Celtics rout Cavaliers, 108-83, in Game 1

Coming into the playoffs, Marcus Morris was separating himself as a primary scorer because of all the injuries for the Boston Celtics.

James meandered through Game 1 of the quarterfinals against the Pacers in a fashion similar to the way he played Game 1 against the Celtics. “Going to have to play better Tuesday”, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the 108-83 rout in the series opener – a game blown open in the first quarter.

“Because I’m a competitor”.

Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, Semi Ojeleye and Al Horford, the players collectively credited for slowing down James in Game 1, have some amongst their number that are better equipped for guarding James one-on-one than others (Brown, Morris, Ojeyele and Horford) because of their size.

“I think we’re very alert to the fact that we’ll get a heavyweight punch on Tuesday night”, Stevens said. The odds ahead of Game 2 are as even as could be and a win for either team will not net a ton of profits for punters.

“I have zero level of concern at this stage”, the three-time NBA Champion explained to reporters after Game 1. But every game carries significant weight in a best-of-seven series.

LeBron James will probably score 35 points (or more) tonight, maybe with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. The Cavs went 4-for-26 from long range, and no individual player hit more than a single 3-point attempt. “That’s the great challenge of having to play against a team like this and a player like him”. Boston built a 29-9 lead because it simply got better shots, exposing a defense that’s prone to being exposed. Boston is playing at home and they have momentum after taking the opening contest: look for them to continue to surprise and make it a 2-0 series advantage with a closer win here. A variety of commentators predicted the team’s demise, including Hall of Famer Charles Barkley saying: “Their season’s over”.

I’ve been trying to look at this series in a myriad of different ways, and it could end up that LeBron just goes bananas and the veteran experience of Cleveland wins out.

The Boston Celtics entered the Eastern Conference Finals shorthanded and as the underdog. He was inconsistent, and could not bring the scoring boost they needed.

When J.R. Smith sets a screen for James, for example, the Celtics are comfortable switching Tatum onto him. The Cavaliers star had seven of Cleveland’s nine turnovers after accruing eight in the entire four-game, second-round sweep of the Raptors. Morris also added 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics.

“They’re both our two oldest players, they are totally selfless, they are totally in it for the team, they wrap their arms around young guys and young guys feel ownership with them”.

The Celtics rank third in second chance points allowed per game (11.0) while the Cavaliers rank 16th (12.8).

Cleveland outscored Boston by 15 points per game in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals with Thompson on the floor, according to The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd. The Cavs avoid a 2-0 deficit by delivering an upset on the road.

The Boston defense held the Cavaliers to just 36 percent shooting in Game 1.

LeBron James drives into the paint against Al Horford. Boston converted 11 of 13 free throws while controlling the glass by a 48-40 margin.

The Cavs apparently have an answer for their Game 1 struggles, and it’s inserting Tristan Thompson in the starting lineup.