When the Cleveland Cavaliers carried out an utter dismantling of the Boston Celtics on the road in Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference finals by a total of 57 points, including a ridiculous 130-86 thrashing in Game 2, it seemed that playing Game 3 and 4 in Cleveland was a mere formality.
Adding injury to insult, the Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas re-aggravated a lingering hip injury in the third quarter of the Game 2 massacre that would keep him out for the remainder of the postseason. To the shock of most who have been following the playoffs, Game 3 became much more than a cliché. It ain’t over until it’s over manifested literally when the Celtics, against enormous odds, defeated the Cavaliers 111-108 on a last-second three-pointer by guard Avery Bradley.
“We have guys who have chips on their shoulders,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said. “We knew that [Game 2 on] Friday was a disaster. It wasn’t worth all four. It was worth one. So we got back together.”
LeBron James delved into a bit of hyperbole when he said, “I feel some adversity is part of the postseason. If it’s going to happen, let it happen now. Let’s regroup and get back to playing desperate basketball … We’ve got to be a lot better for sure.”
The loss, which ended the Cavaliers’ 13-game playoff win streak, did not create an adverse situation for them as they were still firmly in control of the series at 2-1 when Game 4 tipped off Tuesday night in Cleveland. But when James, who played poorly in Game 3 by his lofty standards, scoring only 11 points on 4-13 shooting with six turnovers, picked up his fourth foul in the second quarter, contributing to the Celtics’ resilient 57-47 halftime lead, it was indeed a time for concern.
However great LeBron is, and he clearly is the primary reason the Cavaliers have had a resurgence since his return three years ago, they also have two other All-Stars in the persons of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Tuesday, it was Irving who saved the Cavaliers from a legitimate crisis. Irving scored 42 points, including 21 in the third quarter, when he was spectacularly unstoppable, to carry the Cavaliers to a 112-99 victory and put them one win away from a historic third straight NBA Finals match-up with the Golden State Warriors, who swept the San Antonio Spurs 4-0 in the Western Conference finals. No two teams have ever met three consecutive seasons in the Finals.
“I was happy to sit back and watch him,” said James of his 25-year-old running mate Irving, now in his sixth season as a pro after playing less than one full season at Duke because of injuries. “He was born for these moments.”
Irving said he felt compelled to take over when James was stymied by foul trouble. “In the back of my mind, I thought, ‘They can’t tie up the series,’” he said. “We can’t go back to Boston tied 2-2. We needed everything tonight.”
Instead, they will face the Celtics tonight in Game 5, with an opportunity to clinch the East title.