Game Summary
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 & Gold can clinch their 3rd straight and 4th overall appearance in the NBA Finals.
CAVS TO DON NAVY JERSEYS.
From where to catch all the action to Thursday's game notes, Cavs.com has you covered.
NBA on TNT
WTAM 1100, 87.7 FM La Mega
Joe G. has your five keys to a victory.
Learn more about Thursday's matchup.
Discuss on Wine & Gold Nation.
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 & 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 & 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
Where to Catch the Action
TV: NBA on TNT
Radio: WTAM 1100, 87.7 La Mega
For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike, @ElalcaldeRafa and @chones22 on Twitter.
Probable Starters/Status Update*
#2 - Kyrie Irving
#5 - J.R. Smith
#23 - LeBron James
#0 - Kevin Love
#13 - Tristan Thompson
G
G
F
F
C
#36 Marcus Smart
#0 - Avery Bradley
#99 - Jae Crowder
#41 - Kelly Olynyk
#42 - Al Horford
Status Update: (Cavs) - Edy Tavares (Right Hand Fracture, Out)
Status Update: (Celtics) - Isaiah Thomas (Strained Right Hip, Out)
*Subject to change.
Series Stats
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.
On Deck
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