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Three Stars Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game Four

By Joshua Bateman

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It was certainly an eventful affair but the Boston Celtics could not come away with a victory and the Cleveland Cavaliers finished off a sweep. The Celtics had a lot of bad performances in game four as they shot horribly in all phases. That being said, something had to go right in order to keep the Celtics in a game where the Cavaliers’ stars showed up yet again.

Marcus Smart also deserves a shout out. He did not get enough paying time to have a big enough of an impact to land in the three stars but in his limited minutes he played with ferocious energy and helped the Celtics with their late game surge.

Same goes for Jae Crowder who had to deal with inexplicably dirty plays from both Smith and Perkins. The energy and production that was lost when Crowder left due to an injury may have been the difference in avoiding the sweep.

Third Star

Jared Sullinger

21 Points 11 Rebounds

Sullinger had his best game since returning from injury and while the Celtics fell into one of their worst shooting slumps of the season, Sullinger was the most consistent offensive weapon. Even though the Celtics shot under 40% Sullinger was a great 9-17 from the field.

He led the team in scoring but the main reason the Celtics were able to keep the game within reach is that they were a lot better in the rebounding battle in the second half. Sullinger brought in a team high 11 rebounds and that was almost double the second most.

Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) looks to pass the ball while Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger (7) defends during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Sullinger struggled from three point range but he finally got his post game rolling. Sullinger was the Celtics’ best player before he went down with an injury so it is fitting that he finishes the season off as the team’s best player.

Second Star

Kyrie Irving

24 Points 11 Rebounds 3 Assists.

The most frustrating aspect of Irving this series is that the Celtics actually played some solid defense on him but it really did not matter. Kyrie put his scoring ability on display and it was no different in game four.

Irving was all over the place in game four. He shot a solid 8-19 from the field, with 2-5 from three point range and 6-8 from the free throw line.

Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics have struggled tremendously rebounding with the Cavaliers’ bigs, but in this game it was Irving that led the way. His 11 rebounds were tied for a team high but that was accompanied by another three players in double digits.

Irving was steller in his first post season series and was the second biggest reason the Cavaliers swept the Celtics.

First Star

LeBron James

27 Points 10 Rebounds 8 Assists

Once again, James carried the load for the Cavaliers. His near triple double does not come close to capturing his impact on the game as the Celtics had no way of defending him down the stretch.

Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket past Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko (8) during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

There were moments where the Celtics played great defense on James and they once again forced a lot of turnovers with 6 takeaways. The problem is that even if the Celtics had some good moments against James he had plenty more spectacular moments against them.

James led the Cavaliers in points and assists but perhaps the most impressive area of the game was his 46 minutes. James was always there for the Cavaliers. He never needed rest and his constant offensive and defensive presence is what pushed the Celtics over the edge and prevented them from securing even 1 win.

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