In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics overcame a 21-point deficit in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers scrapping out a 111-108 win.
Following the game, much of the attention was on the porous performance LeBron James had strung together scoring just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc with six turnovers, six assists, and six rebounds. In fact, in the last 16 minutes of the game, he went scoreless with on 0-for-4 shooting from the field.
With that in mind, his teammate J.R. Smith laid out some keen advice for James to get back on track in Game 4, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“He’s got to be aggressive, get downhill, play like he’s been playing, play confident,” said Smith after practice Monday. “That’s what I always think, when people of his stature or people like him, you’ve got to play confident the whole night and play aggressive. It’s the Eastern Conference finals. It’s not enough for him. For what he does, what he brings, it’s not enough. He knows that. We know that. Just expect him to be better in Game 4.”
James will have more than enough motivation to get back on track on Tuesday night at home for Game 4 following his worst playoff performance in years. Prior to that hiccup, the 32-year-old became the first player to record eight straight games with at least 30 points in a single postseason since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had nine in a row during the 1970 playoffs.
Given the way James has played this season, there shouldn’t be too much concern about him bouncing back. Remember, he was an offensive juggernaut in the first two games of the series scoring at least 30 points in each contest on more than 58 percent shooting from the field.
With a more aggressive mentality to start the game, it could quickly shape up to a huge outing for James and a long night for the Celtics.
