The Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers handily on Sunday night, winning by a score of 141-103. That 141 mark is a high for all of TD Garden’s history and is the most scored in a home game since 1992.
Coming into the game, the Cavaliers had the fifth best defense in the league, allowing 106.8 points per 100 possessions. This start was not expected for a Cleveland team that has been horrendous on defense in their recent history, and the Celtics made them look like their old selves.
On the other end, Boston had been struggling to string together stops in their previously successful defense, coming into this game with the 18th best defense in the league, allowing 111.5 points per 100 possessions.
They showed a sense of urgency on Sunday night, jumping into passing lanes at any chance they got. The Cs had 14 steals and seven blocks while forcing 17 turnovers, limiting Cleveland to 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep.
Jaylen Brown had a historic game for the Boston Celtics
The California product finished with 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting in only 19 minutes. He is the only player in NBA history to score 33 or more points in less than 20 minutes. The young star got to all his spots against the smaller Cleveland defense, both finishing at the rim and pulling up from distance.
With either Isaac Okoro or Cedi Osman shadowing him, he was able to use his physical advantage and athleticism to get easy looks at the basket. He has really become a treat to watch and Boston Celtics fans should cherish every night he gets to put on the green & white.
If he didn’t get into foul trouble late in the first half, he might have gone for 50.
Kemba Walker had an encouraging performance in this one, scoring 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 3-of-5 from deep. He also had five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Walker’s quickness looks to be all the way back, finishing in the lane with ease over taller defenders. Similar to Isaiah Thomas, he knows how to use his smaller frame to draw contact under the basket, leading to opportunities at the free-throw line.
His combination of being able to shoot off the high pick-and-roll and drive to the rim with such speed makes it impossible to stop when he’s hot. When the Boston Celtics get all their pieces back and healthy, their offense has the potential to be the best in the league.
Coach Brad Stevens went back to the double-big lineup due to injuries and poor play from Grant Williams. It worked for what seems like the first time since opening night, with both Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson having productive games.
Theis has proved to be the more proficient scorer of the two, scoring 17 points on only six shots. He got the majority of his work down at the foul line, making all eight of his free ones.
Usually, he doesn’t get fouled that often, but with the tight passes that Walker throws to him under the basket, he has been getting more opportunities at all levels of the offense. Thompson has become more of the enforcing big for this Boston Celtics team, grabbing 12 rebounds in 22 minutes.
Cleveland was battling on the glass with Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen in the first quarter, as they had five of their 11 offensive rebounds in the opening period. However, it didn’t amount to much, as the Celtics simply couldn’t miss from the field.
The team shot 52-of-93 (55.9%) on the game from the field and 14-of-28 (50%) from downtown. It’s extremely hard for any team to win when facing shooting numbers like those.
Marcus Smart was all over the court in the Boston Celtics’ first win in four games, finishing with 12 points, nine assists, and five steals in 27 minutes. Smart led the defense in being more active in all stages of their coverage, giving the game a better flow for Boston’s offense.
As a starting lineup, the Celtics only had three turnovers to their 12 steals. A ratio like that suggests the extraordinary engagement this team had against a previously hot Cavaliers squad.
In games like these, players buried on the bench get more of an opportunity than usual. Carsen Edwards took the most of his, scoring a bench-high 18 points in 19 minutes. He went 7-of-12 from the field and also grabbed five rebounds.
The criticism for the second-year man out of Purdue has always been his consistency — if he can’t make a shot, he provides no value to the team. If he can gain any sort of rhythm on the offensive end, he can become a useful sparkplug off the bench in games that slow down.
However, he also has the potential to go 0-of-7 in 12 minutes and be a negative on both sides of the ball.
Aaron Nesmith also looked comfortable in extended playing time, shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc for 11 points. With also six rebounds in 17 minutes, he was challenging the rim with his size, often grabbing boards when the second unit couldn’t seem to corral it.
Similar to Edwards, his progression as a player will be all about his shot. His defensive proficiency will improve the more he plays, but if he lives up to his draft hype as a knock-down sniper, he will get his fair share of playing time throughout his Boston Celtics career.
On Cleveland’s side, Collin Sexton, coming off a ridiculous 42 point double overtime performance against Brooklyn, settled for 13 on the night. The Cavs had seven men in double figures, yet none of them scored over 13, resulting in only 103 points on the game.
This was a refreshing win for the Boston Celtics after two back-to-back losses against Philadelphia last week.
They play the second end of the back-to-back on Monday in Chicago.