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Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 7 vs. Celtics

By Simon Smith

BOSTON, MA - MAY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is interviewed by Doris Burke after defeating the Boston Celtics 87-79 in Game Seven of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the 2018 NBA Finals at TD Garden on May 27, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is interviewed by Doris Burke after defeating the Boston Celtics 87-79 in Game Seven of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the 2018 NBA Finals at TD Garden on May 27, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Now moving onto their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance, here are three takeaways from Game 7 as the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated the Boston Celtics.

In a war of attrition, the old adage of having the best player in the series ultimately proved the difference for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In a game featuring nine lead changes and a 78-74 margin with just 2:34 remaining, the overwhelming presence of LeBron James, combined with the lack of experience among several key Boston Celtics players, ultimately saw the Cavaliers wind up victorious, 87-79.

In a classic Game 7 setting, scoring was at a premium, with both teams combining to shoot a ghastly 16-of-74 from 3-point range. Furthermore, it came as no surprise that this epic encounter featured the slowest pace of the postseason thus far at 88.18.

After trailing 35-23 with 8:52 remaining in the second quarter, head coach Tyronn Lue explained after the game what it took for the Cavaliers to remain in striking distance:

"“They went up 12, we took a timeout, just told our guys to stay the course, we were getting good shots, our defense was pretty good. I thought the players did a good job of adjusting to our switches earlier than we wanted to, you know double-team the post to try to get us activated….I think we brought in Kyle [Korver] for Tristan [Thompson] around that stretch and that kind of opened up the floor a little bit, and was able to get some scores and stops.”"

LeBron James was again brilliant with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, while Jeff Green, filling in for the absence of All-Star Kevin Love, added 19 points and eight rebounds. Rookie Jason Tatum again led the way for the Celtics with 24 points and seven rebounds, while All-Star Al Horford added 17 points.

However, the Celtics’ starting backcourt duo of Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown combined to go 3-of-22 from 3-point range. Boston attempted 19 more shots from the field, primarily due to their 11-2 margin on the offensive boards, but couldn’t knock down those looks.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1000944140497117185

With another momentous contest in the books, here are three main takeaways from Game 7.

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