Cavs held a 28-14 edge in rebounds in the opening half and went 22-39 (.564) from the field.

On Wednesday, three players scored 20 or more points for the Cavaliers (James – 38, Love – 32, Thompson – 20). The 90 combined points by the trio were the 3rd most combined points scored in a playoff game by three Cavs players.

For Boston, Isaiah Thomas tallied 17 points and a game-high 10 assists in Game 1. Jae Crowder had a team-high tying 21 points on 8-13 (.625) shooting, eight rebounds and five assists while Avery Bradley also scored 21 points and added four rebounds.

The Celtics hope to get more contributions overall as they seek to tie up the series before it shifts back to the North Coast. When going up 1-0, the Cavs have a 17-1 series record. Cleveland has never lost a series when leading 2-0 (14-0).

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike, @ElalcaldeRafa and @chones22 on Twitter.

Status Update: (Cavs) - Edy Tavares (Right Hand Fracture, Out)

Status Update: (Celtics) - None to Report

LeBron James is averaging 34.8 points (highest among all active players in playoffs) on .560 shooting from the field (.434 3FG%), 9.0 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.3 blocks in 42.3 minutes. After a 38-point, nine-rebound and seven-assist performance in Game 1, James now has posted 68 games with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in his playoff career (most in NBA postseason history). James has also scored 30 or more points in a career-high seven straight postseason games. The last player to score 30 or more points in seven straight playoff games was Shaquille O’Neal from 2002 to 2003. (Elias)

Kevin Love tallied his third double-double of this postseason (14th of playoff career) with a playoff career-high 32 points on 9-16 (.563) shooting, including
a 6-9 (.667) clip from beyond the arc and 8-9 (.889) shooting from the free throw line, 12 rebounds (11 defensive) and a steal in 34 minutes. It was his first
career postseason 30-10 game. In four contests against the Celtics this season (regular season and postseason), Love is averaging 25.8 points, including a .447
(17-38) mark from deep, a .933 (28-30) clip from the charity stripe and 12.8 rebounds in 33.5 minutes.

In Wednesday’s victory, Tristan Thompson finished a postseason career-best 20 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting from the field, nine rebounds (six offensive)
and two steals in 34 minutes. Thompson is the first player in Cavs history to make at least seven field goals without missing a shot in a postseason contest.
He has pulled down at least five offensive boards in five of Cleveland’s nine playoff games. (Elias)

The series shifts to The Land for Games 3 and 4 on Sunday and Tuesday. If the series goes on beyond that point, it’s Thursday back in Boston for Game 3, Saturday at The Q for Game 6 and next Monday night in Boston if it goes seven.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

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#CavsCeltics Game 2 Preview - May 19, 2017

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5‑19‑17 at Celtics