Cleveland’s bench outscored Boston’s bench 37-20, but that statistic could be misleading. The Cavaliers were down by 26 points at halftime, and the game was practically over. What happened after that juncture was mostly irrelevant. Al Horford scored 20 points and handed out six assists – who saw that coming? Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 23 points in only his second year in the league. Overall, the Celtics tend to hold themselves accountable if they don’t play well. The game will likely strengthen the image of the Cavaliers as LeBron And The Pips.
Another narrative will the stellar defense the Celtics play on The Kang. Al Horford and Marcus Morris guarded him individually, but he was swarmed on by Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum. Morris, Horford, Brown and Tatum are all 6’8″ or taller, and they made it difficult for LeBron to drive to the basket and pass out of double-teams. LeBron was contained and he got no help from his supporting cast. This was a beat down … plain and simple. The Shock Exchange hears Gladys Knight in the background …
