LeBron James, Cavs reach fourth consecutive NBA Finals with tough Game 7 win over Celtics

Jordan Greer

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LeBron James, Cavs reach fourth consecutive NBA Finals with tough Game 7 win over Celtics image

LeBron James posted 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists over a full 48 minutes of action Sunday night to push Cleveland to a Game 7 win at TD Garden. The victory locked up a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference title for the Cavs and the eighth banner in a row for James going back to his time with the Heat.

Both the Celtics and Cavs struggled offensively, combining to go 16-of-74 from 3-point range. Jayson Tatum (24 points) and Al Hoford (17 points) carried Boston throughout the game, but they couldn't overcome poor performances from Terry Rozier (four points, 2-of-14 shooting, three turnovers) and Jaylen Brown (13 points, 5-of-18 shooting).

Jeff Green gave James the help he needed, scoring 19 points and grabbing eight rebounds. But this was about LeBron's greatness. He made timely plays in the second half, whether it was hitting tough shots or finding the open man with pinpoint passing. The Cavs will next play Thursday in the NBA Finals against the winner of Monday night's Game 7 between the Rockets and Warriors.

Take a look back at the best highlights from Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals...

Game 7 box score

Final: Cavs 87, Celtics 79

10:58 p.m. ET — That LeBron James and-one finish should just about do it. The Cavs are now ahead by double-digits with less than a minutes to go. Cleveland is heading back to the NBA Finals.

10:54 p.m. ET — What a swing. Terry Rozier pushes the ball up the floor and shoots a corner 3-pointer. No good. The Cavs corral the rebound, and LeBron James finds George Hill streaking down the floor for a tough reverse layup.

Cavs 81, Celtics 74 with 1:16 left.

10:50 p.m. ET — We are under three minutes in regulation. The situation...

Cavs 78, Celtics 74 with 2:34 on the clock.

10:42 p.m. ET — JAYSON TATUM ON LEBRON JAMES. HE IS NO LONGER A ROOKIE.

10:33 p.m. ET — Could the degree of difficulty be any higher on this Kyle Korver shot? Wow.

10:28 p.m. ET — We have a lead change in the fourth quarter for the first time in this series. Al Horford throws it down on Kyle Korver.

End of third quarter: Cavs 59, Celtics 56

10:21 p.m. ET — The Cavs take the third quarter by a score of 20-13. (Yeah, this is not a high-scoring affair.) LeBron James (23 points, 12 rebounds, five assists) made just about every play possible in the third, from perfect passes to transition blocks. Someone on the Celtics needs to step up and answer the call on the offensive end.

Here we go. Only one quarter left to win the East...

10:14 p.m. ET — OH MY GOODNESS. DO NOT CHALLENGE LEBRON AT THE RIM.

10:05 p.m. ET — A JR Smith triple and Jeff Green 3-point play the old-fashioned way help the Cavs tie the game at 47. Points are hard to come by in this one.

9:58 p.m. ET — Terry Rozier with a tough bucket to kick off the second half.

Halftime: Celtics 43, Cavs 39

9:42 p.m. ET — A low-scoring first half. The Celtics (4-of-19) and Cavs (2-of-17) are both struggling from 3-point range and missing open opportunities. LeBron James has 17 points and 10 rebounds heading into the locker room, and he finally got a little help from Jeff Green (nine points, five rebounds) in the second quarter. Al Horford has 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and Jayson Tatum added 11 points in 20 minutes of action.

9:35 p.m. ET — For the first time in an away game this series, JR Smith sinks a 3-pointer. The Cavs are only down two points despite a rough first half.

9:30 p.m. ET — Jayson Tatum in slow motion? That looks pretty cool.

9:22 p.m. ET — How do the Cavs look offensively so far? LeBron James is 5-of-10 from the field. The rest of the team is 3-of-15. Cleveland is also 1-of-14 from 3-point land to start the game. (Yes, LeBron is responsible for that one make.)

9:15 p.m. ET — Larry Nance Jr. is struggling in pick-and-roll situations. The Celtics will continue to attack and put Al Horford in positions to score.

End of first quarter: Celtics 26, Cavs 18

9:10 p.m. ET — The Celtics put together a strong finish to end the first with a x-point lead. Jayson Tatum has nine points, and Al Horford has already eclipsed his Game 6 total with eight points so far. LeBron James (12 points) is doing damage on the offensive end, but a few defensive lapses created quality looks for Boston.

8:56 p.m. ET — For LeBron James, the 3-point line is just a suggestion.

8:46 p.m. ET — It's a quick 11-4 start for the Celtics, and the Cavs call for a timeout. Jayson Tatum already has seven points in the first four minutes.

8:36 p.m. ET — LeBron James is the greatest Game 7 scorer in NBA history. Can he push the Cavs to yet another Finals appearance? Tipoff coming up next!

8:16 p.m. ET — If Celtics fans weren't already pumped up, this should get them ready to go before tipoff.

8:01 p.m. ET — No fancy suits this time, but the Cavs are all business ahead of Game 7.

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.