The Celtics have some fight in them after all.
Left for dead after getting blown out in Games 1 and 2, both in Boston, the Celtics came into Cleveland for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals as massive 16.5-point underdogs and with 16-to-1 odds to the win the game outright. Such odds are practically unheard of this deep into the postseason.
The Celtics couldn’t hang with LeBron James and Co. in Boston — and that was with their best player, Isaiah Thomas. How could things be different with the series shifting to Cleveland and Thomas ruled out for the rest of the postseason with a hip injury?
For most of the game, it didn’t appear anything would be different. The Cavs hung 66 points on the Celtics in the first half, leading by 16 at the break, and extended their lead to 21 about midway through the third quarter.
Unlike the first two games of the series, though, the Celtics showed resilience, closing the gap to five by the end of the third and taking a 99-98 lead on a Kelly Olynyk jumper with 4:20 left in the game.
While the Celtics got solid offensive performances from several players, defense fueled their win. LeBron James, riding a streak of eight-straight playoff games with 30-plus points, was shut down, scoring just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, including missing all four of his 3-point attempts. He finished with six points and six rebounds, but had five and five at halftime.
Boston prevailed 111-108 to tighten the series to two games to one.
Game 4 is Tuesday night in Cleveland, and the series will be back in Boston for Game 5 on Thursday. Despite a fantastic effort Sunday night, it’s hard to envision the Celtics beating the Cavs three of the next four games. Still, let’s be thankful for at least one thriller in these so-far one-sided conference finals.
Stud of the night
The Celtics had standout performances up and down their roster. In Thomas’ stead, Marcus Smart led the team with 27 points, a career playoff high, and also had seven assists and five rebounds. Al Horford, Jae Crowder and Olynyk provided front-court balance with 16, 14 and 15, respectively, and all three contributed defensively on James. Avery Bradley dropped 20, including the last-second game-winning 3-pointer.
But Jonas Jerebko gets Sunday’s stud honor, coming off the bench to give the Celtics 13 minutes of energy without which they are facing a 3-0 series deficit. The Swede scored 10 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting (2 for 2 from long range), grabbed five rebounds and tallied an difference-making +22 plus/minus ratio.
Dud of the night
Even the best are entitled to an off night once in a while, and Sunday can certainly be characterized as such for King James. While the Cavs’ other four starters’ stat lines were robust, James was a non-factor throughout the second half.
Highlight
Thanks to his deft touch, Bradley’s eventual game-winner danced around the rim for a few seconds before finally dropping in. One wonders what the Cavs would have done with those seconds had Bradley’s shot gone straight through.
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