At the end of the third quarter of Game 7 on Sunday in Cleveland, LeBron James was forced to the locker room due to leg cramps.
That could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back as it meant the Cavaliers other players would have to step up, something they’d been unable to do in six previous games in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers.
The seventh time was the charm though as Cavaliers like Kevin Love, George Hill and Tristan Thompson were all able to make key plays and help the Cavs hold on until James could return to the floor and lead Cleveland to a 105-101 victory and a series win at Quicken Loans Arena.
“We’re a team, it’s not one individual, we’re a team and all of us expect so much out of each other,” James, who had 45 points, said after the game. “No matter who’s out on the floor, we expect guys to make plays and that’s what happened tonight.”
In Game 1 of their series against the Utah Jazz, the Rockets were able to take care of business in Houston and took home a 110-96 victory behind 41 points from James Harden. If the Jazz are going to win a game, let alone the series, they’ll have to figure out a way to slow down the MVP front-runner, who has averaged 34.3 points against them this season.
Tonight, the 76ers and Celtics will renew their decades-old playoff rivalry in Game 1 in Boston.
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