Since the start of the season, Darius Garland had been playing at an All-NBA level. The shooting, the drives, the passing game—everything was smooth and efficient… until he faced Jrue Holiday. The length and toughness of the two-time champion made things harder for the young Cavs guard, who also missed some open opportunities.
Special mention to Mr. Al Horford, who blocked him twice. This happened when the Celtics finally stopped using the drop coverage, but we’ll come back to that later.
However, there’s more to it than just how the Celtics defended Garland.