The assignment for Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris in his first post-season start was easy to explain, but nearly impossible to execute.
His job: Guard LeBron James and keep the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player from running the Celtics out of their own gym in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
“He’s obviously the best player in the game,” said Morris, who during the week boasted that he was up to the challenge and on Sunday explained why he wanted it. “Because I’m a competitor. He’s the best player and I’m going to be able to tell my kids this one day.”
Photo: EPA
Morris scored 21 points and added 10 rebounds while pestering James into a playoff-high seven turnovers — and a playoff-low 15 points — as the Celtics opened a 21-point, first-quarter lead to scorch Cleveland 108-83 in Game 1.
Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Al Horford had 20 for Boston, who ran off 17 points in a row in the first and never allowed the Cavaliers within single digits again.
The Celtics led by 28 when Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue pulled James for good with 7 minutes, 9 seconds left.
Game 2 is in Boston today.
“I have zero level of concern at this stage,” said James, who was five for 16 from the floor and missed all five three-point attempts. “I’ve been down before in the post-season, but for me there’s never any level of concern — no matter how bad I played tonight, with seven turnovers, how inefficient I was shooting the ball.”
Kevin Love had 17 points and eight rebounds, while James added nine assists and seven boards.
The Cavaliers missed their first 14 three-point attempts of the game and shot just 32 percent in the first half.
By that time, Boston led 61-35 — the biggest halftime playoff deficit in James’ career.
“I think we’re very alert to the fact that we’ll get a heavyweight punch on Tuesday night,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “It’s another great challenge, another great opportunity to experience something for this team.”
With injured stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving on the bench, the Celtics continued their stunning run this season with what might have been the most surprising turn of events yet.
A year after dropping the first two games at home against Cleveland in a five-game Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics pounced on James and the favored Cavaliers were never really in it.
“The last couple of playoffs, and our meeting at the end of year, they blew us out of the water,” Boston guard Marcus Smart said. “We’ve got a different team, just like they do, and a lot of younger guys. So for them to see that and have that feeling like we did tonight, is huge.”
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