The defending National Basketball Association champions, who shot 71 percent in the second half to open a 3-1 lead in the series, can wrap up their third straight conference title – and a “three-match” against the Warriors – with a win in Game 5 on Thursday night in Boston.
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It was Boston’s first outing since star guard Isaiah Thomas was shut down with a hip injury, and the Celtics showed they’re capable counter-punchers.
Boston spent all of the fourth quarter playing from behind, failing to get that necessary made shot or defensive turnover or stop that they needed to slow down Cleveland’s growing momentum.
The Cavs overcame deficits as large as 16 points in the second quarter and 10 points at halftime to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The win was huge for the Cavs, but maybe even bigger for LeBron James who had a disastrous Game 3. James put together one of his finest regular seasons, averaging 26.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game on 54.8% shooting, yet the Cavs went 51-31.
In addition, Jae Crowder suffered a strained left thigh in the third quarter of Game 4 as well, but returned to play the entire fourth quarter.
Irving scored 12 points in the quarter with James on the bench to save Cleveland from a blowout. They pretty much stopped giving a shit once they pushed the lead out to 21 points. “Not just in the second half”. They were 16-point underdogs in Game 3, which they won by three points.
The betting odds are in for the Celtics and Cavaliers as they get ready for Game 4 on Tuesday night in Cleveland.
The teams now travel back to Boston for game five of the series on Friday (NZ time).
“He’s human, so he’s going to have a night like this”, said Cavs coach Tyronn Lue.
The chatter about an NBA Finals’ matchup of two teams with unblemished playoff records is gone, but the challenge from the Celtics has sharpened the focus of the defending champs. In Game 3, the Cavs got exactly what they wanted from James’ talented supporting cast. Whether that happens could be determined by how James responds in Game 4.
“He basically was just waiting for an opportunity to be able to blossom”, James said. Even as his team supposedly limped into the playoffs – laughable now in retrospect, and not something we’d criticize, say, Gregg Popovich for – LeBron was spreading his value far beyond his own stunning season.
As Lue spoke to a large group of reporters and some Cavs players got in extra shots following practice, James was noticeably absent from the floor.
“It’s a mental state being prepared and being ready and you know you are going to expect a team’s best that night and their best shot”, said Lue.
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Coming into Sunday’s contest, the Cavaliers had lost just one game at home to a team from the East in the play-offs dating to 2015.
