Celtics Second-Round Review

As of last night, the Celtics have taken a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. When they return to Boston on Wednesday for game five, they will have a chance to clinch an Eastern Conference finals berth for the third year in a row. They have played well during this series, but nowhere near the level they have played at during the regular season and even in their first-round series against the Miami Heat. If the Celtics center, Kristaps Porzinigs, were healthy, this series would be much different, and it would probably be over by now. 

In game one, Boston dominated Cleveland, winning by 25 points. It was a game that Celtics fans have grown accustomed to, a blowout win where the team shoots the three well. The Celtics made 18 out of their 46 three-point attempts, a 39.1% clip. Jaylen Brown led the celtics with 32 points. The team also held their opponent under 100 points for the fifth time in this playoffs. Cleveland, on the other hand, did not shoot the ball well. The Celtics limited everyone on the Cavs except for Donovan Mithcell. He led all scorers with 33 points; everyone else on the Cavs was held under 20 points. This game was truly the best-case scenario for Boston; they built momentum and did everything well.

Game two might have been the exact opposite of game one. The Celtics shot just 22.9% from three, only hitting eight three-pointers. The Cavs, on the other hand, were hitting everything, shooting 54.7% from the field and 46.4% from three. They truly dominated this game in the second half, outscoring Boston 64 to 40. This second-half massacre led by Donovan Mitchell turned all the momentum to the Cavs for a pivotal game three back in Cleveland. A key to this win was the fact that Donovan Mithcell did not have to do all the scoring by himself. Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley each poured in 21 points.

The series moved to Cleveland for game three. This game was a must-win game for both teams. The Celtics needed to avoid going down 2-1 with possibly two more games being played in Cleveland, and the Cavs needed to maintain the newfound momentum from game two and protect their homecourt advantage. The first half was back and forth until the Celtics started to pull away a little towards the end of the second quarter. The Celtics went back to the locker room with a 57 to 48 lead. They came out for the third quarter swinging, going on a 14-point run to increase their lead to 23. The Cavs pulled back in a little, but the lead was firmly around 13 to 15 points for the Celtics for most of the second half. A mini-run at the start of the fourth quarter brought the Cavs back into the game, but the Celtics answered, eventually winning 106-93. Jayson Tatum finally returned to his regular season form, scoring over 30 points for the first time in the playoffs this year. 

In game four the Celtics did not play well in the first half, They lead 62-57 at the end of the half. It was a disappointing half, especially considering that Donovan Mitchell, the Cavalier's best player, was out. It seemed like Tatum was the only player playing with intensity on both ends of the court. The game remained close throughout the second half, but the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown solidified the game four win, pushing the series to a 3-1 lead and a potential series-clinching game in Boston on Wednesday.

I predict that the Celtics will close out this series on a Wednesday, but it will be a nailbiting game. It will come down to Jayson Tatum's ability to score.