CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers were on the wrong end of a 108-83 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, but after breaking down film of the setback and going through both a practice and shootaround, they know well the opportunity in front of them tonight.
The Cavaliers have a chance to even up the best-of-seven series at 1-1 at TD Garden in Boston before returning to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday nights.
“They just frankly played better than us in Game 1, so we look to redeem ourselves tonight,” Cavaliers small forward LeBron James said.
“When we’ve gotten off to a slow start in the first quarter or the third quarter, that resulted in a lot of losses for us this year, no matter if it’s the regular season or the postseason, so we look to try to get off to a good start tonight.”
Admittedly, James did not have the kind of Game 1 performance he wanted to have.
For the first time this postseason, James was not the Cavaliers’ leading scorer in a game, as center Kevin Love totaled 17 points, pulled down eight rebounds and handed out three assists in the loss.
Against the second-seeded Celtics, who had the best defensive efficiency rating in the league heading into Game 1, James went five of 16 from the field, and missed all five of his three-pointers on the way to a 15-point showing.
Known for bounce-back performances during his career in the NBA Playoffs, James is more concerned about winning Game 2 than he is talking about historical moments of the past.
“It’s not about that,” James said. “The gear has to be up, no matter what. It’s the postseason. I don’t know. The history speaks for itself, but at the end of the day, the game is won in-between the lines, not written on the lines, so we have to go out and play.
“Listen, history is history. I’m a guy who lives in the moment. You can’t rely on what you did in previous series. You’ve got to rely on your instincts. You’ve got to rely on the coaching staff and what they put together as far as the game plan, and then, you go out and execute it. Just because you did something in one series or the previous series doesn’t (revert) back to that. You have to be ready for the next game.”
Although James was unwilling to talk about bounce-back performances, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue would be surprised if his star small forward does not come out with an aggressive mindset for Game 2.
“That game’s over,” Lue said. “He puts it behind him and focuses on Game 2. That’s always been the kind of play1er he is. I don’t expect him to have two bad games in a row, so I know he’ll be ready to go tonight.
“You can be focused and still have a bad game. I just think he’s going to be more aggressive, look to score the basketball, get guys involved, but I think you’ll see him play with much more force and much more pace.”