Cleveland Oh. – The Cavs fought in Game Four. No one can say they didn’t give their all. In the end, the Celtics were closer to full strength and beat the Cavs here in Cleveland to take a commanding 3-1 lead.
In a season that has been trying in more ways than one, the Cavs are dealing with injuries at the worst possible time. Jarrett Allen has been out for over two weeks with a rib injury, and then, Donovan Mitchell misses Game Four with a strained calf.
Before the game, coach JB was asked who would have to step up in order for the Cavs to have a real shot. “Everybody. Not one person is going to replace what Donovan does for us, But everybody has to tick up whatever their strength is, whatever their skillset is, just go be the most confident version of themselves.” The Cavs did just that. Darius Garland scored a playoff high 30 points, while Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley scored 19 apiece.
The Cav started off six for seven on made threes. Max Strus made five threes in the first half. It was after that became an issue. After the initial 6/7, the Cavs went 9/41 the rest of the game. While the 48 threes are ok for Bickerstaff and Garland, the Cav shot just 31% on them. Meanwhile, the Celtics shot 37% from three, but also went to the free throw line 24 times compared to the Cavs 7.
When asked about the free throw disparity, Garland said, “I’m not one of the refs out there. And we drived the ball… A LOT… Seven free throws, and two of them were techs… so five total in a 48-minute game is tough.” Coach Bickerstaff said “I’ll be honest with you; I was disappointed in the whistle blew tonight. We aren’t asking for anything more, but we would like it to be equal.”
The Cavs gave an effort worthy to win. With LeBron James in attendance, sitting courtside with his wife Savannah and agent Rich Paul, the Cavs gave everything they had. There are some calls that didn’t go the Cavs’ way. Obviously, the injury to Mitchell didn’t help. But in the end, the Cavs fell because their two best players were out.
We will see what happens Wednesday when the series goes back to Boston. Will Mitchell and or Allen be able to go? Those answers won’t be known until Wednesday… But the Cavs let an opportunity slip away. But it wasn’t for lack of effort. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 60 points and 19 rebounds. Jrue Holiday was a perfect complement for those guys with 16 points. The Celtics just wore the shorthanded Cavs team down. It happens. Let’s see if they can regroup and get even one of the guys healthy to try and save their season.
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