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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) /

1. Return to the Finals

For the fourth consecutive season, the Cavaliers are advancing to the Finals. When you consider the turmoil the team underwent earlier in the season, culminating in having six players traded away midseason, this is clearly a significant accomplishment.

With the narrative of whether or not James will be returning to Cleveland next season hovering over the team for much of the season, this is incredibly satisfying, as Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert expressed after the game:

"“This one’s the best one. It just seemed like the negativity from the beginning of the year, not necessarily internally but from everywhere….You know these guys have to read this stuff everyday and see the stuff and hear the stuff. Ty Lue this, Koby [Altman] this….these guys are something, there’s something special in that locker room, front office, coaching staff, there’s a feeling different even from the other three years. I know we won it in one of them, but it’s hard to explain almost, it feels like it’s all coming together at the right time and I’m very happy for Cleveland and hopefully we can deliver four more wins.”"

Following the series win, James echoed his thoughts on what the team has overcome to get to this point:

"“I guess this is the last chapter for our team this season, it’s been a whirlwind….it’s been a rollercoaster, it’s been good, it’s been bad…..it’s been everything you can ask for….this has been one of the most challenging seasons that I’ve had….Right before the [All-Star] break, right before the trade deadline I kind of reset, didn’t know if we were going to make trades or not, didn’t know what we were going to do with our team, but I just kind of reset my mindset on saying, ‘This is the season, and let’s try and make the most of it,’ and that’s what got me to this point.”"

The Celtics series clearly demonstrated that for as dominant as they can be on a game-to-game basis, the Cavaliers have very little shot at winning unless he is getting significant contributions from a number of his supporting teammates.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition

Prior to the Finals commencing on Thursday, the Cavaliers can simply rest up and find out who they’ll be encountering as they challenge for their second title in franchise history.

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