NBA playoff scores 2017: The Cavaliers and the Warriors really might both go 12-0

Game 1 was a 13-point game, but it was the most laughable 13-point game you could ever imagine. The Celtics outscored Cleveland by 10 points in the second half and still lost by 13. They were never really close, and for anyone actually watching the game, that much was clear.

As a reminder, because the Celtics won the Eastern Conference this year, Game 1 was in Boston. The Cavaliers smothered the Celtics in Boston in Game 1 in a totally dominant blowout, and the Warriors are on the verge of doing the same to the San Antonio Spurs. At this point, it might even be more likely than not that the Warriors and the Cavaliers both sweep their respective series.

This season is about as bad as the lack of parity has been in the league in at least a decade. Dynasties aren’t new and aren’t bad — the Lakers and the Celtics dominating the 1980s was fine, and the Bulls taking over the ‘90s is still historic, and who cares if the Lakers and the Spurs won most of the titles in the 2000s. We had a good time, didn’t we?

But on the other hand, while dominance can be enjoyable to watch, it would be nicer if the Warriors and Cavaliers’ trips to their third straight finals against each other showed even a morsel of entertainment or uncertainty, not this sure thing we’ve seen coming since last August. It’s OK — the league will bounce back, and the product put on the floor is still an amazing one. But this pre-Finals postseason being more known for its blowouts than its moments isn’t what anybody wants.

Here’s Celtics Blog’s Jared Weiss, reporting from Boston, on the unstoppable league hegemon that is LeBron James.

BOSTON – Brad Stevens sent everyone he had at LeBron James. No matter who it was or how well they handled the first, second, or even third move, LeBron scored relentlessly.

Out of the gate, the speed, athleticism, and power was on a different level for the Celtics, who floundered in the first quarter and only found their footing on occasion. The Cavs routed them from start to finish to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals 117-104.

This was beyond a show of force for Cleveland. It was a dismantling of the Celtics’ core identity. Boston operated in a straight jacket most of the night, unable to even execute Isaiah Thomas pick-and-rolls out of fear that he would be smothered into submission.

“Our main objective was to make it physical on Isaiah and take him out,” Lue said when CelticsBlog asked about Cleveland’s blitzes. “When you try to do that, you’re gonna give up something.”

Jae Crowder isn’t a “LeBron stopper” because nobody is a LeBron stopper. Not P.J. Tucker the last series, nor Paul George the round before. Not Andre Iguodala last year, or Kawhi Leonard as a Finals MVP a couple seasons before that, or anyone else you can imagine.

It was easy to imagine why Crowder could be considered someone who could reasonably defend LeBron James — not stopping him, but maybe slowing him down, even if only a little. After all, Crowder is a beefy 6’6, 235 pounds known for his defensive chops and physical enough to deal with ball handling forwards.

As it turns out, Crowder is somehow both too slow and too small for LeBron James. If there was any doubt, the Cavaliers clobbering Boston in Game 1 by a 117-104 margin on Wednesday made that clear. James finished with 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting with nine rebounds and seven assists, getting into the paint at will.

Yeah, no. It’s time to retire “LeBron stopper” phrase, because it’s obsolete.

In theory, Boston has as good a collective of wing defenders as anyone in the league. In reality, only one can guard James at a time when he’s on a floor with four shooters, and that one will never be good enough.

“After 10 days off, I didn’t feel that great but I know I’ll feel a lot better going into Game 2. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Pro tip: don’t guard LeBron with Kelly Olynyk. He will straight up, flat out, mercilessly disrespect you.

Cavaliers 117, Celtics 104 (Fear the Sword recap | Celtics Blog recap)