LeBron James, Tyronn Lue Say Cavaliers Will Play Better At Home After Conference Finals Game 2 Loss To Celtics [VIDEO]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have found themselves in a rut after trailing the Eastern Conference Final series against the Boston Celtics 2-0, but LeBron James and Tyronn Lue are two of the Cavs organization’s members who have voiced confidence that Cleveland will bounce back when play shifts to Quicken Loans Arena.

Cavs Will Play Better In Game 3 At Home, Says Lebron James

During the post-game news conference after the Celtics’ 107-94 victory in Boston on Tuesday night, Lue said, “We’ll be better going back home, we know that. They played well in that second half, and we gotta be ready to go on Saturday.”

Game 3 is set for Saturday at 8:30pm EST in Cleveland. This marks the first time ever that a team led by James trails by two games in the playoffs.

The King reiterated his coach’s comments, telling reporters, “We have an opportunity go back home and protect home court. They did what they had to do and that was protect home,” James said of the Celtics. “Now it’s our time to try to do that as well.”

James was responding to a question about his level of concern about having lost Game 2 even after finishing with 42 points and a triple-double. The reporter cited the power forward’s comment after the Cavs’ Game 1 loss about having “zero concern” for the rest of his team’s playoff run.

James also had 12 assists and 10 rebounds on Tuesday, but suffered a neck strain in the first half after crashing into another player.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 23 points and Marcus Smart added 11 points. James and Lue both praised Smart — who returned from a thumb injury late in Boston’s first-round playoff series win over the Milwaukee Bucks — for the impact he has had on the Celtics since coming back from surgery. Smart also had nine assists, four steals and five rebounds in 31 minutes of play on Tuesday.

Smart and J.R. Smith got into a heated exchange in Game 2 after Smith shoved Al Horford in the back to stop a layup attempt. Smith drew a flagrant foul and he and Smart both received technical fouls. According to NBA.com, Smart called Smith’s push a “dirty shot.”

Article by Pablo Mena