Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from Game 7 vs. Cavaliers

3. Someone other than LeBron steps up

After averaging 33.3 points on 52.9 percent shooting to go along with 8.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game through the first six games, it looked like LeBron James would have to summon an entirely different animal to advance to his eighth straight NBA Finals.

That notion was only exacerbated when All-Star Kevin Love, the team’s second-leading scorer, was ruled out for Game 7 with a concussion.

With an open spot in the starting lineup, coach Tyronn Lue went with Jeff Green, hoping the versatile forward could produce when given heavy minutes.

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Green answered the call, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting — almost seven more points than what Love averaged for the series and the most Green has had this postseason.

J.R. Smith also broke out of his slump, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc to finish with 12.

All series long, LeBron has made the right play, feeding the open man even when his teammates were struggling mightily.

Through six games, that worked in Boston’s favor, as that meant more of Cleveland’s shots weren’t being taken by the best player in the world, and instead were being launched by guys who couldn’t hit much of anything.

In Game 7, however, other Cavaliers managed to step up their level of play when it mattered most, making all the difference in a slugfest of a deciding game.