(SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Cavaliers will go a for a sweep against the Boston Celtics Sunday afternoon when the two teams tangle at TD Bank Garden in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Cavs are up 3-0, but all three games have been competitive, including Thursday's 103-95 victory in Game 3, also in Boston.
"This was not an easy game and honestly, none of the three games have been easy," Cleveland coach David Blatt said. "They have been playing us tough, as it should be in the playoffs."
LeBron James had 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 2-seeded Cleveland. James was awesome, but the third member of the Big Three, Kevin Love, played a gigantic role in the victory.
Love, playing in the postseason for the first time, added 23 points and nine rebounds. He made six 3-pointers, including two in the final 2 1/2 minutes as the Celtics tried to scrape their way back into it.
He had 12 points in the first half after scoring 13 in all of Game 2, which the Cavs won 99-91 on Tuesday.
"Kevin has been great overall," said Blatt. "He didn't score as much in the second game as he did tonight, but he's been engaged. I haven't seen any nervousness and discomfort since the series began."
J.R. Smith chipped in 15 points, Kyrie Irving scored 13 and Tristan Thompson had 12 for the Cavs.
The Cavs led most of the game -- including the entire second half -- but spent nearly all of it trying to shake the Celtics for good.
After James' fastbreak dunk gave them a seven-point lead in the third quarter, Boston cut it to one. Cleveland extended it to 11 and the Celtics scored eight of the next 10 points.
It was an eight-point margin going into the fourth and grew to 11 again, but still the Celtics wouldn't go away. Evan Turner's open straightaway 3-pointer got them within three, but Love was even more wide open at the other end, taking his time to line up a 3 he made from the left wing. Later, his sixth 3 of the game stretched the lead to eight with just 26.7 seconds remaining.
"We have to play better basketball," said Brad Stevens, the 38-year-old Boston coach who picked up a couple of first-place votes on ballots for NBA Coach of the Year. "I don't mean to sound that general and I'm sorry I do, but we have to play better basketball at both ends."
Turner led the Celtics with 19 points, Avery Bradley scored 18 and Jae Crowder added 16 off the bench.
No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Game 5, if necessary, will be Tuesday night in Cleveland.
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