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1.75-meter Thomas scores 22 in Celtics' NBA playoff loss to Cavaliers

Xinhua, April 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Isaiah Thomas, who stands 1.75 meters (5'9'') tall, scored 22 points to top the seventh-seeded Boston Celtics, which lost 100-113 in their NBA playoff Game 1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

The Celtics will try to even the best-of-7 series in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

"We're still confident," Thomas said. "Guys are ready for Game 2, knowing that good or bad you've got to have a short memory. There are possibly seven games in this series and it could go either way."

Kyrie Irving scored 30 points in his playoff debut, LeBron James added 20 in his first postseason game with Cleveland in five years and Kevin Love shook off a slow start to record a double-double.

Boston led by eight in the first quarter, but got careless with the ball and finished with 14 turnovers - 13 after the first quarter.

The Cavs built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, let the Celtics get as close as six and then finished the quarter with a 9-0 run - capped a 3-pointer by James Jones - to take a 15-point lead into the fourth. Boston climbed within 10 in the final 12 minutes, but Love made a crucial 3-pointer with 3:32 left to slow Boston.

In the days leading up to the opener, James said he was confident Irving and Love would be ready for the playoffs, but added "you never know," perhaps the superstar's way of motivating his teammates. Irving and Love looked like playoff veterans as Cleveland's "Big 3" combined for 69 points.

"We'll learn from it and improve from it," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "Very simple. I don't want to overdo it. This is a long series." Endi