|
 Forward LeBron James capped a 12-0 third-quarter run with a reverse
slam dunk as the Cavs took control.
James, who finished with 24 points, had six during that run and also
capped a 10-3 fourth-quarter spurt that made things comfortable for
Cleveland (16-7).
He shot 10-for-20 from the floor (0-for-3 from 3-point range) and
committed five turnovers, also grabbing seven rebounds.
The Celtics (14-11) closed a 13-point deficit to seven, but
Cleveland forward Kevin Love hit six points and James two in an 8-0
run that sent fans heading for the exits.
Love, whose 2015 postseason ended on the TD Garden floor when he was
injured by Boston forward Kelly Olynyk, scored 20 points and added
eight rebounds and five assists.
It was a different Cav who got injured this time, as guard Iman
Shumpert, who missed the first 21 games while recovering from wrist
surgery, left the game with a groin complaint.
"Honestly, (I am) a little bit concerned," Cavaliers coach David
Blatt said of Shumpert, who missed the first 21 games of the season.
"I have no idea what the extent is but given what our recent history
is, I'm concerned."
On a brighter note, the Cavs are close to getting Irving back for
his season debut after his recovery from a knee injury.
Blatt went out of his way to credit James' oft-overlooked defense as
a key to the victory.
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"It seems like there's nothing we don't ask of him that he doesn't
answer for us," said Blatt. "That's why he's the greatest player in
the game."
Talking about the team defense, James said: "That's one of our
staples we stress every single day -- defending at a high level and
trying to move the ball offensively. In the first half, we allowed
them to get to some of their spots. Wasn't as aggressive, but we
still played very well.
"They had 46 points at halftime. But in the second half, we just
locked down and then we started moving the ball. We just kind of
kept them off base."
Guard Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 17 points, while forward
Jae Crowder, who played strong defense on James much of the night,
added 14. Guard Isaiah Thomas shot 3-for-15 from the floor en route
to 12 points.
(Editing by Andrew Both)
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