Cavaliers beat Celtics 89-77
Things were looking up for the green when they started with a good defensive first half and went into halftime with a 46-40 lead.
The leading scorer at the half for Cleveland was LeBron James with 14 points. Kevin Love had 11 points in the first quarter but was scoreless in the second.
For the Celtics, Jae Crowder had 11 points in the first half, Isaiah Thomas had 10, and David Lee had 8. James Young also contributed 4 rebounds and 2 assists in his 8 minutes on the floor.
Boston's halftime lead came despite a shooting percentage of 37.8% to Cleveland's 41.0%.
The shooting issues didn't go away in the second half, as the C's went 5-22 from the field in the third quarter. The Cavs won the third 29-15 and went into the fourth with a 69-61 lead.
The Celtics made a couple small runs in the fourth, but in the end they didn't have an answer for Cleveland's superstars. LeBron finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Kevin Love had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.
After playing well recently against the elite teams, the Celtics were unable to live up to the hype that they've generated over the last few games.
Tommy Heinsohn summed it up best in the closing minutes: "They were knocking at the door of the upper echelon [of the NBA]. Tonight, the door didn't move."
Follow Jack Bardsley on Twitter @BostonsBigFour
Photo Credit: Brian Babineau/Getty Images via CBS Cleveland
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