Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 3 vs. Celtics
By Ryan Piers
The Cleveland Cavaliers responded in a big way against Boston in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Here is what it means going forward the rest of the series.
LeBron James cracked plenty of jokes after a Game 3 blowout win against the Boston Celtics. Following the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-86 bludgeoning, James answered questions about his acrobatic passes.
"“They’re all pretty difficult…Don’t try it at home,” he joked to Sporting News, characterizing his play like it’s a dangerous, televised stunt."
James finished with 27 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Outside of the flashy dimes, it really was a ho-hum performance, at least by LeBron’s standards.
This time his teammates actually stepped up. Led by 11 first quarter points from George Hill, the Cavs raced to 32-17 lead after 12 minutes. Cleveland led by 20 at halftime and coasted in the second half before allowing its starters to rest the final six minutes.
It was the type of dominating performance Cavs fans were thirsting for. It wasn’t just a win, but a “we know where you sleep” kind of statement victory. It felt like Cleveland figured Boston out, maybe.
Then again, you never know what Brad Stevens has up his sleeve.
Either way, it was a positive win with a few important takeaways.