Cavaliers Overtake Celtics

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of their third consecutive meeting with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers own a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals after Kyrie Irving and LeBron James combined for 76 points in a 112-99 victory over the visiting Boston Celtics.

Irving scored 19 of his game-high 42 points in a five-minute stretch of the third quarter. He stayed in the game after rolling his left ankle in the period.

James shot 15-for-27 in scoring 34 points, one game after he missed none of 13 shots in an 11-point performance.

Kevin Love had 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who bounced back from their only postseason loss.

The Celtics led by 10 before being outscored 40-23 in the third period. They managed just 42 points in the second half after carrying a 57-47 lead into intermission.

Marcus Smart shot just 1-for-9 from the floor, two days after hitting seven of his 10 3-point attempts. Avery Bradley finished with 10 points and Jae Crowder had 18 for the Celtics.

Game 5 is Thursday in Boston.