LeBron James and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers won’t get any sympathy from the Celtics when they return to Boston for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Already laboring to reach his eighth straight NBA Finals with a supporting crew made mostly of cast-offs and throw-ins Keon Broxton Milwaukee Brewers Jersey , James lost the only other All-Star on the roster on Saturday when Kevin Love was declared out for the series finale with a concussion.

Now, in what could be his final game in a Cleveland uniform – again – James will have to do it largely on his own.

In Boston, where the Celtics are perfect so far this postseason.

And in a series where the road team hasn’t really even come close.

”There’s something different about LeBron, period,” Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr. said after James scored 46 with 11 rebounds and nine assists on Friday night to send the series to a decisive seventh game. ”I think (coach Tyronn Lue) said it best: `We’re going into a Game 7 with the baddest dude on the planet on our team.’ I like our chances.”

James is having what could be the best postseason of his career, averaging 33.9 points and just under nine assists and rebounds, with seven 40-point games, two buzzer beaters, and a sweep of top-seeded Toronto. But he’s played in every game this season – Sunday will be his 100th – and it showed in the Game 5 loss to the Celtics.

He admitted to fatigue afterward, and then played all but two minutes in Game 6 despite a sore knee from a collision with Nance.

Still, the four-time MVP carried his team even after Love banged heads with Boston’s Jayson Tatum in the first half and left the game.

”I can’t say enough good things about him,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. ”Every time we watch. Every time you’re standing out there. Every time you watch him on film. Best player in the game.”

James will probably have to do it again in Game 7 to reach the NBA Finals for the eighth straight year Justin Jones Color Rush Jersey , something accomplished only by Bill Russell and some of his Celtics teammates in the 1960s.

Lue said he wasn’t concerned about James’ leg. Or about the team’s history in the TD Garden, where the Cavaliers lost the first three games by an average of 17 points.

”We throw it all out,” Lue said on Saturday. ”It’s one game left to go to the NBA Finals.”

The Celtics have had their own injury problems, starting in the first quarter of the season opener – at Cleveland – when top free agent Gordon Hayward went out for the year with a broken leg. Five-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, acquired from the Cavaliers in an offseason roster overhaul, needed knee surgery and was lost in March.

But they caught a break when Tatum was cleared to play on Saturday. Stevens said the team doctors checked on him ”and he’s great.”

”So nothing there as far as to be concerned about,” Stevens said.

Well, there’s one thing to be concerned about.

”We know LeBron is different than a lot of other guys, but we’ve got to get the job done,” Celtics guard Terry Rozier said. ”That’s no excuse, so we’re looking forward to it.”

For James, it’s an opportunity to extend the season for his hometown team and put off another summer of questions about his future. Eight years ago http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-calvin-ridley-jersey , he came to Boston for the conference semifinals and had a triple-double – 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists – but shot 8 for 21 with nine turnovers and the Celtics eliminated the Cavs from the playoffs.

As he left the court, James stripped off his Cleveland jersey; then came ”The Decision” and the move to Miami.

James is again able to become a free agent this season, with the Lakers, 76ers and Rockets among the most-mentioned destinations. Having led Cleveland to the city’s first major sports title in half a century in 2016, there is less pulling at him to stay home this time.

But another title would ease the pain even more. And with the injury bug hitting the Western Conference finalists – Chris Paul was the latest ruled out for a game – the East champion might not be as big an underdog as expected.

James will be ready.

”You’ve got to be poised. You’ve got to be able to handle a punch or two,” he said. ”We know it’s challenging. They’re 10-0 on their home floor, and they’ve been very successful against us, obviously, at home. But if you love challenges, then this is a great opportunity.”

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More NBA basketball: Stephen Curry backpedaled in pure joy. He skipped, hollered and let the ball fly from everywhere with that feeling he gets when there’s no way it will miss – unwavering even with a defender’s hand in his face.

Curry dazzled in outdueling LeBron James as the two superstars traded big shots and celebratory moves Jake Marisnick Houston Astros Jersey , hitting an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers and scoring 33 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 122-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night for 2-0 lead.

”Pretty special night,” Curry said, ”and hopefully some more special things happen and we get two more wins.”

Kevin Durant found his steady stroke to score 26 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists while also handling a load of the defensive assignment against James. Klay Thompson added 20 points playing on a tender left leg to put the defending champions two wins from a repeat title they have talked about since the season began last fall.

James followed up his 51-point performance in Game 1 with 29 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in a far tamer finals sequel – and a much more lopsided one – minus the utter craziness of a drama-packed opener three days prior.

Game 3 is Wednesday night in Cleveland.

”We want to continue to be uncomfortable,” James said. ”Just because we’re going home doesn’t mean we can relax.”

Kevin Love had 22 points and 10 boards for the cold-shooting Cavs, who will now try to gain some momentum back home.

Curry had the shot of the night with 7:54 to play, making an off-balance swish from several feet behind the 3-point arc over Love as the shot clock wound down, then scooted backward in delight. Curry fell into the first row of fans with a baseline 3 again over Love and four-point play at the 5:44 mark of the fourth.

”He’s a big shot taker, big shot maker,” Draymond Green said. ”Tough shot taker, tough shot maker.”

The long shot over Love stood out to Curry’s Splash Brother, Thompson.

”About seven seconds on the clock he just kept going backward http://www.buccaneersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-carlton-davis-jersey , I don’t know why, but he just threw it up and I didn’t think it had any chance of going in,” Thompson said. ”That was kind of like a dagger shot. It just gave us all the momentum back.”

The two-time MVP made 11 of 26 shots and was 9 for 17 from deep.

James pointed with both hands after his 3 with 11:04 remaining got his team within seven, before Curry answered from deep the next two trips down the floor.

”Those moments when you can come down and answer and keep the momentum on our side, it’s big,” Curry said. ”Keep the crowd into it.”

Curry and James had a tense moment in the third, too.

James became irate at the officials for a no-call on Curry, who ran beneath the Cavs star and didn’t let him land with 3:54 remaining in the quarter as James caught Love’s long pass and went out of bounds. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue was hit with a technical, saying afterward he didn’t say much but was on the court.

JaVale McGee scored 12 points, making all six of his shots in his first career NBA Finals start as Kerr made a lineup switch that proved spot on.

The typically efficient Durant connected on 10 of 14 shots after going just 8 for 22 – 1 of 7 on 3s – in the opener but still scoring 26 points.

Last year’s NBA Finals MVP made his initial five field goals Sunday, driving right at James on offense and doing all he could to fluster him on defense.

James hit a 3 over Durant’s outstretched arm midway through the third, then Tristan Thompson’s basket the next possession pulled the Cavs within 72-66. But they couldn’t contain Curry and the rest of the Warriors for extended stretches.

The Warriors vowed to make it harder for James to generate good looks after he shot 19 for 32 in the series opener Lamar Jackson Color Rush Jersey , and James went 12:06 of game time between made baskets.

James went 10 for 20, showing few signs his shot was altered by a bloodshot left eye. He had been taking antibiotics and using drops after being poked in the eye by Green in the first half Thursday.

The Warriors earned a wacky 124-114 overtime win in Game 1 Thursday night – featuring J.R. Smith’s blunder when he grabbed an offensive rebound in the waning moments of regulation and dribbled back toward halfcourt rather than shooting for the victory, and an overturned charge call against James.

Smith received rousing cheers from the home fans during pregame introductions and ”M-V-P!” chants greeted him when he went to the foul line.

Thompson played after bruising his lower left leg when Smith slid into him in the first quarter Thursday. The Warriors All-Star has never missed a postseason game.

Kerr went with 7-foot big man McGee to start in place of Kevon Looney – McGee’s 10th career start in the postseason.

McGee scored the first four points as Golden State made its initial seven shots and 10 of 11.

Another key role player, Shaun Livingston, made his five field-goal tries for 10 points to give Golden State a lift in the first half after making all four of his shots Thursday.

”They’re a dangerous ballclub no matter what,” James said. ”It starts with those four guys, those four All-Stars. Everybody else just does their job and they don’t miss a beat when they put someone in or they take someone out.”

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: James’ first-half line: 15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, two steals. His first points – the first for Cleveland – came on a goaltend by McGee. … .