Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics second-round series schedule set

The series starts on Tuesday, May 7.

Donovan Mitchell wouldn’t let the Cleveland Cavaliers die in the first round. His 39 points allowed the Cavs to sneak past the Orlando Magic in an ugly first-round series. Their first series victory without LeBron James on the roster since the 1992-93 season. Their reward is a matchup with the Boston Celtics, owners of the best record in the NBA this season.

The second round will tip off at TD Garden on Tuesday, May 7. The series is currently scheduled to play out as follows:

• Game 1: at Boston, Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 PM
• Game 2: at Boston, Thursday, May 9 at 7 PM
• Game 3: at Cleveland, Saturday, May 11 at 8:30 PM
• Game 4: at Cleveland, Monday, May 13, time is TBD
• Game 5: at Boston, Wednesday, May 15, time is TBD (if necessary)
• Game 6: at Cleveland, Friday, May 17, time is TBD (if necessary)
• Game 7: at Boston, Sunday, May 19, time is TBD (if necessary)

The Cavaliers are 1-2 against the Celtics this season. They lost both games on the road in December and won at home during the infamous Dean Wade game. The two teams split their four games during the 2022-23 season.

Cleveland didn’t have their full complement of stars in any of the three games during this regular season. Evan Mobley missed both games in Boston while Mitchell missed the home win. In this series, both teams could be without their starting centers. Jarrett Allen likely won’t be back for at least the start of the series while Kristaps Porziņģis is expected to miss the second round entirely.

The Celtics will be heavily favored. They’re the better team and didn’t have to leave it all on the line in a grueling, emotional seven-game series against a physical Magic team. We’ll see how the Cavs respond to the challenge.