Our experts reveal the biggest factors to watch heading into the second-round playoff series between the Thunder and Mavericks and the Celtics and Cavaliers.
The Boston Celtics won two of the three meetings with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the regular season. For Cleveland, it marks a return to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2018 -- and the first time withoutsince 1993. Boston, meanwhile, has now reached the second round of the playoffs seven times in the past eight years and is looking to make it back to the conference finals for a sixth time during that span.
The biggest thing to watch coming into this series is whether Cleveland's starting center will be able to play after missing the final three games of the Cavaliers' first-round victory over the, they create one of the league's best defensive units. When they shared the floor during the playoffs, the Cavaliers allowed just 0.78 points per direct drive, according to Second Spectrum tracking.There have been some offensive issues with Cleveland playing two non-shooting bigs together.
The problem with taking that approach against the Celtics, though, is that they both made and attempted more 3s than any other team this season, and they finished second in the league in 3-point percentage -- one tenth of a point off the league-leading. And while Cleveland climbed inside the top 10 in makes and attempts from 3-point range this season, they were last in makes, third-to-last in attempts and second-to-last in 3-point percentage during their series with the Magic.
"I don't think it's going to get better before I get some rest," Doncic said after playing 43 minutes in the Game 6 win."It's a lot of minutes, so maybe this summer."
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