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Taylor Snow

The Boston Celtics finally found themselves in their first crunch-time situation of the postseason Monday night, and they passed the test.

Despite allowing the Cleveland Cavaliers to cut a 15-point deficit down to five in the fourth quarter, Boston managed to maintain a two-possession lead to the final buzzer of Game 4, capturing a 109-102 win at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to take a 3-1 series advantage.

For the Celtics, it was the first game of their playoff run in which fewer than 10 points decided the final score, and it was their first win by fewer than 13. It was also the first time they had found themselves in a clutch scenario (when the score is within five points during the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime) since a 101-100 win over the Sacramento Kings on April 5.

“It’s been a while since we had a grind-it-out, tough, back-and-forth, fight-it-out game,” said Jrue Holiday. “So it felt good to really just get out there and execute and know that any type of game we play, we can execute and get the win.”

Cleveland made things tough on Boston despite dealing with the last-minute absence of Donovan Mitchell, who was ruled out before tip-off with a calf strain.

Darius Garland stepped up to help fill his backcourt mate’s scoring and playmaking voids with a 30-point, seven-assist effort. The Cavs also received a pair of 19-point performances from Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley, along with a 15-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist night from Max Strus.

However, the C’s countered with some masterful individual performances of their own. Jayson Tatum logged his second straight 33-point outing to go along with 11 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Jaylen Brown added 27 points and eight rebounds. And Jrue Holiday chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

When it came down to clutch time, that second group was more poised than the first. Especially Brown and Tatum, combining for nine of Boston’s 11 points in the final five minutes.

“Give credit to Cleveland,” said Brown. “They came out with great energy. They played fast, they played hard. They tried to speed us up, they tried to rattle us. And I think it worked in the first half. Then in the second half we imposed ourselves a little better and pulled away a little bit.”

Even though it’s easier on the heart to win in blowout fashion, Joe Mazzulla loves seeing his team grind it out in these crunch-time scenarios.

“I think it’s good to be in those situations,” Boston’s head coach said. “It takes what it takes, so however we have to win the game, we have to do it, so it was good to get reps playing different ways.”

That includes defensive reps. Sure, the team hit some big shots late in the game, but they made some even bigger stops.

“We hung our hat tonight on the defensive end,” said Tatum. “We made timely shots and even the ones that we didn't necessarily make, some of those kick-out threes, just good execution. Sometimes you don't make shots, but how connected we were on the defensive end – when we had to get stops, we did.”

The fact that this gritty win came on the road made it all the more impressive.

“It’s a tough environment, the crowd was great, but as a competitor, it’s really fun to be in an environment like that, win on the road,” said Tatum, whose Celtics came away with two wins in Cleveland, where the Cavs had gone 4-0 in the previous round. “Now it’s time to go back and play well in front of our fans and give them something to cheer for and try to get a win.”

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Celtics Pass First Playoff Clutch Test, Take 3-1 Lead Over Cavs

Neither Jayson Tatum nor Jrue Holiday had been scoring the ball to their standards over the past few games. However, the duo got back on track with their best respective performances of the postseason Saturday night to help the Boston Celtics come through with a bounce-back win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tatum logged game-highs of 33 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, while Holiday turned in 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.

Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown kept his hot stretch alive with 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting, and the C’s rolled to a 106-93 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse where they regained a 2-1 series lead while handing Cleveland its first home loss of the postseason.

Tatum hadn’t logged a 30-point effort since March 28. Opposing teams had been loading up on him defensively of late, forcing him to impact the game in other ways, which he’d been doing. But it was nice to finally have a high-volume scoring night while also leading the game in several other categories.

“He’s a really great player that gets taken advantage of because he’s been really good for a long time,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “We really appreciate him. I thought he played a great game on both ends of the floor.”

Brown encouraged Tatum during warmups to come out aggressive, and that’s exactly what he did. The All-NBA wing scored eight points in the opening four minutes of the game and 12 total in the first frame. He drove to the rack relentlessly, earning nine trips to the free-throw line, where he made each attempt.

Al Horford said after the game that it was only a matter of time before Tatum put forth one of his classic, dominant efforts.

“JT is a special player,” Horford said. “He always figures it out. He’s the last guy I worry about.”

Holiday also had a special night. He scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half, logging his highest-scoring game since Feb. 9 (20 points against Washington).

Scoring at high volume isn’t typically part of Holiday’s role on this team, but it’s what the Celtics needed out of him Saturday night, and he delivered at elite efficiency.

“Jrue was amazing tonight, and Jrue is kind of the glue that keeps us all together,” Tatum said. “He literally does everything that we need him to, sacrifices sometimes taking single-digit shots a couple games in a row. On a night where he can attack the mismatches, he can post up guys, he can obviously shoot the three. When he's being aggressive and in that great rhythm, it makes us that much better.”

When those two guys are both in a rhythm simultaneously, it makes the Celtics that much harder to beat. Add in Brown's performance, plus the bounce-back effort from the defense, and you've got a recipe for a convincing win.

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Tatum, Holiday Bounce Back on Offense, Help C’s Respond with Game 3 Win

BOSTON – A double-digit Game 1 win followed by a double-digit Game 2 defeat.

The Boston Celtics have been here before, and they know how to respond.

The vibe after Thursday night’s 118-94 Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers felt similar to that of two weeks ago when the C’s dropped the second game of their first-round matchup to the Miami Heat. Although this is a new series against a different team, Boston’s mindset heading into Game 3 will be the same as before: to channel the frustration of their loss into motivation for a bounce-back performance. And they're hoping for the same Game 3 result as before.

Such frustration was evident when Jaylen Brown took the podium and picked apart the team’s abnormally poor shooting and defensive performances. In the series-tying loss, Boston shot just 22.9 percent from 3-point range, nearly 16 percentage points lower than their postseason average, while on the other end allowing the opposition to score almost 16 points more than their postseason average.

“Obviously we didn’t shoot the ball very well tonight, but defensively it was an unacceptable performance, and I think that’s where I’m the most upset,” Brown said. “Defensively we gave up 118 points, and on top of that, we lost the rebound battle. So we didn’t help ourselves tonight.”

Brown went on to explain that there is only one way to counter a loss like this.

“You take it on the chin, you learn from it, and you come out and put your best foot forward for the next game," he said. "We need to be ready to respond.”

The Celtics have responded to almost every loss throughout the season, including their 104-84 bounce-back win over Miami in Game 3 of Round 1.

While they felt frustrated following their latest loss, they certainly did not feel demoralized.

“Nobody in there was defeated or deflated,” Jayson Tatum described of the scene inside the Celtics’ locker room. “I mean, you never want to lose, especially in the playoffs … But the world thinks we’re never supposed to lose; we’re supposed to win every game by 25. And it’s just not going to be like that all the time. So we don’t expect it to be easy. It’s a good team we’re playing in the second round of the playoffs. It’s going to be fun, the rest of this series, especially come Saturday. We’ve bounced back plenty of times. We lost what, 18 games this year? So I’d like to think that we responded pretty well the few times that we did lose.”

Part of the reason the Celtics have responded so well following their losses lies in their head coach’s philosophy of taking an even-keeled approach regardless of the result.

“You treat it the same way you would a win,” Joe Mazzulla said fresh off of the defeat. “You come in tomorrow, you watch film, and you get better for Game 3.”

Added the veteran Al Horford, “That's what we did the last time, and we have to understand we're going into Saturday into a hostile place. It's going to be a battle. We just have to make sure we're at our best. I'm confident that we'll be ready to go."

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C's Say They'll be Ready to Respond in Cleveland After Game 2 Loss

BOSTON – Luke Kornet brought the bark and the bite to Game 1 Tuesday night, serving as a spark off the bench in Boston’s 120-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 7-foot-2 backup center walked the walk with 10 rebounds, including six on the offense end, to go along with four points, two assists, and two blocked shots in 21 minutes of action.

And he talked the talk – or barked the bark – bellowing like a beagle after one particular offensive board late in the second quarter to the delight of both his teammates and the crowd at TD Garden.

“That’s just the dog in him,” Jrue Holiday described Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve got a bunch of dogs on this team, and he’s the big dog.”

Kornet has always been an emotional contributor, whether he is playing or not. He’s one of the loudest, more supportive members of the bench mob. And when he’s in the game, he consistently creates joy from his efforts, often leading to hilarious celebrations.

Payton Pritchard, for one, can’t get enough of Kornet’s blazing personality.

“I told Luke today, I like it when he shows emotion,” said the reserve point guard. “The crowd likes it too and we all like it. Basketball games should be played with emotion and with fire, and we want more of that.”

Holiday agrees, noting how contagious Kornet’s competitive fire is.

“I think it’s just something that's in us, really,” Holiday said. “Luke just helps us bring it out.”

However, Kornet is far more than just a personality. He is proving to be a legitimate contributor to this championship-contending squad, especially now that he’s being asked to step up and help fill the void of injured Kristaps Porzingis.

He is a force on the offensive glass, a strong rim-protector, a solid decision-maker, a fearless screener, and has a valuable basketball IQ overall.

“Luke reads the game, he’s an intelligent basketball player,” said Jaylen Brown. “He knows the right reads at the right time. And when he’s playing well, he’s not thinking; he’s just out there playing. He’s a 7-footer, so he contests shots at the rim and does a good job of just doing his job day in and day out, and that’s what we need. Luke has been a great benefit this whole year, but I’m looking forward to him stepping up and making big plays in the playoffs with Porzingis being out.”

Kornet’s recent play has been consistent with the other occasions when he’s been asked to step up throughout the season. In other words, Luke is no fluke.

He led the league in true shooting percentage, second in effective field-goal percentage, third in shot contests per 36 minutes, fourth in net rating, fifth in offensive rating, and sixth in offensive rebound percentage.

Plus, his presence brings a different dynamic to how Boston can operate, says head coach Joe Mazzulla.

“When he's on the floor, our spacing is different and he generates some good looks for us because of his ability to freelance and make reads on the offensive end,” Mazzulla said. “Between that and, I thought his pick-and-roll defense was good. He's been good for us all year and he's got to continue to be physical on both ends of the floor.”

And he’s got to continue to match his competitive bark with his ferocious bite.

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Kornet Bringing Both Bark and Bite to the Playoffs

BOSTON – Jaylen Brown opened the second round of the playoffs just like he opened Round 1: in attack mode right from the opening tip.

The All-Star wing scored nine of Boston’s first 12 points and 15 overall in the opening 7:19 of Tuesday night’s matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, setting the tone for a 32-point personal outing as part of a 120-95 Celtics win.

Brown was aggressive just about every time he touched the ball, driving to the paint with force and creating scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. He shot 12-of-18 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while also knocking down all four of his free-throw attempts.

“He was in a great mode tonight, a great rhythm,” said Jayson Tatum. “He was making timely plays when maybe they were about to go on a run, so he was hitting big shots.”

You could tell how much of a rhythm Brown was in when he knocked down his third triple of the night early in the fourth quarter and started backpedaling toward the other basket before the ball reached the net.

His being in an unstoppable zone forced Cleveland to put extra attention on his drives, which opened things up for the rest of the team. Many reaped the benefits, such as Derrick White, who scored 25 points while knocking down seven 3-pointers.

“He’s unbelievable,” White said of Brown. “Just the things he can do on the court are special. I think he just consistently wants to get better. He had it going, but he was also making the right read and creating stuff for myself and my teammates. So he was unreal tonight. Started the game big for us and just consistently made the right play. And then when he has it going, it’s fun to watch.”

Brown’s ability to consistently make the right play has been a somewhat under-the-radar improvement this season, and one which head coach Joe Mazzulla has appreciated.

“He takes a ton of pride in just growing as a player every year, every game, every day,” Mazzulla said. “He spends a lot of time on it. He’s not afraid to go after something that he knows he can improve on, which I think is huge for his growth mindset. He has evolved. His ability to pick and choose his spots, and when to play in transition; he had a couple of times when he scored in transition, and two plays later he slowed it down, went mid-pick-and-roll, and made the right play. Even if he scores six or eight in a row and he gets into the paint, it’s a pass the next one. So he’s grown as a player, and it’s helped us, and he’s playing big stretches for us. It’s important.”

It's also important for Brown to come out with that same mindset every game, especially in the playoffs when opponents are making constant defensive adjustments.

“I had it rolling tonight, but each and every game presents different challenges,” Brown said. “I'm excited for Game 2. Going to come out with the same mentality. But you gotta see how they might guard, might cover you. You just wanna come out and make the right plays, the right reads – that's all it is.”

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Brown Helps Set Tone for Round 2 with Explosive Game 1 Effort

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics were finally able to shift all of their focus to Cleveland after the Cavaliers advanced past Orlando with a Game 7 win Sunday afternoon.

Preparation was underway at Monday’s practice in Brighton, where the C’s highlighted some key areas they’ll need to hone in on against their second-round opponent, starting with Game 1 Tuesday night.

Cleveland’s most obvious strength lies in its backcourt, consisting of a superstar shooting guard in Donovan Mitchell and former All-Star point guard in Darius Garland. Those two will be a handful for Boston’s perimeter defenders, such as Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White, neither of whom can take on the challenges alone.

“Both are incredibly talented guards,” said White. “They’re quick, can shoot it, can score from all three levels, so definitely a difficult challenge. You’ve gotta take that individual pride and take on the challenge and then understand that it's not a one-on-one game. Everybody's gotta be a participant and help each other out.”

Especially when it comes to guarding Mitchell. The five-time All-Star scored 89 points combined in Game 6 and 7 against Orlando, including a 50-piece Game 6 on the road.

“Donovan is just an explosive, strong, three-level scorer,” said Brown. “I think his strength gives him an advantage on a lot of defenders. And the way he changes direction… he’s a good basketball player.”

As good as MItchell is, Joe Mazzulla says the team can’t afford to put too much attention on him because they also have to account for his talented supporting cast.

“You have to pick your poison,” Boston’s head coach said. “It’s gotta be disciplined, but when you’re playing against guys like him and a team that has dynamic guards it usually comes down to the other things. It comes down to the impact that (Caris) LeVert, (Max) Strus, (Evan) Mobley, (Isaac) Okoro, those guys have. Transition defense, offensive rebounds, turnovers – just really all of the details in the margins that we talked about in the last series kinda go under-shadowed when you see a caliber player like a Garland or a Mitchell. It still comes down to the margins and the details in this one.”

Another key detail will be spacing. Cleveland boasts a defensively gifted frontcourt of Mobley and Jarrett Allen (who was sidelined the last three games with a rib injury), so it’s imperative that Boston’s shooters try to space those guys out.

“The spacing is important and rim reads are really important,” Mazzulla said. “They have length on the perimeter too with active hands and they’ve got length in their rim protection, so space discipline and making the right read over and over again are two important things to combat their length.”&nbsp;

And the most important focus is to combat Cleveland’s competitiveness. The Cavs ground out some gritty wins against the Magic last round, none more impressive than their 18-point come-from-behind win in Game 7. 

“Cleveland is a tough team,” said Mazzulla. “One of the things they do well is an ability to go on runs with their talent and also their effort and their defense. So, managing the game is super important because they have the ability to really make you pay for the mistakes that you make. And I thought they did a good job of that, especially in Game 7, so it’s good to focus on the details that are important, attacking and defending them, and being ready to go tomorrow.”

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Celtics Highlight Key Prep Points Ahead of Cavs Series

BOSTON – Kristaps Porzingis revealed Saturday that his recovery time will likely be “week-to-week” after straining his right soleus during Game 4 of the first round. However, the Celtics big man is in good spirits as he goes through the early stages of rehab and hopes to “recover at a historic rate,” so that he can return as soon as possible.

“It’s something; it's not nothing,” Porzingis bluntly stated of the nature of his injury. “So it will take a little bit of time, for sure. But I’m doing everything I can to speed it up because I want to be back out there as soon as possible. But also understanding the worst thing would be probably to re-aggravate that, so being smart about it.”

Porzingis suffered the calf injury late in the second quarter of Boston’s Game 4 win and believes it may have stemmed from tweaking his ankle on the previous possession.

“I rolled my ankle the play before on offense,” he recalled. “I was going for a rebound and I stepped on (Tyler) Herro and rolled my ankle. Came back, maybe started to compensate with the other&nbsp;side a little bit too much or something, I don't know. Maybe just happened. And then yeah, as soon as I pushed off, I felt something. And you saw my reaction on the court.”

Porzingis immediately limped off the court and threw a towel over his head in frustration. It was a difficult moment, as he had been looking forward to taking part in Boston's full playoff run ever since joining the team last summer.

“I'm not gonna lie, it's tough,” he said. "First few moments were really tough. It gets you down for a second. But it is what it is. It's part of the sport and these things happen and the best I can do now, is I have to do to get healthy as soon as possible and follow the plan and make sure I do everything and just get in that mindset because I can't change what happened in the game. So just looking forward to making quick steps forward toward being back on the court.”

There’s a bit of a process that Porzingis has to go through before returning to the court, which he described after watching his teammates go through Saturday’s practice.

“First you just control the inflammation and start to do some movements and stuff without stressing it too much,” he said. “And today I had a pretty good day. Made some steps forward, started doing new stuff today. Tomorrow I'll be off, do some recovery stuff and then Monday I think, again, I will make a big jump.”

Porzingis went through a similar rehab process earlier in the season. He strained his left calf during a November matchup with the Orlando Magic and missed the following four games over two weeks. However, he says this strain is a bit more serious than the first one.

"This one is stronger, a little&nbsp;bit worse for sure,” he said. &nbsp;“Just going to take a little bit longer but keeping a positive mindset."

Fortunately, part of Porzingis’ recovery is taking place during a six-day break between Game 5 of the first round and Game 1 of the East semis, so he’s not missing anything besides practice at the moment.

Boston will begin Round 2 Tuesday night against the winner of the Orlando/Cleveland series. By then, KP will be eight days into his recovery, and will likely need a bit more time to heal after that. But he will be aiming to return the court as quickly and safely as possible so that he can help complete the job that he came here to accomplish.

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KP Hopes to ‘Recover at a Historic Rate’ as He Works Through Calf Rehab

BOSTON – When Kristaps Porzingis suffered a calf strain during Game 4 of the first round, it was a devastating blow for the Boston Celtics. Fortunately, their roster is built to sustain such adversity, and Al Horford’s presence is a major reason.

Horford stepped into Porzingis’ starting role in Game 5 and helped the Celtics knock out the Miami Heat with a 118-84 win. And he’s prepared to continue to step up during the indefinite timeframe that Porzingis remains out.

For a 17-year vet who has started more than 1,200 games in his regular season and playoff career, there couldn’t be a much better option than Horford, and a situation such as this is exactly what his sixth-man role calls for.

“I think that from experience over the years, you would like for everything to go super smooth, but that’s not always the case,” Horford said following Friday’s practice. “My preparation just doesn't change. Every day, I feel like I'm very consistent in my approach, in the things that I need to do, and I just think now that maybe more will be asked of me. But I'm still going about it the same way, so I don't think there's anything that I really need to alter or do. We've been very consistent with our work all season and I feel like it’s not going to be any different now.”

Horford was a sparkplug during Boston’s 34-point blowout, providing hustle plays while pumping up both his teammates and the crowd. His peers recognize how valuable of a catalyst he can be, seeing his energy affects everyone around him.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla noted after Game 5 how “Al kind of sets the temperature for us with just his ability to impact the game basketball-wise, but also with his personality and his aggressiveness. He set the table for us tonight, he set the tone for us, and everybody followed suit.”

Horford sets the tone with a lead-by-example style. He’s the embodiment of consistency and his approach never wavers regardless of whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.  

“I want to make sure that defensively I’m solid, that I’m giving support to the group, and that I'm doing the things that I need to do on that end,” he said. “My job doesn’t change. And then on offense, continuing to stay ready and do whatever I need to do. For me, it's just all about continuing to impact winning, so it doesn't change.”

The only difference now is that he’s starting, which also means that other bigs will have to fill in the gaps behind him.

“I'm expecting some of our guys to step up – whether it’s Luke (Kornet), whether it’s Neemi (Neemias Queta), whether it’s Xavier (Tillman Sr.) – to step up and be able to play minutes for us when their number is called. That's something that I’m excited about: for their opportunity.”

Likewise, Horford’s teammates are excited to see what he’s going to bring in his elevated role, as he often tends to rise to the occasion in the playoffs.

“He’s our OG, the truest pro,” Payton Pritchard said. “How he handles himself is unbelievable. I’ve watched him on the daily, how he goes about his work and his mentality. So he’s a big part of this.”