CLEVELAND, Ohio — The underdog Cavs were overwhelmed in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals.
The favored Boston Celtics looked every bit the part of a No. 1 seed with the league’s best record this season, extending a 10-point halftime lead into a 120-95 victory Tuesday night at TD Garden. Game 2 of the series is Thursday night, but here are seven numbers to chew on until then that led to Game 1′s blowout:
4
The number of consecutive playoff games missed by Jarrett Allen with a bruised rib. The center’s absence corresponded with Boston not having Kristaps Porzingis available for the second straight game. Porzingis is doubtful to return for this series with a calf injury, but the Cavaliers need Allen’s presence (16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game) to take advantage of that.
4 (Part II)
This marked the fourth straight playoff game that Boston held a team to fewer than 100 points. It’s the best defensive streak in the playoffs since 2019, when the Toronto Raptors did it on their way to the NBA title.
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7
The number of 3-pointers hit by Derrick White, who continued his hot play from the Miami series. White scored 14 of his 25 points in the third quarter with four of his 3-pointers. It’s the second time he’s done that in the playoffs. The first time, of course, came in Game 4 of the first round against the Heat. White shot 9 of 16 from the floor and 7 of 12 from behind the 3-point line.
18
Seconds that the Cavaliers led for a brief moment midway through the first quarter.
24-15
The bench scoring difference, which favored the Celtics. Payton Pritchard paced that effort with 16 points, while Luke Kormet added a career-playoff-high 10 rebounds.
32 > 33
While Donovan Mitchell outscored Jaylen Brown by a point, it was Browns’ efficiency that made another difference. He shot 12 of 18 from the floor with six rebounds and two assists, plus a block. Mitchell shot 12 of 25 from the floor and 4 of 11 on 3s to score his game-high 33 points.
74
Combined points in the first quarter, which ended with the Celtics owning a 40-34 lead. It is the most first-quarter points in a Boston playoff game since 1990 and the third most in franchise history, according to the Celtics.
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