Trailing by 17 points with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue waved the white flag.
He subbed in Cedi Osman for LeBron James.
James was headed to bench after logging 35-plus minutes for the fifth straight game. He finished with 26 points on 11-for-22 shooting, 10 rebounds, five assists, and six turnovers in Cleveland’s losing effort.
“He looked a little tired to me,” Lue said after the Cavaliers’ 96-83 defeat.
Through 16 games, James has averaged 40.6 minutes per game this postseason. His total playoff minutes (649) is a league-high.