Few things are more uplifting in a Celtics fan’s life than a wall-to-wall blowout after a streak of losses (and, before that, a bunch of COVID-necessitated postponements). Let’s go through key points:
1. This was a legit win, not Goliath trampling David.
The Cleveland Cavaliers got so bad in the two seasons following LeBron James’ (second) departure from the franchise that it’s hard to not still think of the Cavs as a definitively bad team. They are not. Even if they don’t stay as solid as they’ve been in the first quarter of the season, the leaps by Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, as well as their statistically solid defense (fourth-best in opponent points per game and points allowed per 100 possessions) aren’t just flukes.