Injuries haven't stopped Celtics, but now they face peak LeBron in East finals
Boston's only visit to Cleveland during the regular season came on opening night and Celtics free-agent addition Gordon Hayward suffered a season-ending broken ankle midway through the first quarter. If that wasn't the expected end of Boston's run, then losing former Cavs guard Kyrie Irving was. Except the Celtics kept on winning and now have home court in the conference finals against LeBron James, who might be playing better than anyone in NBA history right now.
Boston (2) vs. Cleveland (4)
Eastern Conference finals schedule:
Game 1: Sunday at Boston (2:30 p.m. ABC)
Game 2: Tuesday at Boston (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
Game 3: Saturday at Cleveland (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
Game 4: Monday, May 21 at Cleveland (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
*Game 5: Wednesday, May 23 at Boston (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
*Game 6: Friday, May 25 at Cleveland (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
*Game 7: Sunday, May 27 at Boston (7:30 p.m. ESPN)
*If necessary
Season series:
Cavaliers 2-1
Oct. 17, 2017 at Cleveland: Cavs 102, Celtics 99
Jan. 3, 2018 at Boston: Celtics 102, Cavs 88
Feb. 11, 2018 at Boston: Cavs 121, Celtics 99
Playoff path:
Celtics defeated Milwaukee 4-3, Philadelphia 4-1; Cavaliers defeated Indiana 4-3, Toronto 4-0
Top playoff scorers:
Boston: Jayson Tatum 18.8 ppg, Terry Rozier 18.2; Cleveland: LeBron James 34.3 ppg, Kevin Love 14.7
Main storyline:
Who is the true MVP of the Eastern Conference - LeBron James or Boston coach Brad Stevens? James is rolling like few players ever have, averaging 34.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists in the playoffs, with a couple game-winners at the buzzer in the second round against Toronto. The Celtics have barely missed a beat, even after losing Gordon Hayward on opening night to a broken ankle, and then Kyrie Irving for the playoffs with a knee infection.
One man show:
How much longer can James, 33, keep this up? There were signs of getting some help from Kevin Love, who averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds in the last three games of the Toronto series. Before that, though, Love averaged 10.9 points and shot 32 percent from the field in his first eight playoff games. The hot 3-point shooter is Kyle Korver, 9 for 13 from long range in the last three contests and 46 percent for the postseason.
Next man up:
Watching the Celtics operate in the playoffs, there's no reason to think they're missing anybody. Rookie forward Jayson Tatum and guard Terry Rozier have stepped forward to be playoff stars, with Jaylen Brown, veteran Al Horford, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart delivering what's needed. Like Cleveland, the Celtics seemed vulnerable in a seven-game first round, then won close games with superior execution in Round 2.
Playoff points:
It's tough to pick against James to reach the NBA Finals for the eighth consecutive season, but he definitely needs some help from his supporting cast, even if it's just points from Love and a few 3s by Korver or J.R. Smith. The Cavs have improved their defensive effort from the regular season, but are still allowing opponents to shoot 48 percent from the field. Boston is getting nice balance and is tough to beat in front of its home crowd.
Prediction:
Celtics in 7
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls