Tatum had a dunk over James with 6:41 left — and stared down the Cavaliers star and bumped him with his chest — and then followed it with a three-pointer that gave the Celtics a 72-71 lead. But that would be Boston’s last basket for more than five minutes while Cleveland went on a 15-2 run to put the game away.
James and Horford embraced after the buzzer, then the Cavaliers donned NBA final hats and Eastern Conference championship shirts before shuffling off the court to receive their trophy.
It’s not the one they want.
James has been in the final every year since 2011 — four with Miami, and now four straight with Cleveland.
This might be his weakest supporting cast year.
He had to do it without Kevin Love — Cleveland’s only other all-star — who sustained a concussion in Game 6 and was replaced in the lineup by Jeff Green. Making his first start since the first-round opener against Indiana, Green scored 19 points and added eight rebounds — the star of James’ starless supporting cast.
The Celtics have had more time to get used to their injuries: Gordon Hayward has been out since the first game of the season, and Kyrie Irving has been sidelined since March. With the rookie Tatum and second-year Jaylen Brown, Boston established itself as the team of the future in the East.
But the present still belongs to James.
And, for now, that means Cleveland, too.
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LeBron James leads Cavaliers back to NBA final
With another Game 7 victory at stake, LeBron James would not miss. He would not sit out. And he would not be denied an eighth straight trip to the NBA Final.