Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Celtics
By Ryan Piers
A drumming in Game 1 left the Cleveland Cavaliers questioning whether or not they are a match for the Boston Celtics. Here are a few things to think about.
LeBron James and Al Horford, long-time friendly rivals, embraced before the tipoff for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. It was the closest moment between the two teams the entire afternoon.
From the opening second, the Cavaliers appeared outmatched. Boston raced to a 36-18 lead after the first quarter, peppering Cleveland with an array of offensive looks.
Cleveland struggled from the field, scoring just 35 first half points and trailing by 26 points at the break.
They mounted a run in the third quarter, slicing the lead in half before Boston blitzed to an 18-4 streak en route to a 108-83 win.
Jaylen Brown scored 23 points, grabbing eight rebounds while Marcus Morris added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Horford performed well, again, finishing with 20 points and six assists while shooting 8-for-10 from the field.
The Cavs took a slug to the gut and are breathing heavy. Here are three major points to take away from the loss.