LeBron, Love help Cavs rout Celtics in Game 1

For fans they will also have an opportunity to get excited on Tuesday though with the NBA Draft Lottery taking place where Boston has a 25% chance at the number 1 overall draft pick.

The Celtics, on the other side of the ball, have advanced to the Eastern Conference finals after ousting the Washington Wizards in best of seven series, following a 4-2 first-round outscoring the Chicago Bulls.

“I would be very surprised if the Celtics actually won four games in the series”, Sherman said.

Thomas hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left in the first half, his team’s second trey in 16 first-half attempts.

In a play that perhaps defined the game, Thomas had a drive thwarted when he tried to score over James and just anemically shot the ball only a few feet into the air before catching it and being called for a travel. Not only did LeBron’s omnipresence give him the jitters, he even got spooked by Tristan Thompson.

“They’re playing at a really high level”, Boston forward Al Horford said Monday. Just before that losing streak began, the Cavaliers went into Boston and beat the Celtics by 23 points.

For the fifth game in a row, LeBron James scored at least 35 points. Love ended with a double-double of 32 points and 12 boards. Love was a non-factor in the series.

Boston won in six games, and soon thereafter LeBron took his talents to South Beach. It will be interesting to see if he continues to get these calls throughout the series.

It didn’t last long, though, as the Cavs quickly got the lead back up to 20. We rarely discuss non-scorers as stars, but Thompson is absolutely an elite player.

“We needed it”, Olynyk said.

It seems that Cleveland and Golden State are on a collision course. Mary High School, it was also a nod to the Celtics, the team James has played in the postseason more than any other. The comeback was short-lived, as Cleveland kept their cool and extended their lead back to comfortable territory. Moments later, it was Isaiah Thomas’ turn, barking at Thompson before being separated. Kevin Love became more involved in their offense than he has been throughout the playoffs. Immediately, guard J.R. Smith collapsed on Thomas, forcing him into the corner.

The Celtics pulled to within 11 in the second when a Marcus Smart steal led to a three-point play. He only scored 11 points on the night.

And what happens when Boston makes reads and plays it simple?

12 – Minutes for Richard Jefferson after combining for less than ten total minutes over the last six games combined. May 18: Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics, 10:30 A.M. It appears the Cavaliers are starting to work their Finals rotation into the mix, featuring Jefferson and limiting Frye a bit. They say they’re focusing on continuing to get better and the next game against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals.

LeBron James is set to face Boston for the sixth time in the postseason, and considers them a “worthy opponent”.

We’ll see if Thomas can pick up his play in Game 2 and if the Celtics can bounce back to even the series at one apiece on Friday night, but one thing appears to be as close to a guarantee as you’ll find in the National Basketball Association: nobody can stop LeBron when he’s playing like this and in the Eastern Conference, it really might just be that simple.