On Wednesday night the Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Boston Massachusetts to play the Boston Celtics in game 5 of their best of seven Eastern Conference Semi Finals Series. The Cavaliers were down in the series 3-1 after losing games 3 and 4 in Cleveland. Cavaliers F Caris LeVert and G Donovan Mitchell were not going to play in game 5, and Cavaliers C Jarett Allen has yet to play in this series. With LeVert, Mitchell and Allen unable play, the circumstances put the Cavaliers at a serious disadvantage for an elimination road playoff game in Boston.

Minus three of their top 4 scorers the Cavaliers held their own against the Celtics. The game was tied at the end of the 1st quarter by the score of 28-28. In the second quarter the Celtics did pull away to take a lead at halftime by the score of 58-52. The Celtics continued to lead in the second half and at the end of the third quarter led 85-78. In the fourth quarter the Cavaliers lack of scoring got the better of them. The Celtics won the game and the series by the final score of 113-98. Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers in scoring with 33 points. And the Celtics tops scorer was Jayson Tatum with 25 points. The Cavaliers showed heart and effort, but they were just too short handed to win the series.

The 2023-2024 Season was overall successful for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were able to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season and for the second time without Lebron James since 1998. They also won a playoff series for the first time without Lebron James since 1993. However, there is warranted criticisms of the team and of the coaching staff. It was not at all a perfect season for the Cavaliers. And the opportunities to improve will be assessed. Many questions will be asked, one of them will be what is Donovan Mitchell’s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers? To get that answer, Cavaliers fans will have to wait and see.