One more win. 

That's all the the Cleveland Cavaliers need to clinch their third straight trip to the NBA Finals, where they would, for the third time in a row, face the Golden State Warriors. 

Standing in their way, however, is a feisty Boston Celtics bunch that has played surprisingly well without Isaiah Thomas, and very nearly stole both games in Cleveland. 

Back at home, in what is sure to be a raucous TD Garden, can the Celtics find a way to send things back to Cleveland for Game 6? 

How to watch Game 5

  • Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics
  • What: Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals (Cavaliers lead series 3-1) 
  • When: Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: TD Garden, Boston
  • TV: TNT
  • Streaming: Watch TNT App
  • Line: Cavaliers -10 (Sportsline's latest line movements, picks)

What to watch for in Game 5

How well is Kyrie Irving operating?

Irving suffered what looked to be a pretty gnarly rolled ankle in Game 4, but he tightened up the laces on his shoe and proceeded to torch the Celtics, pouring in a playoff career-high 42 points. It was an impressive performance, but one made even more so by the fact that James was on the bench for a long time with foul trouble. The question for Thursday night, now, is what sort of affect does that sore ankle have on his play? It's one thing to finish a game when you have all the adrenaline in the world pumping through you, but it's another go into a game with a sore or swollen ankle. There hasn't been any announcement from the Cavaliers about the injury, so it likely isn't too bad, but Irving is probably not going to be at 100 percent. 

Who steps up for the Celtics in Thomas' absence?

Marcus Smart answered that question in Game 3, connecting on 7-10 3-pointers, and finishing with 27 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. While Boston got very solid performances from most everyone in the starting lineup in Game 4, no one had the kind of exceptional night necessary to beat this ultra talented Cavaliers team without Isaiah Thomas. Boosted by their home crowd, can one of the role players step up and deliver a big time performance? If not, this series will likely end Thursday night. 

LeBron James' dominance vs. the Celtics:

Everyone remembers Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals, when, with the Celtics up 3-2 and back on their home floor with a chance to clinch the series, James put on what was then the defining performance of his career, finishing with 45 points on 19-of-26 shooting, while grabbing 15 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists in a 98-79 victory for the Heat. 

And while that is the crowning jewel of his performances against the Celtics, he almost always has a strong night against Boston. For his career, James is averaging 29.6 points per game against the Celtics, his highest scoring average against any team in the league. With a chance to close things out on Boston's home floor, expect yet another big night from the King against the Celtics.