Cavaliers season ends with 113-98 loss in Game 5

The Cavs’ season ends in the second round.

Game 5 final: Boston Celtics 113, Cleveland Cavaliers 98. This loss marks the end of the Cavaliers’ 2023-24 season.

Nightly Notables

Evan Mobley was Cleveland’s best player in Game 5, operating with confidence from the center spot and doing everything he could to keep the Cavs in it. Mobley scored 33 points on 15-24 shooting to go with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Marcus Morris Sr. added 25 points off the bench, 15 of which from three, in his highest-scoring game as a Cavalier.

The Celtics had six players finish in double figures, led by Jayson Tatum with 25 points.

Well, that happened

Darius Garland struggled in Game 5. Which makes sense — with Donovan Mitchell and no Caris LeVert due to injury, Boston was able to throw more Garland’s way and deny him space. Garland just couldn’t convert enough of the looks he had even, whether it was on a switch against Al Horford or on the perimeter against a guard.

Garland finished 4-17 from the field, including 0-4 from three, and had just 2 assists. That was not going to be enough for the Cavs to extend the series.

Big Picture

The Cavs are now headed into a pivotal offseason. What happens with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, with Mitchell, with Garland, with Jarrett Allen — there’s so much to be worked through this summer.

This is an organization that has choices to make. (And, with Mitchell at least, choices made for them if he wants out or doesn’t sign an extension.) They have a path to pick this summer. Is the foundation here something that can still be built on? What changes need to be make to strengthen that foundation? And how drastic do those changes need to be? We’re going to find out what Cleveland thinks the answers to hose questions are.

Up next: No Cavs game until the fall, unless you count Summer League in July.