BOSTON — The Celtics couldn’t have played any worse in the first half of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. And like all great teams do, the Cleveland Cavaliers made their opponent pay for its dismal performance.
The Cavs routed the Celtics in the first half Friday night at TD Garden and entered the break with a 72-31 lead. It set a record for the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history.
Cavaliers forward LeBron James led the way with a game-high 22 points through two quarters. Celtics star Isaiah Thomas scored just two points on 0-for-6 shooting despite playing 18 of 24 first-half minutes.
The Cavs wound up winning 130-86 to hand the Celtics their second-worst playoff loss in franchise history.
The C’s now have lost the first two games at home to start a playoff series for the second time this postseason. They were able to recover from that deficit in a six-game first-round series triumph over the Chicago Bulls.
Finding that same success against the Cavaliers seems like a near-impossible task.
Click to watch J.R. Smith hit wild buzzer-beater to end first half >>
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
