LVSL Recap: Cavaliers Eliminate Celtics

The Cavaliers defeated the Celtics 98-94 to knock them out of the LVSL Tournament

The Boston Celtics entered summer league with as much hype as you can have for exhibition games in July. With six rookies and a couple more draft picks from last year, the Celtics were picked by many as a team to watch. While the development of players is more important than the result of the games, it’s never fun to lose.

After going 1-2 in Vegas, Boston’s hopes of winning the LVSL Tournament ended as the Cleveland Cavaliers took them down by a score of 98-94.

In a game where Boston committed 15 turnovers and allowed 12 offensive rebounds, they couldn’t hang on at the end. A couple of missed box outs at the end cost the Celtics the game as they were finally able to take the lead with just under two minutes to play, after not being able to break the five-point deficit threshold the Cavaliers held for most of the quarter.

Once again, Boston attempted 14 more free-throws than Cleveland, however they continued to struggle from the line. They only connected on 74.4 percent of their free-throws, something that was a problem for them all summer.

Terry Rozier continued his impressive summer with 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and also went 9-of-9 from the line. Although, Boston gave more time to Demetrius Jackson, as he put together his best game in July.

Jackson looked the most comfortable he’s been since the start of summer league. He attacked the basket a lot more instead of settling for jump shots. Even though he had problems finishing at the rim in the second half, his body language was a lot better as he wasn’t as timid when driving to the basket.

Jackson also had a very nice assist in the first half, although he did finish with four turnovers. Still, nine points on 3-of-8 shooting in 15 minutes was a nice performance by the rookie guard.

Coming off his best game in Vegas, Jaylen Brown arguably topped it. He finished with a team-high 25 points, nine rebounds and two steals. For the second straight game, he made attacking the glass a priority, and it paid off. With five offensive rebounds, he was able to get put-backs and create more opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Not to mention that he shot a very good 8-of-16 from the field and 8-of-11 from the line. It was his best free-throw shooting game of the summer, and he was more focused on driving to the basket than looking for an open jumper.

Also, Brown was able to finish at the rim. He didn’t leave any extra points on the court as he converted all his easy looks, and even had a thundering dunk in the second half.

Brown’s game highlights the up-and-down rookie season he’ll likely have. If he’s able to get to the basket and finish, or convert his free-throws, he’ll be a factor on offense. Boston knows he’ll hustle and play tough defense, but his poor shot will be the determining factor when deciding how much playing time he sees.

Guerschon Yabusele also joined in on the action.

Yabusele finished with seven points and eight rebounds, including five offensive boards. He attacked the basket, again, and showed he’s a lot more athletic than his stature gives off. Not to mention that his nickname “The Dancing Bear” is starting to stick.

Although, Danny Ainge told ESPN in an interview, “He’ll play some 4 and 5 when he gets to the NBA.” It sounds like Yabusele will spend this upcoming season in France, but that’s merely my speculation.

Abdel Nader continued to be aggressive as he went off for 13 points and five rebounds on 5-of-14 shooting and 3-of-8 shooting from three. Ben Bentil also impressed in his small role. He added four points and three rebounds in eight minutes.

For the Cavaliers, Jordan McRae stole the show. He got going early and didn’t stop. McRae finished with 32 points on the night as he went to the line a game-high 12 times, making all 12.

Kay Felder gave Rozier all he could handle, as well. He looked like Isaiah Thomas as he used his small size to maneuver around defenders to find open looks, and made acrobatic plays at the rim. If Felder is able to hit the open three, he could end up being a very important bench player for Cleveland next season.

The Celtics didn’t fare as well as they would have liked to in Vegas. Their undersized summer league team consistently got manhandled on the glass and could never get any consistent play on the offensive side.

Next: Projecting the Celtics 15-man Roster/Depth Chart

They got knocked out of the tournament in the first round, definitely not something a lot of people were expecting. Although, they will get one more game on Friday in the consolation bracket.