“It’s ridiculous, and he does it at this level and with the pressure, with the scrutiny – doesn’t matter,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said last night about the Cavs’ LeBron James. “It’s just unbelievable.”
By Lewis Gould
Last night’s game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between Cleveland and Boston had all the makings of great theater in a wonderful venue, the Celts’ TD Garden.
Both teams struggled to make shots and looked fatigued. But they produced a compelling game and a dramatic high-stakes finish.
The Cavaliers, somehow, someway, defeated the Celtics 87-79 in the series finale. It was the first time the road team won in this series and the first time the Celtics had lost at home all playoffs.
LeBron James, who played all 48 minutes, had the monster game the Cavs needed from him: 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. The win sends James to his eighth consecutive NBA Finals — starting Thursday night at the winner of tonight’s Rockets-Warriors game — and it’s the fourth straight for the Cavs.
The Celtics led for much of the first half and were up 72-71 with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter. Cleveland outscored Boston 16-7 to close out the game. Boston was 2-for-13 shooting during that stretch.
James is now 6-2 in a Game 7 and hasn’t lost a Game 7 since the Celtics beat his Cavs in 2008. If you’re going to roll with a player to win a Game 7 on the road, you’ll take James. He is also now 14-9 in elimination games. It takes a lot to slay James in the East
“He’s had a lot of gaudy games, but I just think Game 7 in Boston, all the circumstances that surround Boston, the history behind Boston, playing a team that’s very well-coached, a good, young team that’s undefeated in the playoffs at home,” Cavs coach Ty Lue said. “… To come here in a hostile environment, Game 7, Eastern Conference finals, this and Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2016, right there.”
