East Conf. Finals - Game 3: Boston Celtics 86-116 Cleveland Cavaliers - 5 Talking Points

#3 The game was effectively decided in the first quarter

George Hill scored or assisted on the first 9 points of the game.

LeBron James had a 12-0 record in the postseason in games when he finishes the first quarter with a 15-point lead or better. That record turned to 13-0, as the Cavs raced to a 20-4 lead with 5:03 left in the quarter.

They were able to hold the Celtics scoreless for a whopping 4 minutes and 43 seconds of game time, starting at the 9:26 mark of the first quarter with the score at 7-4 and culminating at 22-6. This was a hole that the Celtics were unable to dig themselves out for the rest of the game, as the Cavs led by at least 14 points for the rest of the game.

That spell of 4:43 was punctuated by stagnant offensive rotations, easy shots missed by all Celtics turn by turn and an inability to drive against a Cleveland defense bolstered by the presence of Tristan Thompson inside the paint. Thompson has been the Cavs' best interior defender by a fair margin this postseason, and he featured in Tyronn Lue's lineup for the second consecutive game.