It was a win-or-go-home situation for the undermanned Cavaliers, who gave the Celtics a bit of a tough time, but in the end, Boston came out too strong and Cleveland lost 113-98 in Game 5.
With this, the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cavs lost Game 4 without Donovan Mitchell, falling into a 3-1 hole in the series with the Celtics. The Cavs were also without Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert for Wednesday's Game 5.
The Cavaliers were upset by the free-throw differential after Game 4 with LeBron James in attendance, but it also played a role in getting them to where they are now.
With Mitchell out for Game 5, they had to rely more on Darius Garland, who scored 30 points in Monday night's loss but struggled Wednesday night against Boston.
Evan Mobley and Marcus Morris Sr. had strong efforts for the Cavs, but it wasn't enough to extend a playoff berth.
Here's how Game 5 in Boston will play out.
The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers in Game 5.Boston advances to Eastern Conference finals
Evan Mobley and Marcus Morris Sr. had great nights, but the Celtics were too much for the undermanned Cavs, and Boston defeated Cleveland with a 113-98 win in Game 5 on Wednesday night. was defeated.
Mobley had a game-high 33 points on 15-of-24 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Especially considering the stage, Mobley's best two games against the Cavaliers could be Games 2 and 5 of this series.
Marcus Morris Sr. came out of nowhere, scoring 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
But the rest of the Cavaliers' offense struggled, with the Celtics missing Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen.
Al Horford, 37, was phenomenal for the Celtics, posting 22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Jayson Tatum had a team-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.
Celtics extend lead to 14 points against Cavaliers late in 4th quarter
The Celtics may have delivered the dagger.
Al Horford again made a much-needed play for Boston, grabbing an offensive rebound and Jayson Tatum found Jrue Holiday under the basket for a layup, giving the Celtics the lead with 2:15 left. This increased to 14 points.
Ric Flair criticizes Donovan Mitchell, who missed Game 5 with calf strain
In one of the more surprising developments, former professional wrestler Ric Flair took to Twitter to slam Donovan Mitchell for missing tonight's match due to injury.
Darius Garland is slow to get up after his assist to Marcus Morris Sr.Celtics lead by 9 points with 4 minutes left.
Darius Garland drove toward the hoop, but suddenly went down and was slow to get back up, appearing to favor his left foot. When Garland went down, he somehow found Marcus Morris Sr. in the corner and sank a three to cut the Celtics' lead to 103-92.
Garland will remain in the game as Cleveland desperately tries to extend its playoff berth.
Al Horford scores 5 straight points, Celtics lead Cavs by 14 points midway through 4th quarter
The Cavs are in a predicament.
Al Horford sank a corner three and then an easy layup, followed by Jayson Tatum's open three, giving the Celtics a commanding 14-point lead.
Evan Mobley (25 points) and Marcus Morris Sr. (22 points) had great performances. But Darius Garland and Max Strus were off-ice (7-of-17 combined) and the undermanned Cavs didn't do enough to keep up with Boston, which got a great night from Al Horford.
Marcus Morris Sr. scored 22 points and the Cavaliers trailed the Celtics by five points.
Evan Mobley and Marcus Morris have scored 18 of the Cavaliers' last 21 points, and the duo brought Cleveland within five points of Boston early in the fourth quarter.
However, Darius Garland still wasn't at his best tonight, missing his next shot.
Celtics lead Cavaliers 85-79 entering the 4th quarter of Game 5
Evan Mobley and Marcus Morris Sr. are the only reasons the Cavaliers aren't buried in this losing Game 5.
Mobley scored a team-high 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting, along with seven rebounds and two blocks. He had just as effective a performance as the Cavs had in Game 2 in Boston.
Morris scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, exceeding the Cavs' expectations despite being short-handed.
But Darius Garland was just 3-of-13 from the floor and Max Strus was just 3-of-9, and the Cavs entered the fourth quarter trailing 85-79.
The Cavs have a tough road ahead, but they seem to be frustrated by the Celtics' inability to keep Cleveland away forever.
Jayson Tatum had another great performance with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Evan Mobley scores seven straight points to bring Cavs within six points of Celtics
Evan Mobley is scheduled to play against Luke Cornette of the Celtics.
Mobley scored seven straight points and had 17 and seven rebounds on the night for the Cavs, who trailed 72-66 late in the third quarter. Without Mobley's run, the Cavs were all but finished.
The Cavs may have been within one possession of the Celtics, but Darius Garland missed an open three. He was just 3-of-13 from the floor tonight, a game where Garland can't afford to go 3-of-3. -13 from the floor.
Al Horford leads the Celtics 8-0.Boston leads 66-57 in the third quarter.
The Cavaliers were within one point of Boston, and the Celtics went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead back to nine points.
Al Horford, 37, has been doing a little bit of everything in Boston, currently tallying 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.
The Celtics led the Cavaliers 58-52 at halftime.
The Celtics went on a 13-2 run late in the second quarter to take control of Game 5.
Marcus Morris Sr. leads the Cavs with 14 points, but he won't be able to carry the offense. Darius Garland scored nine points on just 3-of-9 shooting from the floor, but couldn't make a shot at the halftime buzzer.
The Cavs made 8 of 19 3-point attempts. Max Strus had nine points, five rebounds and six assists.
Jayson Tatum made a big step-back 3 in the final seconds of the quarter and was given a technical foul on what appeared to be a weak call after the referee waived him for not getting a foul call. Tatum had 12 points.
Derrick White scored a game-high 15 points and also blocked a 3-point shot by Max Strus.
Marcus Morris Sr. scores 12 points, Cavaliers lead Celtics 46-43
Marcus Morris Sr. scored 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the floor, and the Cavs built a 46-43 lead over the Celtics midway through the second quarter.
However, much of Morris' value is negated by Georges Nien. Georges Niang missed all three of his shot attempts and despite having the entire series, he still looks bad.
Max Strus appears to be taking on much of the ball-handling responsibilities, as he has nine points and six assists.
Cavs and Celtics tied at the end of the first quarter of Game 5
Marcus Morris Sr. scored seven points on 3-of-3 shooting off the bench, and Darius Garland and Max Strauss scored 7 points off the bench as the Cavs and Celtics entered the second quarter tied 28-28. They each scored 6 points.
Derrick White led Boston with 10 points.
The Cavs go to a completely scrappy style of play that uses a ton of threes to prevent elimination.
The short-handed Cavaliers showed resilience in Game 5.Celtics lead Cleveland 23-22
In a game where everyone around the world expects the Celtics to win easily, the Cavaliers did well from the start and won't have it easy.
Dean Wade and Marcus Morris Sr. made back-to-back threes, and Boston held a one-point lead at 23-22. This is the same type of three-heavy, wide-open style the Cavs played in Game 4. And with Mitchell, Allen and LeVert all available, that's the only option.
Cavs vs. Celtics Game 5 score: Boston jumps to 16-12 lead
Without Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Caris LeVert, the Cavs will have to completely stop shooting 3-pointers tonight to keep pace with the Celtics.
They haven't gotten the start they need. The Cavs made just one of their first five 3-pointers.
Meanwhile, Derrick White has already scored eight points and hit two threes.
Below is the pre-match information.
Donovan Mitchell injury update: All-Star guard will miss Game 5
The Cavs will try to prevent elimination without Donovan Mitchell. The All-Star guard is listed as out.
Mitchell was listed as questionable for Game 5 in Boston on Wednesday night. He missed Game 4 with a left calf strain, but it was a huge blow to the Cavaliers' chances, who were already looking for scoring help.
But it's not just Mitchell. Center Jarrett Allen and guard Caris LeVert were also ruled out for Game 5, devastating the Cavaliers' rotation.
The Cavs will be even thinner tonight than they were in Game 4.
Donovan Mitchell injury news:Report: Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell will miss Game 5 in Boston
Donovan Mitchell stats
Donovan Mitchell was failing to score until he went down with a calf injury. In the previous five playoff games, dating back to Game 6 against the Orlando Magic, Mitchell was averaging 36.8 points, shooting 51 percent from the floor, 6.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
Will Jarrett Allen play tonight? Cavaliers injury report
Cavs center Jarrett Allen remains questionable after missing the last seven playoff games with a rib injury.
Reserve guard Craig Porter Jr. (ankle sprain) is listed as questionable. Porter was injured in the final game of the regular season and missed all playoff games.
More Cavs injury news: Caris LeVert listed on report ahead of Game 5
Reserve guard Caris LeVert is listed as questionable with a bruised knee. LeVert averaged 14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in this series.
Cavs vs. Celtics predictions, betting odds
According to MGM Sportsbook, the series' largest publication, the Cavaliers will enter Game 5 as a 15.5-point underdog, just for entertainment purposes. The total points over/under for this match was 205.5 points.
How to watch the Cavs game tonight: What channel is Cavaliers vs. Celtics?
Wednesday night's game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
What radio station will the Cavs be on tonight?
Game 4 will be broadcast locally on radio on WTAM (11am), WMMS (100:07am FM) and WNZN (89:01am FM).
