Cleveland Cavaliers shock Boston Celtics with a 118-94 victory in Game 2 of the second round matchup.
Cleveland's Cavaliers came back from a setback in the first game of the series against the Celtics to regain home court advantage. In game 2, Donovan Mitchell put up a strong performance, scoring 29 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, helping the Cavaliers to their first win. After a competitive first two quarters with both teams tied at 54, Cleveland stepped it up in the second half.
The All-Star guard said he was just attempting to create opportunities for his teammates in the first half but switched to scoring mode after the break. In the fourth quarter, he banked in a three-pointer to put Cleveland up by 15. Mitchell also had company - six other Cavaliers scored in double figures - and the team shot an impressive 55% from the field and 46% from three.
Mitchell's teammate, Evan Mobley, who temporarily played at center due to Jarrett Allen's injury, contributed 21 points, while Caris LeVert matched that off the bench. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum led his team with 25 points, but Boston couldn't keep up with Cleveland's offense in the second half. The C's shot 36.1% from the field and only 11.1% from three-point range.
"Obviously, we didn't shoot the ball very well tonight, but defensively, it was an unacceptable performance," said Celtics' Jaylen Brown. "You take it on the chin, you learn from it, and you come out and put your best foot forward for the next game."
Struggling defensively, Boston lost the battle for rebounds and points, giving up 118 to the Cavaliers. The 17-time champions had also experienced a similar setback in the first round against the Miami Heat, but bounced back to win the series in five games.
Game 3 of this series takes place on Saturday night in Ohio.
Elsewhere, the Mavericks responded after a tough Game 1 loss against the Thunder to tie the series at 1-1, with Luka Doncić scoring 29 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. PJ Washington added another 29 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 33 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks.
"One of the hardest games I've had to play," Doncić commented. "I'm battling out there trying to do my best to help the team win. They have great players, great chemistry, and great teams. It's going to be a fight 'til the end, so just much respect to Oklahoma, but it's big time we won this game."
This was the first loss for the top-seeded Thunder this postseason, and Game 3 will take place on Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
