The Cleveland Cavaliers managed to stop the bleeding in their series versus the Boston Celtics with a dominant, 116-86, win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Needless to say, there were a number of factors that attributed to Cleveland’s 30-point victory on Saturday night.
However, power forward Kevin Love was quick to credit the effort of center Tristan Thompson. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, he feels Thompson’s defense on Celtics’ center Al Horford was key to their success in Game 3:
“Tristan has always been great in stepping up and taking the challenge in any series. You’ve got to give a lot of credit to Tristan because Horford is really the one that makes them go.
“He can play a little bit of the point forward. He can do a lot of the intangibles that even for their team might not show up on the box score as well. But he did a great job on him tonight, and he’s done a great job on him the last two games.”
There is plenty of truth to Love’s comments. Al Horford has not only served as the veteran leader of this talented, young squad, but he has kicked things up a notch with his stellar play in the postseason.
Fortunately, the Cavs may have found a way to contain his production. It is no secret that Tristan Thompson has had a rough year both on and off the court up to this point. However, he has managed to step up big for Cleveland when they needed it the most.
Thompson playing time has fluctuated throughout the playoffs.
Regardless, he has found a way to make the most of his action this series by serving as a thorn in the side of Horford. After an impressive performance in Game 1, Thompson managed to hold the veteran to just seven points in Game 3. That said, Cleveland will continue to rely heavily on his defense to help swing the series back into Cleveland’s favor.