Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — As LeBron James sat on the bench Tuesday night at The Q with four fouls, Kyrie Irving went to work.
It was 10 years ago — just eight days short of the same date — that James pushed the Cavaliers within a game of their first NBA Finals appearance with a dominating 48-point night in Detroit. Irving did nearly the same, scoring a playoff career-high 42 points in the Cavaliers’ Game 4 win vs. Boston.
Again, Cleveland is a game away from The Finals.
They can get there with a win Thursday night against the Celtics at TD Garden. Here is what you need to know about Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals with storylines from cleveland.com, Boston and news around the league.
By Matt Goul, cleveland.com
THE SERIES
Game 1: Cavaliers 117, Boston 104
Game 2: Cavaliers 130, Boston 86
Game 3: Boston 111, Cavaliers 108
Game 4: Cavaliers 112, Boston 99; Cleveland leads series, 3-1
Game 5: Cleveland at Boston, 8:30 p.m., Thursday (TV: TNT; Radio: WTAM 1100-AM, 87.7-FM ESP)
Game 6, if necessary: Boston at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m., Saturday (TV: TNT; Radio: WTAM 1100-AM, 87.7-FM ESP)
Game 7, if necessary: Cleveland at Boston, 8:30 p.m., Monday, May 29 (TV: TNT; Radio: WTAM 1100-AM, 87.7-FM ESP)
SETTING THE STAGE
When faced with a closeout opportunity, the Cavaliers deliver. They have won 12 straight closeout games since the 2009 playoffs. Click here for more fast facts, projected starting lineups and injury reports for Game 5.
Find streaming information here.
MORE ON GAME 5
• Kyrie Irving is expected to play, but his left ankle will be sore.
• The Cavaliers were not prepared for this Celtics team. Their scouting reports were centered around Isaiah Thomas, so everything changed with his injury. Coach Tyronn Lue went so far to say Boston is tougher to plan against than Golden State.
• One day Kyrie Irving, not LeBron James, will be the Cavs' top player.
GAME 4 IN REVIEW
• Cleveland faced a 16-point deficit in the first half, and LeBron James picked up his fourth foul. It didn't stop Kyrie Irving, whose 42 points led the Cavaliers to a 112-99 win that has them on The Finals doorstep.
• Irving didn't let his team falter with James sidelined. He displayed mental and physical toughness. And the Celtics didn't know what to do.
• A third wheel? Kevin Love's 17-rebound night proved vital, writes columnist Terry Pluto. Love continues to get payback against Boston.
• With James off the floor, Boston missed a critical chance to take advantage.
• Watch postgame videos from the locker room.
• See fans sound off after the win.
PUTTING A SPIN ON IT
• The fans had more confidence than the Cavaliers in Game 4, until Kyrie Irving came along, writes columnist Doug Lesmerises.
• In an odd twist, writes Bud Shaw, the Big Three became a Big Two — and the Cavaliers somehow got better because of it.
• While James heard it Sunday from a fan in The Q, Boston has a reputation for being much worse, writes Bill Livingston.
Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
OFF THE COURT
• The Milwaukee Bucks have their sights set on Cavaliers general manager David Griffin. The Bucks lost John Hammond this week to Orlando, but Griffin is discussing a continued partnership with Dan Gilbert.
• Will the Cleveland petition drive increase the cost of renovations to Quicken Loans Arena. Some questions and answers.
• Nike's LeBron Soldier 11 might be James' greatest shoe yet.
VIEWS FROM BOSTON
• When the Celtics left Boston last week, they expected it to be their last game at TD Garden this season. A return has restored the Celtics' confidence, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
• Because of that, the Celtics hope home court can finally become an advantage to extend the series.
• 10 takeaways from Game 4.
AROUND THE LEAGUE AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
• The transformation of Kyrie Irving continues from sidekick to savior, writes Shams Charania of The Vertical.
• Atlanta is planning to hire Golden State executive Travis Schlenk as general manager.
• The New York Knicks fired assistant coach Josh Longstaff, who worked out Kristaps Porzingis and was a confidant. The move by Phil Jackson only complicates a rocky relationship with Porzingis, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
• Derrick Rose will be a free agent for the first time in his career. New York discussed trading him to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio. Now, Minnesota appears to be a prime destination to reunite Rose with former coach Tom Thibodeau.
• The Miami Heat and Chris Bosh are moving closer to an agreement that pays Bosh and provides the Heat with cap relief.
• The NBA moved this year's All-Star Game from Charlotte, but awarded the city Wednesday with the 2019 game.
CAVALIERS-CELTICS THIS SEASON
Despite being the No. 2 seed, Cleveland won three of the four games against Boston in the regular season. Those head-to-head matchups set the tone for this series. Here is a look back at those four regular-season games.
Nov. 3, 2016: Cavaliers won at home, 128-122.
Dec. 29, 2016: Cavaliers won at home, 124-118.
March 1: Celtics won in Boston, 103-99.
April 5: Cavaliers won in Boston, 114-91.
SECOND ROUND IN REVIEW
Game 1: Cavaliers 116, Toronto 105
Game 2: Cavaliers 125, Toronto 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 114, Toronto 94
Game 4: Cavaliers 109, Toronto 102, Cleveland wins series, 4-0.
FIRST ROUND IN REVIEW
Game 1: Cavaliers 109, Indiana 108
Game 2: Cavaliers 117, Indiana 111
Game 3: Cavaliers 119, Indiana 114
Game 4: Cavaliers 106, Indiana 102, Cleveland wins series, 4-0.
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