Cavaliers, Celtics even in Eastern Conference Finals after Game 4

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CLEVELAND – As expected, the Boston Celtics put up a much better fight against Cleveland on Monday than we saw in Game 3 last Saturday. 

But it still wasn't enough as the Cavaliers made all the big plays down the stretch required to achieve a  111-102 win that evens up this best-of-seven series at two games apiece. 

Game 5 will be in Boston on Wednesday with Game 6 back here in Cleveland on Friday. 

The Celtics were on the comeback trail all game, but went on a 7-0 run early in the fourth to come within 96-88, leading to a Cavs time-out with 8:28 to play.

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The Celtics got a little closer when Aron Baynes made the first of two free throws to make it a 96-89 game, only for the Cavs to push its lead back to double figures with a pair of baskets with the last being a transition lay-up for LeBron James.

Sensing the game’s momentum was back in favor of the home team, the Celtics called a time-out with 6:01 to play, trailing 100-89.

Boston stayed within striking distance, but failed to make the one clutch 3-pointer or get the game-changing stop needed to pull off the upset.

In the first half, Monday’s game looked a lot like their Game 3 matchup, one in which Cleveland opened strong and never looked back in blowing out the Celtics.

Boston fell behind by as many as 19 points in the first half, but cut Cleveland’s lead to as little as 11 (40-29) following a pair of free throws by Aron Baynes with 8:15 to play in the half.     

The Celtics would put together another mini-run in the second quarter of five straight points that brought Boston within 53-43, leading to a Cavs time-out with 4:18 to play in the half.

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Boston inched a little closer in the second when Jaylen Brown drained a 3-pointer to cut Cleveland’s lead to 55-46.

But the Cavs closed out the second quarter with a 13-7 run which put Cleveland ahead 68-53 at the half.

But the Cavs immediately came back, scoring six of the game’s next nine points which included a fade-away, one-hander by James over Terry Rozier who was the player Cleveland successfully paired up against a bigger player and thus made for a much easier scoring opportunity for the Cavs.

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