Halftime Sizzling Takes: THESE are the undefeated Cavs????

We’re midway by means of Tuesday’s NBA Cup matchup between the Boston Celtics and the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers and issues are going wonderful. The Celtics are up 17 and might be en path to a key group-stage win.

Are we certain this group is the undefeated one we’ve heard about for weeks???

Now, prepare for some Halftime Sizzling Takes, buddy.

2019 NBA All Star Commissioner’s Media Availability — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

7 p.m. Begin instances won’t be the perfect for Celtics followers

This sport is among the most intriguing matchups of the season thus far. But, there have been nonetheless a ton of empty seats in The Backyard after tip-off.

It felt like a Miami Warmth sport in right here for some time.

I get it. The NBA desires to make the Cup really feel particular and begin all the early-slate video games on the similar time in an effort to extend viewership. That’s nice and all, however the product actually suffers when folks don’t have sufficient time to get to their seats attributable to site visitors or busy T strains.

By the primary TV timeout, issues had stuffed out a bit and the constructing had some juice, however man was the vitality low to start out off such a highly-anticipated matchup.

The Gradual-Begin Celtics may be lifeless

Over the previous week or so, the Celtics have turn into notorious for sleepwalking out of the gates. In that span, they fell behind early in opposition to the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets (twice), Milwaukee Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks.

Tuesday’s begin really made it #DifferentHere.

Boston jumped out to a fast 12-4 lead earlier than the primary TV break, then continued to push to get it as much as 20-8.

Jayson Tatum was an enormous a part of the group’s sturdy begin.

He had his fingerprints all around the sport with eight factors, 5 rebounds, and three assists all within the opening body.

Tatum’s dominance continued for the rest of the half, the place he completed with 17 factors, eight boards, 4 assists, and a pair of steals. He desires this one.

As a complete, they did an important job of shifting the ball and getting Cleveland’s protection out of place. Seven of their ten first-quarter makes have been off of assists and 5 got here from past the arc.

The hassle on the defensive finish felt completely different as nicely. The Cs allowed simply 20 factors within the opening body. There have been a couple of lapses, however general they rotated nicely, stored the ball in entrance of them, and made the guests must earn their appears to be like.

I can’t inform if the Celtics must be up by extra or not

Often, while you’re watching a basketball sport, there’s a really feel to how issues are going. For instance, you may lookup on the scoreboard and be shocked that it’s solely a five-point sport, regardless of your favourite group taking part in horribly.

There are different nights that they’ll’t appear to drag away regardless that it looks like all the pieces goes proper.

This primary half was a little bit of a mixture.

The aforementioned sturdy begin was nice, however the Cs have been solely up by six on the finish of the primary quarter. Then there have been stretches the place we noticed a Jaylen Brown and the boys lineup on the market, seemingly having to wrestle for each bucket, however one way or the other Boston didn’t lose a lot floor.

Towards the top of the second, they actually hit their stride and pulled away from the lossless Cavs. Tatum’s seventeenth level of the half introduced Boston’s result in simply as many, proper earlier than the break.

Contemplating that the Cs shot 14-22 from deep and held Cleveland to simply 43.2% capturing, that quantity is acceptable, proper?

Ought to they be up extra?

With the best way that all the pieces appeared to work out, possibly they need to be. This isn’t me complaining. However, in the event that they go chilly right here, be ready for a little bit of a scare.