Celtics advance to Eastern Conference finals with victory over Cavaliers

BALAYAN, Batangas—The Boston Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference finals after remaining undefeated for the last three games with their victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-98, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-1. The game took place at TD Garden in Boston on May 16 (PHT).  

Jayson Tatum spearheaded the Celtics with a record of 25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and four steals, together with Al Horford, after he finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and six of Boston’s 19 three-pointers, leading them to their third consecutive victory in the series and securing a 4-1 win.   

“We had a great opportunity at home to handle this, and I knew it was going to take a lot more than handling it normally,” said Horford, who is now in his 17th season and is also the oldest player to have a record of such a game.  

“It’s special. It’s something that’s hard to do. […] This is another positive step of where we want to get to,” he added.  

The Cavs were extremely shorthanded in Game 5 of the semifinals after three of the team’s players were unable to play due to their sustained injuries.  

All-Star Donovan Mitchell, center Jarrett Allen, and key reserve Caris LeVert were out of the game due to calf, rib, and knee injuries, respectively.  

For the losing effort, Evan Mobley made a record of 33 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, along with Marcus Morris Sr., who obtained 25 points and five successful three-pointers.  

Despite being shorthanded, the Cavs played a close game against the Celtics during the first three quarters and closed the gap to 88-85 early in the fourth quarter.  

The Cavs used the three-point line to match the Celtics’ pace; they made 8 of 19 shots during the first 24 minutes of the game.  

During the start of the second quarter, the Cavs started it by making 4 out of 5 attempts from beyond the arc to take a 46-40 lead.   

Marcus Morris Sr. also contributed off the bench after scoring 14 points in his first 12 minutes of action; however, the Celtics rallied and ended it with an 18-6 run to go into halftime with a 58-52 lead.  

“I was proud of their effort. This has been a difficult year for us, for a bunch of different reasons. They never found the time to fold on each other. All they did was find ways to compete,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.   

The Celtics will compete against the winner of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers matchup in the Eastern Conference finals.