Cavs star discusses Game 2 Boston Celtics knock

The Celtics were clinging to a single-digit lead early with under nine minutes to play when Marcus Morris misfired on a jumper.

His bandaged right wrist should serve as a reminder of recent surgery, but that does not seem to cross Smart’s mind when he belly-flops onto the leather shoes of the Cleveland Cavaliers coaches. After the Cavs lost again to the Celtics on Tuesday night, falling into a 2-0 hole in the Eastern Conference finals, James again refused to hit the panic button.

Korver added 11 points off the bench for Cleveland. Conventional wisdom said that the Cavaliers would bounce back as they did against the Pacers and play better. He’s done that in the second quarter of Game 2, which is allowing Boston to maintain contact. Technicals-Thompson, Smith, Morris, Smart. The Celtics turned it over just six times.

“He’s taken big shots”, Lue said, which is as true of Korver as it is of Smith. Both drew technical fouls.

“He’s known for it, especially playing against us”, Smart said. Cleveland still has the ultimate trump card in James, and-as you’ll hear a thousand times before Saturday-a playoff series doesn’t start until a home team loses.

Playoff basketball is a different beast entirely and sometimes, the moments just become too overwhelming. “That’s just a play that you just don’t do”. “He went out. I don’t think Jayson was intentionally trying [to hurt James]”. Just watching wave after wave of their swarming defense was tiring, so I can’t imagine playing against it.

“But I don’t think it – it didn’t affect my game after that”, James said. “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry”.

“That’s a dirty shot”, Smart said of the foul.

After getting stomped by the Celtics in Game 1 and ran out of the gym, the Cavaliers looked absolutely locked in from the get-go.

After the game, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue joined the chorus. He looked quite miffed as the officials watched replays before ultimately determining that Smith would be assessed a Flagrant 1. “We have to be tougher mentally and physically”. “Our group in tough times, we’ve always found a way”. In the postseason, Boston has won four of the seven series but holds a narrow 21-20 advantage in the head to head matchup. We see that. They’re being physical.

While Thanos is able to fulfill his desire to eliminate half of the universe’s population with the snap of his fingers, LeBron has been able to eliminate half of the NBA universe over the past seven playoffs as his teams have represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals every year since 2011.

Fans of the David Simon show “The Wire” will no doubt recall the words of Omar, the self-proclaimed king of the mean streets of West Baltimore, who warned his enemies that “If you come for the King, you best not miss”.

Even though he doesn’t blame James for the loss, Smith said the Cavaliers are still going to need more from him if the team continues to operate with the same “level of ineptitude” from the other players on the court.