LeBron James Had Illness During Game 3 vs. Celtics, Says Richard Jefferson

LeBron James struggled mightily in the Cleveland Cavaliers' Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics, but teammate Richard Jefferson believes the superstar wasn't 100 percent physically.

In an interview with Fox Sports Ohio, Jefferson explained that an illness that limited Deron Williams might have gone around the Cavs locker room.

"I know he won't talk about it, so I'll give my big guy a shot," Jefferson said after Game 4, via Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports. "Deron Williams missed shootaround this morning, because he had like a little bug—just really lethargic, had no energy—and I think that's what 'Bron had."

James finished with just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting in the 111-108 loss.

Jefferson reiterated that James was "lethargic" but also credited the Celtics for making tough shots in the win.

"I had a tough game, period," the four-time MVP told reporters after Game 3. "Me personally, I didn't have it."

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, James looked healthier in Game 4, finishing with 34 points, six assists and five rebounds. Kyrie Irving scored 42 points as the Cavs earned a 112-99 win, extending their series lead to 3-1.

Cleveland will now try to close out the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 5 in Boston on Thursday.