A dominant Recreation 1 efficiency had the Boston Celtics using excessive. They destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers with a barrage of scoring from Derrick White and Jaylen Brown blended with high-level protection.
Then all of it got here crashing down in Recreation 2.
“Defensively, it was an unacceptable efficiency,” mentioned Jaylen Brown. “I feel that’s the place we take a look at. [There’s where] I’m essentially the most upset. Defensively. You already know we gave up 118 factors. Then on high of that, we misplaced the rebound battle. So we didn’t assist ourselves tonight.”
Only one sport after an entirely lackluster displaying, Donovan Mitchell’s 29 factors led a free-flowing Cavaliers offense en path to their highest level complete of the postseason.
Cleveland shot 54.7% from the sector and 46.4% from past the three-point line. They outscored the Celtics by 15 factors from lengthy vary regardless of taking pictures seven fewer threes. “A whole lot of simple buckets for them,” mentioned Al Horford. “We’ve got to be higher in that regard.”
Mitchell’s monster night time began with simple drives and a few transition alternatives and ended with a string of untamed makes.
“Creating separation earlier than the point-of-attack,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned of how Mitchell was in a position to get open. “They’re utilizing off-ball to get him off there. So, we simply bought to be a bit bit extra bodily with our off-ball.
“They bought a few of people who had been communication, I feel he hit one pick-and-roll one, after which the remainder of the threes got here in simply our miscommunication, [and] our physique place at instances. Simply type of have to wash up these technical issues of our particular person protection.”
Photograph by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Pictures
He scored his 29 whereas taking pictures 10/19 from the ground and 5/7 from past the three-point arc. Darius Garland additionally added 14 factors to Cleveland’s totals, draining 4 threes, and Evan Mobley pitched in with 21 factors, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.
That trio created a lethal pick-and-roll tandem, whether or not it was Garland and Mobley or Mitchell and Mobley. It was harking back to the Tyler Herro-Bam Adebayo pick-and-roll that destroyed the Celtics in Recreation 2 of their collection in opposition to the Miami Warmth.
“Yeah, they did job. Particularly on pick-and-roll,” Mazzulla mentioned. “They examined our pick-and-roll protection, we have to get higher at that. Like I mentioned, I feel numerous that stuff within the paint got here from transition due to our poor offensive spacing and rim selections at instances.”
However relatively than leveraging their pick-and-roll sport into simple passes for triples just like the Warmth, the Cavaliers discovered open lanes to the inside. Cleveland outscored Boston 60 to 40 within the paint. The Celtics put down a welcome mat within the restricted space.
And though the Celtics solely turned the ball over seven instances, the Cavaliers nonetheless managed to burn them by working the ground.
Boston’s offensive circulate was utterly frozen by Cleveland’s tight closeouts and improved paint protection. So, relatively than enjoying in opposition to scrambling defenses, the Celtics had been consistently pressured to struggle in opposition to a set scheme.
“It’s simpler to play once you don’t must take the ball out,” mentioned Jayson Tatum. “We’re not hitting photographs – they get out, working in transition. It type of opens issues up for them. You make photographs, they’re going to take the ball out – simply naturally, it forces a crew to play slower.
To reply your query, sure, it does play an element once you’re not hitting photographs, they’re leaking out, they’re pushing the ball in transition. It makes it a bit more durable.”
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Photograph by Maddie Meyer/Getty Pictures
The Celtics have been switching the whole lot outdoors of the five-man on this collection. Horford and Luke Kornet have been enjoying in drop. However in Recreation 2, that simply led to simple Cavaliers drives.
Xavier Tillman discovered success in a double-big lineup with Horford wherein they had been in a position to swap each matchup, however that tandem solely bought a bit little bit of run within the first half.
Boston bounced again after their Recreation 2 loss to the Warmth. However an enormous a part of that was Miami’s taking pictures regressing to the imply. The way in which Cleveland bought their buckets on Thursday night time felt like greater than that.
This isn’t a scenario the place the Celtics can merely play the identical protection and hope it really works out. Would an improved offense have helped? Completely. However that begins with an improved protection. It’s all related.
