Cavaliers at Celtics
The Cleveland Cavaliers recovered to even the Eastern Conference Finals at two games apiece and now look to solve the homecourt mastery of the Boston Celtics. Second-seeded Boston is 9-0 at TD Garden this postseason and Cleveland can end the Celtics' unbeaten mark if it can win its third straight outing.
Boston coach Brad Stevens didn't get too wound up over Monday's 111-102 setback as he simplified the task staring at his team. "It's a best two of three to go to the NBA Finals. It doesn't get much better than that," Stevens said in Monday's postgame press conference. "In this deal, it's a blast to have to grit your teeth, get up off the mat and go after it again. That's part of what makes these guys on both sides special." LeBron James carried the fourth-seeded Cavaliers to Monday's win with a 44-point effort that marks his sixth 40-point performance, the most in a single postseason since Philadelphia's Allen Iverson also had six such outings in 2001. "We know it's going to be a hostile environment," James told reporters of Game 5. "We know their fans are going to be very energetic. But we have to just have our same mindset we had when we came home for two games. If our minds are there, we put ourselves in a position to be victorious."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: James was 17-of-28 shooting in Game 4 as he topped 40 points for the second time in a three-game span. Veteran swingman Kyle Korver (14 points, three blocked shots) is 13-of-20 shooting with eight 3-pointers over the past three games, while center Tristan Thompson (13 points, 12 rebounds) enjoyed his best showing of the series and third double-double of the postseason. Power forward Kevin Love averaged just 11 points on 7-of-24 shooting in the two victories after averaging 19.5 points in the two losses in Boston and is shooting just 37.5 percent in the series.
ABOUT THE CELTICS: Boston won its two home games by average of 19 points but things didn't go so smoothly in Cleveland as it lost by an average of 19.5 points. "We missed a bunch of easy opportunities," shooting guard Jaylen Brown said of the Game 4 loss. "We made some bad turnovers and things like that. But we still had opportunities to get into the game and to win." Brown is averaging 20.3 points in the series and his 25-point effort in Game 4 was his third 20-point outing in the East finals.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Cavaliers are 3-4 on the road in the postseason.
2. Boston backup PG Marcus Smart is just 11-of-38 shooting in the series.
3. Cleveland PG George Hill averaged 13 points in the two victories after averaging just four in the two setbacks.