With Cleveland in jeopardy of dropping its second game in a row after James followed an 11-point Game 3 by picking up four first-half fouls, Irving put on a breathtaking one-man show in the third quarter. Always aware, he walked back on defense after the historic shot with one finger held high in the air. Even [Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] and those guys say that, so that says a lot about who they are as people. And of course, I’m getting closer and closer. So I’d have never believed I could be Mike. It’s one more team that you probably would’ve thought would’ve been a contender. I’m just happy and blessed that when I made a decision to come back that I was able to help him blossom. And so, I think maybe there’s just a lack of appreciation for greatness. Those guys are going to challenge me, they’re going to challenge our ballclub.
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The No. 1 pick became a moot point when the Warriors finished the regular season with a 16-5 kick to secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, then pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in National Basketball Association playoff history when they ousted the 67-win Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
The Cavaliers’ victory may not have been as emphatic as Game 2 last week, but it was demoralizing for the Celtics nonetheless. Irving led all scorers in the first half with 18 points.
If James’ play wasn’t stunning enough, Cavs forward J.R. Smith said his celebrated teammate lacked confidence.
LeBron James scored 35 points to become the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring leader – surpassing Michael Jordan.
“This is great learning for how far we have to go”, Stevens said. “As insane as it sounds, going into halftime, we had cut it to at least a manageable number”. He went inside and outside and seemed to find that gear that had been missing since Friday night’s dominating win in Boston. “That’s basically what happened”.
Boston’s comeback was fueled by Thomas’ replacement, Marcus Smart, who made 7 of 10 3-pointers and scored 27 points. “That’s an incredible zone to be in, which I was tonight”. Durant wants a ring and what better way than to get his first by beating the player that snatched his initial moment from him.
They fought hard for the No. 1 seed, but it ultimately meant nothing in late May. No sooner had last week’s wild draft lottery dropped off the radar of the league’s devoted UFO spotters (“Lemme guess: Boston goes first, then Lakers at No. 2?) up popped Game 3 Sunday between the Celtics and Cavaliers”.
Boston surprised the world with a 111-108 win at Cleveland in Game 3 to cut into the series lead, 2-1.
The 51-year-old Kerr underwent a procedure May 5 to fix a spinal fluid leak stemming from complications after a pair of back surgeries in 2015, after the Warriors won their first championship in 40 years during his first season as coach. “He did that. We put him in some good situations, (isolation), where he’s one of the best in the league, and he produced for us. We need to understand the privilege that we have and the opportunity that we have to play in the Finals again, to have the opportunity to win a championship”. “Individually, there’s room for improvement on everybody”. He was able to get by us and make tough shots in the paint.
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For a superstar who regularly seizes the biggest moments and makes them his own, it was unusual to see James basically look like one of Cleveland’s reserves.
