Cavs have a point, but officiating isn't main reason they face 3-1 series deficit | Ulrich

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell toted a gallon jug of water while he walked out of the Cavaliers' locker room Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

It was light lifting for the All-Star guard because he had been carrying the Cavs until a strained left calf sidelined him for their 109-102 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 4.

After the Cavs stumbled into a 3-1 deficit in the Eastern Conference semifinals, they placed a significant amount of blame on the officiating crew of Marc Davis, Courtney Kirkland, Tyler Ford and Kevin Cutler.

Do the Cavs have a valid point? Yes.

Is it the main reason they will face the threat of elimination in Game 5 of the best-of-seven, second-round playoff series Wednesday night at TD Garden? No.

The East's top-seeded Celtics are a better team than the fourth-seeded Cavs. Cleveland would need to be at full strength and play much closer to perfect ball than what it has to pull off a series upset.

LeBron James sat courtside during Game 4, but his presence as a spectator isn't going to magically allow these Cavs to recreate some 3-1 comeback magic a la the 2016 NBA championship team. Especially with the likelihood Mitchell and starting center Jarrett Allen (he's missed the past seven games with a rib injury) remain sidelined in Boston.

If this Cavs season ends Wednesday, it will be primarily because of missed opportunities, injuries to the team's two best players and a clash with a superior opponent.

Yet, the Cavs aren't wrong about a glaring free throw discrepancy. They attempted just seven foul shots and made five in Game 4. The Celtics shot 24 and made 21.

“This is our second time in the playoffs this year under 10 free throws,” Cavs point guard Darius Garland said, alluding to Cleveland shooting just nine foul shots in Game 3. “I mean, I'm not going to go into it, but that's ridiculous for the amount of drives that we have, the amount of paint attacks, whatever you want to call it.

“It's really tough just having seven free throws in a basketball game when they're getting 24. I don't know. I'm not one of the refs. I'm not one of those guys with a striped shirt, but I know how many times I get hit, I know how many times my teammates get hit, put on the floor, and we can't reciprocate it. It’s tough.”

The complaint starts at the top.

“I was disappointed with the way the whistle blew tonight,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I thought our guys deserved much better the way that they were competing. They were attacking the paint. They were getting after it the same as both teams were. We're not asking for anything more, but we're asking for equal, and I don't think we got an equal opportunity at it tonight from that standpoint.”

Bickerstaff pointed out the Celtics didn't pick up their first foul of the final quarter until forward Jayson Tatum was whistled for one with 31.4 seconds remaining.

“They had zero fouls in the fourth quarter until late in the game,” Bickerstaff said. “Our guys are driving. Our guys are attacking. I’ll have to go back and watch it, but again, it just didn't seem as if it was balanced.”

Through 11 playoff games, the Cavs have shot 192 free throws and made 146. Their opponents have attempted 252 foul shots and made 200.

In the first round, the Cavs went 111-of-146 shooting from the foul line while the Orlando Magic went 136-of-176 shooting from the foul line.

In Round 2, the Cavs are 35-of-46 from the foul line, and the Celtics are 64-of-76.

The differences exist.

“I guess we've got to find a way to get more [free throws],” Cavs small forward Max Strus said. “Be more stronger, be more physical at the rim to get those.”

Securing rebounds has been difficult for the Cavs, too. The Celtics have a 178-149 rebounding advantage and a 43-33 edge in second-chance points in the series. The Cavs have been without top rebounder Allen (10.5 a game in the regular season and 13.8 in the playoffs), and the Celtics have not had starting center Kristaps Porzingis (7.2 in the regular season and 5.0 in the playoffs).

The Celtics have packed a better one-two punch with their scoring. In their 120-95 Game 1 home win, forward Jaylen Brown had 32 points and guard Derrick White 25. In their 106-93 Game 3 road victory, Tatum had 33 points and Brown 28.

Mitchell scored 33 points in both Games 1 and 3 but didn't receive adequate assistance. Mobley was the Cavs' second-leading scorer with 17 each time. In Game 2, a 118-94 Cavs road win, Mitchell produced 29 points and received substantial help with Mobley and guard Caris LeVert each scoring 21 points.

Mitchell putting the Cavs on his shoulders was even more obvious in the first round, when he posted 50 and 39 points in Games 6 and 7 versus the Magic. He had been pushing through a left knee bone bruise since mid-February, and now his calf on the same leg is giving him trouble.

Cavs lose to Celtics in Game 4: The battered Cleveland Cavaliers trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals

Garland moonlighted in the Mitchell role with 30 points in Game 4. Mobley and LeVert scored 19 apiece. Meanwhile, Tatum had 33 and Brown 27. Tatum also had 11 rebounds and Brown eight. Mobley led the Cavs with nine rebounds. The Celtics outrebounded the Cavs 48-32.

The Cavs fought without Mitchell and Allen. In the end, they failed to protect home court for the second consecutive game. Self-inflicted wounds were factors. Allowing the Celtics to mount a 14-0 run to begin the second half of Game 3 was the ultimate letdown by Bickerstaff and his players. It looks as if they will never recover in this series. Any wiggle room they might have had for error in this daunting matchup all but vanished.

Plenty of fans will side with the Cavs as they criticize the officials because they can see the bizarre no calls, too. For example, it sure looked like Celtics guard Jrue Holiday fouled Sam Merrill on a 3-point attempt just before the horn sounded at the end of the third quarter.

However, there are other reasons the Cavs are on postseason life support.

More on Donovan Mitchell's injury: Cavs All-Star guard ruled out of Game 4 vs Celtics with calf injury

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs blame officials after Game 4 loss to Celtics