Scoring less than twenty points in the first quarter against any NBA team is not an ideal start. Scoring less than twenty points in the first quarter against the defending NBA champs is a recipe for disaster.
The Cavaliers struggled offensively in last night’s 112-105 loss to the Boston Celtics. The Cavs, who average 31.2 points in the first quarter, were held to only 19. The early lack of offensive efficiency was apparent, given that young core players Evan Mobley and Darius Garland combined to shoot 0 for 7 from the field. Perhaps the lone bright spot in the first quarter was Donovan Mitchell’s spectacular one-handed posterizing dunk over 7 ft 3 in Boston center Kristaps Porzingis.
After the dismal start to the game, the Cavs seemed to find their offensive rhythm later in the second half. Cleveland pulled within four points with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, the Cavs’ comeback efforts fell short as Boston went on a 10-5 run to end the game. Donovan Mitchell finished with 31 points and 6 assists, while Darius Garland added 25 points. Another player whose impact couldn’t be overstated was Jarrett Allen. Allen had 17 points along with a season-high 18 rebounds.
A key factor behind this Cavalier loss was the substandard performance of Evan Mobley. Mobley, who had recently been voted as an All-Star for the first time in his career, finished the game with only 7 points while shooting 3 for 14 and missing all four of his three-point attempts. It’s entirely possible that he’s not fully recovered from the calf strain he suffered in January. He’ll look to shake off this rough outing in the next game as the Cavs travel to take on the Detroit Pistons.
As far as losses go, this one could’ve been worse. Being without two integral role players due to injury (Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade) while playing against one of the best teams in the league is a challenge in itself. In a game like this, you need to be firing on all cylinders from start to finish, and the Cavs just weren’t able to do so.
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