Cavaliers avoid elimination, force a Game 7 against the Celtics: 3 takeaways
By Ian Levy
LeBron James was the best version of himself, helping his Cavaliers avoid elimination and force a Game 7 against the Celtics.
The home team had one every game in the Eastern Conference Finals and LeBron James made sure his team didn’t break that pattern. James was exquisite in Game 6, missing a 40-point triple-double by one assist and making impossible plays seem mundane. Boston played well but LeBron at the height of his powers, along with some key contributions from the supporting cast, was just too much.
The Celtics actually got off to a strong start in the first quarter but a huge run by Cleveland in the second quarter gave them an 11-point lead heading into halftime, a cushion that the Cavaliers wouldn’t relinquish. Game 7 between the Celtics and Cavaliers will be in Boston on Sunday, at 8:30 p.m.
Takeaways
Cavaliers role player roulette. This series, Cleveland hasn’t been able to count on their supporting cast. One night, they’re there, playing aggressive, knocking down shots, grabbing rebounds and playing defense. The next, they’re gassed, chugging all the blue Gatorade and standing glassy-eyed in the corner while LeBron tries to save them. Things looked grim in the first half when Kevin Love went to the locker room with what later turned out to be a concussion, but the role players banded together and helped LeBron get the job done. George Hill chipped in 20 points. Jeff Green added 14. Larry Nance Jr. added 10 points and 7 rebounds. When anyone in that group has showed up, the Cavs have won. Can they finally make an appearance in Boston?
The Celtics showed up. For the first time in this series, the Celtics offense really showed up on the road. Terry Rozier, who has mostly been a disaster on the road in the playoffs, finished with 28 points and seven assists, shooting 6-of-10 from the 3-point line. As a team, the Celtics shot 51.4 percent from the field, 42.9 percent on 28 3-point attempts and finished with 25 assists to just 13 turnovers. Al Horford was quiet and Marcus Morris still missed a few shots, but the Celtics didn’t beat themselves. They were beat by…
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…LeBrawn James. The Cavaliers have LeBron James and the no one else does. On some nights, that’s the difference. The Celtics kept in competitive but this was one of those nights where LeBron was not going to be denied, chasing down blocks, knocking down contested 3s from a half-dozen steps behind the 3-point line. LeBron finished with 46 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and at least dive plays that you couldn’t expect any other player in the league to make in a game with these stakes. The Celtics get Game 7 at home. Does anyone feel confident that they can overcome the magic of LeBron James?