Who knocked the Celtics out of the 2018 NBA Playoffs?

The Cleveland Cavaliers knocked the Boston Celtics out of the 2018 NBA Playoffs, winning the Eastern Conference Finals four games to three.

Boston took a 2–0 lead in the series, but Cleveland rallied behind LeBron James, who was in his eighth consecutive NBA Finals appearance. The decisive Game 7 was played on May 27, 2018, at Boston’s TD Garden, where the Cavaliers won 87–79. James led Cleveland with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists.

The Celtics were already dealing with major injuries: Kyrie Irving missed the entire postseason after knee surgery, and Gordon Hayward had been lost with a serious ankle injury early in the regular season. Despite those absences, Boston reached Game 7 behind a young core that included Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier.

A common mix-up is confusing the Cavaliers’ Eastern Conference Finals victory with the NBA Finals. Cleveland advanced to face the Golden State Warriors, who swept the Cavaliers 4–0 to win the 2018 championship. Thus, Cleveland eliminated Boston, while Golden State eliminated Cleveland.