2016-17 Game Preview

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The defending NBA champion Cavaliers travel to Oakland on Monday night for Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

The Wine &amp; Gold aim to build momentum following their thrilling, 137-116 victory in Game 4 on Friday night at The Q.

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The Cavs’ 137 points in Game 4 set a franchise playoff record and was the highest single-game total in a Finals game since the L.A. Lakers beat Boston, 141-122, on June 4, 1987.

Cleveland got off to a fast start in Game 4, outscoring Golden State, 49-33 in the first quarter, which is the highest-scoring quarter by one team in NBA Finals history (prior was 47 by Lakers vs. Boston in the third quarter on June 3, 1984; Game Three at L.A.) and in Cavaliers history (regular and post). The Cavs’ 49 points marked the highest-scoring first quarter in NBA postseason play and were two shy of matching the largest overall quarter in NBA Playoff history (51 by the Lakers vs. Detroit in the fourth quarter on March 31, 1962; Game Five, West Finals).

Also in Game 4, the Cavs rang up the highest-scoring half in NBA Finals history and franchise history (regular and post) when they outscored Golden State 86-68 in the first half.

Much of the Wine &amp; Gold's high-scoring came via the long ball. The Cavs have now made at least 20 three-pointers twice in this year’s postseason after nailing an NBA Finals record 24 three-pointers (including Finals record 13 in the first half) in Game 4 against Golden State. The Cavs also connected on 21 three-pointers in Game 3 of the First Round against the Pacers on April 20. In NBA Playoff
history, there’s only been 11 times a team has made at least 20 threes, and the Cavs have done it five of those times.

As hot as the Cavaliers were on Friday night, they know the task gets tougher as the squad faces another elimination game, this time at Oracle Arena where the Warriors are a perfect 8-0 this postseason.

Of course, heading to Oakland with a 3-1 deficit is nothing new for the Wine &amp; Gold, having completed the greatest comeback in Finals history in the exact same hole to claim last season's title.

If the Cavaliers hope to repeat history, they will have to find a way to contain Kevin Durant. The Warriors All-Star forward has scored 30 or more points in five of the last six games - including his last four - compiling averages of 34.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in the Finals.

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Status Update: (Warriors) - None to Report

LeBron James registered his 19th playoff triple-double (3rd of 2017 postseason) with 31 points on 11-22 (.500) shooting, a team-high tying 10 rebounds, a game-high 11 assists and a steal in 41 minutes. In this series, he is averaging a triple-double with 31.8 points on .540 shooting, 11.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists in 41.5 minutes.

With his first basket of the night, James moved past Michael Jordan (1,176) for the 3rd most points in NBA Finals history. Only Jerry West (1,679) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317) has more Finals points. James also passed Jordan (1,643) for the most free throws made in NBA postseason history with his third make of the game. He also moved past Magic Johnson (8) for the most triple-doubles in NBA Finals history with 9.

Kyrie Irving finished with 40 points on 15-27 (.556) shooting from the field and 7-12 (.583) from beyond the arc, a postseason career-high seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in 41 minutes. Irving now has three career 40-point games in his playoff career, including two in the NBA Finals. His 7 three-pointers are a new postseason career-high and are tie for the the 2nd most in a NBA Finals game (record is 8 by Ray Allen on 6/6/10 at LAL). In the 1st half, Irving poured in a postseason career-high and franchise record tying 28 points (LeBron James 28 in 2nd H at IND on 4/20/17; LeBron James 28 in 1st H at BOS on 5/7/10), going 11-14 (.786) from the field and 4-6 (.667) from deep.

Kevin Love finished with 23 points on 7-14 (.500) shooting and a 6-8 (.750) mark from deep, five rebounds, two steals and a block in 29 minutes. Love has now scored at least 20 points in six games this postseason.

J.R. Smith tallied 15 points, including a 5-9 (.556) mark from beyond the arc in 29 minutes. In his last two games, Smith is averaging 15.5 points on 10-20 (.500) shooting and 10-19 (.526) from beyond the arc in 31.5 minutes.

If the Cavaliers can stay alive, they return to what promises to be a berserk Quicken Loans Arena for Game 6 on Thursday night. If history repeats and the series goes the duration – Game 7 goes down on June 18, Father’s Day once again, at Oracle Arena.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

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#CavsWarriors Game 5 Preview - June 12, 2017

The Cavaliers host the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

The Wine &amp; Gold aim to bounce back after falling down 3-0 in the series with Wednesday's 118-113 defeat.

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In the loss, the Cavs lead 113-107 with 3:09 remaining but the Warriors ended the game on an 11-0 run to steal the victory.

Despite the loss, Cleveland poured in 113 points, marking the 15th time this postseason they have eclipsed the 100-point mark. In addition, the Cavs have now scored 110 or more points in 11 contests this postseason and are averaging a franchise record 114.7 points.

Defensively in Game 3, Cleveland forced Golden State into 18 turnovers, scoring 22 points off of those miscues. The Cavs also finished with nine steals.

The trio of LeBron James (39), Kyrie Irving (38) and J.R. Smith (16) combined to score 93 points in Wednesday’s game, which is tied for the 2nd highest scoring output by three teammates in Cavaliers postseason history. Cleveland has also seen a trio of teammates score 93 points in a playoff game this postseason (Irving – 42, James – 34, Love – 17, combined for 93 points on 5/23/17 vs. BOS). The team playoff record for points by a trio is 94 on 4/23/92 at NJN (B. Daugherty – 40, M. Price – 35, J. Williams – 19).

The Wine &amp; Gold will look to build upon the positives as they aim to force a Game 5 and feed off their home crowd.

Including this postseason at home (5-2), the Cavs have won 14 of the last 17 playoff games at Quicken Loans Arena.

Status Update: (Cavs) - Edy Tavares (Right Hand Fracture, Out)

In Game 3, LeBron James registered his 8th double-double of the 2017 postseason (95th of postseason career) with a game-high 39 points (27 in 1st H) on 15-27 (.556) shooting, 11 rebounds, a team-high nine assists, a steal and a block in 46 minutes. James has now scored 25 or more points in a playoff game 13 times in his career. In the series, he is averaging a triple-double with 32.0 points on .554 (35-65) shooting, 12.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 41.7 minutes.

On Wednesday, James moved past Sam Mitchell (1,143 PTS) for 6th place, Bill Russell (1,151 PTS) for 5th place and Elgin Baylor (1,161 PTS) for 4th place on the NBA Finals all-time scoring list. He also passed Bill Russell (315 AST) for the 3rd most assists in NBA Finals history and now trails only Bob Cousy (400) and Magic Johnson (584).

Kyrie Irving finished with 38 points (21 in 2nd H) on 16-29 shooting (.552), a 2017 postseason-high six rebounds and three assists in 44 minutes in Game 3. It was the 3rd time this postseason that Irving had scored at least 35 points and 4th time in his playoff career.

In Game 3, J.R. Smith tallied a 2017 Playoff-high 16 points, going a 2017 postseason-best 5-10 (.500) on three-pointers in 34 minutes. Smith has now reached double figures and drained at least four treys in three games this playoffs.

Kevin Love pulled down a game-high tying 13 rebounds, to go along with nine points and a career-high (regular season and postseason) six steals in 37 minutes in Game 3 on Wednesday. He was one steal shy of a Finals single-game record (seven by Houston’s Robert Horry at Orlando, June 9, 1995; Game Two). In the 2017 NBA Finals, Love is averaging 13.7 rebounds, which is his highest in any postseason series in his career.

If the Cavs are able to get a win on Friday, they leave the next day for California – where Game 5 is set for Monday night in Oakland. If Cleveland can continue from there, Game 6 is slated for next Thursday night at The Q. If the series goes to a Game 7, that’ll be played on June 18 back at Oracle Arena.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

cavswarriors-game-4-preview-june-9-2017

#CavsWarriors Game 4 Preview - June 9, 2017

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The defending NBA Champion Cavaliers host the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

The Wine &amp; Gold aim to bounce back following two loses in Oakland. Cleveland has won two series in their playoff history when trailing a series 2-0 (2007 ECF vs. Detroit and 2016 NBA Finals vs. Golden State).

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Despite Sunday's loss, the Cavaliers had some positive takeaways at both ends of the floor.

In Game 2, Cleveland had 27 assists on 45 field goals to go with just nine turnovers. The Cavs were just one assist shy of tying their 2017 Playoff high (28, twice) and one turnover from their 2017 postseason low (eight, twice).

Defensively in Game 2, the Cavs tied their franchise playoff record with 15 steals and scored 23 points off of 20 Warriors turnovers. Cleveland
had 10 steals in the first half, setting a new team postseason record for swipes in a half (nine on three occasions). The only other time the Cavs had
15 steals in a game was also at Golden State on June 5, 2016 during last year’s title run.

Cleveland had a +20 (60-40) edge in points in the paint in Game 2, their biggest margin of the 2017 Playoffs.

The Wine &amp; Gold will look to build upon the positives as they aim to fight their way back into the series and feed off their home crowd.

Including this postseason at home (5-1), the Cavs have won 14 of the last 16 playoff games at Quicken Loans Arena.

In Game 2, LeBron James registered his 18th career playoff triple-double with a team-high 29 points on 12-18 (.667) shooting, a team-high 11 rebounds, a playoff career-high tying 14 assists, three steals and one block in 39 minutes. It was James’ 8th Finals triple-double, tying Magic Johnson (8) for the most all time. James (311 AST) also passed Jerry West (306 AST) for the 4th-most assists in NBA Finals history with his 10th dish in Game 2 and now only trails Bill Russell (315 AST, 3rd), Bob Cousy (400 AST, 2nd) and Magic Johnson (584, 1st).

LeBron James has now scored 25+ points in 27 NBA Finals games, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (26) for the 3rd-most since 1963-64 (Michael
Jordan – 31, Jerry West – 29).

Kevin Love posted 27 points on 12-3 (.522) shooting, seven rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes during Game 2. Since the start of last round (seven games), Love is averaging 22.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks, while also shooting .472 from the field, .500 (28-56) from three-point range and .893 (25-28) from the free throw line.

In six home games this postseason, Kyrie Irving is averaging 29.5 points on .512 shooting from the field, including .413 (19-46) from beyond the arc, .889 (32-36) from the foul line, 6.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 36.7 minutes.

After Wednesday, the series continues with Game 4 on Friday, June 9 at The Q. From there, the Finals go 1-1-1 – with Game 5 on June 12 in Oakland, Game 6 on Thursday night back at The Q and Game 7 the following Sunday night, June 18, on the West Coast, if necessary.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

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#CavsWarriors Game 3 Preview - June 7, 2017

The defending NBA Champion Cavaliers look to bounce back in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors. Tipoff from Oracle Arena is at 8:00 p.m. (ET).

In Game 1, Cleveland made 11 three-pointers, marking their 10th straight game making double-digit triples (13th overall of 2017 Playoffs). That is
the longest streak with at least 10 three-pointers for a single postseason in NBA history.

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The Cavs lead all 16 playoff teams in three-pointers per game (14.4) and three-point percentage (.429). (Elias Sports Bureau)

The Cavaliers also outrebounded the Warriors 59-50 in Game 1. Cleveland’s 59 rebounds are a franchise playoff record (prev. 56 on five occasions, most recently June 16, 2015 vs. Golden State).

Those were the positives in Thursday's 113-91 loss in Game 1 with the glaring difference being turnovers. Golden State committed a Finals record low four turnovers while the Wine &amp; Gold had 20 miscues that resulted in 21 points by the Warriors.

The Wine &amp; Gold need to take better care of the basketball and make things tougher for the Warriors at the other end as they aim to even the series before it shifts back to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4.

Another key for the Cavaliers will be slowing down the Warriors one-two punch of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Durant tallied a game-high 38 points on 14-26 (.538) shooting, eight rebounds and eight assists while Curry added 28 points on 11-22 (.500) shooting, six rebounds and a game-high 10 assists.

With his appearance in Game 1 on Thursday, LeBron James became the 7th player to play in at least seven straight NBA Finals. The others occurred on Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics teams: Russell (10 in a row from 1957-1966), Sam Jones (9), Tom Heinsohn (9), K.C. Jones (8), Frank Ramsey (8) and Bob Cousy (7).

LeBron James posted his 6th double-double of the 2017 Playoffs with a team-high 28 points, 15 rebounds, a team-high eight assists and two blocks in 40 minutes during Game 1. He became the first player in NBA history to reach 6,000 career playoff points with his fifth point of the night. James also passed Reggie Miller (320 3FGM) for 2nd place on the NBA’s all-time postseason three-point field goals made list. Additionally, with 12 defensive boards, James became the all-time Finals leader in that category (331 DREB), passing Tim Duncan (327 DREB).

Kyrie Irving finished with 24 points, a 3-4 (.750) clip from beyond the arc, three rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes during Game 1. He also recorded the 19th four-point play in Finals history midway through the second quarter. He joins James Jones (2015 Finals) and Iman Shumpert (2016 Finals) as other Cavs to connect on a four-point play. In nine career Finals games, Irving is averaging 26.3 points (.465 FG%, .408 3FG%,
.943 FT%), 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals in 39.0 minutes.

Kevin Love notched his sixth straight double-double (8th of 2017 Playoffs) with 15 points, a 3-6 (.500) mark from deep, a career playoff-best 21 rebounds and three blocks in 34 minutes of Game 1. Love’s 21 rebounds are the most in Cavaliers playoff history (prev. 20 by Brad Daugherty vs. NJ on 5/9/93) and the highest individual rebound game of the 2017 postseason. The last NBA player to post at least 20 rebounds in a Finals game was Dwight Howard on June 11, 2009 vs. L.A. Lakers (21 rebounds).

After Sunday, the series shifts to Cleveland for the next two – with Game 3 slated for Wednesday, June 7 and Game 4 going down on Friday, June 9. From there, the Finals go 1-1-1 – with Game 5 on June 12 in Oakland, Game 6 on Thursday night back at The Q and Game 7 the following Sunday night, June 18, on the West Coast, if necessary.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

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#CavsWarriors Game 2 Preview - June 4, 2017

After defeating the Boston Celtics 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, the defending NBA Champion Cavaliers are back in the NBA Finals. Tipoff for Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors from Oracle Arena is at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

The Wine &amp; Gold reach the Finals for third straight season and fourth time in franchise history (2007, 2015, 2016, 2017).

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Cleveland and Golden State have split the last two NBA Finals, with the Cavaliers defeating the Warriors 4-3 in the 2016 Finals to become the first team in league history to overcome a 3-1 Finals series deficit and earn their first NBA championship.

Both squads enter this season's Finals having cruised through their respective Conferences.

At 12-1 this postseason, the Cavaliers are the first Eastern Conference team to reach the NBA Finals with one or fewer losses since the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Cleveland
is 7-0 on the road and have won 9 straight road playoff games overall (2nd-longest road win streak in NBA Playoff history, behind only the L.A. Lakers-12 straight from
4/29/01-5/18/02).

Golden State is the first team in NBA history to start the postseason 12-0. The last team to enter the NBA Finals without a loss was the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers (11-0). Overall, including the regular season, the Warriors have won 27 of their last 28 games.

Cleveland has scored at least 100 points in all 13 playoff games, becoming the first team in NBA history to score 100+ points in each of their first 13 postseason games. Golden State has reached the century mark in scoring in each of its 12 postseason games.

In the 2017 Playoffs, the Cavs lead all playoff teams in field goal percentage (.507), three-pointers made per game (NBA-record 14.6), three-point percentage (.435),
and offensive rating (120.7), while ranking 2nd in points per game (116.8) and 2nd in points differential (+13.6). The Warriors possess a point per game differential of +16.3, the highest in the history of the NBA Playoffs (minimum 5 games), according to ESPN Stats &amp; Info.

The Wine &amp; Gold and Warriors split their 2016-17 Regular Season series with each team winning on their home floor.

Against the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to lead both teams in all five major statistical categories for an entire
playoff series with 29.7 points (208), 11.3 rebounds (79), 8.9 assists (62), 2.57 steals (18) and 2.29 (16) blocks.

This postseason, LeBron James has scored at least 30 points in 11 of 13 playoff games and is averaging a team-high 32.5 points on .566 shooting from the field (.421
3FG%), 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.15 steals and 1.38 blocks in 40.9 minutes. He also will become the 7th player to play in at least seven straight NBA Finals. The others
occurred on Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics teams: Russell (10 in a row from 1957-1966), Sam Jones (9), Tom Heinsohn (9), K.C. Jones (8), Frank Ramsey (8) and Bob Cousy (7).

Kyrie Irving averaged 27.1 points against the Warriors in the 2016 Finals, as he and LeBron James (29.7) became the first teammates to average more than 27 points per
game in an NBA Finals series since 1963 when Elgin Baylor (33.8) and Jerry West (29.5) did it for the Lakers. Irving had at least 23 points in six of the seven games.

Tristan Thompson averaged a double-double against the Warriors in the 2016 Finals (10.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, .636 FG%).

The Finals continue in Oakland for Game 2 on Sunday night before the series shifts to The Land for Games 3 and 4 on next Wednesday and Friday.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

cavswarriors-game-1-preview-june-1-2017

#CavsWarriors Game 1 Preview - June 1, 2017

The defending NBA Champion Cavaliers travel to Boston on Thursday night for Game 5 of the East Finals. Tipoff from TD Garden is at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

With a victory, the Wine &amp; Gold can clinch their 3rd straight and 4th overall appearance in the NBA Finals.

The Cavs posted a 112-99 victory over Boston in Game 4 on Tuesday night, erasing a 16-point first half deficit. Cleveland tied a playoff franchise record by shooting .595 (44-74) from the field (also shot 44-7, .595, on 5/7/10 at BOS). The Wine &amp; Gold held a 58-34 edge is points in the paint and outscored Boston 16-4 on the fast break.

After scoring 112 points in their Game 4 victory, the Cavaliers have scored at least 100 points in all 12 playoff games, joining this year's Warriors as the only teams in NBA history to score 100+ points in each of their first 12 postseason games. Cleveland is averaging 115.3 points during the playoffs, including an average of 116.8 points in the Eastern Conference Finals (highest PPG in a series in franchise history).

For Boston, it's win or stay home, so expect the feisty Celtics to come ready to battle in front of their home crowd.

The Celtics have done a admirable job since losing their All-Star floor general, Isaiah Thomas, for the remainder of the series. Stepping up in his absence has been Thomas' fellow backcourt mate, Avery Bradley. Bradley finished with 20 points, three rebounds and four assists, including the game-winning triple in Game 3 and followed that performance up with a team-high 19 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists in Game 4.

Boston will need Bradley to have another solid performance as the Celtics seek to send the series back to The Land for Game 6.

The Wine &amp; Gold have been very good against teams fighting for their season. Since 2009, Cleveland has won each of its last 12 potential series-clinching playoff games, matching the longest such streak in NBA history (L.A. Lakers from 2000 to 2004). (Elias Sports Bureau

Status Update: (Celtics) - Isaiah Thomas (Strained Right Hip, Out)

Kyrie Irving (42), LeBron James (34) and Kevin Love (17) combined to score 93 points in Game 4, which is the most points the trio have combined for in the playoffs and the 2nd highest scoring output by three teammates in postseason history (94 on 4/23/92 by B. Daugherty – 40, M. Price – 35, J. Williams – 19).

In Game 4, Kyrie Irving tallied a postseason career-high 42 points on 15-22 (.682) shooting, a 4-7 (.571) mark on three-pointers and an 8-9 (.889) clip from the free throw line, eight rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes. In the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, Irving is averaging 26.3 points, shooting .627 (37-59) from the field, .500 (11-22) from deep and .909 (20-22) from the free throw line, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 36.5 minutes.

Irving tied the Cavalier playoff record for points in a quarter with 21 (LeBron James also scored 21 in 1st Q at BOS on 5/7/10), while also breaking the franchise postseason record for field goals made in a single quarter with 9 (previously 8 by LeBron James on 5/7/10) in the third quarter of Tuesday’s Game 4 victory. He scored Cleveland’s final 14 points in the third quarter and poured in 19 points in the last 4:48 of the frame.

LeBron James finished with 34 points (15 in 4th Q) on 15-27 (.556) shooting, five rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block in 38 minutes of Game 4. James has now scored 30 or more points in 10 of the Cavs’ 12 playoffs games. He also has now recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in a NBA Playoff record 69 contests.

In Game 4, Kevin Love finished with 17 points, while posting playoff career-highs in rebounds (17), defensive rebounds (15) and assists (5). In this series, Love has recorded a double-double in all four games and is averaging 24.5 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 34.5 minutes, while also shooting .508 (30-59) from the field, .556 (20-36) from beyond the arc and .857 (18-21) from the charity stripe.

If necessary, it's back at The Q for Game 6 on Saturday and next Monday night back in Boston if it goes the distance.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

cavsceltics-game-5-preview-may-25-2017

#CavsCeltics Game 5 Preview - May 25, 2017

The defending NBA Champion Cavaliers host Game 4 of the East Finals against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. Tipoff from Quicken Loans Arena is at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

The Wine and Gold will look to bounce back following Sunday night's 111-108 loss in Game 3. Despite the loss, all Cavalier starters scored in double figures (Kyrie Irving-29, Kevin Love-28, Tristan Thompson-18, J.R. Smith-13, LeBron James-11).

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The Cavs nailed 16 three-pointers in Game 3 against Boston, including nine triples in the first quarter, which was one shy of the franchise playoff record for threes made in a quarter (10 in 2nd Q vs. ATL on 5/4/16).

The Cavaliers have scored at least 100 points in all 11 playoff games, joining this year's Warriors as the only teams in NBA history to score 100+ points in each of their first 11 postseason games. In the ECF series, the Cavs are averaging 118.3 points.

Overall, Cleveland ranks 2nd in the NBA Playoffs in points per game (115.3) and field goal percentage (.494), while leading all postseason teams in three-point percentage (.430), offensive rating (119.4) and three-pointers made per game (14.6).

Boston aims to tie the series and steal back homecourt before the series shifts back to Boston on Thursday for Game 5. Without their All-Star floor general, Isaiah Thomas (strained right hip), the Celtics got a big boost from the man who replaced Thomas in the starting lineup, Marcus Smart. The third-year guard from Oklahoma State recorded a playoff career-high with 27 points on 8-14 (.571) shooting and a 7-10 (.700) clip on three-pointers, five rebounds and a game-high tying seven assists.

Cleveland hopes to regain momentum in front of their home crowd on Tuesday night. Including this postseason, the Cavs have won 13 of the last 15 playoff games at Quicken Loans Arena.

In the ECF this year, Kevin Love has three double-doubles and is averaging 27.0 points and 11.3 rebounds, while shooting .522 (24-46) from the field, .548 (17-31) from three-point range and .842 (16-19) from the foul line, in 32.0 minutes per game. In Game 3, he drained seven three-pointers in the first half and finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 36 minutes. His seven threes in the opening half set a franchise playoff record for three-pointers made in a single half (previously six by J.R. Smith in 1st H vs. ATL on 5/4/16) and was one shy of tying the NBA postseason record for triples in a half (eight by Vince Carter in 1st H vs. PHI on 5/11/01). (Elias Sports Bureau)

Kyrie Irving had a game-high 29 points on 10-15 (.667) shooting, including 4-6 (.667) clip from deep, a game-high tying seven assists and a steal in 40 minutes in Game 3. Over the last two games, Irving is averaging 26.0 points on .692 (18-26) shooting from the field and 7-12 (.583) from beyond the arc, and 5.0 assists in 35.0 minutes. He has also now scored 20 or more points eight times this postseason.

Tristan Thompson posted his 2nd double-double of the 2017 postseason (14th of playoff career) with 18 points, a game-high 13 rebounds (seven offensive) and a block in 42 minutes in Game 3 against the Celtics. He also shot 12-15 (.800) from the foul line, setting a career-high in free throws made (regular season and postseason). This series, Thompson is averaging 15.0 points on .813 (13-16) shooting from the field and 8.0 rebounds in 34.0 minutes.

LeBron James has scored at least 25 points in 10 of 11 games this postseason and leads all remaining 2017 NBA Playoff players with 32.2 points per game.

The series shifts back to Beantown on Thursday for Game 5. If necessary, it's back at The Q for Game 6 on Saturday and next Monday night in Boston if it goes the distance.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

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#CavsCeltics Game 4 Preview - May 23, 2017

The defending NBA Champion Cavaliers look to take a 3-0 series lead when they host the Boston Celtics for Game 3 on Sunday night. Tipoff from Quicken Loans Arena is at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

With Friday's 130-86 victory in Game 2, the Cavaliers have won an NBA record-record tying 13 consecutive postseason games dating back to Game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals (L.A. Lakers also had 13 straight playoff wins from 1988-1989). (Elias Sports Bureau)

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In Friday's victory, the Cavaliers led by as many as 50 points and posted a wire-to-wire victory for the second game in a row. The Cavs set franchise playoff records in points (130) and margin of victory (+44). The 44-point win was also the largest in Eastern Conference Finals history, the Celtics biggest home loss in their postseason history and biggest defeat over a No. 1 seed. Cleveland led by 41 points at halftime (72-31), which was the biggest lead at halftime in NBA Playoff history. (Elias Sports Bureau)

Needless to say, the Wine and Gold have been hitting on all cylinders this postseason. Cleveland is putting up a franchise-playoff record 116.3 points per game this postseason (2nd-best in 2017 Playoffs), while leading all NBA playoff teams in field goal percentage (.497), three-point percentage (.433), offensive rating (119.4) and three-pointers made per game (14.5).

Boston travels to The Land hoping to climb back into the series but that task becomes tougher with their All-Star floor general, Isaiah Thomas unable to go in Game 3. Thomas had been suffering through a strained right hip injury and has been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason.

Including this postseason at home (4-0), the Cavs have won 13 of the last 14 playoff games at Quicken Loans Arena.

Cleveland has never lost a series when leading 2-0 (14-0). They also hold a 9-0 series record when going up 3-0.

LeBron James is the first NBA player to have eight straight games with at least 30 points in single postseason since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had nine in a row during the 1970 Playoffs. In Game 2, James tallied 30 points on 12-18 (.667) shooting, including 4-6 (.667) from long range, four rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks in 33 minutes. James passed Michael Jordan (376 STL) for the 2nd-most steals in NBA Playoff history with his fourth swipe of the night. His plus/minus of +46 was his highest for any game of his career (regular and post). (Elias Sports Bureau)

Kyrie Irving became just the 2nd Cavs player to ever score 1,000 career playoff points with his 22nd point in Game 2. He finished with 23 points on 8-11 (.727) shooting, including 3-6 (.500) from deep, three assists, one steal and one block in 30 minutes.

Kevin Love recorded his second double-double of this series with 21 points on 7-14 (.500) shooting, including 4-9 (.444) from three-point range, a game-high 12 rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes. In five contests against the Celtics this season (regular season and postseason), Love is averaging 24.8 points and 12.6 rebounds in 32.0 minutes, while also shooting .447 (21-47) mark from deep and .912 (31-34) from the charity stripe.

The series continues in The Land for Games 4 on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. If the series goes on beyond that point, it’s Thursday back in Boston for Game 5, Saturday at The Q for Game 6 and next Monday night in Boston if it goes seven.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

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#CavsCeltics Game 3 Preview - May 21, 2017

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REMAINING ROUND 2, GAME 4 TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW. <strong><a href="https://seatgeek.com/cleveland-cavaliers-tickets?market=open&amp;aid=15870&amp;pid=web&amp;rid=50624&amp;utm_medium=partnership&amp;utm_source=cavs_ticketing&amp;utm_campaign=web&amp;utm_content=playofftickets">FIND SEATS &gt;&gt;</a></strong>

2016‑17 Game Preview