Celtics fire back to beat Cavaliers
Washington, May 24: The Boston Celtics, reinvigorated by a return home, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-83 on Wednesday to move within one win of reaching the NBA Finals.
Rookie Jayson Tatum scored 24 points to lead five Boston players in double figures as the Celtics took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James led Cleveland with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
But James looked at times as if he were feeling the effects of the heavy load he has carried for the Cavs in these playoffs, coughing up six of Cleveland’s 15 turnovers, including four in the second half.
Kevin Love, with 14 points, was the only other player to score in double figures for the Cavs, who host game six on Friday trying to stay on track for a fourth straight trip to the Finals.
Game seven, if needed, will be back in Boston on Sunday.
James himself is seeking an eighth straight trip to the title series, although he said that streak wouldn’t be on his mind come Friday.
“Not at all,” he said. “It’s just all about just win every game and it should put us in position to play for a championship. “We look forward to having an opportunity to force a game seven. It’s up to us to see if we can come back here (to Boston) for one more.”
The winner of the series will play either the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets for the NBA crown. The Western Conference rivals are locked at 2-2 in their series.
With James on the bench to open the fourth quarter, the Celtics pushed a 16point lead to 21.
A 9-0 Cavs run reduced the deficit to 12 points, but Cleveland came up empty on their next four attempts.
“Defensively we gave ourselves a chance,” said James noting the Cavs held the Celtics to 36.5 per cent shooting.
“At one point we had two opportunities to cut it to single digits and missed some really good looks, two three-pointers. We couldn’t make. And if you don’t make, it’s going to come back to bite you.”
The Celtics improved to 10-0 at home this post-season, and Tatum said there’s no reason they can’t wrap up the series on Friday, even though so far the home team has won every game in the series.
With 10:47 left in second quarter and the Celtics up 17 points, Boston’s Marcus Morris and Cleveland’s Larry Nance tangled, with Nance sent sprawling to the floor.