NBA Playoff Schedule 2017: Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 2 Info, Predictions
The Boston Celtics fought hard for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference all season long but saw it quickly evaporate in 48 minutes after losing Game 1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-104 Wednesday night.
The Celtics, to no one's surprise, weren't favorites heading into Game 1 even though they were the top seed. When a player like LeBron James is playing on the opposing team, more often than not you're expected to lose. The Celtics struggled in the first half, trailing 61-39 at the break.
James, as usual, was dominant, racking up 38 points to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists. He wasn't alone, however, as Kevin Love also found his stroke from long range with 32 points on 6-of-9 shooting from deep to go along with 12 boards.
The Celtics lost their home court advantage, but there are still at least three games to play in the Eastern Conference Finals, including Game 2 at TD Garden in Boston Friday night.
Here's all the information you'll need to know before Friday, May 19:
Date: Friday, May 19
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: TD Garden in Boston
Channel: ESPN, live stream available at WatchESPN
Series: Cleveland 1, Celtics 0
Predictions
Jaylen Brown starts for Boston
Brown was an afterthought in the first round against the Chicago Bulls and had some contributions against the Washington Wizards—particularly in Game 7, when he scored nine points in 20 minutes on the floor—but he played his best game of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against Cleveland on Wednesday, registering 10 points and nine rebounds.
He was the best player on the court for Boston, per Bobby Marks of The Vertical:
It was nearly a double-double for the rookie out of the University of California, Berkeley, where he showed tremendous effort crashing the boards all while defending the best player on the court in James.
Brown wasn't intimidated by James either, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com:
Boston has had some trouble finding its best starting five since the playoffs began, switching power forward Amir Johnson for the likes of Gerald Green for some instant offense. But seeing as the Cavaliers crushed the Celtics on the boards for the majority of Game 1, outrebounding Boston 44-40 over 48 minutes, a boost of athleticism from Brown could make the difference in the starting rotation.
Brown isn't the answer to Boston's prayers by any means, but he can help give his team an opportunity to prevent second chance points all while providing the Celtics with extra possessions on offense.
Don't be surprised to see head coach Brad Stevens make this change to move Brown into the starting five alongside Jae Crowder in the forward positions, especially since Johnson only played five minutes in Game 1, totaling zero points with one rebound.
Cleveland plays its best basketball
It's hard to believe after watching Game 1 that James felt that his Cavaliers squad didn't play up to their abilities after blowing out the Celtics for 48 minutes, but James is his harshest critic and knows what it takes to put teams away in the playoffs.
James and Love had stellar performances, but it's clear where the Cavaliers can improve—even though they won by double-digits.
James and head coach Tyronn Lue will be hoping for some more production from Kyrie Irving, who finished with just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting in 34 minutes.
Irving didn't need to be great in Game 1, but the Cavaliers would much rather see him play to the best of his ability. Also underperforming was J.R. Smith, who, uncharacteristically, only shot the ball twice, scoring one basket for a grand total of two points.
James and Love, not to mention a near double-double from Tristan Thompson (20 points, nine rebounds), can't carry the Cavaliers on their backs throughout this series.
Boston is a gritty team who may be able to take a game or two out of this series if the rest of Cleveland's starting five doesn't get it together. Sure, it's nice to see James and Love combine for 70 points, but what happens if Love can't reciprocate that performance?
James' assessment that the Cavs can do better is understandable when you consider that they haven't played since May 7. But look for James to whip his team into shape ahead of Game 2, where it is likely that Cleveland will come away from Boston with a 2-0 series lead.
All stats are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
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