Cavaliers (48-10) at Celtics (42-17) Game #60 2/28/25

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

MASSIVE CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKE

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKE

[Goldstar88]

Cleveland is the team to beat in the East.

At least we can wait until the ECF to worry about them.

They barely beat us on a night missing two starters when every single non-Jay player (and the coach) was awful and we got an awful whistle. We're still clearly the better team.

Also, regular season games are not the same as postseason. Cavs had this same starting 5 last year in the playoffs. They lost 4-1 to Boston. Let?s not forget so quickly.

[liam]

Deserved win for CLE.

Tatum & Jaylen played great. D White and Horford only okay. Pritchard and Hauser did little. Kornet struggled. No depth behind them. Missed Porzingis and Jrue badly. It was not a good team performance.

Not concerned about the loss. I don't think it says much about a possible playoff match because we were without Porzingis and Jrue. This was a close win for CLE despite having that advantage. Not a great sign for them.

Also not a good sign that CLE struggled with the double big lineup of E Mobley and J Allen. They had to abandon it to complete their comeback in Q4. That would the biggest takeaway for me from this game. Yes, D Hunter gave them the small ball option but their main lineup still struggles against BOS.

Houser played 38 minutes and put up 8 points. Joe had him in for his defense? Torrey Craig is a better defender but Joe gave him 3 minutes... The Cavs go a ligitament 10 deep and we run with 7 guys the whole game except for 1 minute for Peterson and 3 for Craig. Joe got out coached in this one... 6 points off our bench by PP with no other bench scoring. Cavs with 33. Game!

[Phantom255x]

Cleveland is the team to beat in the East.

At least we can wait until the ECF to worry about them.

They may end up with the best record but I like our chances if healthy. That?s a big IF. We just ran out of steam tonight. That plus the fact that I wanna see Garland and Mitchell do what they?re doing when the stakes are higher during the playoffs.

Right now I hope I'm wrong but I'd say CLE > BOS in 7, OKC > DEN in 6, and OKC > CLE in 7 in the Finals

[SparzWizard]

Cleveland is the team to beat in the East.

At least we can wait until the ECF to worry about them.

They barely beat us on a night missing two starters when every single non-Jay player (and the coach) was awful and we got an awful whistle. We're still clearly the better team.

Also, regular season games are not the same as postseason. Cavs had this same starting 5 last year in the playoffs. They lost 4-1 to Boston. Let?s not forget so quickly.

The past is the past, time to let it go. It's a different year, different season. Last year the Celtics were virtually unstoppable at home. This year they're 11 L's at the Garden.

[Atzar]

Tough loss.  Tatum and Brown were special but their teammates didn't do enough to help them bring this one home. 

Hauser is a decent 7th/8th man but having to play him nearly 40 minutes is rough.  He holds up defensively against a lot of matchups.  Donovan Mitchell is not one of them, and neither is Darius Garland.  They gutted him. 

Missed KP.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

this team coasts in regular season and turns it on in post season when they have to. that much is obvious now

all i know is KP and all starters better be HEALTHY and ready to go EVERY DANG GAME in thge playoffs

[celticinorlando]

Cleveland is the team to beat in the East.

At least we can wait until the ECF to worry about them.

They may end up with the best record but I like our chances if healthy. That?s a big IF. We just ran out of steam tonight. That plus the fact that I wanna see Garland and Mitchell do what they?re doing when the stakes are higher during the playoffs.

Right now I hope I'm wrong but I'd say CLE > BOS in 7, OKC > DEN in 6, and OKC > CLE in 7 in the Finals

I disagree. Cavs need Mitchell to carry them to win. Cs missed multiple starters in both Cav wins. Cs in 6

[jpotter33]

We really missed Jrue tonight.   Jrue can switch onto bigs much better than D White.

Agreed, and it would mean less Hauser/mismatch opportunities.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Cleveland is the team to beat in the East.

At least we can wait until the ECF to worry about them.

They barely beat us on a night missing two starters when every single non-Jay player (and the coach) was awful and we got an awful whistle. We're still clearly the better team.

Also, regular season games are not the same as postseason. Cavs had this same starting 5 last year in the playoffs. They lost 4-1 to Boston. Let?s not forget so quickly.

The past is the past, time to let it go. It's a different year, different season. Last year the Celtics were virtually unstoppable at home. This year they're 11 L's at the Garden.

not good. not good at all. they had best change that in playoffs like last year

[tenn_smoothie]

Mazzulla is incompetent.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Mazzulla is incompetent.

 

[jpotter33]

So literally the only two wins they have against us when we were missing at least 2 starters - White/Brown in the first game and KP/Jrue in the second game. Not a great look.

If both teams are healthy, I think it's still clearly the Celtics as the heavy favorite in this matchup.

[celticinorlando]

Few things because I need to vent:

1. Cannot blow a 22 point lead and then a 17 point second half lead at home.
2. Jrue and KP really needed vs the Cavs on defense.
3. I have no idea why Sam Hauser played so much in the 4th. Guy was a traffic cone. Terrible.
4. Cavs made 3's, Cs did not.

I still have concerns about the Cavs in the playoffs. I do not think they have done anything yet this season. They beat Boston twice with Boston missing multiple starters. Also needed Mitchell to carry them.

I am frustrated with the blown lead at home. Still feel the Cs don't care about the regular season. Mitchell himself said it after the game...Cavs haven't done anything yet.

[SparzWizard]

This losing skid could get nasty as the Nuggets are coming to town on Sunday.