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SPORTS Monday 14 May 2018
Celtics take Game 1 of East finals, beating Cavaliers 108-83

By JIMMY GOLEN playoff deficit in James’ better than anyone ex-
AP Sports Writer career. “I think we’re very cept Kawhi Leonard. The
BOSTON (AP) — The as- alert to the fact that we’ll Cavaliers star had seven of
signment for Boston Celt- get a heavyweight punch Cleveland’s nine turnovers
ics forward Marcus Morris on Tuesday night,” Celtics after accruing eight in the
in his first start this postsea- coach Brad Stevens said. entire four-game, second-
son was easy to explain “It’s another great chal- round sweep of the Rap-
but nearly impossible to ex- lenge, another great op- tors. “Our confidence level
ecute. portunity to experience is very high,” said Morris,
His job: Guard LeBron something for this team.” who recorded the first post-
James, and keep the four- With injured stars Gordon season double-double of
time NBA MVP from running Hayward and Kyrie Irving his career.
the Celtics out of their own on the bench in street FAST START
gym in the Eastern Confer- clothes, the Celtics con- Horford made his first seven
ence finals for the second tinued their stunning run shots and scored 10, in-
year in a row. this season with what may Boston Celtics forward Al Horford (42) celebrates a made basket cluding eight straight, dur-
“He’s obviously the best have been the most sur- with guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first quarter of Game 1 ing the 17-0 run that turned
player in the game,” said prising turn of events yet. of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference Finals against the a three-point deficit into
Morris, who during the A year after dropping the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sunday, May 13, 2018, in Boston. a 21-7 lead. After James
week boasted that he was first two games at home Associated Press wiggled his way to a layup
up to the challenge and against Cleveland in a five- But there the Celtics were, and Stevens down to an — Cleveland’s first points
on Sunday explained why game East final, the Celtics back in the Eastern Con- eight-man rotation. in 4 minutes, 43 seconds —
he wanted it. “Because pounced on James, and ference finals against the It was more than they Boston ran off eight more
I’m a competitor. He’s the the favored Cavaliers were Cavaliers for the second needed. Starting in place points in a row; Brown had
best player, and I’m going never really in it. year in a row — with Hay- of Aron Baynes, Morris six of them, and he finished
to be able to tell my kids “The last couple of playoffs, ward, Irving, Daniel Theis backed up his boast that the quarter with 13 points
this one day.” Morris scored and our meeting at the end and Shane Larkin all injured he could cover James and five rebounds.q
21 points and added 10 of year, they blew us out of
rebounds while pestering the water,” Boston guard
James into a playoff-high Marcus Smart said. “We’ve
seven turnovers — and a got a different team, just
playoff-low 15 points — like they do, and a lot of
and the Celtics opened a younger guys. So for them
21-point, first-quarter lead to see that, and have that
to scorch Cleveland 108-83 feeling like we did tonight,
in Game 1. Jaylen Brown is huge.”
scored 23 points and Al TIP-INS
Horford had 20 for Boston, Cavaliers: Kyle Korver’s
which ran off 17 points in a 3-pointer with nine minutes
row in the first and never al- left in the third period was
lowed the Cavaliers within their first after missing 14 in
single digits again. The Celt- a row. It cut the deficit from
ics led by 28 when Cleve- 28 points to 65-40. ... Tristan
land coach Tyronn Lue Thompson had eight points
pulled James for good with and 11 rebounds.
7:09 left. Game 2 is Tuesday Celtics: The Celtics im-
night. “I have zero level of proved to 8-0 at home this
concern at this stage,” said postseason. They do not
James, who was 5 for 16 have to win on the road
from the floor and missed to reach the NBA Finals. ...
all five 3-point attempts. Boston’s 36-18 lead at the
“I’ve been down before in end of one quarter was the
the postseason, but for me second-largest in a playoff
there’s never any level of game in franchise history.
concern — no matter how GET HYPED
bad I played tonight, with The Celtics took the floor
seven turnovers, how inef- to a hype video that be-
ficient I was shooting the gan with the broadcast of
ball,” he said. “We have Hayward’s injury in the first
another opportunity to be quarter of the first game,
better as a ball club com- at Cleveland. A variety of
ing in Tuesday night, and commentators predicted
we’ll see what happens.” the team’s demise, includ-
Kevin Love had 17 points ing Hall of Famer Charles
and eight rebounds, and Barkley saying: “Their sea-
James added nine assists son’s over.” As more play-
and seven boards. The ers went down to injury —
Cavaliers missed their first including Irving, who came
14 3-point attempts of the over from the Cavaliers
game and shot just 32 per- last summer but was done
cent in the first half. for the season in March —
By that time, Boston led 61- the prophesies grew even
35 — the biggest halftime gloomier.