Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Monday 21 May 2018

Celtics’ Game 3 loss another playoff pothole

By TOM WITHERS Love — or even James —
Associated Press on Horford.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Stevens wouldn’t tip his
Celtics were loose, smiling hand. Beyond any lineup
and laughing. They weren’t tweaks, more concerning
straining to hear each oth- for him may be his team’s
er speak and there were no Jekyll-and-Hyde postsea-
obnoxious Cleveland fans son play.
heckling them. The Celtics have been sen-
All was quiet as Boston sational at home, going
worked out Sunday. 9-0. But the road has been
Practice isn’t an issue on treacherous as Boston is 1-5
the road in the postseason. in trips to Milwaukee, Phila-
Playing games is the prob- delphia and Cleveland,
lem. with the only win in over-
Less than 24 hours after a time against the 76ers.
30-point bludgeoning at The Celtics have a case of
the hands of LeBron James homesickness. They aren’t
and the Cavaliers in Game playing with the same in-
3 of the Eastern Confer- tensity or confidence as
ence finals, the Celtics did they do when they’re un-
some film study and critical der those dangling NBA
evaluation. championship banners
They were hard on them- and retired jersey numbers
selves. atop TD Garden.
“I thought it was embarrass- Boston had one of the
ing,” Celtics guard Jaylen league’s best road records
Brown said of Boston’s 116- during the regular season,
86 loss — and his own per- going 28-13 — only Hous-
formance. “I thought we ton and Golden State were
came out, the way I played, better. But with several
the way I performed, how young players, including
not aggressive I was in the 20-year-old Jayson Tatum,
first half, I look at that as the Celtics are learning Boston Celtics’ Semi Ojeleye (37) and Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, left, double-team Cleveland
fuel to come out in Game that playing in front of hos- Cavaliers’ LeBron James, center, in the second half of Game 3 of the NBA basketball Eastern
4 and be excited about it tile playoff crowds can be Conference finals, Saturday, May 19, 2018, in Cleveland.
and be ready to play and daunting. Associated Press
ready to fight.” “It’s very different,” said Cleveland does, but James one of LeBron’s best games “We’re starting to figure out
Brown scored just 10 points Horford, who took only four has been down this path I’ve seen in a long time as that LeBron doesn’t have
— 13 below his average af- shots in Game 3. “I think before. He’s twice rallied far as helping, closing out to take 20-some shots to
ter two games in the series that at home, you have teams from 2-0 deficits. to Jaylen Brown’s chest beat a great team by 30,”
— and was in almost im- your home crowd behind The Cavs seized control and making him put it on Nance said. “The rest of us
mediate foul trouble as the you. You have a comfort from the opening tip in the floor,” Lue said. “Clos- are very good basketball
Cavs dominated while pull- level about you. And on Game 3, bursting to a 20-4 ing out to Morris. Closing players in our own right and
ing within 2-1 in the series. the road, literally it’s just lead and then clamping out to (Marcus) Smart. He it’s nice to show that.”q
Celtics coach Brad Stevens you against everybody down defensively on the did a really good job of just
may change his lineup for else. It takes a while for you Celtics, who didn’t get the setting the tone of multiple
Monday’s Game 4, per- to get used to and under- open looks they enjoyed in effort and that was good
haps returning to center stand how well you have to Games 1 and 2. for us.”
Aron Baynes and bring- play on the road. You have James, in particular, played And for a change, James
ing Marcus Morris off the to be able to do all the little like a man not about to let had plenty of offensive
bench. Stevens has to do things in order to have a the Celtics block his path to help as Cleveland had six
something to free up Al chance. an eighth straight Finals. players in double figures.
Horford, who has been “Last night we had a lot of While he was typically Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan
held in check by Cleve- breakdowns, so we didn’t amazing on offense, hand- Clarkson had major con-
land’s Tristan Thompson the even give ourselves a ing out 12 assists including tributions, giving the Cavs
past two games. chance to win.” three that required multiple a taste of what could lie
By starting Baynes, Stevens The good thing for Boston is replays to appreciate their ahead.
could force Cavs coach Ty- that it doesn’t have to win artistic beauty, James was The non-LeBrons, as they’ve
ronn Lue to make a counter a road game to make the a defensive force as well. been dubbed, came up
move and either put Kevin Finals. “I thought last night was big.