Cleveland Cavaliers Advance to the NBA Finals
Despite the absence of their All-Star power forward Kevin Love (concussion), the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 87-79 in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals.
What has been touted as a duel between Superstar LeBron James and Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who managed to squeeze the most value out of a squad ravaged by injuries, the Celtics-Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals series will go down in history as one of the most memorable.
The Celtics surged to a 2-0 start and were historically undefeated in post-season series when they had such an advantage. However, LeBron James is the kind of player who reshapes, even defines basketball history. The player who is often in the conversation of “Greatest of All Time,” carried his team on his shoulders throughout this tough series. Game 7 was no exception and when they needed it the most. James, who iso-played his way through the fourth quarter, play after play, to make sure that the Cavs protected their small lead, ended the game flirting with a triple-double with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists. His Herculean effort in this series adds to his ever-growing legacy.
His supporting cast did what they could. Jeff Green stepped into the starting lineup and dropped 19 points and eight rebounds. J.R. Smith chipped in 12 points.
The Celtics’ 2017-18 season is over, but they can go home with their heads held up high. They played their hearts out, even without key stars like Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, who were sidelined with respective injuries. They made an impressive run and clearly have a bright future ahead. Rookie Jayson Tatum, who was selected third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft showed the foundation of a future star. His performance on both ends of the floor was a brilliant display of what a talented two-way forward can achieve and facilitate for his team.
Now the Cavaliers can enjoy their Eastern Conference title, take a breath, and await their opponent from the West for a battle in the NBA Finals.