As always, LeBron James had another incredible game. But, Cleveland is still heading home with their tails under their legs and a 0-2 deficit hanging from their necks. Can they overcome these next two games? Read the Cavaliers vs Celtics predictions.
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Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers
- Where: May 19, 2018, 8:30 PM ET
- When: Quicken Loans Arena
- Spread: Cavaliers -6.5
- Over/Under: 205
- More NBA Betting Lines
If you’re betting on the Celtics
Hats off the C’s. Despite the odds, they’ve nevertheless are the team to beat in the East.
Now they lead the Cavaliers by two games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
And it looks like everything is clicking according to game plan to get to the NBA Finals.
The Celtics showed enormous patience as they doggedly cut down the 7-point Cavaliers lead at halftime. By the fourth quarter, they had taken it by 14 points with less than three minutes to play.
Boston relentlessly went after the win. And because of this, the Cavaliers are in dire straits.
The Celtics’ players are younger, more athletic, and deeper than those in the Cavaliers’ ranks. They simply wore down the Cavaliers, who seemed to be playing without a purpose beyond relying on LeBron.
Six Celtics had scored in the double digits – led by Jaylen Brown’s 23-point performance. Even while Marcus Smart only shot 3 for 9, he wound up with 11 points, five rebounds, and nine assists in 31 minutes of play while hitting winning plays time and time over.
The third quarter is when the Celtics turned things around. Boston outscored Cleveland 36-22 in the third and gained an 84-77 lead. The Cavaliers could just not stop them. They had them whooped.
Not only that, Brad Stevens seems to have found the Cavaliers’ chink in the armor. By letting LeBron James do whatever he likes and making things difficult for the rest of the team, Boston can overwhelm Cleveland.
James had 15 points in Game 1 and the Cavs were blown out. He had 42 points in a triple-double in Game 2 and they were again blown out of the water.
The Celtics have what the Cavaliers lack, the ability to play as a team. It’s this edge as well as their youth and depth that is simply crushing to the Cavaliers who can’t play past LeBron.
If you’re betting on the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers were counting on their last ace up their sleeves. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to prevent a loss. After the loss of Game 2, the Cavaliers really are starting to look like a beaten, worn down, in shambles crew.
The Celtics seem to be the straw that’s broken the Cavaliers’ back. Boston has the better team.
It doesn’t matter that the Cavaliers have the best player in the world. There’s no argument that without LeBron, the Cavaliers would not even be here.
The point is LeBron James can only do so much and that without the rest of the team rising up to the challenge it’s game over for Cleveland.
There isn’t, in fact, a championship team without LeBron James which is crystal clear after seeing how the Celtics are dominating them.
The Cavaliers don’t have the depth to match up to Boston. If the Cavs want to get back in this series, they'll need far more scoring from Smith, George Hill, Tristan Thompson, Rodney Hood and Jeff Green.
And this isn’t happening. James has had little help if any. He’s averaging close to triple-double numbers in both games and it still wasn’t enough to beat Boston.
Maybe playing on their court again will light a fire in this team’s belly. It may help Smith, Hill, Korver, and Green to start putting up points. But, if they lose Game 3 it’ll be practically impossible to recover.
”We’ve got to help Bron,” JR Smith told the media after the loss. ”We can’t just expect him to do everything. As role players, we’ve got to play our role.” He’s absolutely right.
While Kevin Love did score 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, the rest of the Cavaliers combined to go for 30 points on 12-for-33 shooting — including just 3 for 14 from three.
The Celtics have dominated the James, Smith, Kevin Love, George Hill, and Kyle Korver lineup, outscoring it by 21.1 net points per 100 possessions. Even when Tristan Thompson comes in for Korver, the C’s are beating Cleveland by 9.0 net points per 100 possessions.
Cleveland will stew for a day or so, wondering if their season is over. From what can be seen, it looks like it very well may be.
Cavaliers vs Rockets Betting Trends
- Boston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
- Boston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone OVER in 12 of Boston's last 18 games
- Cleveland is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games
- Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
- Cleveland is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Game Prediction: The Cavaliers will bounce back in Cleveland. However, it won’t be a blowout game, the Celtics will keep it close. The bet is Boston +6.5