Champions give Celts credit
The Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the NBA Finals last night with token opposition from the Celtics.
Up 18 points at halftime and by as many as 39, the Cavaliers coasted to a 135102 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at the Garden. Their 10th straight victory in a potential series-clinching game sent LeBron James (and seldom-used teammate James Jones) to a record seventh straight NBA Finals.
The defending champs will face the Golden State Warriors for the third straight season, with Game 1 set for Thursday night in Oakland.
Despite three lopsided wins in Boston, the Cavaliers were impressed by the Celtics perseverance after losing Isaiah Thomas to a hip injury in the second half of Game 2.
“You have to commend them for accomplishing what they did . . . they were playing at such a high level,” said guard Kyrie Irving. “Honestly, we didn’t want IT to go down.
“They were coming out and hitting us and they didn’t care who we are. It was a matchup we were looking forward to and I’m glad we prevailed.”
Kevin Love arrived in Cleveland at the start of the run and was part of the previous two series with the Warriors. Love hurt the Celtics throughout the series with perimeter shooting, and finished Game 5 with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Love said the work and energy the Cavs put into beating the Celtics will pay off in the Finals.
“The Celtics and (coach) Brad Stevens and the team that they have, they throw a lot of different lineups at you and a lot of stuff on the defensive end,” said Love. “I think it definitely prepared us for what is ahead. It was definitely a hard fought series and even though they lost, they didn’t lie down even when they lost Isaiah.
“I mentioned the inspired basketball we play and they definitely played inspired basketball, not only here but in our arena.”
The most noteworthy moment of the one-sided affair occurred with 2:40 to play in the third, when James surpassed Michael Jordan as the NBA’s alltime playoff scoring leader with a 3-point shot from the left of the key. Needing 28 points in his 212th playoff game to surpass Jordan’s record of 5,987, James finished with 35, plus eight rebounds and eight assists. He watched the fourth quarter from the bench.
“I think the biggest thing for me sitting here today after breaking the all-time scoring record in playoff history is that I did it being me,” said James. “I don’t have to score to have an impact on the game, and it’s carried me to this point now and it is going to carry me the rest of my career.
“I think at the end of the day, for my name to be in the discussion with the greatest basketball player of all time is, like, wow.”
‘You have to commend them for accomplishing what they did.’ — KYRIE IRVING, on the C’s