Michael Singer

USA TODAY

BOSTON – The East belongs to the king. Again.

On a night when LeBron James passed Michael Jordan as the NBA's all-time leading playoff scorer, the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated a listless Boston Celtics team to win their third consecutive Eastern Conference crown.

The 135-102 win puts James back in the Finals for a seventh consecutive time, a mark matched only by Bill Russell’s Celtics teams of the 1950s and '60s. The win also sets the stage for an unprecedented NBA Finals rubber match between the Cavs and Golden State Warriors. Never have the same two teams met in the Finals in three consecutive years.

The Finals start June 1 in Oakland, and after a postseason devoid of much drama, the three-quel could be an adequate remedy.

History will be made, either way, just as it was on Thursday.

With a deep three-pointer late in the third quarter, James surpassed Jordan’s 5,987 career postseason points for the most in NBA history. His three made it 103-71. And then James knocked down two more less than two minutes later.

“Anytime I’m linked to any of the greats, even the greatest in Mike, it’s just an honor,” James said on Thursday. “It’s a tribute to what I’ve been able to do with this game. I’m not a scorer. I don’t want to be labeled as a scorer. I can put the ball in the hoop. I’m a playmaker, I’m a player. You put me on the court and I’ll find ways to be successful.”

James sounded prescient, finishing the game with 35 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Kyrie Irving, following his stunning Game 4 performance, played a supporting role with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

Despite little resistance from the Celtics, Cleveland can relish its Eastern Conference dominance. The Cavs set a new NBA record with their 13th consecutive victory in a series-clinching game.

“It’s a mental state, just being prepared, being ready,” Cavs coach Ty Lue said of his team's ability to close out series. “You know you gotta expect a team’s best that night, their best shot. If we come out with a defensive mindset we’ll be fine.”

It was hardly the Celtics’ best shot. They shot 43% from the field and just 36.7% from the three-point line. Avery Bradley led Boston with 23 points, but there were too many shots left short and too many blown defensive assignments.

"This leaves a certain taste in our mouth, getting here and not getting to the championship," Bradley said. "Cleveland just outplayed us in this series. Credit to those guys."

The Celtics would have been hard-pressed to beat the Cavs even with a healthy Isaiah Thomas, who missed the final three games of the series with a hip injury.

The Cavs owned a 75-57 halftime lead built on eight three-pointers and 57% shooting from the field.

If it wasn’t James attacking the lane and drawing fouls, it was Deron Williams, whose 14-point first half was six more points than he’d contributed throughout the first four games of the series combined.

The Cavs’ 75-point first half outburst was also good for a franchise record.

It was reminiscent of Games 1 and 2 in Boston, where the Cavs exposed the Celtics along the perimeter and clamped down on defense. Perhaps most telling of the Cavs’ dominance was the fact that the Celtics never led once throughout their three games in Boston.

"I'll probably be discouraged with how we played in a couple of these home games, but ... I don't think you should have any excuses with who's available and who's not," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "You've just got to go and play to the best of your ability. (The Cavaliers) were great again tonight. You don't want to take anything away from them."

Despite the No. 1 seed, Boston's season came to a deflating finish, while the Cavs’ have designs on defending their title.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Michael Singer on Twitter @MSinger

PHOTOS: Best of the conference finals