Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 2: What We Learned

May 19, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) blocks the shot of Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first quarter in game two of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) blocks the shot of Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) during the first quarter in game two of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 19, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first half in game two of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first half in game two of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Kyrie Irving might have found his shot.

Game 2 was Irving’s best shooting night this postseason. He finished with an efficient 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting in just 30 minutes of play.

Irving hasn’t had his shot for much of the postseason. He was shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from behind the arc during the postseason going into Game 2.

A good performance for one game doesn’t mean that he’s found his shot, but it is a good sign for the Cavs. Irving needs to be the Cavs’ second best player for them to repeat.

Having an isolation scorer that can take advantage of mismatches is key to beating a great team defense like the Golden State Warriors. One of the main reasons why the Cavs were able to beat them last year in the Finals was because the ability of LeBron and Kyrie to exploit mismatches in the half-court. They can’t do that as effeciently if Kyrie isn’t shooting well.

Game 2 was a positive sign in the right direction for Irving. Let’s see if he can build off it in Games 3 and 4.