LeBron James scored 30 points, Kevin Love had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers steamrolled the Boston Celtics 130-86 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals and tie an NBA record with their 13th straight playoff victory.

Cleveland led by 14 points after one quarter, by a record 41 at the half and by 46 after three. Kyrie Irving scored 23 points for the Cavaliers, who return home with a chance to finish off the Celtics in Cleveland. It would be the third straight sweep this postseason for the defending NBA champions, who also won the last three games of last year’s finals.

Game 3 is on Sunday night. The Celtics played the second half without Isaiah Thomas, who strained his right hip. But the game was already out of reach by that time.

With both teams going to their benches early in the fourth quarter, the only suspense was whether the Celtics could avoid the worst playoff loss in franchise history. The Orlando Magic beat them by 47 points in the first round of the 1995 postseason. Still, it was the Celtics’ worst home playoff loss ever.

LeBron James​ turns on the boosters for the chasedown! #NBABreakdown pic.twitter.com/pDc5GA5ZIn — NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2017

The game tipped off about 15 minutes after the three finalists for NBA MVP were announced, and James wasn’t among them. It’s the first time since 2008 that he won’t finish in the top three. The winners will be announced on 26 June in New York during the NBA’s first awards show. On Friday, James had 22 points in the first half, when he also collected six assists and had three blocked shots, including a chase-down rejection of Bradley that was reminiscent of the one against Andre Iguodala in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

NBA awards finalists

MVP: Westbrook, Harden and Leonard.

The NBA will have a new winner after Golden State’s Stephen Curry won the last two seasons. Westbrook had a record 42 triple-doubles this season and averaged a triple-double for the season. Harden also put up record-setting offensive numbers, while Leonard carried the Spurs on both ends of the floor as they won 61 games and a division title in their first season after Tim Duncan retired.

Rookie of the year: Dario Saric, Joel Embiid, Malcolm Brogdon.

The Philadelphia 76ers will have two cracks at the award for top first-year player. Embiid made the final three even though he was limited to 31 games by injuries, while Saric put up impressive numbers after his teammate was lost. Brogdon, a second-round pick, helped the Milwaukee Bucks made the playoffs.

Coach of the year: Gregg Popovich, Mike D’Antoni, Erik Spoelstra

Popovich, often regarded as the NBA’s best coach, has a chance to win for the third time in six years after the Spurs compiled the NBA’s second-best record. D’Antoni can add this award to the one he won in Phoenix in 2005 after returning to the NBA and guiding Houston to 55 wins and the league record for 3-pointers in a season. Spoelstra guided the Miami Heat to a 41-41 finish and nearly into the playoffs after they started 11-30.

Sixth man of the year: Eric Gordon, Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala

Houston has two chances to win the honor for the best player in a reserve role, though most of Williams’ success came with the Los Angeles Lakers before the Rockets acquired him in a trade. He won in 2015 in Toronto. Gordon, in his first season as a non-starter, set the record for most 3-pointers for a player off the bench. Iguodala, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, became even more important for Golden State late in the season after Kevin Durant was injured.

Defensive player of the year: Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Rudy Gobert.

Leonard has won the last two years and Green will be hoping it’s his time for everything he does for the Warriors, including a game this season where he had a triple-double that didn’t even include points. Gobert was the dominant man in the middle for a Utah team that allowed the fewest points per game during the regular season.

Most improved player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert.

A European player will win this award. If it’s Gobert, the Frenchman will be recognized not only for his defensive dominance but also for his growth as an offensive player. Antetokounmpo was voted to start the All-Star Game at midseason and the Greek Freak could add another honor after it. Jokic was a creative playmaking center for a Denver team that ranked behind just Golden State and Houston in scoring.