Game 2 loss to Cavaliers not a reason for Celtics to panic

Much to the surprise of most, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics, 118-94, to even up their second-round series on Thursday night. But while some are freaking out and questioning if Boston is vulnerable, this loss is far from a reason to panic for the Celtics. 

Whenever one team beats another by 24 points, especially on the road in tough place to play, people are going to take notice. However, the way the Cavaliers won the game is actually unlikely to happen again. 

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell scored 29 while going 10-for-19 from the field and 5-for-7 from three. For the Cavaliers to have a chance, Mitchell needs to be at his best. And while he was critical to the Game 2 win, this was actually the first game in which the All-Star guard failed to reach 30 points since early in the first round on April 30. 

Mitchell finally had some help. Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert both added 21 of their own. Can Cleveland really count on its supporting cast stepping up like this and relieving some of the pressure from Mitchell on a consistent basis? 

Mobley averaged 15.7 points per game during the regular season. LeVert posted an even 14. It's not common for role players to play above their averages on the road in the playoffs, but that happened in Game 2. If you're a Celtics fan, you can take comfort in knowing the odds are stacked against three Cavaliers surpassing 20 points becoming the norm. 

The other aspect of the strange Game 2 result is Boston played one of its worst games of the entire season. Sure, it's disappointing to see a prohibited favorite put forth such a weak effort in a home playoff game, but this type of performance can happen to any team. 

Jayson Tatum did score 25, an increase from 18 in the opening game of the series, but that's still slightly below his 26.9 season average. And unlike Mitchell, Tatum didn't get enough help. Jaylen Brown's 19 was a significant dip from his 31 in Game 1. Brown's 19 came while taking only one fewer shot as well. He was just not nearly as effective.  

Derrick White, who scored 38 in a first-round game against the Miami Heat was only able to produce 10 points, connecting on just three shots from the field all game. Al Harford and Jrue Holiday combined for only 15 points. Holiday had arguably the worst showing out of every Boston starter. Brought in for his defensive prowess and championship experience, Holiday was a -21 and failed to reach double-digits in scoring after posting 14, 10 and 11 in his last three games. 

Not only did Boston struggle on both ends of the court, but they were out-rebounded 44-31. The smaller Cavaliers controlled the glass, something that has to infuriate Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla more than anything else. 

What are the odds the Cavaliers continue to be at their collective best offensively while Boston simultaneously struggles in every way imaginable? Even though a split on the road is big for Cleveland, the Celtics are still heavy favorites and there's every reason to believe Mazzulla will have his team motivated and ready to go in Game 3.