Dominant Kyrie Irving Told Himself, 'They Cannot Tie Up This Series'
BOSTON (CBS) -- On a night where LeBron James got into foul trouble and didn't really turn it on until the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers needed their other stars to step up. And Kyrie Irving certainly did.
Of Irving's 42 points that he scored in the Cavs' 112-99 Game 4 win over the Celtics, 21 came in the third quarter, which started off with the Celtics leading 57-47.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Cavs were up 87-80, mainly due to Irving's dominance.
Speaking to reporters after his dominant performance, Irving gave the Celtics credit for making the Cavs battle for every last point.
"It was one of those games that we had to fight through and we had to earn it. That Boston Celtics team is well-coached they gave us everything they had."
"I was saying to myself, 'They cannot tie up this series.'"
LeBron, who quietly scored 10 points of his own in the third quarter, turned more heads for his missed dunk and five turnovers than his final LeBron-like tally of 34 points, five rebounds, and six assists. He was quick to give Irving credit for carrying the Cavs to the win on Tuesday night.
"As the stakes get higher and higher, [Irving's] game gets higher and higher," James told reporters after the game. "But it was nothing surprising for me. He rose to the occasion and he put the team on his back, and we definitely needed that effort from him.
"He commanded us to be better. Especially in the second half."
Points No. 41 and 42 for Irving were like an exclamation point for his performance, as he completely faked out the Celtics' Jae Crowder with a Rondo-like behind-the-back fake into the easy lay-in and final points of the game.
Game 4 showed that the Cavs can never be counted out, even when LeBron isn't having his best night. If he can't step up at the end, Irving certainly can.
