LeBron James is tired. The young Boston Celtics seem to be getting stronger.

Rookie Jayson Tatum scored 24 points – his ninth 20-point game of the postseason – and Boston beat Cleveland 96-83 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

The Celtics held James to two fourth-quarter points http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/aaron-jones-jersey , earning their 10th straight victory in Boston to remain perfect at home this postseason and move within one win of their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2010.

”I just enjoy playing in the big moments, in the big games. That’s when I have the most fun,” said Tatum, who needs one more 20-point game to tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s rookie record of 10 in a postseason.

”I can’t say it enough: We’re one win away from being in the finals,” Tatum said. ”The playoffs bring the best out of people.”

Game 6 is in Cleveland on Friday night, with the decisive seventh game back in Boston on Sunday if necessary. The home team has won every game so far in the series, and none has been closer than nine points.

”We’re looking forward to having an opportunity to force a Game 7,” said James, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds but also had six turnovers. ”It’s up to us to see if we can come back here for one more.”

Al Horford had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and 21-year-old Jaylen Brown had 17 points for Boston. Tatum added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals one day after finishing a single vote shy of a unanimous selection to the NBA’s All-Rookie team.

”The sky’s the limit” for Tatum , Brown said. ”He’s going to continue to get better. He’s my workout partner. I expect it in myself and I expect it in him.”

Kevin Love scored 14 points for the Cavaliers, who are trying to reach the finals for the fourth consecutive season. James has played to the end in seven straight seasons.

To extend that streak, he’ll need to win two in a row.

One of them will be in Boston.

”Our focus – LeBron’s focus – is to win http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/tarik-cohen-jersey ,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said. ”That’s the only thing that matters.”

The Celtics opened a double-digit lead in the first quarter and nursed it the rest of the way, holding on through a four-minute scoring drought that saw Cleveland score nine straight points to cut the deficit to 83-71. But Terry Rozier hit Horford with an alley-oop to snap the skid, and that was as close as the Cavs would get.

Reserves Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart each scored 13.

FADING STAR

James had one basket on four shots in the fourth quarter, and afterward conceded that he was worn down. He finished 1 for 6 from 3-point range in the game; the Cavaliers made just 9 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc and shot just 42 percent overall.

”I had my moments, but I think everybody at this point is tired, worn down whatever the case may be,” he said. ”I was still trying to make plays, put our team in position to win.”

GOONING IT UP

Boston went on a 15-3 run in the first quarter to turn a three-point deficit into a nine-point lead. The Celtics scored nine in a row at the end of the first quarter and into the second to take a 36-19 lead, their biggest of the game.

That’s when the Cavaliers fought back .

After a hard defensive play by Morris sent Larry Nance Jr. into the first row of seats, Morris appeared to wander over and say something. Nance to jump up and body checked him; Morris responded with a one-handed shove to the face.

Aron Baynes and Brown came in to break it up, and Terry Rozier put a body on Nance. After a review, the referees called technicals on Rozier, Nance and Morris. Kyle Korver made the foul shot to make it 36-20 and Cleveland went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to eight points, 36-28.

But Morris made a long 3-pointer to stop the scoring drought Mitch Unrein Jersey , and soon hit another to cap an 8-2 run that made it a double-digit lead.

Smart said the Celtics wanted to more aggressive at home.

”At their place, they were the aggressor,” he said. ”That showed and they came up with the victory. We just wanted to be that team tonight.”

TIP-INS

Teams that win Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven series win 83 percent of the time. … James had 16 points, four rebounds and three assists at the half. Tatum had 13 points, and Horford had 10 points and seven boards at the break. … Baynes made his first start of the series, subbing for Morris. … It took until midway through the third quarter for a Cavs starter other than James or Love to make a basket. J.R. Smith sank a floater to make it 63-50, and George Hill followed with a jumper of his own. … The Celtics were 10-0 in the playoffs at home in 1986. … Horford had his 7th double-double of the postseason, matching a career high he set in 2015.

After muddling their way through the first two months of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are hitting their stride in June.

Joc Pederson, Max Muncy and Yasiel Puig homered off ageless wonder Bartolo Colon, and the defending NL champions broke loose for seven runs in the fourth inning to rout the last-place Texas Rangers 12-5 on Tuesday night and improve to 8-2 this month.

Los Angeles moved two games above .500 for the first time this season.

”Winning is contagious,” said Cody Bellinger, who reached base safely in four of five plate appearances. ”When you’re winning, everything comes together.”

The Dodgers pounded out 16 hits in taking their second straight game.

”We’re taking a lot of good swings http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/brian-urlacher-jersey ,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Colon, the 45-year-old right-hander, has allowed 19 homers this season. He recorded his 2,500th career strikeout against Muncy in the first.

Colon (3-4) got tagged for season highs in runs (eight) and hits (nine) over 3 1/3 innings after tossing at least five innings in 10 of 11 starts. He was trying to break a tie with Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for most wins by a Dominican-born pitcher – they both have 243.

”They took advantage of me. They got heated up good,” Colon said through a translator. ”That’s what happened, so I couldn’t do (anything). They were very aggressive and I couldn’t hold them.”

The Rangers lost their season high-tying fifth in a row in their first visit to Dodger Stadium since 2015. They fell to 14-19 on the road, having lost four of their last five.

Texas manager Jeff Banister liked Colon’s velocity early on before watching it tail off.

”Couldn’t get the sinker where he wanted it to. It seemed like all pitches were getting hit pretty good,” he said. ”Fastball was elevated and couldn’t land the off-speed stuff down in the strike zone where he wanted to.”

Edward Paredes (1-0) got the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

Daniel Corcino pitched three innings for his first career save, but stumbled with two outs in the ninth when he allowed two runs. Jurickson Profar had an RBI single and Delino DeShields scored on a throwing error by Puig in right field.

Pederson’s two-run homer in the second – his seventh in eight games – gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead after Puig drove in their first run with a two-out double.

Pederson notched his fourth three-hit game of the season. He hit just one homer in the first 53 games, and now has seven in his last eight games since June 2.

”What I used to do in the past is worry about the results,” he said. ”Used to get real frustrated with not getting results. Instead, I’m just sticking to the process. I’ve been hitting some balls hard on the ground. Now I’m able to get some balls in the air and do some damage.”

Muncy hit his team-leading 13th homer, going deep in his fourth straight game, to make it 4-2 in the third. He made his first start of the season at second base.

The Dodgers batted around in the fourth Dalton Schultz Jersey , with Puig powering a two-run homer to get the scoring started. Chris Taylor added an RBI single and scored on an error by Profar at shortstop. Bellinger had an RBI double and Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run single in extending their lead to 11-2.

Muncy’s groundout in the fifth made it 12-3.

Caleb Ferguson allowed two runs and five hits in four innings during his second major league start for the Dodgers after being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier in the day. The left-hander struck out three and walked two.

Adrian Beltre had an RBI single for the Rangers, and Shin-Soo Choo homered leading off the fifth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: SS Elvis Andrus will be the designated hitter and play seven innings in the second game of a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Wednesday.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler went on the 10-day DL with a right rib microfracture, an injury sustained when he was hit by a 108 mph line drive by Colorado’s Trevor Story on May 21. … LHP Clayton Kershaw (lower back strain) threw a bullpen, and a simulated game will occur soon. ”He’s reassured me he feels great,” Roberts said. … LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (left groin strain) threw a bullpen.

HE SAID IT

”I had to face him and get hits off him when he was a lot better.” – Roberts on Colon.

STRUGGLING AGAINST LA

Colon has never fared well against the Dodgers. He is 2-7 with a 6.12 ERA in 11 career starts. He’s struck out 39 and walked 10. His eight runs were the most he’s allowed since June 5, 2017, when he gave up eight against the Phillies over 3 2/3 innings.

BELTRE AND ICHIRO

With two hits, Beltre tied Ichiro Suzuki for 21st place on the career list at 3,089.

UP NEXT

LHP Cole Hamels (3-6, 3.86 ERA) goes for the Rangers in the series finale, having allowed 17 home runs, second-most in the majors. RHP Kenta Maeda (4-4, 3.61) makes his first start since May 29 after being on the DL with a right hip strain. He’s never faced Texas.

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