If you’re a lover of clichés, the Eastern Conference Finals haven’t started yet. The Cavs held serve at home with a 104–93 win Monday night, evening up their best-of-seven series with the Celtics 2–2. LeBron James scored 44 points, and Kyle Korver played one of his more memorable games in a Cleveland uniform, scoring 14 points while picking up three impressive blocks.
The Cavs did their best work inside the paint Monday. In very broad terms, the success of LeBron’s second-era Cleveland teams has often risen and fallen with the team’s three-point shooting. When the Cavs don’t connect from the outside, they lose; and when they catch fire, they look like one of the best teams in the NBA.