Cavaliers (0-1) at Celtics (1-0) Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 5/9/24

[celticinorlando]

Scal said it best.
They played with no purpose and zero force. No heart.

That is so concerning at this stage in the season and with this core’s track record at doing this over and over.

[mr. dee]

This gets me everytime

[ozgod]

I just got home, haven't seen the game, but Joe must go!!

[celticinorlando]

We will see Saturday if this is a one off or a trend. Going to be a lot harder to right the ship in Cleveland though.

[CelticSooner]

Just because this game can be a wake up call doesn't mean you will win the next game. Every game is different, that's why YOU DO NOT TAKE GAMES OFF IN THE PLAYOFFS. I can't believe we doing this again. 

[celticinorlando]

This is mind boggling

3rd straight home Game 2 loss for the Celtics.

7th time in their last 8 playoff series they've failed to sweep the two home games.

BOSTON CELTICS PLAYOFFS
Last 31 at home:       14-17
Last 23 on the road: 16-7

[radiohead]

We will see Saturday if this is a one off or a trend. Going to be a lot harder to right the ship in Cleveland though.

This will be interesting indeed. I mean we rarely lose 2 games in a row, but then again, our last W in Cleveland was way back in 2021. Cs better man up to the challenge.

[libermaniac]

I don’t get people calling them soft and gutless. Shots weren’t falling. They decided to drive and get to the line. That’s not what soft players do. When shots aren’t falling it’s easier for opponents to get transition points and build confidence. Cleveland made lots of highly contested 3 point shots. It’s basketball. Sometimes shots don’t fall. That’s why they play 7.

It was the effort. They got up 9 early and just quit. The energy was that of a game in January.

I went back and watched the key stretches where Cleveland took and then extended the lead and I didn’t see a lack of effort. Just lack of good results. The only bad D I saw was JB getting back-doored by Strus and getting blown by by Mitchell. They were a bit out of sync on a few other possessions but that happens - it’s just Cleveland made them pay with hot shooting. The Cs had lots of open 3s that didn’t fall - they were probably better than the 3s the Cavs made during that period. The offense wasn’t flowing smoothly but it was not for lack of effort. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I’ve never once seen a team get blown out and their fans be satisfied with their effort. Isn’t it ever remotely possible that a team loses a game spectacularly despite bringing effort?

Brown himself said performance on defense tonight was unacceptable.

I’d agree that his was sub-par. He’s the one I called out.

[SparzWizard]

Anyways, all is not well when you are 37-4 at home and, as we've historically sat through since 2022, watch this team get bent backwards and stomped on at the TD Garden by other teams.

Can't make any excuses for this

[cman88]

We will see Saturday if this is a one off or a trend. Going to be a lot harder to right the ship in Cleveland though.

how so? we've done it in miami, milwaukee, philly....

[scaryjerry]

Bad offense led to a zero effort on defense. They just don’t play hard if the shots aren’t falling from 3.

This team at times is so hard to watch. Million dollar talent with 10 cent effort and mentality

Without KP and with Tatum playing the way he is this teams talent is massively overrated.

[Birdman]

Not going win without KP, if Allen comes back we are done without KP..this Cleveland team is not Miami

[celticinorlando]

We will see Saturday if this is a one off or a trend. Going to be a lot harder to right the ship in Cleveland though.

how so? we've done it in miami, milwaukee, philly....

Haven’t won in Cleveland in three or four years. It is a tough place to play for Boston.

[Chief]

Kornet was so bad in game 2.

[Vermont Green]

We will see Saturday if this is a one off or a trend. Going to be a lot harder to right the ship in Cleveland though.

how so? we've done it in miami, milwaukee, philly....

I think the point is that even though there was a bad game in each of those series, we still won all those series.

We can't sleep on CLE.  They are a good team.  Mitchell is a star, Garland is better than people think, and there is a decent supporting cast.  You don't expect to lose by 20 at home but you also shouldn't expect a sweep.

It is hard to understand how the team can let this happen.  Go from looking so good 2 days ago to looking this bad, this flat.  CLE did shoot 50+% from 3.  They made some tough shots, and some open ones.  Very similar to MIA in game 2 of that series.  We have shown we can flip the switch, but we don't want to wear the switch out by having to keep switching it back and forth.