Lue: Cavs' Irving feeling 'good' after Game 4 ankle injury
- by Grant Boone
- in Sports
- — May 26, 2017
Now they wait for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics series to finish in the Eastern Conference.
Thursday night will provide the next opportunity for the Celtics to make some tweaks to their game with Game 5 set to tip at 8:30 p.m.
He had never previously had so many first-half fouls in his 14-year career, and Cleveland trailed 33-46 at that stage. Not to say that the Celtics will win tonight, with injuries to so many key players, but punters should at least think about placing a bet with the Celtics outright, and then follow-up with a couple of live in play odds to maximize chances. James was back on the floor and scored 24 points in the second half to end the night with 34 points.
"It's just my personal goal to keep me motivated, that's all", James said. "We want to enjoy this and live in the moment because this isn't a given to get to the Finals". He had six points when James was taken out and ended the game with 42.
Kevin Love added 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Cavs, now 11-1 in the postseason.
The Cavs, meanwhile, wouldn't be on the cusp of the Finals without Irving.
"I wear the number because of Mike, " James said. The Cavs scored 13 points off C's turnovers in the second half, compared with just four points for Boston. I'm just happy and blessed that when I chose to come back that I was able to help him blossom.
During the pre-game broadcast, TNT reported that LeBron James was suffering from a, "bug". "Crowder. So, they got a lot of tough guys that are going to compete so they're making us compete, which is good for us".
"Ultimately, we feel like this is a bad taste", Crowder said. "It's just an effort all around". All-time guys who shot a lot of shots and volume shooters and scored the ball at a high clip. How this injury plays out will likely determine whether Boston looks to hand the MVP candidate a max long-term deal.
Boston, missing the injured Isaiah Thomas, had four players in double figures, with Avery Bradley scoring a leading 19 points. Kelly Olynyk another. Marcus Smart stepped into the starting lineup, and rookie Jaylen Brown helped out from the bench.
The Celtics are operating on a more limited pre-draft workout schedule right now. Head coach Brad Stevens may be putting together the best coaching performance that won't yield a series victory during the 2017 postseason. That's the answer. Kyrie Irving was incredible.
"He showed why he's one of the best point guards in the league, and he commanded us to be better, especially in the second half". But they deserve credit.