The Celtics needed a big game from their stars on Saturday, and they got one to reclaim a 2-1 series lead with a 106-93 Game 3 victory over the Cavaliers.
Here are the takeaways.
1. If nothing else, Saturday was a reminder that the playoffs are hard.
The Celtics led by as many as 23 in the third quarter. The Cavaliers walked that lead down, but it never got much closer than nine or 10 the rest of the way.
And still, the Celtics looked winded after a highly physical game as the clock ran out in the fourth.