Donovan Mitchell's Impressive Stats and Top Performances

5 Takeaways from Boston's Dominant Playoff Opener

Boston Celtics Dominate Cleveland Cavaliers in Series Opener

The Boston Celtics continued to impress in the NBA Playoffs, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the series opener on Tuesday, May 7. The Celtics, who have a commanding 64-18 record and are ranked first in the Eastern Conference, showed no signs of rust after their first-round sweep. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, who finished fourth in the East with a 48-34 record, struggled to keep up with the Celtics' pace and intensity.

Here are five key takeaways from the Celtics' dominant performance:

• Donovan Mitchell's Impressive Stats: Mitchell led the Cavaliers in scoring with 27 points, but he struggled to shoot efficiently, making only 10 of 26 attempts from the field. Despite his scoring output, Mitchell's impact on the game was limited due to his poor shooting.
• Boston's Top Performers: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics in scoring, with Tatum scoring 30 points and Brown contributing 29 points. Tatum was particularly impressive, shooting 11 of 19 from the field and connecting on four three-pointers.
• Boston's Strong Defense: The Celtics' defense was outstanding, holding the Cavaliers to 38.9% shooting from the field and 27.6% from three-point range. Boston's defense forced 15 turnovers and consistently disrupted Cleveland's offense.
• Cleveland's Shooting Struggles: The Cavaliers struggled to find a rhythm offensively, shooting only 31.3% from three-point range. In addition to Mitchell's shooting woes, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley also had poor shooting nights, combining to make only 10 of 32 attempts from the field.
• Advantage Celtics: The Celtics have a clear advantage in Game 2, which will be played in Boston on Thursday, May 9. Boston is playing with confidence and has a history of success in the playoffs. If the Cavaliers want to come back in this series, they will need to find a way to improve their offense and contain Boston's high-powered attack.