3 Cavs to blame for blowing chance at history in loss to Celtics

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered Tuesday's NBA Cup battle with the Boston Celtics a perfect 15-0, tied for the second-longest win streak to open a season in NBA history. Cleveland could have claimed sole possession of No. 2 on that illustrious list with a victory, but their opponent was no pushover. The home team Celtics entered the game 11-3 — oh, and as reigning NBA champs.

Short story short, the Celtics won 120-117 in a game that wasn't quite as close as the final score suggests. Cleveland was kept at arm's length for most of the night, with every Cavs run matched by an equal (or slightly better) Celtics push. Cleveland was ravaged by injuries to Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Caris LeVert, while Boston is still without Kristaps Porzingis for the foreseeable future.

To its credit, Cleveland made this game competitive after trailing by 17 at halftime. Boston unloaded a 3-point barrage in the first half that was never quite surmountable for the Cavs' explosive offense. There is no shame in this loss for Cleveland — 15-1 is a historically great start and Boston was a healthier team on its home court — but it does raise questions about how "real" the Cavs are in an Eastern Conference that often felt like a one-horse race last season.

Here are the Cavs most to blame for Tuesday's disappointing (if completely understandable) defeat.

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3. Kenny Atkinson didn't adjust Cavs approach the fourth quarter

Most of Cleveland's issues on Tuesday boiled down to the players on the court. Boston attempted 12 more 3s and made 12 more 3s, for one, while the Cavs suffered through a couple underwhelming performances from key pieces. That said, Kenny Atkinson, frontrunner for Coach of the Year and obviously good at his job, does deserve a few minor jabs after this game.

Cleveland essentially failed Evan Mobley in the fourth quarter. We can blame others (and we will) but after scoring 22 points through three quarters and dominating the third frame (which Cleveland won by 12 points), Mobley was held without a shot or point in the fourth quarter. We can chalk it up to game flow, but it's on Atkinson to force a change in game flow when necessary.

Without Porzingis protecting the rim, Boston didn't have much of an answer for Mobley's physicality and strength in the paint. Atkinson should've made a point to force feed Mobley down the stretch. Opting for Georges Niang or Jarrett Allen in the final minutes was another complicated and debatable choice. Niang obviously brings certain benefits as a knockdown shooter, but Allen's defense can change the geometry of the court. Niang was cooked on that end of the floor a few too many times for my liking.

2. Darius Garland couldn't hit the ocean from the beach

The Cavs need more from Darius Garland in these moments, especially with so many injuries to the supporting cast. We shouldn't get too worked up over a regular season game in November — Garland has been excellent all season and Cleveland was, again, 15-0 before this — but Garland's limitations were put on full display in Boston.

This is a bad matchup for Garland. The Celtics are equipped with two all-world guard defenders in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, both long and doggedly physical. Garland looks much stronger and much more spry this season after recovering from a gnarly jaw injury, but he can still struggle against length and brute force. He's listed at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds. There are inherent limitations to that stature in the NBA.

Boston suffocated Garland all night. He missed a few open ones, but 3-of-21 from the field doesn't happen purely because of an off night. The Celtics forced Garland into tough shots and put him off his rhyhtm. Credit to Garland for remaining confident and aggressive, but he probably should've scaled back the shot attempts late — especially with Mobley getting iced out of the offense down the stretch.

1. Donovan Mitchell didn't come through when the Cavs needed him

On the surface, this was another respectable performance from Donovan Mitchell, who has wormed his way into the MVP conversation on the strength of Cleveland's collective. The explosive combo guard netted 35 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 13-of-29 shooting, including 3-of-11 from deep. He only turned it over once and made several clutch buckets throughout the evening.

Mitchell was not bad tonight, so take "blame" lightly. That said, Mitchell was a bit of a black hole (along with Garland) down the stretch. That your-turn, my-turn approach has worked for Cleveland in the past, but it's tough when neither guard is scoring with much efficiency from the field, and Mobley (again, by far Cleveland's best offensive player for three quarters) is getting squeezed out of touches as a result.

Boston has the personnel to defend Garland and Mitchell at a reasonably high level. The Celtics didn't have a good matchup on Mobley. As Cleveland's primary engine, some of the burden for dolling out touches to teammates falls on Mitchell. He needs to have a better sense of when to smash the turbo button, and when to take a step back, facilitate, and make the offense a bit more dynamic.