The Cleveland Cavaliers have the chance to close out their opening round series with a 4-0 sweep against the Boston Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday.
Where: TD Garden, Boston.
When: Sunday April 26, 18:00 (UK time)
Boston have shown plenty of determination in this series but they have a 3-0 deficit to show for their efforts as they continue to lack that x-factor to truly test the Cavs.
Coach Brad Stevens will be delighted with the commitment that his team has shown in the post-season, but given that no team has ever come back from three games down in a playoff series, they will merely be looking to at least take this series a game further.
However, there are no expectations on this Celtics team this year given that they are a surprise to have even got this far, and they will be relishing their experiences ahead of what promises to be a brighter future.
Evan Turner, Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley all continue to be threats, but they will need an all-round effort on Sunday to finally claim a win in the series.
LeBron James had 31 points and 11 rebounds in Game 3 while Kevin Love added 23 points including two clutch 3-pointers to again break Boston hearts and deny them a victory.
With the ‘Big Three’ in Cleveland seemingly finding their feet in the post-season already, it spells danger for their rivals as there were questions over how Love and Kyrie Irving in particular would fare in their first taste of playoff basketball.
Naturally, there will be tougher tests ahead with the Chicago Bulls likely to be their opponents in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, but this is certainly the kind of start that coach David Blatt would have wanted for his team.
James continues to be the determining factor which separates these two teams, and considering their current positions, they will both take the positives from it moving forward. However, the road ends here for Boston who will see their post-season ended with another stellar show from the two-time NBA champion.
Prediction: Cavs to win.
COMMENTS