The 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics and Boston Celtics got basketball fans buzzing. The win was the fourth in the series, in which the Celtics took 4-1 and sent the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. This blog goes deep with player stats, game dynamics and standout performances to analyse how the series played out.
Game 1 Boston Celtics rout with 120-95 victory
Date: May 7, 2024
Location: TD Garden, Boston
Key Performers:
Jaylen Brown (BOS): 32 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST
Derrick White (BOS): 25 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB, 7-of-12 3PT
Jayson Tatum (BOS): 18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists
Donovan Mitchell (CLE): 33 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast
Evan Mobley (CLE): 17 pts, 13 reb
In an opening game of the series, the Celtics exerted their first-half dominance with a clean game of play – defences were tight and 3pt accuracy was on point. Jaylen Brown set the tone with 32 points, and Derrick White added 25 points, including seven 3-pointers. Donovan Mitchell had 33 points, but it wasn’t enough to save the Cavaliers’ night.
Game 2: Cleveland Gets Even, With a Victory 118-94
Date: May 9, 2024
Location: TD Garden, Boston
Key Performers:
Donovan Mitchell (CLE): 29 pts, 8 ast, 3 stl
Evan Mobley (CLE): 21 PTS, 10 REB, 2 BLK
Caris LeVert (CLE): 21 points (off bench)
Jayson Tatum (BOS): 25 PTS, 9 REB Terry Rozier (CHA): 19 PTS, 7 REB+ 6 AST pic.twitter.com/Jy6jsheZuk
The Cavaliers responded forcefully. Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics stripped-down defence smothered Boston’s fast-break game. With Caris LeVert providing a big boost off the bench and a reminder from Mitchell to persevere, Cleveland was able to pull even in the series.
Game 3 Celtics Take Control 106-93
Date: May 11, 2024
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland
Key Performers:
Jayson Tatum (BOS): 33 pts, 13 reb, 6 ast
Jaylen Brown (BOS): 28 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Donovan Mitchell (CLE): 33 pts, 7 ast
Darius Garland (CLE): 19 PTS, 6 AST
Back in Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics, Boston restored order with Tatum and Brown scoring 61 together. Tatum’s double-double was another major factor. Mitchell’s consistent scoring was not enough to overcome Boston’s high-efficiency offence.
Game 4 Celtics Seize Control With 109-102 Win
Date: May 13, 2024
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics
Key Performers:
Jayson Tatum (BOS): 34 points, 8 boards, 6 assists
Jaylen Brown (BOS): 26 min., 5 reb.
BOS: Jrue Holiday 16 points and 4 assists
Darius Garland (CLE): 30 points, 7 assists
Evan Mobley (CLE): 19 PTS, 10 REB
Behind another standout performance by Jayson Tatum and an excellent game from Jaylen Brown, the Celtics took another step toward winning the series. Even with standout performances from Garland and Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics couldn’t keep up with Boston’s shot creation and defensive tenacity.
Game 5 Boston Closes Out the Series, 113-98
Date: May 15, 2024
Location: TD Garden, Boston
Key Performers:
Jayson Tatum (BOS): 25 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists
Al Horford (BOS): 22 points, 15 rebounds, 6/9 3PT
Evan Mobley (CLE): 33 PTS, 7 REB, 4 BLK
Darius Garland (CLE): 12 points, 5 assists (4/17 FG)
The last game had veteran Al Horford going off with a scorching shooting night, making six 3-pointers to aid Tatum with his near triple-double. Mobley sparkled with 33 points and sterling defence for Cleveland (14-14), but Boston’s depth and across-the-board polish were too much.
Key Takeaways From the Series
Jayson Tatum’s leadership: Tatum was a wrecking ball all series, leading the Celtics in scoring, rebounding and assists.
Donovan Mitchell’s Scoring: Over the first three games, Donovan had posted 31.7 points per game, demonstrating his consistency as Cleveland’s top-scoring option.
Evan Mobley’s Development: Mobley was better with each game, scoring 33 points in Game 5.
Supporting Cast Contributions: A strong Game 5 from Al Horford and a Game 1 scoring outburst from Derrick White were impactful turning points in the series.
Looking Ahead
The victory sends the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals, where their collective offence and tenacious defence will be put to another test. For those in Cleveland, this series was a lesson in what they have left to learn, mainly how to build depth and spread the offensive load a little more widely around the team than just through Mitchell and Mobley.
By breaking down player statistics and performances within series like this one, fans and analysts will have a stronger understanding of the behind-the-scenes differences that influence these NBA battles.