Final: Celtics 109, Cavs 102 - It wasn't pretty, but it's a 3-1 series lead

BOSTON CELTICS at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 4

Boston leads 2-1

Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, 7 p.m. - TNT

Line: Boston -8.5

INJURIES

Boston: Kristaps Porzingis (OUT, calf)

Cleveland: Donovan Mitchell (OUT, calf), Jarrett Allen (QUESTIONABLE, ribs), Ty Jerome (OUT, ankle), Craig Porter (OUT, ankle)

Series: 

Game 1: Celtics 120, Cavs 95

Jaylen Brown got going early to pace a hot C’s start, but Isaac Okoro hit a couple of 3-pointers and Mitchell nearly matched Brown to keep Cleveland within six after one. That lead grew to 10 at the half despite Jayson Tatum having a tough offensive half and Boston shooting 6-22 from 3. The third was a duel between Mitchell and Derrick White, but a late Payton Pritchard buzzer-beater made it a 15-point game heading into the fourth. The Cavs rested Mitchell to start the quarter and Boston went on a 10-2 run to grab their first 20-point lead and run away with the game.

Game 2: Cavs 118, Celtics 94

The game started very similarly to Game 1 with Boston starting strong and Cleveland answering the run. But instead of Boston firing back, the Cleveland run rolled all the way to the break, giving them a six-point lead after one. The Celtics returned the favor to tie it up at the half, but poor finishing at the rim prevented them from taking a lead. Their defense took the third quarter off, Donovan Mitchell scored 16, and Boston went into the fourth quarter down 12. It only got worse from there, as the shooting stayed cold, the defense stayed loose, and the Cavs pulled away for a blowout win. 

Game 3: Celtics 106, Cavs 93

Jayson Tatum came out aggressive in the first quarter, scoring 12 points to out-duel Donovan Mitchell and give Boston a two-point lead after one. That lead grew to nine at the half, powered by a perfect 4-4 quarter by Jaylen Brown and 15 first-half points by Jrue Holiday. Boston opened the third on a 14-0 run and got 15 combined from Tatum and Brown to build their lead to 15 after three. The Cavs opened the fourth on a run, but Boston answered and executed down the stretch to hold the Cavs off, never letting the lead get below nine. 

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Stick to the Donovan Mitchell plan: Even if they mix it up some, I’m fully selling out on the “let Mitchell cook, keep everyone else cold” game plan. Whether that's Al Horford or someone else, I’m really looking to keep everyone else from getting a rhythm. 

It’ll be very interesting to see how limited Mitchell will be. He missed shoot around this morning and he’s on the injury report with a calf injury. He was a non-factor in the fourth quarter of Game 3, so if he’s on the floor as a decoy, then that could change the plan. 

2. Shoot more shots: I’ve been harping on this for the whole series and it hasn’t really killed them outside of Game 2. Boston really should be winning the shot battle instead of playing even with the Cavs. Cleveland has been taking as many or more field goal attempts all series and it really leaves Boston open to a ridiculous Max Strus or Dean Wade performance. If the Celtics can stay 10 or so FGAs ahead of the Cavs, the math will work out in their favor. If they can build that gap between them and the Cavs, they should be able to withstand some hot shooting. 

3. No let ups: The Cavs have a say in this because they're an NBA team with good players. Those players are just not as good as Boston. If the Celtics build a big lead, they have to get ready to match the desperation from Cleveland. That's hard to do. 

After Game 3, Jayson Tatum talked about having to fight human nature when it comes to letting down in home games. When I asked Joe Mazzulla about fighting human nature, he said “don’t be human. Be different.” 

Okay then. Be different, then. 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.