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Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris lived up to the hype he made for himself ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. After saying that he’s the best LeBron James stopper not named Kawhi Leonard, Morris went out in the series opener and backed up his own boast by helping limit LeBron James to just 15 points in a decisive 108-83 win on Sunday.
After the game, Morris was asked about his observation of James throughout the game and insinuated that the four-time MVP did not seem to have an extra gear within him at least in Game 1, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Mook Morris says he didn’t see much of a change in LeBron James’ physicality and aggressiveness throughout the game.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 13, 2018
James simply did not have it offensively on Sunday. He shot just 5-for-16 from the field and 0-for-5 from distance in 36 minutes of action. In addition, James was also obviously bothered by the defense of Marcus Morris, as he turned the ball over seven times. (Cleveland had nine errors overall in the game.)
Keeping James in check in a game is one thing. Holding him down for an entire series is another. That said, Morris has already gained a solid footing defensively in his matchup with the Cavs superstar, and he’ll try to build on his excellent body of work on defense as he goes up against James again this Tuesday for Game 2 of the series. Apart from limiting James’ production, Morris did plenty of damage offensively, as he scored 21 points with three 3-pointers and 10 rebounds.
The Cavaliers are certainly going to make adjustments for Game 2, so Morris and the Celtics will have to be prepared for any changes by their opponents.
