Celtics vs. Cavaliers: Game 2 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NBA Playoffs

Once again, Brad Stevens had his neophyte roster ready to play. Once again, it just wasn't quite good enough.

LeBron James scored a game-high 30 points and Kyrie Irving added 26 as the Cavaliers pulled away down the stretch to snatch a 99-91 victory from the Boston Celtics. Cleveland now leads the series, 2-0, going back to Boston.

Much like Game 1, Tuesday night was defined by the young Celtics' unwillingness to concede defeat. Down by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, Boston slowly chipped away at the lead and made the Cavs starters sweat out the result until the end. The Celtics were able to get back within two points at multiple junctures in the fourth, but Cleveland kept making shots when it needed to pull away.

James in particular was sensational down the stretch, scoring 15 of his 30 points in the fourth frame. He shot 11-of-22 from the field overall and added nine rebounds and seven assists. Irving and James scored the Cavaliers' final 28 points, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald noted:

James has also played 40-plus minutes in back-to-back games for the first time since November, a good sign for anyone worried about his health. 

"This is just the beginning," James said, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. "There's going to be a lot of ups and downs and sometimes a little self doubt, but we just lean on each other, we're all we have, we trust what our coaching staff will do to put us in the right position to succeed and you will be OK."

Unlike the starter-heavy Cleveland outfit, a high-scoring bench led Boston's effort. Isaiah Thomas had a team-high 22 points and seven assists as one of three Celtics reserves to score in double figures. Jared Sullinger (14 points, five rebounds) and Jae Crowder (10 points, five rebounds) were the others.

The starting unit was almost entirely held in check. Tyler Zeller was the lone starter to make at least half of his shots, and the five-man lineup as a whole scored just 40 points. Brandon Bass was held to two points on 0-of-6 shooting, one of a number of players who contributed to their 38.8 percent rate from the field.

Meanwhile, James and Irving toppled the opposing starting five's scoring output by 16 on their own. 

Playing in his first postseason series, Irving has looked right at home amid the bright lights. He's made 19 of 39 shot attempts, including an 8-of-17 mark from three-point range, and has even occasionally worked in the post when he has the smaller Isaiah Thomas guarding him. It's been a coming-out party for the All-Star guard, whose lack of playoff acumen had many worried coming into April.

"You think about preparation, and moments you mentally put yourself in," Irving told reporters after Game 1. "It makes things easier when I have guys like his around me. It makes my job easier and I'm able to be myself. We have to give each other confidence. Now that it's the postseason, we just have to lift each other up."

Through two games, the Cavaliers certainly have had little difficulty staying cohesive offensively. Four of Cleveland's five starters scored in double figures, including Timofey Mozgov, who acquitted himself far better in Game 2. Mozgov's 16 points were critical in taking advantage of Boston's lack of interior defensive presence, and his five blocks match a Cavaliers career best.

Cleveland was a little balky (7-of-29) from three-point range but made up for it by converting all but two of its 26 free throws. 

That said, there are exceptions to the Cavaliers' feel-good parade. J.R. Smith struggled from the field for the second consecutive contest. Smith shot 3-of-12 en route to his seven points, highlighted by a 1-of-8 showing from beyond the arc. Adding five steals and being an aggressor on the defensive end helped Smith remain effective while on the floor, but the Cavs will need him to find his rhythm when the series heads back to Boston. 

Kevin Love was also kept at bay, scoring 13 points and grabbing six boards while battling shooting woes himself. Head coach David Blatt actually subbed in Smith for Love down the stretch and then declined to re-enter him when Mozgov fouled out of the game. Cleveland likely wanted to go with a smaller lineup to switch on screens, but it's nevertheless an odd sight to see Tristan Thompson closing the game out over a former All-Star.

Thompson went scoreless in his 26 minutes, instead pounding the glass for 11 boards. The Cavaliers bench scored only seven points and has largely been held in check this series.

Imperfect or not—and it certainly has been—LeBron knows better than anyone that all that matters is getting a win come spring. Point differentials are thrown out the window, and teams that find their rhythm early can often ride the wave to a Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Stevens has coached a marvelous series to force two close games in Cleveland. It's possible he winds up outcoaching Blatt and stealing one back at home. If the first two games have proved anything, though, it's that Cleveland will get by on talent alone on the way to the second round regardless of how it plays.

Whether that can work after this series is another question entirely.

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