Coming into Wednesday night, all eyes were on the battle for first place between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. However, LeBron James and company came into Boston to make a major statement.
Close first quarter
The two teams displayed an even battle throughout the first period. Boston, led by Isaiah Thomas' 12 points, owned a narrow one-point lead heading into the second quarter. The problem for the Celtics was that Thomas had 12 of the team's 20 first quarter points. Once he went to the bench to catch a breather, everything fell apart.
LeBron James' dominant second quarter
With Thomas on the bench, Boston's offense immediately went stale, which allowed LeBron James to assert himself. The three-time champion dominated the second quarter, scoring 14 points in the period and helped his team take a commanding 15-point lead into the locker rooms.
More dominance in the third
The dominating performance continued for the Cavaliers in the third. Thanks to James capturing the momentum in the third, the rest of the team fed off the energy and began to chip in. Behind crisp ball movement, the Cavaliers spread the floor with three-point shooters and knocked down open shots. They kept their foot on the pedal and opened up a 29-point lead, completely deflating the Celtics.
Not even Isaiah Thomas was able to help Boston.
Finishing out the game
The Cavaliers did not allow the Celtics to make any sort of comeback. Although Boston got within 20, Cleveland responded with big-time plays led by James and Kyrie Irving, keeping the crowd out of the game en route to an 114-91 triumph.
Game notes
LeBron James finished the game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks on 14-of-22 shooting.
Those are impressive stats, considering it was the second night of a back to back for the Cavs. Kevin Love recorded a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds. For Boston, Isaiah Thomas concluded with 26 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
The Cavaliers have now won four consecutive games and are a game ahead of the Celtics for the first spot in the East. They also won the season series over Boston, 3-1.
