The Boston Celtics desperately needed a win in Game 3 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but LeBron James proved dominant once again, dropping a game-high 31 points in 42 minutes of action. Despite a third-quarter rally by the Celtics, the Cavaliers were able to hold on and take the 103-95 victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead. Now Boston is on the brink of elimination, and the Celtics need to play a perfect game to stay alive Sunday on their home court.
Cavaliers vs. Celtics 2015: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch Game 4 online
The Celtics need a win to stay alive against the Cavaliers, down three games in the series heading into Sunday’s matchup.
It only gets tougher from here, though. The best-case scenario has the Celtics playing two more games in Cleveland, but teams have battled back from this hole before. What they’ll really need is to take better advantage of their opportunities.
After holding Cleveland to 35 percent shooting from the field in the fourth quarter of Game 3, the Celtics did little to put the pressure on where it counted: the scoreboard. Evan Turner led the team with 19 points, while Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder were just behind with 18 and 16 points, respectively. That won’t cut it when Cleveland has James, along with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
Many have cited a lack of experience on Boston’s part and that makes sense. The Celtics were completely unable to handle Cleveland’s playmakers, allowing James to break 30 points twice and Irving to hit 30 in the opener. The Cavs are a more complete and experienced team at this point, with five players scoring in double figures in Game 3.
How to watch
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Online: WatchESPN
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