With their backs against the wall for the second time this postseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers responded with a solid performance in a 109-99 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Not everything went the Cavs’ way, but there are some things that can be gleaned from the victory that, if they continue, will give Cleveland the advantage in the winner-take-all Game 7.
First and foremost, LeBron James put on another show. His stats were incredible: 46 points on 17-33 shooting, including 5-7 from beyond the arc, 11 rebounds, nine assists, three steals, a block, and only three turnovers. But in his 46 minutes, James made an even bigger impact beyond what is shown on paper. He was the most consistent Cavalier on the night, and his presence helped the team to negate damage when the Celtics would begin a scoring run.
James’ primary sidekick, Kevin Love, went 0-3 with four rebounds and a foul in the first five minutes of the game, and then, in a second, the entire series changed.
Love collided with Jayson Tatum and their heads connected with each other’s. Tatum, who was not called for a foul, did not display any adverse effects, and played for the remainder of the game. Love, however, immediately went down and left the game. He suffered a concussion, and will not be available for Game 7.
Even though he hasn’t been great this series, Love was still a focal point in Cleveland’s offense. His shooting ability forced Boston’s big men to leave the paint and defend Love on the perimeter, which opened up the interior for James to score. The threat of Love on the floor was something that the Celtics had to gameplan for, and without him, the Cavs will have one less offensive option.
Thankfully, the Cavaliers’ role players made up for the absence of Love. George Hill shot 7-12 and finished with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. It was Hill’s highest-scoring game of the postseason, and Cleveland is 7-1 in games where he scores 10 or more points. Hill will be an X-factor in game 7.
Larry Nance Jr. played 22 minutes as he and Tristan Thompson saw an increased role due to Love’s injury. Nance continued his stretch of solid play with 10 points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Thompson had two points and four rebounds in 23 minutes, so he will need to play much better in order for the Cavaliers to have a chance.
Jeff Green will start in place of Love tonight, and if he plays anything like he did on Friday, Cleveland will have an advantage. Green saw 31 minutes of action, scoring 14 points and adding three rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. His defensive versatility has been vital this series, as the Celtics employ a variety of wings and forwards, all of which Green has been tasked to defend. He is not an offensive focal point, but his passing and screen-setting creates opportunities for others.
After the first quarter, the Cavs were down 25-20. In the second period, they blitzed Boston 34-18 and went into the half up by 11, and they held that lead for the entire second half. Even as the Celtics crept closer in the fourth quarter, Cleveland never panicked, and LeBron James iced the game with two straight step-back three-pointers late in the possession.
While the Cavaliers’ solid play is a positive, what is even more encouraging for the next game is that Boston played extremely well overall but still lost by 10 points. As a team, they shot 51% from the field and 43% from three-point range. Those shooting numbers usually denote a win, but that was not the case in Game 6. They were just 11-20 from the free-throw line, while the Cavs went 18-22. Making free throws is incredibly important in the playoffs, and the Celtics did not convert well enough from the line. They also had 13 turnovers, while Cleveland had only nine.
Five Celtics scored 10 or more points, and the team was led in scoring by Terry Rozier with 27 and Jaylen Brown with 28. Boston was efficient, they just didn’t shoot the ball enough. The Celtics took just 74 shots, while the Cavs put up 87.
Boston head coach Brad Stevens is one of the best in the league at making strategical adjustments, and the biggest challenge he has ahead of Game 7 is to try and avoid another second quarter meltdown, which cost the Celtics the game.
One thing the Celtics have going for them is that they are at home. The home team has won every game in this series, with the Cavs losing by 25, 13, and 13 at TD Garden. An outstanding performance by James is needed, and Cleveland needs its role players to step up now more than ever with Love sitting on the bench.
Two things are for certain: it will be an extremely entertaining game, and the Cavs will have a chance, if only because they have the best player in the world.