Celtics Find Touch Down Stretch
Posted on: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 06:00 CDT
By Jeff Zillgitt
BOSTON -- The stars, with the notable exception of Kevin Garnett, did not shine in the Boston Celtics' 76-72 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Check out the brutal bottom line for this handful of All-Stars:
*Cavaliers forward LeBron James was 2-for-18 from the field for 12 points. He added nine rebounds, nine assists and 10 turnovers in the worst shooting night of his NBA career.
*Celtics forward Paul Pierce scored four points on 2-for-14 shooting, his lowest output of this regular season and postseason.
*Celtics guard Ray Allen (0-for-4) did not score for the first time since 1997, his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, a span of 852 games.
Bright lights, small nights for a talented trio.
But not for Garnett and veteran teammate Sam Cassell, no stranger to playoff basketball or NBA titles. They scored 18 of Boston's final 20 points as the Celtics, pushed to seven games by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, held on to grab a 1-0 lead at TD Banknorth Garden. Game 2 is Thursday in Boston (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
"This was two heavyweights, just body-punching," Garnett said. "No finesse, no jabs, just an all-out, beat-down, defensive fight."
Said Celtics coach Doc Rivers: "A lot of things didn't go our way, and a lot of things didn't go their way either. We just found a way to win."
Pierce made up for his lack of scoring on the defensive end against James, with a little help from his friends. During the regular season, James averaged 32.3 points, 9.7 assists and seven rebounds vs. the Celtics. His 12 points Tuesday were his second-lowest total this season.
"We were trying to make him take tough shots," Garnett said. "We noticed in the Washington series that he got a lot of layups and dunks. We wanted to cut that as much as we can, but for the most part, it was team defense."
Said James: "I think we are going to watch film and break down the way I get the ball."
The message in Game 1 was clear. Both teams wanted to make someone other than stars beat them. It was a night of rugged defense and, consequently, unimpressive offense. Boston committed 23 turnovers, and Cleveland shot 30.7% from the field.
"The Celtics are the best defensive team in the league, so give them credit," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "But we are a good defensive team as well, so I have to give our guys credit as well."
What transpired in Game 1 could unfold in the remaining games. "This whole series could be filled with us grinding it out," Brown said.
For the first time in these playoffs, the Celtics were challenged at home in the second half. Against Atlanta, they never trailed in the second half in four home games. Cleveland and Boston traded leads in the second half. The Cavaliers took a two-point lead with 90 seconds left.
How did the Celtics respond? Like the team with the best regular-season record in the NBA.
Garnett turned in a workmanlike performance, scoring 28 points and collecting eight rebounds. His basket with 1:17 left tied the score at 70, and his basket with 21 seconds left put the Celtics up 74-72. "I was just trying to be a lot more aggressive," he said.
Cassell scored 13 points off the bench, 10 in the fourth quarter. Point guard Rajon Rondo scored all 15 of his points in the first half.
Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 22points and guard Wally Szczerbiak added 13, but it was not enough to make up for James.
Source: USA TODAY
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