BOSTON – The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Reunion Tour made a stop in Boston Sunday night for a matchup against old companion Tristan Thompson and the Celtics.
Just this one didn’t yield similar outcome as the past two games against a previous Cavalier. Cleveland got smothered by Boston 141-103.
Returning off to-back successes against Kyrie Irving’s Brooklyn Nets – and riding a three-game streak by and large – the Cavs showed up in Beantown with a wealth of certainty. They’re getting solid again following a fourteen day slide brought about by a rash of wounds. The additional bodies prompted an observable uptick in all out attack mode end. That development, joined with a similar covering protection, prompted amazing considerations about the thing could be pushing ahead.
Yet, the Celtics, one of a year ago’s delegates in the Eastern Conference finals, offered a lowering rude awakening.
“We played as though we had shown up some place, as we didn’t have anything to demonstrate,” Cavs lead trainer J.B. Bickerstaff said after the misfortune. “This is a generally excellent group we played around evening time. A group with a huge load of season finisher experience and a lot of champs. We had dominated three matches in succession, so we came out as though we had achieved something. These are the exercises and the tests that we talk about.
“We were perusing our press clippings and smelling ourselves since we had a couple decent games. However, that makes no difference in this association. You can’t do it each and every evening, groups are coming for you. The Celtics gave us an incredible exercise and I trust we gain from it.”
For the Cavs, playing hard isn’t discretionary. They don’t have the very good quality ability to conquer an absence of coarseness and reliably dominate pretty matches. It doesn’t make a difference what happened recently against the ritzy Nets. It doesn’t make a difference if Boston was battling, having lost three straight games, including a new 30-point pounding by the New York Knicks. Consistently presents an alternate test. Excitement can be torn away in a moment. Cruel exercises are continually sticking around the bend.
Despite the fact that it has been an uncommon event this season, the Cavs didn’t bring it Sunday. Dormant exertion on safeguard. Insufficient cooperation at the opposite end. Bickerstaff could detect it minutes into the game. Players began examining it uninvolved and during clusters.
With the Cavs following 11-2 preceding the 9-minute characteristic of the main quarter, a bothered Bickerstaff traded out every one of the five starters, communicating something specific and searching for a flash.
It won’t ever come.
“They came out and beat us senseless in each part of the game,” Bickerstaff said. “They got to their spots, they were more physical, they set screens, we were unable to get into the ball, we didn’t direct anything on one or the flip side of the floor. It was clear immediately.”
The group’s second-positioned safeguard surrendered a season-high point all out despite the fact that the Celtics played without Jayson Tatum, who missed his fourth consecutive non-deferred game with COVID, and utilized their finish of-seat subs for a greater part of the runaway final quarter.
Boston shot 55.9% from the field and half from 3-point range. The Cavs had no responses for Jaylen Brown, who poured in a game-high 33 focuses on 13-of-20 shooting and 3-of-4 from past the bend. Kemba Walker, who got back from offseason recovery on his knee seven days prior, added 21 focuses to go with five bounce back and four aids 24 minutes.
In his first game against Cleveland, Thompson, who endorsed with the Celtics as an unlimited free specialist following nine years with the Cavs, scored five focuses and snatched 12 bounce back. He helped set the pace right on time with his genuineness around the edge, opening the scoring for Boston with an uncontested dunk.
Preceding hint, Thompson imparted a warm grasp to Bickerstaff prior to recognizing other previous partners and mentors on Cleveland’s seat.
From that point onward, it was all business. In any event, for the Celtics.
Streak snapped
Boston’s lockdown monitor Marcus Smart covered Cavaliers driving scorer Collin Sexton, who was obviously an objective of Boston’s cautious procedure. Sexton’s dash of scoring 20 focuses or more finished at 14 games. He was held to 13 focuses on 3-of-8 shooting.
Up next
The Cavs will get back to play the Los Angeles Lakers on the second round of a consecutive. Clue is set for 8 p.m.
