Celtics-Cavs takeaways: C’s fall to another Game 2 loss

Celtics-Cavs takeaways: C’s fall to another Game 2 loss originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON – Another series, another Game 2 loss at home to the Boston Celtics.

The C’s fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden on Thursday night, tying the Eastern Conference semifinals series at 1-1, as they move to Cleveland for Game 3. Afterwards dominating the series openingBoston struggled to find its rhythm on each end of the court in Game 2. It shot an uncharacteristic 41.3 percent from the floor compared to the Cavs’ 54.7 percent.

Boston fought back to tie the game at halftime after trailing early, but Cleveland took control in the third quarter. The Cavs caught fire from beyond the arc of the frame (7-10 3-PT) while the Celtics went ice cold (0-8 3-PT). That ended up being the difference in the 118-94 loss.

Donovan Mitchell dropped a game-high 29 points for the Cavs. Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert also had big nights with 21 points each.

Jayson Tatum led the C’s with 25 points, but it was another bad shooting night (7-17 FG) for the Boston star. Jaylen Brown added 19 points, while Payton Pritchard scored 13 off the bench.

The Celtics will look to bounce back and take a 2-1 series lead on Saturday in Cleveland. Kickoff for Game 3 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Before we look at that matchup, here are three takeaways from Game 2:

Live for 3, die for 3

The Celtics are 58-7 this season when they shoot over 32 percent from deep. They are now between 6 and 12 years old when they shoot below that limit.

It was an uncharacteristic shooting night for the C’s, with Al Horford (3-7 3-PT) the only player with more than two 3-pointers. They shot an abysmal 8 of 35 (22.9 percent) from beyond the arc — their worst 3-point shooting performance since Feb. 27 vs. Philadelphia (22.7 percent). That was his lowest 3-point percentage of the season.

The Cavs, on the other hand, were efficient 13-of-28 (46.4%) from 3. According to Ryan BernardoniNBA teams are 102-6 this season when they make 20% or more of their 3-pointers than their opponent.

Most of the damage was done in the third quarter, when Boston missed all eight of its 3-point attempts. Cleveland was an impressive 7-of-10 in the frame.

No paint resistance

The Celtics lost Game 2 to the Miami Heat because it allowed them to set a franchise playoff record with 23 3-pointers. While 3s were a big problem once again, they lost Game 2 to the Cavs in large part because they got hit in the paint.

Cleveland set the tone early, with 22 of its 30 first-quarter points coming from behind. Meanwhile, Boston struggled to find its internal rhythm.

Halfway through the third quarter, the Cavs had more points scored (44) than they had in all of Game 1 (42). They finished with 60 to the Celtics’ 44.

This was the first game since Kristaps Porzingis calf injury that the absence of the 7-foot star was glaring. Rim protection will be a point of emphasis in Game 3.

Jayson Tatum’s shooting woes continue

Tatum’s shooting decline in the playoffs became the subject of criticism following his 7-of-19 performance in Game 1. Although he played a key role when the offense looked strong in the first half, he did little to calm his Game naysayers. two.

Tatum was aggressive early, frequently getting to the free-throw line and scoring five of his eight first-quarter points from the charity stripe. That continued into the second half, when he finished the first half 8-of-10 from the line but just 3-of-10 from the floor. He was under triple-double watch with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists in the first two frames. When he wasn’t scoring, his presence was felt through his plays.

The five-time All-Star finished with a team-high 25 points, albeit at a less-than-stellar 7-of-17 clip. He is now shooting a below-average 40.7 percent from the floor and 26.8 percent from the stripe. 3 points in the 2024 playoffs.

Tatum’s teammates rejected the notion that his shooting struggles have hurt the team. C President Brad Stevens said during Celtics pregame live that he’s “not losing any sleep” over his star’s playoff numbers. However, it’s fair to wonder how far Boston can go in the postseason with Tatum shooting so poorly.