The Cleveland Cavaliers pushed their way back in the Eastern Conference Finals with a blowout 116-86 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 on Saturday.
It was a collective offensive effort from the Cavaliers that they have yet to show against the Celtics that had put them in a quick hole in the first two games of the series. Following the convincing win over Boston, veteran guard J.R. Smith voiced that his team needed that three-day break in between Games 2 and 3 as certainly helped them get back on track in the series.
“It helped us a lot. We are old. We got some guys over here. I think they got one game born in 98-99. Just thinking about that it’s crazy. We needed. We definitely did.”
With their backs against the wall, the Cavs showed up in a must-win situation with a balanced offensive effort behind their entire starting lineup finishing in double figures scoring while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc with 17 long distance makes. They also held a 45-34 edge in rebounding that also played a factor in keeping the Celtics at bay without any serious push to get back into the game.
Smith was one of four Cavs players to hit 3-pointers as he finished with 11 points on the night. Meanwhile, LeBron James once again led the charge with a game-high 27 points and 12 assists. Kevin Love also added a double-double of his own with 13 points and a game-best 14 rebounds in Saturday’s win.
This has now set up an opportunity for the Cavs to even up the series in Game 4 on Monday night before it heads back to TD Garden once again. In the meantime, it is clear that Cleveland benefited from that break over the last couple of days to give life to their chances of reaching a fourth straight NBA Finals.