Most striking in the Cavaliers' 116-86 win over the Celtics in Game 3 wasn’t the continued brilliance of LeBron James or the belated arrival of his supporting cast. It was the sight of a Boston team without its focus—an increasingly rare case of this young core acting its age.
Until Saturday night, Boston’s attention to detail ranked among the most reliable constants in these playoffs. To a man, the Celtics execute. Al Horford raises the baseline on both ends of the floor with his cerebral play, from which Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier can springboard into dynamic moves.