All things considered, coulda been worse

CLEVELAND -- At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had expended a great deal of energy to whittle a 16-point deficit (51-35) to 3 (51-48), but wound up allowing the Cavs' to control a 9-point lead, 59-50, at the end of the period.

The Celtics were unable to get any closer than 3 in the final 3:54, missing on their last four field goal attempts of the quarter while Anderson Varejao (of all people) made two in a row on an offensive putback and a foul-inducing, off-balance lane jumper (he missed the foul shot) that expanded Cleveland's lead to 57-50.

LeBron made it 59-50 when he made a pair of foul shots after getting fouled on a run-out with 28.6 seconds left in the third.