Roughly three and a half years ago I visited Quicken Loans Arena as an ambassador, welcoming a friend who happens to be a Boston Celtics fan to a Cavaliers/Celtics regular season game. The Celtics, one season prior to the assembly of the “big three” which would lead them to a championship, were only 1-4 before that game, ultimately finishing the season with a 24-58 mark. However, records didn’t matter that night, as Boston came roaring out of the gate, taking a 76-60 lead into the fourth quarter.
Even a group of fans in front of me thought all hope was lost, when they decided to exit the arena after an early fourth quarter three-pointer put Boston up by 19 points with less than 12 minutes remaining. But the Cavaliers would fail to back down that game, saving me an embarrassing ride back home. Cleveland outscored the Celtics 34-17 (+17) in the fourth and came away with a one point victory.
Okay, so what does a meaningless regular season game against a porous Celtics team have to do with anything? Well, hours away from game two of the eastern conference semi-finals, I’m set to return to Cleveland with that very same friend, welcoming him back to the Q for the first time since that 2006 regular season matchup. And, thanks to a second half comeback Saturday night, I’m experiencing those same feelings from almost four years ago.
I should know, since I was on the other end of those feelings last postseason, when I attended game one of the eastern conference finals and saw it slip away after the Cavaliers held a 16 point lead over the Orlando Magic. That’s when it clicked. Thanks to the decline of the Boston Celtics, I’ve realized that this is what it feels like to go Orlando Magic all over someone’s ass.
For those that aren’t aware, the Orlando Magic are number one in the NBA in 2nd half margin, winning the final 24 minutes by an average of 3.2 points per game. The Cavaliers are third in this category, averaging +2.6 points per game in the second half.
But what about when the Cavs played the Celtics? Well, in four regular season games versus Boston, that number ballooned to +11 points per game in the second half. On average, the Cavaliers found themselves in a -5.8 point hole at halftime, yet rallied back to take two of the games by double digits. This theme carried over to Saturday night, when the Cavaliers were down 11 at halftime, yet won the second half 19 points. Sounds a lot like that game one against Orlando, when the Cavs were up 15 at the half, but lost the second half by 16, ultimately losing the game by one.
However, this time the shoe is on the other foot. And much of the improvement can be contributed to what was once known as the Cavaliers’ “Kryptonite quarter,” the third frame. In fact, from last season to this season, the Cavs decreased their average margin of victory in every quarter with the exception of the third quarter. Last season, the Cavs were +0.6 in the third, whereas this season they are +1.4 in the third quarter, good enough for fifth best in the NBA. In the four regular season games against Boston they were +1.5 in the third period and they were a jaw-dropping +12 in game one on Saturday. Furthermore, through six playoffs games this postseason, the Cavaliers are +3.2 in the third quarter, which is a far better mark than the +0.6 they posted in 14 playoff games last year.
A large part of that small margin has to do with the Orlando Magic. The Magic won five of the six third quarters against the Cavaliers and held a margin of victory of +4.7 points per game over those six quarters. This includes Orlando’s +11 point third quarter from game one that I witnessed with my own eyes last May.
Ultimately, while the Magic posted the best third quarter margin this season, +1.9, Cleveland’s +3.2 so far this postseason is right on par with Orlando’s +3.3 margin in the third quarter through four playoff games. Thankfully, an aging Boston team that posted an average third quarter margin of -0.6 points per game this regular season, their worst margin in any quarter, will help keep the Cavaliers in any game this series. I just hope that this time, when my friend knows a comeback is imminent, that everyone else stays put too.
