Al Horford is a legend
Boston Celtics defeat a weakened Cleveland Cavaliers to become first Eastern Conference finalists
NBAThursday, 16 May 2024 at 04:03
NBA playoff action on this Wednesday night. On the first of the two scheduled matchups, the Boston Celtics closed the job eliminating a diminished Cleveland Cavaliers team 113 - 98 led by a brilliant performance by Jason Tatum.
Boston Celtics continue their steady pace in these playoffs, and tonight secured their trip to the East Finals after the victory over Cleveland Cavaliers. With 3 important absences (Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert), the Cavs gaved their best against a Boston team that is a strong candidate to win the championship.
Cleveland put up a tremendous fight, playing as a visitor against a vastly superior opponent. Evan Mobley carried the team's offense, scoring 33 points and shooting 63% from the field. However, being used on offense forced him to sacrifice his role protecting the boards, which ended up being fatal for the team.
The Celtics dominated in rebounds 43 to 28. Joe Mazzulla's team did an excellent job in the paint, led by veteran Al Horford, who pulled down 15 rebounds and also contributed 21 points. Jason Tatum was sensational, finishing just one assist away from a triple double. 25 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists for the Boston star.
End of the road for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who close a good season, improving what was done in the previous campaign, where they fell in the first round against the New York Knicks. The absence of their star players deprived us of seeing the true potential of the team, it remains to be seen what will be their moves in the next free agency to strengthen the roster.
Boston advances to the East finals, and awaits the winner of the series between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. The New York Knicks lead 3-2 and will look to deliver the coup de grace as visitors next Friday.
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