For two consecutive series, the Celtics dropped Game 2 just days after blowing out their opponent in Game 1.
In the first round, it was Miami going for a franchise-record 23 three-pointers that led to a double-digit loss.
This time, it was Cleveland that exploded offensively, scoring their most points in a playoff game (118 points) since 2018.
Joe Mazzulla didn’t have much to say at the podium after the Celtics 28-point defeat, but he did reiterate a similar talking point from the Game 2 loss against Miami: winning playoff games isn’t supposed easy.
“It’s a playoff series against a really good team [and] really good players,” Mazzulla said.