By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Boston Celtics overpowered the banged-up Cleveland Cavaliers, 120-95, to take an early 1-0 lead in the ongoing Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2024.
Boston didn’t waste time and quickly established a lead from the get-go and further continued its rampage in the last three quarters to extend its biggest lead of the ball game to as much as 26 points.
Cleveland, who is coming out of a weary seven-game series against the young Orlando Magic in the first round, slowed down in the second quarter after only putting up 15 points, their lowest- scoring output in the entire game.
Jaylen Brown immediately spearheaded Boston’s quick scoring assault in the opening quarter that steered the Celtics to 40 points in just the first 12 minutes of action.
The athletic shooting guard was all over the place, dunking and slicing through the Cleveland interior while also anchoring Boston’s perimeter defense.
After three quarters, the Celtics were already up by 16 points and ballooned it further in the final frame when their three-pointers started to fall at will.
Brown top-scored Boston with 32 big points in just 33 minutes of playing time to go alongside six rebounds, two assists, and a block.
Meanwhile, Derrick White, Boston’s ex-factor during their first-round series against the Miami Heat, continued his consistent two-way display and tallied 25 markers, five assists, and a board.
Jayson Tatum was also impressive despite a poor shooting night and stuffed the stat sheets with 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three rejections.
Despite missing the presence of Kristaps Porzingis who is still out due to a calf strain, the Boston front court led by Al Horford stepped up on his behalf and registered an all-around effort of seven points, eight rebounds, four dimes, and a steal.
On the other hand, Donovan Mitchell continued his offensive rampage in the playoffs after putting up 33 points, six rebounds, and five assists but his scoring display wasn’t enough to help the Cavaliers score a Game 1 upset victory.
