Boston Celtics defense has been spectacular against Cavaliers

Boston’s defense was excellent in Game 2 despite LeBron James’ 42 points.

The Boston Celtics‘ defensive rating of 104 is tied for third-lowest in the NBA this postseason, a number which has dropped to a telling 93 in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Boston is clamping down on Cleveland and preventing the supporting cast of LeBron James from receiving the ball in prosperous positions. The Celtics are forcing the Cavaliers to be stagnant offensively with swift rotations, limiting the amount of wide open looks Cleveland feasted on against the Toronto Raptors in the previous round.

One crucial factor in the Celtics holding Cleveland to just 83 points in Game 1 and 94 points in Game 2 has been their emphasis on getting back on the defensive end. The Celtics have allowed just eight fast break points per game in the series while scoring an average of 11.5 points themselves in transition. Cleveland was just 3-for-8 in transition in Game 2.

In last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, which concluded in a five-game series win for the Cavaliers, the Celtics yielded 14 fast break points per night. Cleveland lived lavishly in transition in last year’s meeting. If you allow James to push the pace in the open court, he is an unstoppable force rolling to the basket. As he attacks the rim on the fast break, he is surrounded by the likes of Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith and Kevin Love on the perimeter as they lick their chops at the thought of an open three.

A year ago, these looks were falling as the Cavaliers hit 38.2 percent of their three-pointers in the five-game series and a stunning 50.7 percent of their long range fires in the deciding Games 4 and 5. This series has showcased the improvement of the Celtics’ defense in terms of closing out on three-point attempts.

Celtics kinda remind me of the 04 Pistons the way their defense is on the same page.
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) May 16, 2018

Boston is making wide open looks difficult to come by, giving up just 11 uncontested shot attempts in Game 2. The result is Cleveland making a sorrowful 24.6 percent of their three-point attempts in the series. When a team attempts almost 30 three-pointers a game and converts just seven, the outcome is typically a tally in the loss column.

The Celtics have also shored up their defensive rebounding woes from a series ago. In last year’s conference finals, Boston had a defensive rebounding percentage of 75.9 percent. In the first two games of this year’s matchup, the squad is rebounding at a 81.9 percent clip on the defensive end while coming down with 38.5 defensive rebounds per game.

Al Horford has been the primary reason for this improvement. He was invisible on the defensive glass last May, recording just 4.2 rebounds in 33 minutes per game against Cleveland. Horford was the polar opposite of a weak link in Game 2. He hit the boards with fervor, grabbing 10 rebounds, seven on the defensive end, including multiple crucial rebounds when the Celtics made their run in the second half.

Al Horford absolutely could've been a finalist for #NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He's the anchor of the best defense in the league. #Celtics
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) May 17, 2018

Next: Game 2 most balanced of season

When Love missed a six-footer with Boston leading, 84-77, at the end of the third quarter, Horford muscled his way inside for the rebound. Upon re-entering the game with nine minutes left, Horford sealed another Love miss with his team up, 88-80. Horford was out-hustling his Cavaliers counterparts for these rebounds, something which would not have occurred a year prior.