Celtics turn ice cold, blown out by Cavaliers in Game 2: 8 takeaways

Celtics

The Cavaliers played Game 2 with a vengeance, beating the Celtics at home 118-94.

The Celtics struggled mightily in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, losing 118-94 to the Cavaliers, who evened the series at 1-1.

Here are the points to remember.

1. As is so often the case when the Celtics lose — and especially when they lose in spectacular fashion — it’s time to start with the 3-point shots.

The Celtics were 8 of 35 from behind the arc, which totals 22.9 percent. Before Oshae Brissett hit a triple in record time with less than a minute remaining, they were on pace to record their worst 3-point shooting performance of the season, and they were 1 of 17 deep in the second half (Brissett’s score three brought them to a 2-for-18).

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, shot 13 of 28 from behind the arc (a very solid 46 percent, albeit on low volume) and 54.7 percent overall.

In the second game against the Heat, the Celtics lost because the other team had an outlier performance from behind the arc.

In the second game against the Cavaliers, the Celtics lost due to their own outlier performance.

“We just didn’t make any shots,” Jayson Tatum said. “It’s a league to miss.”

Mazzulla said he thought the Cavaliers defended the 3-point line better in Game 2, but the Celtics still looked good.

“I’m sure there were a few we could fight for better shooting or better spacing, but I think for the most part they were OK,” he said.

Mazzulla added that he had to go back and watch film to determine what the Celtics needed to do differently in Game 3. However, the starting point — much like the starting point in Game 3 against the Heat — is pretty simple: 3- Mathematics must once again work in favor of the Celtics.

2. Donovan Mitchell played a masterful game, working the Celtics in the pick-and-roll in the first half as a passer before exploding for 23 points in the second half, including 5 of 6 shooting from behind the arc .

“He made some tough shots tonight and some tough threes,” Jaylen Brown said. “You have to be on your feet, but he’s a basketball player. You have to be a little more vigilant about it, and we’re just trying to rise to the challenge. Tonight, he got the better of us, made tough baskets that allowed him to feel free on the descent. We just have to keep making things difficult.

Mazzulla said the Cavaliers created space for Mitchell to not touch the ball to keep the Celtics off balance before sending it through his pick-and-roll.

“We just need to be a little more physical in our game,” Mazzulla said. “He got a few (three) through our communication. I think he hit a pick-and-roll, and the rest of his threes came right into our reads, either through a miscommunication or body position at times. So we’re just going to have to clean up these technical elements.

Brown called out the Celtics defense as a whole.

“Obviously we didn’t shoot the ball very well tonight, but defensively it was an unacceptable performance, and I think that’s where we look at it and I’m most upset,” Brown said. “Defensively, we gave up 118 points, and on top of that we lost the rebounding battle. So we didn’t help ourselves tonight.

3. It could be argued that Jayson Tatum was good in Game 1 despite a quiet night as a scorer, but his performance in Game 2 was less good. The Cavaliers largely covered him in singles, and while he had 11 trips to the free throw line, 10 came in the first half. He finished 7 of 17 from the floor and never seemed to create much separation.

Tatum – who made several unselfish plays in the first half – should turn in a stellar performance (or three), and when he comes out, the Celtics are very tough to beat. Some 3-pointers would go a long way in opening up the paint for his drives, and if he could knock down a few, he might be able to take advantage of some tougher closeouts.

“I’d obviously like to make more shots, but I’ve been in the league long enough that sometimes you just don’t make them and you just have to keep taking the right shots,” Tatum said. “And it will balance out, but without really catching up on that. I know how to score the ball.

Tatum and Mazzulla both called attention to the Celtics’ lack of spacing on the offensive end.

“We didn’t have enough spacing on enough possessions,” Tatum said. “I think when we attacked the rim collectively as a group, we missed a lot of takedown opportunities.”

4. Perhaps predictably on a night where the spacing was bad, Sam Hauser really struggled – both getting open and defending Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert on switches . Hauser is a great offensive weapon in his role off the bench, but for him to be productive, he and the Celtics need to find more shots for him.

5. Mazzulla got the start with five minutes remaining, waving the white flag as the Celtics trailed 111-87.

“I just felt like it was the best thing to do at the time,” he said. “We have another game coming up soon.”

A reporter asked him if he felt like the starters weren’t getting it.

“I thought it was the best thing to do at that time,” Mazzulla reiterated, adding, “I didn’t think it was so soon.”

6. After several consecutive deeply impressive performances, Derrick White came back down to earth – 3 of 11 from the field and 1 of 8 from behind the arc. Among the Celtics’ myriad failures, White’s may have felt the most notable, both because he got a few open looks and because he was singularly good through the first six games playoffs.

7. Xavier Tillman played for the second straight game and was +6 – the only Celtics player off the bench who was positive from a plus/minus standpoint.

8. The series now moves to Cleveland. Game 3 kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

“We don’t expect it to be easy,” Tatum said. “These are good teams we face in the second round of the playoffs. So it’s going to be fun for the rest of this series and especially Saturday. We bounced back and forth several times. We lost, what, 16 games this year? So I like to think we respond pretty well to the few times we lose.