Cleveland Cavaliers Boston Celtics playoffs; 3 keys for Cavs to take down the top seed

The rebuilt Cavaliers accomplished step one of their long-term plan with Sunday's Game 7 win over the Orlando Magic. Now comes their biggest test yet: The No. 1-seeded Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.

The Celtics were far and away the top team in the East during the regular season, winning an NBA-best 64 games and entering the playoffs as the only 60-plus-win team in the league.

The Cavs went 1-2 against Boston in the regular season, losing the first two games by seven and nine points, respectively, before pulling off an improbable 22-point fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Celtics 105-104 in their most recent matchup, a game that became to be known as The Dean Wade Game.

The Cavs outlasted the No. 5 Magic in seven games, and now will have to take down the Beasts in the East.

Here are three keys to the series for the Cavaliers:

Darius Garland must be more of an offensive factor for Cavaliers vs. Celtics in NBA playoffs

There are moments, perhaps even entire games, when Donovan Mitchell really can carry an entire team on his back and win it. But he'll need help over the course of a series in which the Cavs are pretty heavy underdogs.

That responsibility falls on several players but, first and foremost, it means the Cavs absolutely need more out of Darius Garland.

Garland ended up averaging 14.9 points in seven games against the Magic, and he had a few of Game 7's key plays in the second half. The Cavs might not have won the game without him. But he also somehow committed more fouls in the first half (three) than points scored (two), and the Cavs nearly put themselves into a hole from which they couldn't climb out.

Garland scored 15 or fewer points in five of the seven games, prompting Mitchell's simple message to him before Game 6: "Shoot, shoot, shoot. I don't give a damn."

During Game 7, Mitchell took Garland aside and was again in his ear telling him not to worry about his slow start (1-for-9 shooting from the floor that included an open, but missed, layup). In a crucial stretch in the second half, Garland missed a 3-pointer but got it back in the same spot for another attempt. This time, he drilled it, and Mitchell gave him a bear hug afterward.

That's the Garland the Cavs need to see more often, as Mitchell is going to need help providing enough firepower to keep up with the Celtics.

Cavaliers have to handle Jarrett Allen properly and take advantage of Kristaps Porzingis' injury

There are two key front court injuries in this series that could have an impact on the outcome.

Cavs center Jarrett Allen has missed the last three games with a rib injury, sustained when he took an elbow (or two) against the Magic. Allen, who had a goal of playing in all 82 games in the regular season and eventually played in 77, tried to give it a go, but the Cavs have to ensure he can be as effective as he needs instead of just throwing him out there for the sake of having him on the court.

The Cavs have had offensive success this season running a four-out, one-in offense (one big man with four guards or wings), but Allen is also cited as being the team's defensive glue inside the paint, and he was outstanding in Games 1 and 2 against the Magic, scoring a combined 32 points and grabbing 38 rebounds.

If Allen can return and be his normal self, it'll be a major boost for the Cavs. But if he can't go, they must effectively adjust their interior defense without his presence there. Evan Mobley has done well in that regard, recording five blocks in both Games 6 and 7.

Kristaps Porzingis, meanwhile, was a 20-point-per-game scorer for the Celtics but has been dealing with a calf injury and is expected to be unavailable for this entire round, and at least the first several games.

That creates an offensive hole for the Celtics and a potential avenue for exploitation for the Cavaliers inside the paint via Mobley and, if he's healthy, Allen.

Can Caris LeVert and Max Strus make a scoring impact against the Celtics?

The Cavaliers had two players make key contributions in the second half of Game 7, aside from Mitchell, Mobley and Garland — Caris LeVert and Max Strus.

And the Cavs have two players, aside from the core four, who have strong histories against the Celtics — Caris LeVert and Max Strus.

LeVert was able to drive to the rim against the Magic, which in turn opened up the entire Cavaliers offense after they floundered badly in the first half. He scored 26 points against the Celtics in December, so he already has a game this season in which he was a key producer, and he has two 40-point games against the Celtics in his career.

Strus struggled to get going a bit against the Magic, averaging nine points and shooting just 31 percent from 3-point range. But he found his rhythm in the second half of Game 7, scoring 13 points over the final 24 minutes and drilling three crucial 3s as the Cavs came back and then overpowered Orlando to advance to the second round.

Mitchell is the stud in the Cavs starting lineup, and they'll likely need some more Herculean performances out of him. But to beat Boston, the heavy favorites, Mitchell is going to need some help from a few players aside from himself, Garland and Mobley.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs vs Celtics in NBA playoffs: Keys to the second round matchup