Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers gained an advantage by winning Game 2 in Boston, just as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks did in Oklahoma City.
Now, both the Cavs and Mavs will attempt to maintain that advantage against the top seeds in their respective conferences in their upcoming Game 3s at home on Saturday.
The Celtics, who had the best record in the NBA, faced a similar situation in the first round, losing Game 2 to Miami before winning the final three games of the series.
“No one is feeling defeated or discouraged,” said Jayson Tatum, who scored 25 points in Boston’s 118-94 loss. “You never want to lose in the playoffs. We can learn from it. We understand. People expect us to never lose. They expect us to win every game by 25 points. But it’s not always going to be like that.”
The scenario is familiar for Dallas as well. The Mavs, seeded fifth in the Western Conference, dropped the series opener against the Los Angeles Clippers before securing a road win, ultimately winning the series in six games.
“It doesn’t change anything,” said Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored a playoff-high 17 points in Dallas’ 119-110 victory. “We’re going to face their toughest challenge every step of the way. We need to be prepared to respond.”
Boston’s struggle with outside shooting was evident in Game 2. The Celtics made only 8 of 35 attempts from behind the arc, with just 2 of 18 in the second half.
“We missed some shots and let it affect us, and in the playoffs, that’s not acceptable,” said Jaylen Brown, who missed all six of his 3-point attempts. “We can’t miss shots and then allow them to score on the other end. That’s not acceptable.”
The Cavaliers, seeded fourth in the East, played with confidence and courage in Game 2, especially Evan Mobley, who contributed 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks while playing as a center with Jarrett Allen sidelined again due to bruised ribs.
