7 stats explaining how the Cavaliers tied the series 2-2
The Eastern Conference finals are heading back to Boston.
The Celtics traveled to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals after keeping the King and his teammates in check at the TD Garden. They return to Boston with the series tied at two games apiece. LeBron James had 44 points and Tristan Thompson added a double-double to power Cleveland to a 111-102 victory on Monday night.
Here’s a few stats from Games 3 and 4 that explain how the Cavaliers wrested momentum back from the Celtics:
81
The difference between James’s combined plus/minus in the first two games of the series (-41) and his plus/minus during the two matchups in Cleveland (+40).
19
The number of shots the Celtics missed in the paint in Game 4, including a number of dunks.
2,357
The milestone James reached with a 22-foot jumper midway through the second quarter. With that score, James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time lead in postseason made field goals.
27
The Celtics’ field goal percentage in the first quarter of Game 4 as the Cavaliers burst out to a 16 point lead. Boston raised that to 37 percent by the end of the half, but they were still a long ways away from Cleveland’s 61.5 percent field goal percentage through two quarters.
1-6
The record Brad Stevens’s team has dropped to on the road in the postseason. Their only away win came in Game 3 against Philadelphia.
106.6
The Celtics’ offensive rating on the road in the playoffs, down from a 113.4 rating at home. Boston’s defensive rating also drops 5.2 points away from TD Garden.
4-17
Marcus Smart’s field goal performance in the two Cleveland games.
