The Cleveland Cavaliers have not disappointed so far since being tabbed as the favorites to win the NBA title as they hold a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics.
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The Cavaliers once again received a fight from the Celtics, but their inexperience and being outmatched in talent caused them to fall short once again.
LeBron James continues to be be the best player in the NBA as he scored 30 points with nine rebounds and seven assists in the Cavaliers’ Game 2 win over the Celtics.
Point guard Kyrie Irving continued to quiet down the notion that his lack of playoff experience would hurt him, as he scored another 26 points after scoring 30 in his playoff debut.
The Cavaliers also played quality defense against the Celtics as they held them to 38.8 percent shooting. Point guard Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points with seven assists off the bench to lead the Celtics.
The Celtics defense also showed promise as they were able to hold a high-octane Cavaliers offense to 99 points, and head coach Brad Stevens is continuing to rebuild the Celtics well.
They are on track to become a contender again when their youth-filled roster gains more experience. Trading for Thomas at the trade deadline has paid dividends for the Celtics, and power forward Jared Sullinger’s return has given the roster more depth.
Stevens gained fame by leading Butler to the NCAA basketball championship game twice when they were March Madness underdogs, and the Celtics hired him in 2013.
The Celtics head coach is only 38 years old, so he has many years ahead of him just like his players.
Other young players who have yet to see their full potential include shooting guards Evan Turner and Avery Bradley, center Kelly Olynyk and point guard Marcus Smart.
The Cavaliers have young players of their own who have enjoyed breakout seasons, including shooting guard J.R. Smith and center Timofey Mozgov, who were each acquired in trades.
Mozgov has averaged 11 points and 7.5 rebounds in his playoff games with the Cavaliers. Power forward Kevin Love was quiet in Game 2, but he still averages 16 points with nine rebounds.
Smith has yet to have a notable performance in the playoffs, but his performance in the regular season improved as he had the privilege of learning from LeBron.
The Cavaliers bench will need to wake up in Game 3 though, as they only scored seven points in their previous game.
The Celtics are sure to be even tougher to beat in Boston, and they will be determined to close out a game against the Cavaliers after allowing them to pull away with a win in the first two games.
LeBron has never been on a team that lost a series after taking a 2-0 lead, so losing to the Celtics would be nothing short of shocking.
Although the Celtics will receive the opportunity to get back in it in front of their home crowd, the Cavaliers will once again be too overwhelming for them as they take a 3-0 series lead in a somewhat close one.
Prediction: Cavaliers 100, Celtics 93
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