Cavaliers Advance to the Second Round 

The Cleveland Cavalier defeated the Boston Celtics 94-106 in game seven of their first round series. Including a series retrospective and a quick preview of the next series, here’s a look back as the Cavaliers advance to the second round. 

Starting lineup 

With Jarrett Allen still recovering from a rib fracture, the Cavaliers went with a starting lineup of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley. 

Cavalier Standouts

Mitchell finished the night with 39 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Scoring 17 of these points in the third quarter alone, Mitchell left everything he had in the court. 

Mobley also had a great game, finishing with an 11 point, 16 rebound double-double. Although he did commit six turnovers, he proved to be efficient with a 62.5 field goal percentage. 

Caris LeVert chipped in 15 off the bench with five rebounds and four assists. LeVert has been a steadily reliable presence off the bench, and provides JB Bickerstaff the ability to get creative with his lineups. 

Garland, finishing with 12 points, three boards and four assists, took a while to get going. Through the first three quarters, he scored two points. In the fourth, however, he made a three off a Mitchell assists and started rolling. He scored 10 points in the fourth, and was a major factor in Cleveland’s Game 7 victory. 

Series Retrospective

In this series, the Cavaliers averaged 95.9 points per game with 41.1 rebounds and 20.6 rebounds with a 44.0 field goal percentage. However, there are some concerns despite them winning the series. 

They posted a 106.0 defensive rating. While this would be elite during the regular season, it surpasses their points per game. This means that, in theory at least, they averaged a losing performance. 

Not the most comforting when it precedes a series with arguably the best team in the league. 

They also struggled mightily rebounding, no doubt amplified in the later games by Allen’s absence. 

While the Magic did prove to be a problem for the Cavaliers, their inexperience proved to be their downfall. However, they’re an extremely talented team with a lot of potential, and should be a presence in the east in the near future. 

Their star ultimately shines through Paolo Banchero, who averaged 27 points and 8.6 rebounds in the series. Scoring as high as 39 points, Banchero consistently played phenomenally. Even at his low points (nine points in Game 4) he has teammates that can step up. Franz Wagner saved the Magic a loss during Banchero’s scoring absence with 34 points. 

This Magic team is talented but green, and although the Cavaliers won the war, it put Cleveland’s shortcomings on full display. 

Round two 

In round two of the NBA Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Boston Celtics. This season against Boston, Cleveland averaged 108.3 points, 38.7 rebounds and 25.3 assists. They shot 46.4 percent from the field and posted a 119.8 defensive rating. These performances resulted in one victory, and two losses at the hands of the Celtics for the Cavaliers. 

In this postseason, the Celtics are averaging 107.8 points, 45.6 rebounds and 22.8 assists. They posted a 47.4 field goal percentage, and a 101.6 defensive rating. By all accounts, the Celtics are the favorites to win this series. 

However they are short one Kristaps Porzingis, who’s played a major role both offensively and defensively for Boston. Granted the Cavaliers are also entering the series without their primary big man (Allen), the short-handedness of the Celtics could prove to be a benefit to Cleveland. 

Game one tips off this Tuesday night (May 7) at 7:00 pm in Boston. 

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Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com

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