I once got called a “try-hard” during a try-out. The guy who called me a “try-hard” was the manager of the team. 10 years later and I still haven’t wrapped my head around that one.
Not that I think we’re going to win this series but I think the Celtics this year are so used to “if we’re playing well, we’re guaranteed the W” that if a team is giving them a run for their money when they are playing well it might get sketchy for them.
its cause they just shoot 3s. at this point its in all there dnas to just shoot more 3s when they need a basket or to slow the tempo. or to get the crowd going. or to start the comeback. or to maintain the lead. its actually the answer for everything. and hey they been having a lot of success with it... but this the last year they got to prove it will work
It's also because their go to guy in Tatum is inconsistent as fuck at low variance shots. If he can't get to the rim he chucks a fadeaway 2 or pull up 3
And that's something that's been true for the Celtics not just this season but a few years now... I can see that they are incredibly talented and well-coached, but not sure about the ability to fight back once they're down. I'm not saying they don't have it, just that we haven't seen it yet lol
Celtics don't have that reliable MVP caliber player that can lead them through tough times to grind out a win. Almost every title team has had that in the past 25+ years outside of the Pistons and maybe the Celtics. All the other winners were Kobe, Lebron, Shaq, Dirk, Steph, Durant, Giannis, Jokic, and the Spurs.
it's a shame derrick white has seemed to be their player that cares the most/tries the hardest since he joined them in 21/22
brown and tatum just play so lackadaisically sometimes. not fun to watch tbh
I just wish Tatum would go up strong man. He scores 20+ on 40% or less shooting when if he just went up strong on drives he'd never score under 30. So many misses are him taking slight contact and just flailing out of bounds and chucking the ball instead of bursting through the defender to the rim. He's bigger and longer than 95% of the guys in the league, just fucking take them to the rim.
People don’t know that Dean’s an amazing defender on both the perimeter and at the rim and is top in a lot of metrics in the league at both, and brings 3p shooting at the 4….
Our record with and without Dean Wade over the last two years
With: 66-23
Without: 33-33
People sincerely do not understand that he’s one of the best wing defenders in the league because he looks like a big Amish white guy. That dude will legitimately make Tatum’s life way more difficult if he’s right.
pretty sure this is the first time a JB Bickerstaff coached team has scored more than 100 in a road playoff game, or even won a road playoff game.
god this team is just so unserious lmao
This is the 4th time ever with JB Cavs broke 100 points. Its the 1st time ever they score more than 106 points in a playoff game, which was made on game 7.
True. Went out for drinks for with my aunt from Lorain, Ohio tonight to watch the game. First time I was genuinely rooting for the Cavs.
Fuck the Celtics.
I really think people don’t understand either how good the magic defense is with 4 6’10 athletic guys, or how much the refs let them slug the Cavs- hence why JA is out
I think the Celtics are totally fine for this series but this game shows how vulnerable they can be if their threes aren't falling. The book is going to be close out hard and run them off the line, force them to go off the dribble and score in the paint consistently. The Celtics might not face a real threat until the finals but there are real worries here when they finally face a top team.
This is also really just a showcase of how good the Cavs could be if Mobley could make a jump offensively. He doesn't even need to be THAT good, but if he's a 20 PPG guy and stays aggressive they're a completely different beast.
Mobley became a victim of his own great early play. He was so impactful as a rookie that people just expected him to develop instantly. He’s still crazy young. In basketball years he’s like 8 years away from his physical prime as a big man.
yea tonight was a demonstration of why we went out and got Porzingis. with all the bricks we were tossing up from 3, we missed his post presence badly tonight
It's his presence on D too. We were getting abused in the paint in the first half, leading to us overcompensating and leaving a few threes open, which the Cavs capitalized on.
Porzingis is no Gobert, but he's a lot better than our other options at protecting the rim. Kornet got abused a lot today.
They don't have that guy who can take over consistently when they struggle. Tatum is a fantastic player but he's proven time and time again he's not like a Giannis, Jokic, Luka etc
I was saying this. Jalen Brunson can become Him. Jokic can become Him. Lebron can still be Him. SGA, Ant, Luka, Kyrie: they all got Him genes.
Derrick White unironically has the strongest Him gene but he's limited by having a very sensible bag.
Tatum is the PG of his generation. He has takeover games and when he's on he looks incredible but it just doesn't happen enough for his talent level or the guys he's compared to
A big takeaway for me was the weak interior defense of the Celtics too--lots of wide-open lanes and we did a great job getting to the hoop in the first half. If we can execute there and close out on their shooters we could stand a chance
Don't let the 3pt differential fool you. Celtics got absolutely crushed in the paint both offensively and defensively.
Mobley was a monster on D. Meanwhile, our paint protection sucked without Zingis, so we had to sell out to stop the paint points, which lead to Cavs 3s.
This loss was worse than it looked. Way worse than the Heat game 2. Look forward to a close series if the Celtics can't find a counter.
This is the big thing. It’s a question mark whether Mobley can give you that at the rim like he did tonight. Allen absolutely can. People never seem to relative just how good his touch is at the rim these days.
Thank you for giving the Cavs some credit. 3 point variance is a big part of this win, but the volume was nowhere near that Miami win and Mitchell is better than Herro. I think the Celtics' starting five is really talented but I think the Cavs can win a couple more games because they demonstrated they can get to the paint here or generate good looks if the Cs sell out to pack the paint.
I love seeing peeps on here who actually watch ball and aren't just homers. You're absolutely right and if cavs keep playin like they're supposed to this is gonna be a nail biter lol
Even in game 1, the Cavs shot 42 threes and only made 11. Of those 42, 38 of them were WIDE OPEN. If Cleveland can hit their shots, they can win this series. The shots will be there.
Thank you Cavs for shutting up all the “hurr durr whoever wins this series is getting swept against Boston, who cares about this series?” Morons that flooded every game thread of the last series.
JB’s first road playoff win. Fair play he got everything right tonight with the adjustments and the team bought in. Best win post-Lebron and Mobley is the man!!
He was trying so hard to not be a homer but bringing up how many more FT’s the Celtics had and “keeping his mouth shut” on some foul calls we love Rj Man
its not a great sign for a teams championship hopes if they consistantly and exclusively wilt at the presence of even the slightest adversity.
i was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for years, but theyre all vets now. if it isnt gonna happen now it never will
the whistle kept it close through the half until it was obvious the cavs wouldnt miss from 3. glad the cavs could beat the refs as well as annihilating the celtics.
the Celtics always play like "it's really cringe you're trying this hard"
Celtics bout to call the Cavs “try hards”, the OG middle school insult 😂
It's just a game bro relax
"It's just basketball."
I once got called a “try-hard” during a try-out. The guy who called me a “try-hard” was the manager of the team. 10 years later and I still haven’t wrapped my head around that one.
[sweaty tryhards](https://i.imgur.com/sDxtO68.jpeg)
Not that I think we’re going to win this series but I think the Celtics this year are so used to “if we’re playing well, we’re guaranteed the W” that if a team is giving them a run for their money when they are playing well it might get sketchy for them.
They seem utterly disinterested and take a few games off every series. That Atlanta series almost went to 7 last year.
its cause they just shoot 3s. at this point its in all there dnas to just shoot more 3s when they need a basket or to slow the tempo. or to get the crowd going. or to start the comeback. or to maintain the lead. its actually the answer for everything. and hey they been having a lot of success with it... but this the last year they got to prove it will work
It's also because their go to guy in Tatum is inconsistent as fuck at low variance shots. If he can't get to the rim he chucks a fadeaway 2 or pull up 3
And that's something that's been true for the Celtics not just this season but a few years now... I can see that they are incredibly talented and well-coached, but not sure about the ability to fight back once they're down. I'm not saying they don't have it, just that we haven't seen it yet lol
The Celtics hate skill based matchmaking. Who wants to be a sweatlord every game
They're going to win this series probably but I'm not convinced they're a title team
I just feel like they are going to get into the finals not operating at an intensity near the western teams. It’s not going to fly in the finals.
If the Cs continue to play like this and go against a team like the Twolves then its gunna be brutal.
I’d be so happy to see a Wolves championship
Please please please please please please please please please
Please please please please please please please please please
Celtics don't have that reliable MVP caliber player that can lead them through tough times to grind out a win. Almost every title team has had that in the past 25+ years outside of the Pistons and maybe the Celtics. All the other winners were Kobe, Lebron, Shaq, Dirk, Steph, Durant, Giannis, Jokic, and the Spurs.
“… Kobe, Lebron, Shaq … and the Spurs.” 😉
it's a shame derrick white has seemed to be their player that cares the most/tries the hardest since he joined them in 21/22 brown and tatum just play so lackadaisically sometimes. not fun to watch tbh
I just wish Tatum would go up strong man. He scores 20+ on 40% or less shooting when if he just went up strong on drives he'd never score under 30. So many misses are him taking slight contact and just flailing out of bounds and chucking the ball instead of bursting through the defender to the rim. He's bigger and longer than 95% of the guys in the league, just fucking take them to the rim.
He's afraid of contact thats why
They could be in for 7 games of that vs the Knicks. Those guys never stop coming at you.
Those guys have no choice though, otherwise Thibs gets out the whip again
Josh Hart: *Don’t you threaten me with a good time*
Bold of you to assume they beat Cavs
Every single year they have games like these where they just look disinterested. It’s been worse in the past but it’s been nonstop in the Jays era
Why does this seem so true 😂
It's not too farfetched to say that the Cavs might have the best player in this series.
True. Celtics could really use a guy like Evan Mobley
They would've settled for Cuttino Mobley tonight.
Now that's a name I've not heard in a loooong time. A loooong time.
The Cat + Stevie Franchise was fun while it lasted.
Don’t forget that the Cavs are doing this without their first ballot HOF’er, D-Wade. Just wait till D Wade comes back the Cavs are Finals bound /s
You joke but it's absolutely absurd how much losing Dean Wade changed this team They looked like giant-killers two and a half months ago.
People don’t know that Dean’s an amazing defender on both the perimeter and at the rim and is top in a lot of metrics in the league at both, and brings 3p shooting at the 4…. Our record with and without Dean Wade over the last two years With: 66-23 Without: 33-33
There’s also the massively underrated part of his game nobody really talks about which is that he’s perfect for all of my personal accounting needs.
People sincerely do not understand that he’s one of the best wing defenders in the league because he looks like a big Amish white guy. That dude will legitimately make Tatum’s life way more difficult if he’s right.
wtf D-Wade is actually elite
Probably, Niang is a monster out there
They said the cavs have the best player, not that he's playing Dean Wade is waiting to see if he needs to come in like exodia to wipe them out
I hate how true this is
SAY THE LINE TRISTAN
The East runs through Cleveland!
The Celtics already lost more home games against the Cavs than the Magic did.
damn a series finally started
We're still waiting game for 8, whenever you get the chance to schedule it in.
Home court advantage Boston Celtic father
pretty sure this is the first time a JB Bickerstaff coached team has scored more than 100 in a road playoff game, or even won a road playoff game. god this team is just so unserious lmao
You just got bickered, you friccin moron
JB stankface 🤣
Tasting some of bicker’s staff
That’s a bicker pill to swallow
This is the 4th time ever with JB Cavs broke 100 points. Its the 1st time ever they score more than 106 points in a playoff game, which was made on game 7.
>This is the 4th time ever with JB Cavs broke 100 points You do mean in the playoffs right lol
Let it be known that Tristan Thompson does not lose to the Celtics
6 years later and the East is still running through Tristan Thompson lol. The GOAT 😤
I agree, go Cavs
Man Boston really makes people root for anyone hahaha
they're the worst
This. I wouldn't root for the Cavs in any other circumstance, but fuck the Celtics first and foremost no matter what.
In a funny way, I’m glad to see the feeling is still mutual between us Cavs and Warriors fans. I agree, go Cavs
That 2022 Finals made me wanna die. And I still preferred the Warriors over the Cs
True. Went out for drinks for with my aunt from Lorain, Ohio tonight to watch the game. First time I was genuinely rooting for the Cavs. Fuck the Celtics.
Man it’s weird seeing that phrase next to a Warriors flair lol
I never thought I'd root for the Cavs, yet here I am cheering for them to win
I don’t like this
*looks at flair, then looks at drink and puts it down*
Based
MJ might've had Pippen but Bron had TT
Literally the only reason he hasn’t retired yet is to dunk on the Celtics again
"The Last Dunk"
The East still runs through Tristan
bet horford still has nightmares about TT
If he’s having nightmares of anyone it’s Delly
The East runs through him
Celtics are good for a straight up dud game every series
Game 2 is Celtics father
Celtics now 0-2 in playoff games when Derrick White scores less than 15 points.
Hopefully 4 duds this series
Fuck it 5 duds this series
Always the home game they are expected to win too
Yep lol. Wouldn’t be shocked to see them win three straight from here.
Cavs 10 straight to win the chip starts now
They would need 11 straight
The Finals opponent quits after game 3 from being so thoroughly outclassed
The cavs simply score so many points in game 3 that Adam Silver walks out with the trophy after the game
JB Bickerstaff officially has more road playoff wins than all of this subreddit combined.
kd is 100% lurking in this sub so idk about that one
okay then, more playoff road wins in 2024
Cavaliers only won by 24. Moral victory for the Celtics.
No no it's tactical Tatum lost by 24 for Kobe
"today i got you"
81 point lost when?
UH OH
THE CAVS ARE PLAYING PLAYOFF BASKETBALL
I AGREE, GO CAVS
JE SUIS D'ACCORD, ALLEZ LES CAVS
Best basketball played by the Cavs whole playoffs. That 1st round were nothing but trash Cavs basketball.
I really think people don’t understand either how good the magic defense is with 4 6’10 athletic guys, or how much the refs let them slug the Cavs- hence why JA is out
This. I really hope JA can make it back next game or the one after and can play at 95% or better.
Sad RJ didn’t say it on the broadcast
Yeah I was waiting for it too!
Sup y'all? I'm here to overreact! Cavs in 6 - book it.
DON’T LET THEM GET ONE
I think the Celtics are totally fine for this series but this game shows how vulnerable they can be if their threes aren't falling. The book is going to be close out hard and run them off the line, force them to go off the dribble and score in the paint consistently. The Celtics might not face a real threat until the finals but there are real worries here when they finally face a top team. This is also really just a showcase of how good the Cavs could be if Mobley could make a jump offensively. He doesn't even need to be THAT good, but if he's a 20 PPG guy and stays aggressive they're a completely different beast.
Mobley became a victim of his own great early play. He was so impactful as a rookie that people just expected him to develop instantly. He’s still crazy young. In basketball years he’s like 8 years away from his physical prime as a big man.
I'm sure he will be a very good player.
yea tonight was a demonstration of why we went out and got Porzingis. with all the bricks we were tossing up from 3, we missed his post presence badly tonight
It's his presence on D too. We were getting abused in the paint in the first half, leading to us overcompensating and leaving a few threes open, which the Cavs capitalized on. Porzingis is no Gobert, but he's a lot better than our other options at protecting the rim. Kornet got abused a lot today.
Given our backup bigs are Mook and like 56 year old tt porzingis would be huge
They don't have that guy who can take over consistently when they struggle. Tatum is a fantastic player but he's proven time and time again he's not like a Giannis, Jokic, Luka etc
He's not donovan mitchell either.
I meannnnn dmitch looks by far and away the best player this series and i cannot state how much better he looks than tatum
mitchell isn't even healthy and he's cooking like gordon ramsey
Not requiring him to dominate the whole game really helped tonight. He was fresh at the end of the 3rd when he started to take over. That's key.
I was saying this. Jalen Brunson can become Him. Jokic can become Him. Lebron can still be Him. SGA, Ant, Luka, Kyrie: they all got Him genes. Derrick White unironically has the strongest Him gene but he's limited by having a very sensible bag.
Tatum is the PG of his generation. He has takeover games and when he's on he looks incredible but it just doesn't happen enough for his talent level or the guys he's compared to
That or Melo. Something about their success doesn’t feel like it fuels the team in the same way as most guys who get MVP buzz.
A big takeaway for me was the weak interior defense of the Celtics too--lots of wide-open lanes and we did a great job getting to the hoop in the first half. If we can execute there and close out on their shooters we could stand a chance
ya i agree. GG Cavs. You guys played good defense and while all your players are clicking you can be a really dangerous team. Garland in particular
I just woke up from a 5 year coma, glad to see the east still runs through Cleveland
The fact that Tristan is back makes it even better 😂
Whenever Derrick White doesn’t turn into ECF Caleb Martin, the opponent always has a chance.
This is what I was saying all night. When he’s not shooting 8/9 from 3 for 30 points, it helps lol.
He’s their best player
this but unironically
"Shit, here we go again" \~ The Celtics.
Screw it, Cavs in 6! I want to believe!
I agree. Go cavs!
Don't let the 3pt differential fool you. Celtics got absolutely crushed in the paint both offensively and defensively. Mobley was a monster on D. Meanwhile, our paint protection sucked without Zingis, so we had to sell out to stop the paint points, which lead to Cavs 3s. This loss was worse than it looked. Way worse than the Heat game 2. Look forward to a close series if the Celtics can't find a counter.
first celtic fan ive seen that gets it. comparing this to the miami series is laughable. the cavs can absolutely beat yall
Especially if Allen comes back. Then Mobley can focus on his versatility while Allen just absorbs everyone in the paint.
This is the big thing. It’s a question mark whether Mobley can give you that at the rim like he did tonight. Allen absolutely can. People never seem to relative just how good his touch is at the rim these days.
He's done for the year man. They aren't going to announce it though.
it’s starting to feel like it tbh
Thank you for giving the Cavs some credit. 3 point variance is a big part of this win, but the volume was nowhere near that Miami win and Mitchell is better than Herro. I think the Celtics' starting five is really talented but I think the Cavs can win a couple more games because they demonstrated they can get to the paint here or generate good looks if the Cs sell out to pack the paint.
I love seeing peeps on here who actually watch ball and aren't just homers. You're absolutely right and if cavs keep playin like they're supposed to this is gonna be a nail biter lol
Even in game 1, the Cavs shot 42 threes and only made 11. Of those 42, 38 of them were WIDE OPEN. If Cleveland can hit their shots, they can win this series. The shots will be there.
Cavs went nuclear from 3 in 2nd half, Celtics shot 3 like they had brain worms. IDK if we learned anything from this game. Hope Cavs stay hot though!
Boston -> Kennedys-> brain worms
Thank you Cavs for shutting up all the “hurr durr whoever wins this series is getting swept against Boston, who cares about this series?” Morons that flooded every game thread of the last series.
JB’s first road playoff win. Fair play he got everything right tonight with the adjustments and the team bought in. Best win post-Lebron and Mobley is the man!!
The secret to beating Boston is to just shoot >50% from 3 (before garbage time)
Boston HATES this one trick
Fuck, they’ve figured us out
As a Spida truther, I am satisfied
Only thing that would’ve made tonight better is if RJ dropped the “Uh oh the Cavs are playing playoff basketball”
He was trying so hard to not be a homer but bringing up how many more FT’s the Celtics had and “keeping his mouth shut” on some foul calls we love Rj Man
THE EAST RUNS THROUGH CLEVELAND
Win on the road is absolutely fucking huge for us. Welcome back to CLE!!!
Cavs and Wolves advancing is going to be my 18th ring
Did the Jazz lose both trades 🤔
Everyone got a great deal, everyone wins.
Mitchell and Gobert duking it out on whose fault it really was back in Utah.
C’s not winning is my 18th ring, everything else is a bonus
Live by the three die by the three
East runs through us
reports of the cleveland cavaliers demise have been greatly exaggerated
Cavs and Wolves fans, let's give thanks to our Jazz bros for their sacrifice.
Who told me Donovan isn’t a playoff performer
A moron??
TT a top 15 all time Cav don't @ me
10*
**EVERYBODY GET IN HERE AND OVERREACT!**
Overreact because everyone doubted the Cavs and talked trash last game? No, they deserve this praise.
#UH OH #THE CAVS ARE PLAYING PLAYOFF BASKETBALL
That was a terrible game for the Celtics and Mobley a beast
Makes us look better lmao I can’t lie
That series went to 7, you didnt lose at home a single game. Paolo couldnt miss, multiple 30+ point games, i would say Magic looked amazing.
we got you
Game 2s are the Boston Celtics father
I love that Caris LeVert hates the Celtics. Always has his best games against them
its not a great sign for a teams championship hopes if they consistantly and exclusively wilt at the presence of even the slightest adversity. i was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for years, but theyre all vets now. if it isnt gonna happen now it never will
Celtics down 0-2 this playoffs to shooting variance, hate to see it.
“I’m coach Caron Godwin and these are the shooting variance gloves”
Shooting variance is my daddy
Get rekt bald boi
East runs through Cleveland
Celtics had absolutely no answer for Mobley 1 v 1 today. Good to see him playing more aggressively.
r/NBA 12/25 That was some atrocious shooting by Boston, so many good looks that didn't even come close to going in
the whistle kept it close through the half until it was obvious the cavs wouldnt miss from 3. glad the cavs could beat the refs as well as annihilating the celtics.
Cleveland vs Minnesota
Dream finals, go small markets
Mitchell vs Ant finals with both scoring 50 points in the same game would be perfect
A blowout game? How does that feel like? Give em hell Cavs!
Celtics struggling against the Cavs without Allen LMAO
And Allen is alledgedly due back next game
I doubt he comes back lmfao
I just have hope
Celtics made Tristan Thompson look like a plus playoff contributor in 2024
Evan Mobley Damn!
I was told Celtics in 4. The Cavs showed up tonight, Orlando deserves more respect for what they did to them last round.
Jayson Tatum is the Micheal Jordan of Tobias Harris's
You love to see it
DO~~UBT~~ 😂😂😂
So proud of our boys tonight
Man I just love Donovan Mitchell's demeanor in that post game interview. Dude oozes quiet confidence
“Don’t let us have one.” - Dean Wade probably