Like a steamroller, Boston advances without blinking towards the conference final. The Cavs once again paid the price for the unfailing determination of Joe Mazzulla's men last night, conceding their second loss in a row at home. Despite the absence of Donovan Mitchell (calf), Cleveland showed good resistance. Insufficient, however, to shake these Celtics, winners 109-102 in order to take an option on qualification.
Once again, Boston was able to react after being stung at the start of the match, marked by two 3-point baskets from Max Strus (8-2). And as is often the case, it was the two leaders of the team, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who launched the attack with a 12-0 of which they were the great architects. Payton Pritchard followed up with two 3-point arrows to keep the Celtics in the lead after 12 minutes (30-37).
Under the eyes of LeBron James, Cleveland reacted after Jrue Holiday's three baskets in quick succession (33-46), with an 11-3 further fueled by two outside shots from Max Strus, until the hook of Evan Mobley only brought the locals to -1 (50-51). Darius Garland imitated Max Strus before the break, preserving all the Cavs' chances at halftime, despite a disconcerting final 3-pointer from Jayson Tatum (57-62).
Without the Mitchell-Allen duo, mission impossible!
Returning from the locker room, the locals responded with physical commitment to briefly regain the advantage, notably with a 2+1 from Isaac Okoro which put Jaylen Brown's knee to the test, then a lay-up from Darius Garland in a crazy atmosphere (65-64). Enough to boost the determination of Jaylen Brown, author of 7 points in the 11-3 passed by the Celtics in the process, before Derrick White's 3-pointer, for his first points of the match (69-78)!
The rest of the balance of power was then controlled by Boston until the end, even if Cleveland increased its attempts to continue to believe in it, in vain. Boston took the lead again at the start of the fourth quarter thanks to two baskets from JT, a 3-pointer from Jrue Holiday and a mid-range shot from JB (83-98). The Cavs had the merit of believing in it, almost until the end, relying on the outside skill of the Garland-Wade pair, or on the blunder of Evan Mobley to twice return to -5 ( 95-100 then 97-102). Jayson Tatum then pulled away to add two more points, before raising his arms to the sky on Jaylen Brown's 3-pointer, aware that this basket was synonymous with a new victory for his team, and a big step forward towards the conference final (102-109).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– So close, so far. How hard it must be to face such a machine, which punishes you for the slightest deviation and almost never seems to show signs of failure or doubt. This night, despite a difficult context, the Cavs believed that they were going to be able to defeat the leader of the Eastern Conference for the second time in this series. It has not happened. Even if they fought throughout the match, to the point of taking the lead again in the third quarter, or being five short lengths behind in the last minutes of “money time”, JB Bickerstaff's men will ultimately not have never been able to pull the piece off at the end. Infuriating, especially given the context, for a match at home, deprived of two major players. Despite everything, this success is for the moment the most “clinging”, for Boston, which had never won by less than ten points in this post-season.
– Regrets for Donovan Mitchell. If the Celtics have so far masterfully managed the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, that of Donovan Mitchell has necessarily been harder to manage for Cleveland. Which leaves the Cavs with even more regrets in this match, because his teammates gave everything to try to resist. If we add the absence of Jarrett Allen for seven games, it starts to add up a lot when facing the best team of the season.
– LeBron James given a standing ovation. Present at the edge of the pitch, the King returned home to attend the meeting of his former team. The Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse announcer did not miss the opportunity to pay tribute to him during the first timeout of the game. Given a standing ovation worthy of his legend, LBJ ended up getting up to greet the crowd. With Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and him, that was a lot of talent on the court for the Cavs.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
