The Boston Celtics will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Thursday. The Celtics lead the series 1-0.

The Celtics didn’t have problems establishing their tempo in the first game of the series and demolishing the Cavaliers to a 120-95 win. Despite Jayson Tatum's rough shooting performance (7-19 FG), the Celtics didn’t have problems securing their fourth consecutive win in the playoffs after winning three in a row to dismantle the Miami Heat. Boston shouldn’t have problems to continue dominating the Cavaliers, as they already defeated them 2-1 in their series during the regular season. Boston will probably rely on Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who posted 32 points in Game 1 on Tuesday, to get the job done at home once again.

Kristaps Porzingis (calf) is out for Thursday and is not expected to be available throughout the course of the series.

The Cavaliers had to work harder than expected to get past the Orlando Magic in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs and only had two days of rest before travelling to take on the Celtics in Game 1. As a result, the 25-point loss wasn’t much of a surprise, with the Cavaliers looking gassed in the second half while facing the best team in the league, one that lost just three games during the regular season at home. Plus, the Cavaliers are dealing with the absence of Jarrett Allen, who plays a pivotal role on the defensive end of the court, due to a ribs problem. The Cavaliers know they need to get a positive result in Game 2 of the series, because going back home on a 0-2 deficit might be too much for them to overcome.

Jarrett Allen (ribs) is uncertain to play in Game 2 on Thursday. Ty Jerome (ankle), Craig Porter (ankle) and Dean Wade (knee) are not expected to be available.