Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Postgame Grades and Analysis
It was another valiant display from the Boston Celtics, but when a sub-.500 team goes up against a title contender, this is the result it can expect. At home, the Cleveland Cavaliers took Game 2 99-91 to go up two games to none in the series.
Like they did in the first game on Sunday, the Celtics went up early, leading by nine in the first half before the Cavs found a rhythm on their home floor and took control.
| Marcus Smart | B- |
| Isaiah Thomas | B |
| Evan Turner | B- |
| Tyler Zeller | B- |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
| Kyrie Irving | A- |
| LeBron James | A |
| Kevin Love | B |
| Timofey Mozgov | B+ |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
Boston Celtics
Marcus Smart: B-
Marcus Smart played a sound game, going 4-of-9 from the field for 10 points without turning it over, but grabbed just one rebound and recorded a single assist.
His one assist, to Tyler Zeller in the first quarter, was commendable, finding his center for a thunderous slam to try to set a tone early. Brad Stevens didn't turn to him much in the second half, bringing him on about midway through the fourth during an unsuccessful comeback attempt.
Isaiah Thomas: B
Following up on his Game 1 double-double, Isaiah Thomas was another bright spot for Boston in Game 2. He led the team with 22 points on 6-of-14 shooting, making all 10 of his free-throw attempts and leading the team with seven assists.
Although Boston is overmatched in this series, Thomas continues to prove Danny Ainge right after the Celtics' deadline deal to bring on the 26-year-old. He's barely 5'9", but the point guard was in the running for Sixth Man of the Year this season and could be a significant piece of this Boston rebuild.
Evan Turner: B-
This game was a pretty decent representation of who Evan Turner is as a player. He shot poorly from the field, connecting on just three of his 11 attempts, but did several little things to keep Boston in the game.
He led the team with 12 rebounds, while no other Celtic grabbed more than six. He tied for second on Boston with three assists and successfully denied LeBron James the ball a number of times early on.
He's not a guy you ideally want logging major minutes, but on this building Celtics team, he's a good presence on the floor.
Tyler Zeller: B-
The first quarter was essentially the Timofey Mozgov versus Tyler Zeller show, as both centers led their teams in scoring after 12 minutes. Zeller came out aggressive, turning the ball over on the game's opening possession but getting to the line immediately after and following up on a few Boston misses, cleaning up near the rim.
It brought a good tone to the Celtics early, as they overpowered Cleveland through most of the first half. But as Zeller began to make less of an impact, the Cavs made their run to take the lead—one they would never relinquish. He finished with 11 points and six boards.
Rest of Team: C+
Brandon Bass went 0-of-6 from the field over his 15 minutes, scoring just two and grabbing two rebounds. Jared Sullinger wasn't shy from the field, heaving 11 attempts over his 21 minutes and connecting on five, going for 12 points and five boards.
Jae Crowder played 29 minutes and was a workhorse on the defensive end. He scored 10, grabbed five boards, dished out three assists and came away with a steal. Avery Bradley worked hard defensively also, he but committed four fouls and shot just 3-of-9. Kelly Olynyk played 20 minutes but scored only five and grabbed two rebounds while also committing four fouls.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving: A-
It wasn't with the dramatics of his 30-point Game 1 showing, but Kyrie Irving continued to prove that for him, the postseason may not be an entirely different animal after all. He went for 26 points in Game 2, making eight of his 18 shots.
It was a well-rounded performance, complete with a some nice playmaking—like when he found Timofey Mozgov open under the rim in the first quarter—and a bit of defensive impact as well.
Much was made of Irving's inexperience entering this postseason, but with the way he's been playing, the Cavaliers may need to lean on him to navigate through to the Finals—not the other way around.
LeBron James: A
As we've seen from LeBron James lately, he's not afraid to take a back seat to Kyrie Irving and take control of the playmaking duties.
That didn't happen in Game 2.
Taking over late in the game, he finished with 30 points to lead the team, going 11-of-22 from the field. He led Cleveland with seven assists and also grabbed nine boards, second to only Tristan Thompson's 11.
He was on the receiving end of a few lobs, one each from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, which had the Quicken Loans Arena crowd loud enough to fuel a few Cavs runs.
He was shaky with the ball, turning it over six times and missing three of his four attempts from long range. In milestone-related news, LeBron passed Jerry West for seventh all-time on the playoff scoring list in the fourth quarter when he reached 4,458 points.
Kevin Love: B
After taking a while to get acclimated in Game 1, Kevin Love looked much more comfortable against the Celtics in Game 2 on Tuesday. He attempted just five shots through the first half, which was least among Cleveland's starters. He had seven points through the first two periods and finished with 13 in 29 minutes to go along with six boards.
He was much more involved in the Cavs' sets than he was in Game 1, when he was predominantly camped behind the three-point line, waiting for the ball to find him. He made Cleveland's first bucket of the game—a three off of a Boston turnover—which could be a key for David Blatt to remember.
Featuring Love early in games could boost his confidence and comfort level, even if he's not getting those looks later on.
Timofey Mozgov: B+
Just as everybody nobody suspected, Timofey Mozgov opened the game as Cleveland's most viable threat. He was in double figures by the halftime buzzer with 10 points on a ridiculous four blocks and finished with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, seven boards and a career-high five blocks.
When the energy is right, Mozgov is a joy to watch. His offensive skill set is much more expansive than many presume, and he's typically there to clean up misses by teammates under the rim. He's able to make an impact on the defensive end, with his 7'1" frame and decent athleticism.
There's a reason the Cavs enjoyed massive amounts of success soon after the roster was overhauled in January, and Mozgov is showing why David Griffin gave up so much to get him.
Rest of Team: C+
As the New York Knicks learned in 2012 and 2013, Playoff J.R. Smith is known to put up some stinkers. Tuesday night was one of those stinkers. He missed his first four shots and wound up going 3-of-12 for seven points.
He made a few bad plays defensively, fouling a Boston jump-shooter in the second quarter, a possession after barely avoiding Marcus Smart, who was attempting a three. Interestingly enough, he came away with a career-high five steals.
Tristan Thompson wasn't responsible for much scoring but did help out on the boards, grabbing 11 over his 26 minutes. Iman Shumpert scored just two in 25 minutes, grabbing five boards, and Matthew Dellavedova scored five in nine minutes.
Up Next
Trailing in the series two games to none, the series now shifts to the Celtics' home court, where they went 21-20 this regular season. With the intensity Boston has brought on the road and the close calls they've given the Cavs over the course of both games, there's reason to believe Brad Stevens' crew is a serious threat to take a game at home.
But going up against the best player in the world and a title favorite, the young Celtics—still in the relatively early stages of their rebuild—remain long shots to bring this series back to Cleveland. Regardless of the outcome, Boston has been playing with house money all year. The Celtics' future is bright, and depending on their offseason, they may be a favorite to climb up the East's standings as soon as 2016.
