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Keys to the Game: Cavaliers 111, Celtics 102

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Key Moment

The Boston Celtics' defense came alive during the fourth quarter of Game 4 Monday night, allowing the team to cut what was once a 19-point deficit down to seven against the host Cleveland Cavaliers. But a brief, 90-second lapse midway through the final frame was all it took for Cleveland to regain momentum, before escaping with a series-tying win at Quicken Loans Arena.

Boston held the Cavs to just two field goal makes from the 9:53 mark to the 4:10 mark of the fourth, allowing it to make an eight-point run in the process. The C’s were trailing 100-93 at that point, but that was as close as they would get.

Tristan Thompson woke the Cavs up with a thunderous slam with 4:10 left in the game, putting his squad back up by nine points. LeBron James would add to that lead 35 seconds later when he snagged the rock from Marcus Morris and took it to the rack for a layup.

The Celtics failed to respond, missing two consecutive shots, before George Hill hit a short jumper to put the Cavs on top 106-93 with 2:40 remaining.

That 90-second, six-point run was just enough to kill Boston’s momentum. And it was the deciding blow that allowed Cleveland to walk away with a 111-102 win, tying up the Eastern Finals, 2-2.

Key Player

Jaylen Brown experienced a nightmarish start to Game 4, but he woke up just in time before the game could get out of hand.

The 21-year-old wing started off 1-for-9 from the field during the first quarter and a half, as his Celtics fell behind by as many as 19 points.

Then, he completely flipped a switch.

Brown found his rhythm and closed out the game with a 9-of-14 clip, finishing with a team-high 25 points. he also added six rebounds, a pair of assists and a pair of steals, while not turning the ball over a single time during 40 minutes of play.

The Celtics would end up falling by nine points in the end, but they would've never had a chance to climb back had it not been for Brown's mid-game bounce-back.

Box Score Nuggets

  • LeBron James led all scorers with 44 points on 17-of-28 shooting.
  • James only dished out three assists, marking his lowest tally of the Playoffs.
  • All five Celtics starters reached double-figures in scoring, led by Jaylen Brown's 25 points.
  • Terry Rozier finished with 11 assists, leaving him just four shy of Cleveland's team total.
  • Kevin Love and James combined for 13 turnovers – four more than Boston had as a team.
  • Both squads had 10 fast-break points.
  • Both teams finished with nine offensive rebounds, but Cleveland had 10 more defensive boards.
  • Kyle Korver tied his playoff career-high with three blocks
  • Rozier snagged a game-high three steals. He did not turn the ball over once on the other end.
  • Three players on each team committed five fouls, but no one fouled out.

Quote of the Night

Brad Stevens on his message to the team heading into Game 5.