For anyone who thought there would be another remarkable performance by LeBron James, they were ended up being disappointed. The Boston Celtics crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-83 at TD Garden, with James struggling on the offensive end, recording 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting and had a plus/minus rating with -32.

With this result, Boston has won eight in a row playing at home in the playoffs. 

The Celtics' shooting guard Jaylen Brown scored 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds, followed by Marcus Morris, who recorded a double-double with 21 points 10 rebounds. 

For the Cavaliers, Kevin Love led the Cavaliers on the offensive end, notching 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. 

Celtics smashed Cavaliers at the half

The game started with the Cavaliers showing that they could be a tough opponent, at least in the first four minutes.

However, that all changed quickly. Boston, who has been performing well in the playoffs, jumped out front and the 6:50 mark, they were leading for 13-7. Only one minute after, the Celtics went on a 7-0 run.

As the first quarter went on, it got even uglier for Cleveland. Boston increased their lead to 27-9 with 3:04 remaining in the opening frame. Their biggest lead came near the end of the first court, leading by a score of 34-13 and finishing the quarter with a 36-18 advantage.

At the second quarter, the Cavaliers had performed even worse than they did, scoring only 17 points. Boston continued their all-around team play and holding to their strong defense and finishing the half with a 61-35 lead.

Brown led the Celtics at the half with 18 points in 16 minutes of action. Besides him, Al Horford put up 14 first-half points. He tallied his fifth 20-point game this postseason. He had never had more than three such games in any of his previous seven playoff appearances.

For the Cavaliers, there wasn't much going from their two best offensive players. Love and James scored only out seven and six points, respectively. 

LeBron James drives into the paint against Al Horford. Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James drives into the paint against Al Horford. Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Cavaliers tried to reduce the deficit, but Boston was too much

After halftime, Boston returned with the same intensity they did in the first half. Brown, Horford, and Morris led the team with 23, 20, and 14 points, consequently. In the first few minutes, the team set a higher pressure in continuing to control the game, and at the 6:54 mark, they were leading 67-45.

Jayson Tatum did not play the way he had in these playoffs but he did score nine points in the third quarter and finishing with 16 for the game.

The Celtics continued their dominance and with 2:55 remaining, they were leading by 20 points. However, the Cavaliers were able to cut into Boston's lead, as the quarter finished with the C's leading 78-64.

In the fourth quarter, the Celtics continued controlling the game while Cavaliers were struggling to shorten the deficit. It was all but over at the 6:10 mark when Boston was leading by 22 points. With only a few minutes remaining in the game, benches were cleared by both teams as the Celtics secured the win.

Up Next

Boston will host Game 2 against the Cavaliers on Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden.

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About the author
Amanda Paula
Brazilian, Sports writer. Contact: [email protected] www.wakelet.com/@amandapaulab