Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from Game 7 vs. Cavaliers

LeBron James imposed his will once again, ending what was a magical and improbable run for the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Conference Finals.

The Boston Celtics‘ postseason run came to a disappointing finish on Sunday night, as the C’s couldn’t get past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, falling 87-79.

Boston led through a majority of the first half including a good chunk of the third quarter, but its inexperience finally caught up with them. Coupled with LeBron’s greatness, it was simply too much to overcome.

Despite hitting shots throughout the playoffs, with a trip to the Finals on the line, Game 7 proved to nerve-wracking a task for the Celtics, as they shot just 34.1 percent from the field, including 17.9 from distance.

Arguably the biggest factor in Boston’s defeat was what the Cavs supporting cast finally did after six games filled with inconsistency.

Nobody knew whether anyone outside LeBron would produce in Game 7, but we knew that if they did, the Celtics would be in trouble. Jeff Green and J.R. Smith combined for 31 points, easing what has become one of, if not the biggest offensive burden that any one player has carried by James.

Jayson Tatum wrapped up a phenomenal rookie season with 24 points, finishing just one shy of the all-time postseason record for a rookie behind the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Al Horford was second on the team with 17, while it took Jaylen Brown 18 shots to amass just 13 points.

While this loss will certainly sting all summer, Boston’s future is brighter than 95 percent of the league. With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving presumably healthy by the start of the 2018-19 season, the Celtics will have their chance at redemption.

For now, though, they’ll have only the disappointing Game 7 performance they put up in a series they truly believed was theirs to win.