Celtics survive LeBron attack to go 2-0 up

JAYLEN Brown scored 23 points and the Boston Celtics overcame a 42-point performance from LeBron James to beat Cleveland 107-94 on Tuesday y and take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Terry Rozier ier added 18 points, while e Al Horford finished with h 15 points and 10 rebounds ounds for t h e C e l t i c s , wh o improved to o 8-0 this postseason n at the Boston Garden. den.

“We really y lean on him,” said Brown rown of Horford.

“He has been doing it all l year. That is why y they pay him the e big bucks.”

The Celtics, cs, who overcame me a double digit deficit, have never blown a 2-0 series lead in the postseason. Game 3 is on Saturday in Cleveland (at 7:30am on Sunday morning Cambod Cambodian time).

Brow Brown said they can’t let up in Game 3 because Ca Cavali er s superstar J James usually raises his game another notch after a loss. “We need t r e - m mendou s f o c u s . [ [James]is J one of best pl players of a l l t i me. Bu But i f t here i s a nybod body I would put my mon money on it would be t h i s g r o u p,” Br o w n said.

The Cel Celtics used a balanced attack as a half-dozen players reached double f i gures. Clevela Cleveland had 15 turnovers leading to 13 Boston points and the Celtics had just six turnovers.

James (pictured, AFP) also delivered 12 assists and 10 rebounds, scoring 21 of Cleveland’s 27 points in the first quarter.

His 42 points marked his 40-point game of these playoffs.

James had just 15 points and missed all five of his three-point attempts in a Game 1 defeat.

‘Gooning it up’

fifth

“We have the opportunity to go back home and take home court,” James said. “They did what they had to do to protect home court, and now it is our time as well. We will see what we are made of on Saturday.”

Tuesday’s game got physical as the Celtics pulled out all the stops to try to contain James.

James appeared to strain his neck in a first-half collision. The Cavaliers then sagged in the second half, where they were outscored 59-39 by the Celtics.

Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said they need to be more physical and referred to the Boston players as goons.

“We got to be tougher mentally and physically,” Lue said. “They are gooning it up and we have got to do the same thing.”

Kevin Love finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland.

Kyle Korver came off the bench to score 11 points, but starters Tristan Thompson, JR Smith and George Hill combined for just 11 points in the loss.

“Down the stretch we took some bad shots,” Lue said. “We didn’t close the half the way we wanted to and they had a big third quarter.

“In the third quarter we had some miscommunication on defence and they scored some easy baskets.”