The Cleveland Cavaliers look to even up their series against the Boston Celtics when the two teams square off in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff match-up Thursday night inside the famed TD Garden in Boston, MA. They tip it off at 7 p.m., and the Celtics hold a 1-0 series lead after routing the upstart Cavaliers in Game 1 on Tuesday night.
Bookmaker has installed the Celtics as a solid -13 point favorite in this clash. The Cavaliers need this game because they can get swept if they lose. Boston will look to take them out early in this one.
The Celtics knew they would get a tired and perhaps emotionally drained Cavaliers team for Game 1, especially after Cleveland had a hard-fought seven-game first-round series against the young Orlando Magic.
The Cavs came out strong, and thethe game was tight heading into the half, but the savvy Celtics flexed their veteran muscles in the second half and pulled away en route to a 120-95 win as they quickly covered the number.
They can beat you in various ways, and if one star player has an off night, they have the depth and firepower of others to pick up the slack.
The Cavaliers need to find a way to close out these games against top-tier opponents-no slight to the Magic, but they are not on the same level as the Celtics. Boston is a tested, tough team, and the Cavaliers will find that out if this series goes past five or so games. That is why it is essential for them to close out any close games from now on.
The second half was their downfall Tuesday night, as they could not connect on any shots and had defensive severe breakdowns. However, they did play a clean game from the standpoint of not turning the ball over. Cleveland committed only five turnovers all game long, and three of those came from veteran shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who ended with a team-high and game-high 33 points.
Look for the Cavaliers to get him going early on, push the pace, and see if they can get to the line against the Celtics. They also need to do a better job of connecting on shots from beyond the arc, as they connected on just 11-of-42 from three-point land.
The Celtics are 2-2 in their last five games against the spread and 19-19 overall in their road games against the number. The totals have gone over in four out of their previous five games and 22 out of their last 41 games at home. The Cavaliers are 2-3 in their previous five games and 2-3 in their last five games against the spread. They are a solid 19-21 in their road contests against the spread, too.
