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Celtics defeat the Cavaliers on the road in Game 3 to recover.
Cleveland: The Boston Celtics have had deep postseason runs the last three seasons for three reasons: They’ve participated in lengthy series, performed well away from home, and suffered at home.
Whether the Celtics can reverse the first two is still up in the air. But the Boston Celtics made sure the third game would go on in their Saturday matinee against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 106-93 to grab a 2-1 lead in this best-of-seven series thanks to a masterful defensive effort and strong performances from stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“We were just trying to get a win, understanding that we didn’t play as well as we wanted to in Game 2,” Tatum stated. “And it was a great test and opportunity for us to come out and respond and play better and play harder and all those things.”
Leading the way, Tatum and Brown combined for 61 points, with Tatum scoring 33 and Brown scoring 28. The Celtics shot 51.2% from the field and made 13 of 34 (38.0%) 3-pointers.
“I think we just need everybody to be on the same page and everybody to come out with the right effort,” Brown stated. “That alone accounts for 85% of the fight. We show up, play hard, and once we’re in agreement, the rest will work itself out. We have enough skill in our locker room to defeat opposition teams.
“However, we put ourselves in danger when we’re not playing hard and staying on the same page. Thus, before the game at the movie theatre, be sure
For the Celtics to have a chance to win this series at home, they will now need to put on another impressive road show in Game 4. Can they prevent making the same mistake as in Game 2 and giving Cleveland another opportunity to get back into the game?
“It’s the playoffs,” Brown declared. “Anything can happen, particularly if you are rendered unconscious. We must perform that task more effectively. We cannot assume that this series will unfold similarly to the previous one. There is simply no urgency that we can have except to enter Game 4 with the same defensive effort.”