Jim Ingraham: Cavs need more than Donovan Mitchell if they hope to have a chance against the Celtics

One of the problems with playing the Boston Celtics is, if you beat them, especially in the playoffs, you just rile them up. The Cavs somehow beat the Celtics in Boston in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 3 was played Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Celtics were riled up and the Cavs were riled down. With a chance to take a 2-1 lead in the series, the Cavs came up empty, losing 106-93. As was the case in their win in Boston in Game 2, the Cavs needed to be hitting on all cylinders to steal another win from the Green Team. Instead, the Cavs went through stretches when they had trouble even finding the cylinders, much less hitting them. Donovan Mitchell was his usual best-player-on-the-team self, scoring 33 of the Cavs' 93 points while also contributing six rebounds, three assists and two steals., But on a night when the Cavs needed significant contributions from everyone, there were too many times in the game when they got very little from the non-Spida sector of the roster. Exhibit A was probably the usually indefatigable Isaac Okoro, who contributed one field goal, one rebound, one assist and one turnover, which explains why he only played 17 minutes. Max Strus played 37 minutes, but only had six points on two field goals. Darius Garland only chipped in with six first-half points while missing all three of his 3-point field goal attempts. The Cavs were only trailing by two points at the end of the first quarter, but the first half was mainly the Mitchell and Evan Mobley show. They combined for 34 first-half points while all the other Cavs combined had 14. The Celtics, meanwhile, were on a roll from start to finish. They won three of the four quarters, while shooting 51 percent from the field and 38 percent on 3-pointers. The Cavs tried to make some runs in the second half, but most of them ended when Boston's two J's, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, went nuclear on their jump shots. The firm of Tatum and Brown combined for 61 points, and personally halted any attempts by the Cavs to make a run. "They are elite offensive players," said Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff. "When you get down to this team it feels so heavy." The Cavs were "down to this team" in three of the four quarters, winning only the fourth (24-22). Garland's inability to impact the game in a significant way was a problem, because in today's NBA point guards are counted on to be more than just facilitators. The point guards on most playoff teams are counted on to do some scoring, as well. After his dismal first half, Garland rallied in the second half and finished with 15 points, but by that time the Celtics had the game well under control. "We know how talented Darius is," said Bickerstaff. "I know how bad he wants this. He'll have a big one on Monday (in Game 4)." All the Cavs will have to have big contributions Monday, in what could be the pivotal game in the series. The Celtics tend to need a clunker for them to re-energize their engine, and the Cavs' win in Game 2 in Boston probably did the trick. When the Celtics are at their best they are not only a devastating offensive team, but also a suffocating group defensively. That was on display in Saturday's game, right from the opening tip. If nothing else, the Cavs right now need to at least keep the games close, and hope that Mitchell can uncork one or two more 40- or 50-point games. The Celtics are a load on offense, and Mitchell can be one all by himself. But Saturday night he got very little help from his helpers, and the Celtics were able to take advantage of that as well. However, there is no reason for the Cavs to overreact to Saturday's loss. The Celtics have won two games, the Cavs have won one. A win Monday by the Cavs puts the entire series in a different light. Keep in mind that this Cavs group is not exactly playoff-hardened. As a group their only experience was last year's ugly mauling administered by the Knicks, who excused the Cavs from the playoffs almost before they had even broken a sweat. That experience may or may not help bring some perspective to this Cavs team. Not having Jarrett Allen is a huge mountain to climb, one that in Saturday's loss was more telling than in any game in the Knicks series. Winning playoff games is not only playing well offensively, but also defensively. These Cavs miss everything Allen contributes, especially defensively. They'll need more of everything from both ends of the court to avoid a short series. That's what makes Monday's game so compelling. Contact Jim Ingraham at jingraham4@gmail.com and follow him @Jim_Ingraham on X.