Cavaliers still believe despite being banged up and on the brink of elimination

The end appears to be in sight. The Cavaliers are facing playoff extinction tonight in Boston with the Celtics just needing to win to close out the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal. Boston has a 3-1 lead in the series after it held off the pesky Cavs 109-102 on Monday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Playing without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell (strained left calf) and center Jarrett Allen (bruised ribs) has been a death blow to Cleveland in the series. It's not known whether either player will suit up for the potential elimination game but don't hold your breath that either of them will. Allen has missed the entire Boston series and Mitchell might not get medical clearance to play. No matter how hard the Cavs play tonight at TD Garden, it might not matter. The Celtics have proven to be a better team and have a chance to send Cleveland packing. That would give Boston several days of rest in preparation for the East finals matchup against either New York or Indiana. The Cavs, of course, don't want to hear any of that. "Why not?" Cleveland swingman Caris LeVert said. "We believe in our group. We believe in the work we put in. We are fighting an uphill battle but we're ready for the challenge." He said it would be ideal if all the Cavs players were healthy but that's not the case. Besides Mitchell and Allen, LeVert and forward Dean Wade are battling knee injuries and center Evan Mobley tweaked his ankle. "Obviously, it sucks that we're not a hundred percent right now, but I think even still with that, we had our chances (in Game 4)," LeVert said. "I think if we would've executed just a little bit better, we'd have put ourselves in a better position towards the end of the game. So, obviously, your mind goes to that." Swingman Max Strus isn't one to back down from anything. "(We'll) go to war with anybody in this locker room," he said. "We got guys that'll fight. We got guys that'll play through anything. We'll continue to play with what we got and all we got is what we need." He feels bad for Mitchell, who was having a standout series before his injury. "Yeah, it sucks for him," Strus said. "He's a true competitor and wants to be out there with us, but we know if he can't play it's obviously for a good reason. We know he wants to be out there fighting with us, but we've got to find a way to win for him. He's been carrying us all year in all playoffs. So we've got to be able to have his back." The Cavs, however, just haven't been able to match the explosiveness of Celtics forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who combined for 60 points and 19 rebounds in Game 4. Cleveland's defense was outstanding but the two All-Stars made tough, contested shots. Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff described them as the "elite of the elite" in the NBA. When they get going, forget it. They shot a combined 20-of-40 from the field, 4-of-11 from the 3-point line and 16-of-18 from the foul line. As good as Tatum is — he had 33 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in 44 minutes — Brown is not far behind. It's easy for teams to concentrate on the 6-foot-8, 210-pound Tatum but then Brown just knifes through the defense on his way to the basket. Boston point guard Jrue Holiday had been quiet early in the series but has come on strong as of late. He had 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block in Game 5. It seems like every one of his shots were crucial. The Cavs just can't keep pace with the No. 1-seeded Celtics, who have aspirations of winning the NBA title. Still, Cleveland didn't shy away from the challenge. "We knew we were going to have to go out and give 'em our best shot," Bickerstaff said. "The guys took the challenge to do that. I couldn't be more proud of their effort. We just fell a little short at the end." Dynamic Darius Point guard Darius Garland recorded his first 30-point postseason game of the series and second of his career (32 points on April 18, 2023, vs. New York). He scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, the most he's scored in a fourth quarter in his postseason career. It was the fourth time in his postseason career with at least four made 3-pointers. Good sign? In his last nine games at TD Garden, LeVert is averaging 20.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.00 steals. He recorded 21 points, six rebounds and three assists in Game 2. Taking care of the rock The Cavs have recorded eight or fewer turnovers in three of their last four playoff games. Cleveland committed eight or fewer turnovers just three times during the entire regular season. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.