Tag Archives: Boston Celtics

Pressure is on Heat going into Game 7

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Could the impossible actually happen? Are the Miami Heat going to become the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead? Judging by the way the previous three games have gone, all signs point to yes (shoutout David Puddy).

Losing a Game 4 with a 3-0 lead happens. It is usually the last gasp of life left in a team before falling flat and being blown out in Game 5, but that has not been the case. Miami had a superior Boston team with their backs up against the wall fighting for their playoff lives, and they let them back in with little resistance. This is not the type of play that a championship caliber team should be showcasing before advancing The Finals to take on a well rested Nuggets squad.

If Miami blows this and lets the Celtics win it will go down as one of the bigger choke jobs in NBA history. Not quite up to the level of the 73-9 Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead, but maybe Yankees blowing a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. While losing this series should not cost Erik Spoelstra his job, it would be one hell of a blemish on his coaching record.

There are conversations that should be had, but that is it, just conversations. Any sort of coaching change down on South Beach would be surprising and should be met with harsh criticism. Additionally, if Spoelstra were to be relieved of his duties and wanted to continue his coaching career he would not have a hard time finding a new job.

The winner of this series is going to be gassed and Denver should be the favorite in The Finals no matter the opponent. The Nuggets just look to be better all around and have not appeared prone to the shortcomings of these Heat and Celtics teams. That being said, that series still has to be played and anything can happen, including an unlikely Heat or Celtics victory.

Celtics stay alive with Game 4 win over Heat

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It was a win or go home scenario for the Boston Celtics and they made sure that their trip to South Beach would not end on a sour note. Boston came away with a 116-99 win over the Miami Heat to extend their season another day, two may be more accurate considering their next game is Thursday.

This game definitely seems to have been the energy dump game from a team looking to avoid the sweep. It has been seen countless times before, a team holds a 3-0 lead and the team that has been outplayed the entire series suddenly puts it together for a win in Game 4 before flaming out in Game 5 when they have nothing left to give.

This is not about talent as Boston is a very talented team. In fact, it has nothing really do to with talent. It is about a Heat team that has played better and the Celtics having their back up against the wall. A spoiler win like this should come as no surprise to anyone. Even LeBron and the Lakers looked like they were going to get one win before coming up short and rumors of retirement began to swirl.

There have been three instances of a team evening a series down 0-3 in the NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately for Boston this is where the good news ends. No team has ever come back down three games to none, the most recent chance coming in 2003. The Celtics will certainly have their chance to defy history and make an impressive comeback. But don’t count on anything as the odds are stacked heavily against them.

Cavs best Celtics in overtime, again

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Cleveland defeated Boston in overtime 114-113.

For the second time in less than a week it was the Cleveland Cavaliers taking down the Boston Celtics in overtime. While the Cavs margin of victory was not as large as their last meeting (nine points), a win is a win and Cleveland will certainly take it.

It was a back and forth all game with both teams holding double-digits leads (BOS 12, CLE 11). The fact each team was able to rally is even more impressive considering their lack of success from three-point range. Cleveland was just 11-39 while Boston 11-41 from deep. These shortcomings were made up in other areas. The Cavs held a 56-42 advantage in points in the paint, the Celtics meanwhile made 26 of 27 free throws compared to Cleveland’s 19-24.

What this game come down to was scoring at opportune times. The Cavaliers were able to build a five-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in overtime. This small lead proved to be more than enough as Boston’s two final shot attempts in the last 30 seconds down one were not successful.

Player notes

Darius Garland returned to the Cavs lineup for the first time since the season opener. Garland finished with 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, and three assists in 42 minutes. The return of Garland did not disrupt the Cavaliers flow on offense as they continued to be an incredibly productive unit.

Cleveland’s second-highest scorer was Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell has proven to be such an upgrade for this Cavs team as his outstanding play night in and night out provides Cleveland with another weapon on offense. It was a casual 25 point, six assist, four rebound, two block, one steal night for newest Cavalier.

Jarrett Allen finishing with a double-double is pretty much a sure thing at this point and Wednesday was no exception. Allen’s 14 point and 14 rebound performance is expected at this point as his presence on this Cavs team has proven to be incredibly valuable.

Looking ahead

Cleveland is off Thursday before heading out on a five-game road trip which lasts until the middle of November. First up is Detroit, followed by both teams in Los Angeles, then Sacramento, and finishing off in Golden State. Their 6-1 record and status as second place in the Eastern Conference will be put to the test.

Cavaliers top Celtics in OT 132-123

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The Cleveland Cavaliers take down the Boston Celtics powered by impressive performances from Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert.

It was going to take some spectacular performances from multiple Cleveland Cavaliers if they were going to take down the Boston Celtics without Darius Garland. The Cavs were able to rally from a 15-point deficit and tie the game in regulation before pulling away in overtime. This was the type of character building win that this young Cavs team needs.

Leading the way was Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert combining for 82 points (41 each). Mitchell was 15-25 from the floor (5-9 3PT) and made all six free throw attempts. LeVert made 12 of 21 field goal attempts (6-8 3PT) and went 11-12 from the charity stripe. This was not the typical performance as the duo managed to make some Cavaliers history. Mitchell and LeVert are only the second pair of teammates to score 40 or more points in a single game. Being in the same stratosphere as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving’s performances in the 2016 NBA Finals is impressive.

The Cavaliers big men also pulled their weight in this contest. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen each finished with a double-double, 19 points, 10 rebounds and 12 points, 11 rebounds respectively.

Cleveland is now 4-1 on the year and have won four straight without Garland. This was the first notable win of the season for the Cavs as they have not played a particularly difficult slate of opponents thus far. That being said the important takeaway here is that the Cavaliers are winning and that is all that matters at the end of the day.

Up next are the New York Knicks at home Sunday at 6:00 P.M.

Warriors defeat Celtics to win title

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The Golden State Warriors are NBA Champions again as the defeated the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game 6 to win their fourth title since the 2014-15 season. Steph Curry was able to win the very much elusive Finals MVP after Andre Iguodala and Kevin Durant (2x) had this honor previously. While the Celtics were not the best team the Warriors have faced during their run, they fall right in the middle, it gives Golden State a title that they can point to without the legitimacy being questioned.

The 2015 Finals saw Golden State defeat the injury riddled Cleveland Cavaliers who were down to LeBron James and a supporting cast reminiscent of the 2007 Finals squad which was swept by San Antonio. A healthy Cavs squad took down the 73-9 Warriors next year before they landed Durant in free agency. The addition of Durant put Golden State so far over the top that The Finals were not really a competition, but more of a formality ending with a Warriors win. The only time Golden State would lose during the Durant era was when they faced off with Toronto in 2019. Klay Thompson played in five of six games while Durant was limited to just one, getting injured in his only appearance in the series. This was the beginning of a transition period for Golden State.

It took two seasons for the Warriors to get back to The Finals and they took care of business. But this time there is nothing that can be questioned. Both teams were healthy. There was not a player on either team which propelled them to a clear over-the-top favorite. It was an even matchup with Golden State and Boston having legitimate chances to win. This was a legacy defining moment for the Warriors and Curry for that matter. Arguments and discussions can be had about the other three titles, but not this one and that is what matters. Golden State truly earned this title and Curry his Finals MVP.

Cavaliers win streak ends with loss to Celtics

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The shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers were no match for the Boston Celtics as the 111-101 loss ends their six-game winning streak. 

The Cavaliers winning streak had to end sometime and due to circumstances beyond their control that time was Wednesday night. With eight players in health and safety protocols, the Cavs were facing an uphill battle from the start in Boston. Cleveland had a rough go shooting just 39.1% from the field and 9-38 from three point range. The Cavaliers eventually trailed by 23 points late in the 3rd quarter, but were able to chip away and only lose by 10 points when it was all said and done.

Darius Garland was one of just two regular Cavaliers starters in the game, (the other being Lauri Markannen), and the young guard led the team in scoring with 28 points. Garland made 11 of 22 field goal attempts and struggled from three, making just two of eight shots from deep.

As has been the case as of late, Kevin Love led Cleveland’s bench scoring with 18 points in 23 minutes. Love would also grab a game-high 12 rebounds.

Cedi Osman was the only other member of the Cavaliers to break double-digits, scoring 13 points on a 5-14 shooting effort (1-7 3PT).

It was a memorable night for Tacko Fall as he made his first career start and finished with a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with four points and two blocks.

The loss was the first since December 6th, ending a six-game winning streak. Cleveland will have a small and much needed break before retuning to action Sunday against Toronto. 

Cavaliers snap 11-game losing streak with 102-94 win

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The Cleveland Cavaliers finally ended their 11-game losing streak with a win over the Boston Celtics.

It’s over, it’s finally over. The Cleveland Cavaliers finally ended their losing streak with a 102-94 win over the visiting Boston Celtics. Cleveland’s losing streak was up to 11 after a loss to the Indiana Pacers Monday. While there are still some issues that exist with the team, the Cavaliers were not completely ready to mail in the final few games of the season.

It was a surprising 30-point performance from Kevin Love which led the Cavaliers scoring effort. This was the first time that Love scored 30 points in a game this season and only the second time eclipsing 20 points. Love made 6 of 9 three-pointers and went 10-16 overall while adding four points at the free throw line. The 14 rebounds grabbed by Love in the contest was also a season-high.

Collin Sexton was Cleveland’s second-highest scorer with 28 points. As per usual, Sexton did a fair amount of damage at the free throw line, making 13 of 16 shots at the charity stripe. Young Bull went 7-15 from the field and finished with eight assists for the second straight game. The absence of Darius Garland without a doubt played a factor in Sexton’s increased assist numbers over the last month.

It was the fourth consecutive game with 10 or more points for rookie Isaac Okoro. Okoro made 6 of 14 shots and all three free throw attempts while adding six rebounds and six assists to his final line. It is encouraging to see Okoro’s offense becoming more of a factor lately and it shows some promise in that area for the Cavaliers moving forward.

Cavaliers hold on against Celtics 117-110

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The Cleveland Cavaliers survived a feisty comeback from the Boston Celtics and snapped their losing streak with a 117-110 victory.

Things were starting to spiral out of control for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they lost four straight games, the last being manhandled by the Miami Heat. The Cavs were able to get off their bad streak and back into the win column Wednesday with a surprising win against the Boston Celtics.

At one point in the game Cleveland held a 21-point lead. Late in the 4th quarter Boston cut into the lead to make the final result uncertain. Even when the Cavaliers were able to stretch their lead back out with free throws, the Celtics were able to cut right back in and stay competitive. The fact that Cleveland was able to win in this fashion should bode well for the development of their younger players. Development is a huge part of this season and there are signs of promise moving forward.

Return to SexLand

The Cavaliers scoring effort was led by Collin Sexton who finished tied with a game-high 29 points on 10 of 20 shooting. Sexton made 2 of 5 shots from deep and all 7 free throw attempts in the Cleveland win. The other half of SexLand also contributed as Darius Garland was Cleveland’s second-leading scorer with 25 points. This was the highest scoring output from Garland since the end of February, an encouraging sign moving forward. Each member of SexLand finished with 6 assists, a display of their improving passing abilities.

Nance steps up

Larry Nance Jr. was also a major factor for Cleveland as he made his usual all-around contribution. Nance finished with 18 points on 7-8 from the field, 2-3 from three-point range, and made both free throws. As far as non-scoring stats go, Nance had 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, a typical Larry Nance Jr. performance.

Promising performance from Okoro

Isaac Okoro scored 15 points on the night, his highest total since February 27th in Philadelphia. Okoro made half of his 10 field goal attempts and all five of his shots from the charity stripe while adding 4 rebounds and 2 assists to his final line. This is the kind of development that the Cavaliers like to see out of their young rookie. It shows he can be a complimentary offensive option in the future and takes pressure off some of his teammates.

The Cavaliers have Thursday off as they prepare to host the San Antonio Spurs Friday night.

Cavaliers host Celtics as they look snap losing streak

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to end their four-game losing streak against the Boston Celtics Wednesday.

Things are not going well for the Cleveland Cavaliers and they may get a bit tougher Wednesday night. The Boston Celtics are coming to town and they will provide a difficult matchup for a team trying to get out of their spiral of losing.

The Cavaliers have lost their last three games by just over 22 points per game, the last being a 15-point loss to the Heat Tuesday. Boston has won five of their last seven and are trending upward after a down period of about a month. Cleveland is Boston’s weakest opponent in almost a month and that does not bode well for the Cavs. The Celtics could easily give Cleveland the same treatment that they gave their recent, better opponents.

Jayston Tatum leads Boston in points (25.2), assists (4.4), and steals (1.4). Jaylen Brown is the second-leading scorer with 24.4 per game giving the Celtics two good scoring options. Even if those two do not have a good game Kemba Walker and his 17.9 PPG could make an impact in any game for Boston. Tristan Thompson is their rebound leader with 8.4 per game, but will not play Wednesday due to health and safety protocols.

While a loss is not guaranteed, a win seems to be a big ask for the Cavaliers. Both teams are heading in different directions and that could ultimately play a factor in the final result.

The game is scheduled for 8:00 P.M. Wednesday.

Tristan Thompson tweets appreciation for Cleveland

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The former Cleveland Cavaliers and now Boston Celtics center tweeted appreciation for Cleveland and the Cavs organization.

Tristan Thompson may no longer play in Cleveland, but it seems clear that the city will always be special to him. The former Cavaliers center tweeted Monday about his love for the city and the Cavs organization.

The contributions from Tristan Thompson will never be forgotten. Thompson played an integral role during his time in Cleveland and helped the team win the 2016 NBA Championship.