Cavs-Celtics Game 2 reaction and analysis
By Dan Knitzer
In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers continued to flex its muscles against the Boston Celtics
When the Cleveland Cavaliers barnstormed Boston in Game 1, many pundits proclaimed the series over, ignoring the litany of teams that have overcome 1-0 deficits at home to win the series, in this postseason alone.
The Celtics have home court advantage, so a Game 2 win and a road win in either Game 3 or 4 would not only level the series, but give the home team the edge. That is no longer possible.
The first half of Game 2 ended when J.R. Smith hit a very J.R. Smith-esq. one-footed fadeaway to make the score 72-31, setting a new NBA record for the largest halftime lead in playoff history. The second half was more of the same, as Cleveland torched the home team for a 130-86 victory.
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The Celtics had no answer for LeBron, and they couldn’t prevent penetration from even the Cavaliers’ resident dinosaurs Deron Williams and Richard Jefferson, nor grab a defensive rebound to save their lives.
Their offensive sets were pap and ineffective. Or maybe the Cavs’ finally really did “flip the switch” defensively. They didn’t allow the Celtics to get into the paint or get good looks at threes.
Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford finished the first half with a combined two points, prompting the Inside the NBA crew to say “somebody’s getting traded.”
With the No. 1 overall pick, and Markelle Fultz’s blessing to play for them, Boston is in a very enviable place, long term. They appear poised to remain the second best team in the East for the duration of LeBron’s prime, which is not a bad fate at all. But Game 2 exposed the very real talent disparity between Boston and the team they figure to be chasing for some time.
The ever-overrated Avery Bradley couldn’t hit open shots, or defend anyone on the Cavaliers. He wasn’t alone in either of those shortcomings.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers will publicly say they aren’t focusing on Golden State, only their current opponent, but this series has been a barometer of their defensive potential. They are no longer giving up easy points. They hustled for loose balls, and consistently stayed in front of their Boston counterparts.
The team was connected and communicating on defense – almost “playing on a string,” like a certain Western Conference super team. It is safe to say Cleveland has flipped the switch defensively, and will indeed be playing into June.