Cavaliers Pull Even With Celtics
Posted on: Tuesday, 13 May 2008, 06:00 CDT
By Jon Saraceno
CLEVELAND -- The Boston Celtics, an undeniable juggernaut during the regular season no matter the location of the hardwood, have developed a definable postseason vulnerability.
In these NBA playoffs, the Celtics ruefully hum the basketball version of Roadhouse Blues.
The Eastern Conference's No.1 seed in the postseason lost another defensive-minded road scuffle Monday, 88-77 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, guaranteeing themselves a return trip to the rock 'n' roll city one more time this season.
The Cavaliers, 7-0 in the postseason at Quicken Loans Arena, left the Celtics as road kill again, taming them with a team effort that included the unselfish heroics from -- who else? -- LeBron James and sensational play off the bench to knot the series at 2-2. The Cavs reserves outscored the Celtics bench 36-17.
Game5 is Thursday in Boston, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say the Celtics look desperate. During this postseason, the Beantowners are undefeated (6-0) on their famous parquet floor. Unfortunately, the Celtics are 0-5 on the road, mostly thanks to some lousy jump-shooting and botched defensive assignments.
During the regular season, Boston won 66 games with a league-best 31-10 road record. But beginning with their first playoff series, against the sub.-500 No.8 seed Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics have flopped outside of Boston. "We've seen this play before," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.
Two of Boston's main offensive weapons, guard Ray Allen and forward Paul Pierce, struggled again Monday with misdirected aim forced by Cleveland's shut-down defense. Forward Kevin Garnett scored only two second-half points with the Cavs' Anderson Varejao draped over him, finishing with 15. Boston shot 38.6%.
The Celtics scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, when they all but collapsed and took what their coach derisively called "hero shots."
"We have to play better under stress, no doubt about it," Rivers said.
No NBA team has won the championship without winning a playoff game on the road.
Meanwhile, 13 NBA teams have rebounded from 0-2 holes to win a best-of-seven series, including the 2006-07 Cavaliers, who rallied to oust the Detroit Pistons.
James, whose marvelous passing keyed several baskets, took the ball into his own hands and all but ended the game with 1:45 left.
Driving around Pierce on a pick-and-roll, he turned the corner and elevated for a monster slam-dunk over a helpless Garnett, the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. "The dunk?" James said, smiling. "I just wanted to be aggressive. I hadn't had a play like that all series."
The 23-year-old finished with 21 points, 13 assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. "He just has to keep being himself," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "Keep impacting the game in other areas."
Oh, he did.
At one point, Pierce grabbed James to prevent him from scoring on a fast break, but the two continued to grapple behind the basket. That's when James' mother, Gloria, grabbed at the Celtics star. Her son informed her in no uncertain terms to, well, please be seated.
"I told her sit down in language I shouldn't have used," said her son. "Thank God today wasn't Mother's Day."
Source: USA TODAY
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