CLEVELAND _ To Northeast Ohio fans, the three-day layoff seemed interminable.
Considering the criticism the Cavaliers endured as they trailed the Boston Celtics 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, it had to feel the same to those wearing wine and gold.
Their backcourt was pathetic, drastically outplayed by the young Celtics.
Their bench, save for Kyle Korver, was nowhere to be found, looking overwhelmed on the grand stage.
Their defense was "horrible," according to center Tristan Thompson, who used multiple adjectives including one expletive, to convey his disgust after Game 2.
Their toughness was once again questioned by coach Tyronn Lue.
If you listened to sports talk radio, Lue needed to be fired, LeBron James is gone in free agency and the team will be torn down to the studs in matter of weeks.
The break was necessitated by television, scheduled to eliminate a possible gap before the start of the NBA Finals on May 31, a date set in stone.
But the three days may have saved the Cavs' postseason. It gave them time to rediscover how to play like a team.
Using balance not seen since their sweep in the semifinals, the Cavs got back in the series with a 116-86 victory Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Although the Celtics still lead the series 2-1, they slipped to 1-5 on the road in the playoffs going into Monday night's Game 4 at the Q.
LeBron James played defense like he'd spent the break holed up in his Bath home watching DVDs _ or were they VHS tapes back then? _ of the days when he was a six-time all-NBA defender. He turned in an efficient double-double with 27 points and 12 assists, making 8 of 12 field goals, including 3 of 3 3-pointers, and 8 of 10 free throws in 37 minutes.
George Hill, who had totaled eight points and one assist in the first two games, reached those numbers with 3:21 left in the first quarter. He finished with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists.
J.R. Smith, who went scoreless in Game 2, hit the first 3 he took with 6:26 in the first quarter off a James assist, huge in terms of his confidence. Smith contributed 11 points, shooting 3 of 4 from long range.
The Cavs placed six players in double figures, which was more like their performance in the semifinal sweep of the Raptors, when they had five in all four games.
The starting backcourt of Smith and Hill outscored the Celtics' Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown 24-23. That might not sound like a major breakthrough, but one must consider that the Celtics duo had a 72-12 scoring edge in the first two games. Brown had just two points until 2:52 remained in the third quarter.
Thompson backed up his harsh criticism of the Cavs defense and lack of communication _ "If you don't want to talk, you can sit your ass on the bench" _ with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Kevin Love continued to be the reliable wingman since reviving himself in Game 2 against the Raptors, contributing 13 points and 14 rebounds. He also played well off James. Their highlight came with 3:09 left in the second quarter, when he delivered a perfect bounce pass to a cutting James, who put in a two-hand reverse slam.
The Cavs concentrated on offense during this week's break. After averaging 88.5 points in the first two games against the Celtics, the Cavs produced their third-highest total in a postseason game, trailing only two 128-point efforts against the Raptors.
After totaling just 14 3-pointers in the first two games, the Cavs hit a postseason-high 17, including a 4-for-4 night by Korver.
All of that added up to the kind of game the Cavs had been seeking, the kind of team play they'd been missing against the Celtics, the kind of performance that proved they are not to be written off.
There is still much work to be done. The Celtics are 37-0 all-time when they lead 2-0 in a best-of-seven series. They play with an air of invincibility in TD Garden and they still hold the home-court advantage.
But if James' trust in his teammates had been wavering, Saturday's performance showed him they still have something to give. All they needed was three painful days to find it.
