Celtics and Cavaliers Trail 0-2: Can Either Team Rally in Round Two?

Celtics-Knicks: The Defending Champs Are Out of Sync — But Not Out of Time

The Boston Celtics are staring down a 2-0 series deficit, but if history has taught us anything, it’s not to count them out.

This isn’t new territory. Since 2017, Al Horford-led Celtics teams have fallen behind 2-0 at home four times. In 2023, they nearly became the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-0 deficit. They’ve built their identity on resilience — particularly on the road.

Boston is 22-9 in road playoff games since 2020, with at least one road win in 12 straight series. That mark is unmatched league-wide.

But confidence is harder to sustain when the shots aren’t falling. The Celtics shot 21% from three in Game 1 (an NBA playoff record for misses) and just 25% in Game 2. It’s their worst two-game start from deep since 2018. Midrange shooting hasn’t helped either — Boston was 8-of-33 on twos outside the restricted area in Game 2.

Late-game execution was also uncharacteristically poor. The Celtics managed just eight assist opportunities in the fourth quarter and shot 0-for-5 on non-paint twos. The clutch team from last year’s title run — best net rating in crunch time — looked disjointed and rushed.

Still, the numbers suggest hope. Both losses were close. ESPN BET still gives Boston the best odds to win the East. If Kristaps Porzingis returns from illness and the threes start falling again, the defending champs could yet swing the series.

But Game 3 at Madison Square Garden offers no room for error. It’s now or never.

Cavs-Pacers: Injuries and Missed Chances Have Flipped the Series

If Boston’s hole is deep, Cleveland’s may be harder to climb out of.

The Cavaliers enter Game 3 down 2-0 after squandering a 17-point lead and collapsing in the final minute of Game 2. Donovan Mitchell delivered 47 minutes of brilliance — but in the 48th, the Cavs unraveled. Turnovers, poor rebounding, and a dagger from Tyrese Haliburton sealed the result.

Indiana’s three-point shooting cooled slightly from Game 1, but their paint dominance grew. With Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter sidelined, and Darius Garland missing Game 2, the Cavaliers lacked size and physicality. Indiana scored 50 paint points, 26 in the fourth quarter alone.

Mitchell’s usage was historic — one of only six playoff games where a player used half his team’s possessions and attempted 20+ shots. That’s not a sustainable formula.

Mobley’s possible return on Friday is crucial. Without him, Cleveland lacks rim protection. Hunter’s absence compounds the issue, removing a defensive option and rebounder.

The Cavaliers can survive without Garland — they’ve done it before — but his presence shifts the offensive load and stabilizes the bench. Without reinforcements, this series could end quickly.

That said, 0-2 at home isn’t a death sentence. Since 2021, three of four higher seeds in the same position forced Game 7s. The Celtics and Nuggets did so just last year.

But the Pacers only need two more wins — and three of the next five are in Indiana. If Cleveland doesn’t get healthy fast, this may be a short series.