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Celtics win to put Cavs on the brink
Source: Agencies |
May 13, 2010, Thursday
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THE Boston Celtics pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink of elimination on Tuesday and one step closer to an offseason that will determine where the team's top player, LeBron James, will play next season.
James is one of a number of high-profile players who could opt for free agency this year, and many experts feel anything short of a trip to the finals should weigh heavily on whether the six-time All-Star is wearing a new uniform next season.
Boston bottled up James and cruised to a convincing 120-88 victory over the top-seeded Cavaliers in front of a home crowd that booed its team off the court.
Game 6 will be played in Boston tomorrow. The winner of this series will play the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference final.
Ray Allen provided the shooting touch with a game-high 25 points, including six three-pointers, while Boston's defense held James to 15 points on 3-for-14 shooting as the Celtics moved ahead in the series 3-2.
"We cannot come back (to Cleveland)," Boston forward Kevin Garnett told reporters. "We have to think this is our Game 7 coming up. We can't afford to have the best team in the league come back to their home floor."
The two Eastern Conference rivals had traded wins through the first four games, but the veteran Celtics caught fire at the right time to capture their second straight.
Point guard Rajon Rondo was the focus entering the night after he tormented Cleveland with a triple-double in Game 4 in Boston, but it was Paul Pierce who broke out of a slump with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The Cavaliers led early and were up by eight in the second quarter before a 16-0 run gave the visitors control.
Boston carried its momentum into the third where it opened the quarter with a 12-2 spurt to go by 16 and it never looked back.
Rondo scored all of his 16 in the second half and Garnett added 18 points for the Celtics, who handed the Cavaliers their worst home playoff loss in history.
James, the league's two-time MVP on the verge of an expected trip into free agency on July 1, had an atrocious game, a startling outing for the 25-year-old who has been playing with a sprained elbow.
Because of James' uncertain future, Game 5 may have been his last at home for Cleveland and it has set up Game 6 as the most important in franchise history: Win and force Game 7 on Sunday in Cleveland; lose and maybe watch James, the local kid trying to deliver this city its first pro championship since 1964, leave for good.
Boston went up by 24 in the fourth quarter, sending battered Cleveland fans toward the exits.
James finally checked out with 3:58 and the Celtics leading by 27. He shrugged his shoulders and slapped hands with Cleveland's coaches and teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who had 21 points.
Before the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said his team would not change its strategy.
"We don't need anyone to play hero basketball," Rivers said. "We have to be a team. We're good when we're a team."
James is one of a number of high-profile players who could opt for free agency this year, and many experts feel anything short of a trip to the finals should weigh heavily on whether the six-time All-Star is wearing a new uniform next season.
Boston bottled up James and cruised to a convincing 120-88 victory over the top-seeded Cavaliers in front of a home crowd that booed its team off the court.
Game 6 will be played in Boston tomorrow. The winner of this series will play the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference final.
Ray Allen provided the shooting touch with a game-high 25 points, including six three-pointers, while Boston's defense held James to 15 points on 3-for-14 shooting as the Celtics moved ahead in the series 3-2.
"We cannot come back (to Cleveland)," Boston forward Kevin Garnett told reporters. "We have to think this is our Game 7 coming up. We can't afford to have the best team in the league come back to their home floor."
The two Eastern Conference rivals had traded wins through the first four games, but the veteran Celtics caught fire at the right time to capture their second straight.
Point guard Rajon Rondo was the focus entering the night after he tormented Cleveland with a triple-double in Game 4 in Boston, but it was Paul Pierce who broke out of a slump with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The Cavaliers led early and were up by eight in the second quarter before a 16-0 run gave the visitors control.
Boston carried its momentum into the third where it opened the quarter with a 12-2 spurt to go by 16 and it never looked back.
Rondo scored all of his 16 in the second half and Garnett added 18 points for the Celtics, who handed the Cavaliers their worst home playoff loss in history.
James, the league's two-time MVP on the verge of an expected trip into free agency on July 1, had an atrocious game, a startling outing for the 25-year-old who has been playing with a sprained elbow.
Because of James' uncertain future, Game 5 may have been his last at home for Cleveland and it has set up Game 6 as the most important in franchise history: Win and force Game 7 on Sunday in Cleveland; lose and maybe watch James, the local kid trying to deliver this city its first pro championship since 1964, leave for good.
Boston went up by 24 in the fourth quarter, sending battered Cleveland fans toward the exits.
James finally checked out with 3:58 and the Celtics leading by 27. He shrugged his shoulders and slapped hands with Cleveland's coaches and teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who had 21 points.
Before the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said his team would not change its strategy.
"We don't need anyone to play hero basketball," Rivers said. "We have to be a team. We're good when we're a team."
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