The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated in Game 1, which raises the question of whether or not the Celtics will be able to win a game this series.
Cleveland Cavaliers fans watched their team dominate the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their opening round series against each other. That’s something which has prompted many to ask whether or not the Celtics are even going to scrap a game away from the Cavaliers?
It’s an honest question, and one that Cavs fans might be justified in defending. There were some — including myself — who thought the Cavaliers might slip up and lose a game to the Celtics. That seems hard to fathom though given their performance in the first game, but it’s still possible.
How Many Games Will Celtics Win?
The knee-jerk reaction is that the Celtics won’t win a game this series but there is still a lot of basketball left to be played. In addition to that, there’s a slew of variables that need to be accounted for when considering how many games the Celtics are capable of winning.
For starters, there was a lot of pressure on the Cavaliers to win Game 1, and the Celtics have about as much playoff experience as the rapper Ludacris, who is holding a performance at Game 2 of the Hawks-Nets series. That’s not an excuse to lose, but it’s a reason why a team might struggle.
More from Opinion
- Regrading the Donovan Mitchell-Lauri Markkanen trade
- Seat Index: Rating the 9 NBA head coaches in danger of being fired
- What would a successful 2023-24 look like for Cavaliers’ Ty Jerome?
- A crucial year in The Land: 3 bold predictions for the Cavs this season
- How many teams from the Cavs’ Central Division will make the playoffs?
But beyond that, the Celtics are outmatched and outclassed in just about every single way against Cleveland. LeBron James pretty much chilled his way through Game 1 and let Kyrie Irving take over the show. That combined with the power of Timofey Mozgov, the so-so skills of Kevin Love and the sharpshooting of J.R. Smith makes the Cavaliers pretty unstoppable.
That being said, the Cavaliers are at home, where they hardly lose when they’re firing on all cylinders. That could be a different story later on in the series when things return to Boston, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Boston also isn’t a dumb team, and head coach Brad Stevens is well equipped to help his team adapt and at least partially figure out the Cavaliers.
They won’t totally figure the Cavaliers out, but they might figure out enough to win at least one game this series.
After Game 1, it looks very possible that the Cavaliers can and will sweep the Celtics, but don’t be surprised if the Celtics win a game before their season is ended.
More from King James Gospel
- 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
- The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
- 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
- 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
- This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead