Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Boston Celtics 91
It’s a series many thought was over before it even started. A motivated Cleveland Cavaliers team against a Boston Celtics squad that overachieved for a good chunk of the season didn’t seem like a sexy matchup on paper. It hasn’t proven to be a sexy matchup on the floor. Though the Celtics have remained pesky in the opening games of the series, the Cavaliers have found a way to turn it on late in both games en route to a 2-0 series lead. LeBron James was outstanding last night and finished with 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. James and Kyrie Irving scored every point for Cleveland in the final frame to lock up the victory. There isn’t anyone on Boston that can matchup with James one-on-one. Avery Bradley is too small and Jae Crowder isn’t quick enough. Translation? James is doing whatever he wants on the court. A minor area of concern for the Cavaliers moving forward could be their lack of bench scoring. They only got 7 points from their bench mob in Game 2. That hasn’t proven to be problem against the Celtics. It could prove to be a problem against a team like the Chicago Bulls in the next round. Now the series shifts back to Boston. James hasn’t donned a Cleveland jersey in the TD Garden in the playoffs since back in 2010 where he stripped off his jersey in the tunnel following a series loss to the Celtics. It’d be shocking if James doesn’t exact some sort of revenge this time around as it’s unlikely that Boston steals a game. It’s been all Cavaliers so far and that likely won’t change on the East Coast in the coming days.
Washington Wizards 117, Toronto Raptors 106
John Wall and the Washington Wizards have imposed their collective will on the Toronto Raptors through the first couple games of the series. It started with Paul Pierce questioning the Raptors as a legitimate contender prior to the series and boiled over with Bradley Beal talking a good amount of smack in Game 1 and Game 2. Wall, on the other hand, has let his play do the talking. He was dynamic last night going off for 26 points and 17 assists while Beal added a game-high 28 points in the win. Washington boasts a 2-0 series lead and accomplished that feat amidst of a hostile environment. It will look to close out the series out at home in the coming days. Toronto, however, will undoubtedly show some fight at some point in this series. It needs to steal either Game 3 or Game 4 and get the series back to the Air Canada Centre and give itself a chance. Kyle Lowry is going to have to do more than score 6 points on 3-for-10 shooting for that to happen. Lowry will be reevaluated today after leaving last night with a bruised shin. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Raptors and if he’s out for any extended period of time that could spell trouble. That’s a big thing to keep an eye on moving forward.
Houston Rockets 111, Dallas Mavericks 99
Where are those pundits that said the Houston Rockets better look out for the Dallas Mavericks in this series? Houston — a team that’s been doubted as a legitimate contender this season despite winning at a high rate — has handled Dallas en route to a 2-0 series lead. Though James Harden has been the catalyst for the team all season, players like Dwight Howard and Josh Smith have been the difference in the series thus far. Smith channeled his inner Magic Johnson last night as there was a particular stretch in the game where he seemed to drop a dime every time down the court. Houston finished the night with 15 dunks and they blew the game open in the final frame as Dallas started to wear down as the game progressed. It didn’t help matters for the Mavericks that Dirk Nowitzki had one of his worst nights in recent memory and Chandler Parsons missed with an injury. That, coupled with the fact that Rajon Rondo couldn’t be bothered to try at various points of the game, was a recipe for a 12-point loss. Rondo is going to have to get his head on straight for Dallas to have any chance in this series. He has the ability to lock down Harden when he’s on his game. He also has the ability to destroy a team when he’s off of it. It’s unlikely that Howard and Smith play this well over the next couple games so the Mavericks can take some solace in that as the series heads back to Dallas.