CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are 15 wins away from their ultimate goal after winning Game 1 of this first-round series against the Boston Celtics 113-100 on Sunday afternoon.
The Q was electrifying. The organization went with a whiteout look as fans sported "All In" T-shirts supplied by the team. The pregame introductions featured a blackout while the fans dangled red LED glow-in-the-dark sticks.
The stage was set for the Cavaliers to do some major damage.
With all the festivities going on in and outside the arena, coach David Blatt was concerned, hoping the Cavaliers wouldn't come out "overhyped" like they did on opening night against the New York Knicks.
That concern was justified, as the East's second seed allowed the No. 7 Celtics to hang around following two quarters of basketball.
After permitting the Celtics to shoot 53 percent in the first half, the Cavaliers came out of the locker room with a much more physical approach. The inexperienced Celtics wilted under the third-quarter defensive pressure. Trapping on the pick-and-rolls, getting into the passing lanes and active hands led to the Celtics shooting 41 percent in the quarter. Cleveland's defense initiated the offense as they were able to break out to a 20-point lead.
Late in the third Boston would go on a 14-0 run to trim the deficit to six, but that was the closest the young squad would come before folding again.
LeBron James participated in his 72nd playoff game as a Cavalier, the most in the franchise's history. He's a remarkable 23-7 in postseason series. How he would fare wasn't a topic of discussion. His resume spoke for itself. How Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love would respond to their first playoff appearance was the million-dollar question.
There were no issues Sunday. Irving produced an efficient game-high of 30 points in 39 minutes, hitting his first five 3-pointers and repeatedly shredding the Boston defense. Love started sluggishly, missing his first four shots with three failing to hit the rim. But after a 2-of-11 start, he was much more effective in the second half, dominating the glass with 12 rebounds and finishing with a double double with 19 points.
"It's very important that Kev stays involved," James said. "For our ultimate goal, Kev has to be in a rhythm or at least touching the ball and feel like he's a part of what we're doing, which he is."
James, who finished with 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists, said in order for the Cavaliers to be at their best in the postseason, the Big 3 had to play great. The three combined for 69 points.
Tristan Thompson said he doesn't care if it's the regular season or the postseason. He has two jobs that he takes seriously: See ball, get ball. Thompson was a beast off the bench, supplying 12 points and six boards.
The Cavaliers improved to 11-5 all-time at home against the Celtics in the postseason. Game 2 will be at The Q on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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