Game 2: Cavaliers vs. Celtics
Tipoff: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, 7 p.m.
Series: Cavaliers lead, 1-0
TV: FOX Sports Ohio; TNT. Radio: WTAM-AM 1100 flagship; WAKR-AM 1590 Akron.
Projected Starters
Celtics: Tyler Zeller; PF Brandon Bass; SF Evan Turner; SG Avery Bradley; PG Marcus Smart.
Cavaliers: C Timofey Mozgov; PF Kevin Love; SF LeBron James; SG J.R. Smith; PG Kyrie Irving.
Injury Report
Cavaliers: C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) out.
Celtics: None to report.
Dribbles
1. We all know what the Celtics are up against, and the Celtics know it, too. This is a series in which the home team is just better than the other guy. The Celtics play hard. They play smart. They are extremely well-coached by Brad Stevens. And they need a miracle.
2. Brad Stevens on the Cavs: "Those guys can go off at any time, so we have to be cognizant of that, as we saw with Kyrie on a couple of occasions. Even LeBron (James) had a moment where we guarded him as well as we could, and he still made a play."
3. And it was more than just scoring. The Cavs buried Boston on the boards to the tune of 46-34. Also, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov combined for 10 of the Cavs' 15 rebounds on offense. If not for that, the Celtics may have actually been in this thing.
4. More Stevens on rebounding: "The defensive rebounding is obviously a major factor here. You have to do a great job with your guards in rotating, because they're going to be in some rotations with their level of talent on the first shot. We have to be great at it -- not only in getting rebounds, but in rotating and blocking out."
5. No less than Ohio native and Celtics forward Jared Sullinger may be able to help in this area. Like Irving, Love and Thompson for the Cavs, Sullinger is participating in his first NBA playoff series. He also just recently returned after missing 24 games with a bum foot.
6. Stevens on Sullinger: "I don't know that he's fully back to where he was, but there's improvement. Now it's a matter of continuing to get back into game shape, and that's easier said than done when you haven't been on the court for six weeks."
7. For more on Sullinger, check out Zac Jackson's piece right here on FOX Sports Ohio.
8. Meanwhile, Raptors guard Lou Williams was voted NBA Sixth Man of the Year, but the Cavs are considerably more concerned with crafty (and quick) Celtics reserve Isaiah Thomas. "Lou Williams is a very deserving candidate," Stevens said. "But Isaiah would have been my vote."
9. As for the Cavs' bench bunch, perhaps no one relishes these playoff moments more 34-year old forward James Jones. He played early and hit some biggies on his way to eight points in Game 1. Jones, clearly, has been in these situations, winning two titles with LeBron James and the Heat.
10. LeBron tells an interesting story on Jones: "J.J. was actually a post-up player in college. He said he got to Indiana and (ex-Pacers coach) Rick Carlisle told him, 'If you want to be on the floor, you need to go over there and shoot with Reggie (Miller).' So that's when he became a shooter."
11. Cavs coach David Blatt on Jones: "He's like that doctor on-call. He made a couple of huge shots that really helped us in critical junctures of that game."
