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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 5: What We Learned

By Jackson Flickinger

May 25, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) hands out conference champion shirts to his teammates after game five of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) hands out conference champion shirts to his teammates after game five of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 25, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) puts on a hat after defeating the Boston Celtics in game five of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) puts on a hat after defeating the Boston Celtics in game five of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Kevin Love is playing his best basketball as a Cavalier.

Love had a solid night in Game 5. He finished with 15 points, 11 boards, and 4 steals. He also led the time in =/- by being a +43 in just 28 minutes.

The takeaway from this series is that Love has shown that he can play against smaller units. Coach Lue did an excellent job in this series of keeping Love aggressive in the paint and behind the arc. As a result, Love averaged 22.6 points and 12.4 rebounds per game in the Eastern Conference Finals. He did this while shooting 48.6% from the field and 53.5% from deep.

Love feasted off of every defender Boston threw at him. It didn’t matter if it was Al Horford, Amir Johnson, or Kelly Olynyk, Love had his way with all of them.

What is more impressive is how well he has been playing defense. He did a good job in this series of contesting shots in the paint and also defending the perimeter when he’s been asked to do so.

Love has struggled to stay on the floor against small ball lineups in the past. The most glaring example of this was when the Cavs chose to bench Love for Game 4 of the Finals last year against the Warriors.

While Love has done great against the Celtics, it doesn’t guarantee he will against the Warriors. Golden State plays small similar to Boston, but they have a much more skilled players.

It’s no secret that Love has struggled fitting in on this team in the past. It’s great to see him finally finding his perfect role with this team.

We’ll see if he can keep it up against the Warriors.