CLEVELAND — Such is LeBron James’ stature in the National Basketball Association – in sports, in everything – that his falls and failures often inspire wild speculation and amateur mind-reading sessions.

Such as how LeBron knows that the Cleveland Cavaliers, beyond him, are not much to look at, and because of that he’s going to bolt this going-south team (again! and for good!) after this season, headed for Philly or Houston or God Only Knows Where.

LeBron James scored a game-high 27 points in the Cavs' Game 3 win over the Celtics on Saturday, and also helped his teammates with 12 assists and five rebounds. But they helped him, too. Associated Press/Tony Dejak

But if the world is falling to pieces when LeBron is down, the world is quite a different place when LeBron is on his game and leading his team to victory, as happened Saturday night in the Cavaliers’ easy 116-86 victory over the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals at Quicken Loans Arena. And it’s not just that LeBron played a fine game. He did: A game-high 27 points on a tidy 12 shots, along with a whopping 12 assists and five rebounds.

Just to be clear: LeBron was the straw that stirred many drinks, his contributions helping five of his teammates to double-digit point totals. Repeat: It’s LeBron, LeBron, LeBron. If the Cavs get past the Celtics and advance to the NBA finals, he’ll be the reason. And if they don’t, he’s the guy who’ll have to answer for it.

And yet what should scare the Celtics – as if they could be any more scared, given the blinded-by-the-big-lights-of-Cleveland lethargy they dragged out to the court Saturday night – is that it wasn’t just LeBron who beat them. It was the Cavaliers. And we all know there’s a difference.

Take, for example, the first quarter. The Celtics fell behind by 19 points mainly because they were clanging shots off the rim, awkwardly turning the ball over, and generally falling down in ways both comical and sad. They were a hot mess.

And yet you look up and suddenly Cleveland’s backcourt is rocking, with George Hill connecting on three 3-pointers. Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson began controlling the glass. The Cavs were 17 for 34 on 3-point attempts. They had the six guys in double figures.

Small wonder, then, that when the game was done and Celtics Coach Brad Stevens was asked 127 variations of, “Why did you guys stink tonight,” he responded with 127 variations of, “The team that played with more energy was Cleveland.”

LeBron arrived almost sheepishly to his postgame presser, and with Kevin Love on the arm, and in fact it was Love who did most of the talking.

LeBron had already done his talking – on the court. Almost laughably, LeBron said, “I was just one of the guys on the floor.”

That’s like saying Lincoln was one of the presidents. It’s like saying Marlon Brando was one of the actors in “The Godfather.”

But it was hard to argue when LeBron said, “It’s very important for our guards to be involved,” because they were: Hill wound up with 13 points and J.R. Smith had 11.

LeBron also said this: “We always sit up here and talk about how much pressure me and Kev try to take off our teammates. Those guys took pressure off us tonight.”

If there was a play that stuck tiny daggers in the Celtics, it was a long bounce pass from Love to LeBron, who made a spectacular, windmill-behind-the-back dunk late in the second quarter to give the Cavs a 54-34 lead.

They could’ve stopped the game right there. As Stevens said in response to a question about the chances of the Celtics making a comeback, “I felt like it was less likely based on how both teams were playing.”

Key word there: Teams.

LeBron had a team last night.

Stevens, not so much.

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