Game Four is a Must-Win for the Celtics

After losing by what seemed like a million points to the Cavs on Saturday night, it seems as if the momentum of this Celtics-Cavs series has swung in favor of Cleveland.  That said, Game 4 is now an incredibly important game.  I believe the winner of this game will win the series.

Yes, the Celtics are undefeated at home in the NBA Playoffs this year, and they have never lost a playoff series after going up 2-0 in the team’s existence.  But records and milestones are made to be broken.  Don’t bank on the past to grant true to the present or the future. They cannot keep the home winning up forever.

If Cleveland wins tonight, I can easily predict that LeBron James and the rest of his groupies will start feeling themselves and start to play at a far higher level.  We saw it Saturday night.  Guys like George Hill and J.R. Smith went to town and looked comfortable doing it. They had total confidence.  With a Cavs win tonight, the series would be back at 2-2 and we’re looking at a best of 3 series.  The Celtics have the home games in their back pocket, sure.  But on the other hand, the Cavs have LeBron in their pocket. Which would you rather? The home games? Or the best player in the game?

Latest NBA News

• CFB Daily: College Football Championship Weekend
• Stackin’ The NBA: Jazz at Grizzlies, Rockets at Nuggets, Clippers at Kings
• Stackin’ The NBA: Wizards at Magic, Lakers at Pistons, Suns at Raptors, 76ers at Pelicans
• Stackin’ The NBA: Bulls at Celtics, Thunder at Timberwolves, Rockets at Mavericks, Warriors at Kings
• Stackin’ The NBA: Raptors at Nets, Pelicans at Knicks, Bucks at Heat, Hawks at Cavaliers

If this series goes back to even, I am not sure the Celtics can whether a LeBron James storm.  They threw the first punch, and that was great, but they need to last the length of the fight.  This team, given the injuries, is not built to go shot-for-shot with a guy like “The King.”  Guys like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are just not there yet and Al Horford has never been that type of player.

The C’s need to maintain the upper-hand in this series. So they can avoid the ever so crucial punch for punch situations. Meaning, they need to win Game 4.  Again, the winner of this game will win the series.

Let us realize that anything at his point is just gravy.  This team was not supposed to make it this far. They were supposed to lose to the Bucks, then they were supposed to lose to the Sixers, they were supposed to get swept by the Cavs.  But here they are in the Eastern Conference Finals, sitting up two games to one.

This story originally appeared on GuyBostonSports.com. Follow the link for more great Boston Sports Coverage.