The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics 109-98. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
LOSER – First Half Offense
No one can make every shot, even if they’re left wide open. But there are two things you can control. The quality of the shots you attempt, and whether or not you adjust when shots aren’t falling.
Cleveland wasn’t able to properly adjust throughout the first half.
It’s one thing to generate a three-point attempt by working into the paint and then kicking out to the perimeter. It’s another to rush into a three in semi-transition or by launching it over Boston’s drop coverage. Those shots are fine enough if you’re knocking them down at a decent rate. But if shots aren’t falling, those latter attempts start to look questionable.
The Cavs took a handful of open shots in the first half. None of them fell. So as the misses piled up, the not-so-good attempts in semi-transition or over the drop coverage felt jarring. Thomas Bryant’s quick trigger (0-4 from downtown) felt especially bad.
Overall, Cleveland shot 2-22 from deep in the first half. That’s hard to do.
In a vacuum, you can argue that the Cavs attempted shots that usually yield more points. But again, there comes a point where you have to read the game and make adjustments. They didn’t work hard enough to attack the basket and open up the perimeter. It was all frustration and settling for less in the first half.
WINNER – Evan Mobley
Boston is a difficult matchup for the Cavaliers. They always have been. But perhaps the only true advantage Cleveland has in this battle is in the frontcourt, where Mobley has a clear edge on any defender the Celtics can throw at him. That’s led to some efficient games from Mobley, including today.
Mobely found little resistance at the rim, speeding around Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. He also had success spacing the floor by knocking down two three-point attempts. This was an inside-out performance from Mobley that showcased one of the ways Cleveland can actually turn the tables on Boston.
There wasn’t a whole lot else to be happy about in this game. So, Mobley’s 24 points and 3 blocked shots are the only winner we’ll cover here.
LOSER – The Supporting Cast
Let’s get this out of the way. I’m not excusing some of the lackluster performances that we saw from the starting lineup today. Even Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 30 points on 9-18 shooting, was guilty of some bad offensive possessions. But I want to take a moment to round up the supporting cast and talk about multiple shortcomings without singling out any individual player in their own category.
We’ll start with Sam Merrill, who didn’t have a particularly bad game but suffers the most from this Boston matchup. The Celtics are a team that switches everything defensively. That pours water on the fire of Merrill’s screening action. It’s really hard to generate an advantage when the opponent is simply switching and sticking with you.
Similarly, Jaylon Tyson wasn’t getting the same opportunities he normally does. The short-roll isn’t as fruitful against a team that switches. There isn’t as much open space to attack. And, the Cavs’ offense wasn’t creating enough drive-and-kicks to reward him as a catch-and-shoot threat. Even when they did, Tyson missed a handful of open looks.
We mentioned Thomas Bryant already, but his 1-6 shooting and limited mobility were glaring today. The Celtics pose significant challenges for him.
Finally, the backcourt rotation didn’t have enough juice to compete. The trio of Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis, and Craig Porter Jr. combined for 2 points on 1-5 shooting. Cleveland truly needed more from their bench to get over the hump today.
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