A dominant Recreation 1 efficiency had the Boston Celtics driving 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 believe that’s the place we have a look at. [There’s where] I’m essentially the most upset. Defensively. You understand we gave up 118 factors. Then on prime of that, we misplaced the rebound battle. So we didn’t assist ourselves tonight.”
Only one sport after a completely 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 sphere and 46.4% from past the three-point line. They outscored the Celtics by 15 factors from lengthy vary regardless of capturing seven fewer threes. “Numerous simple buckets for them,” mentioned Al Horford. “We have now 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 capable of get open. “They’re utilizing off-ball to get him off there. So, we simply acquired to be slightly bit extra bodily with our off-ball.
“They acquired a few of those who have been communication, I believe 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 sort of have to scrub up these technical issues of our particular person protection.”
Picture by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Photographs
He scored his 29 whereas capturing 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 paying homage 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 a great 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 believe loads of that stuff within the paint got here from transition due to our poor offensive spacing and rim choices at instances.”
However reasonably 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 operating the ground.
Boston’s offensive move was fully frozen by Cleveland’s tight closeouts and improved paint protection. So, reasonably than taking part in in opposition to scrambling defenses, the Celtics have been consistently compelled to battle in opposition to a set scheme.
“It’s simpler to play once you don’t need to take the ball out,” mentioned Jayson Tatum. “We’re not hitting photographs – they get out, operating in transition. It sort of opens issues up for them. You make photographs, they’re going to take the ball out – simply naturally, it forces a group to play slower.
To reply your query, sure, it does play a component once you’re not hitting photographs, they’re leaking out, they’re pushing the ball in transition. It makes it slightly harder.”
Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs
The Celtics have been switching all the things exterior of the five-man on this collection. Horford and Luke Kornet have been taking part in 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 have been capable of change each matchup, however that tandem solely acquired slightly 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 capturing regressing to the imply. The best way Cleveland acquired 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.
