Cavaliers-Celtics Preview

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted May 08 2010 4:24PM

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) LeBron James soared for dunks and stepped back for long jumpers, sending an immediate message to the Boston Celtics that he could not be guarded.

On the other end, Paul Pierce matched him shot for shot.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, that was two years ago.

It's been a one-sided matchup at small forward this time, a big reason the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 4 is Sunday, and the Celtics know that if James can't be stopped, then Pierce must get started.

``We just need Paul to be aggressive,'' forward Kevin Garnett said Saturday. ``On both ends. Period.''

James and Pierce engaged in a thrilling duel in this round in 2008, with James scoring 45 points and Pierce answering with 41 to help the Celtics pull out a 97-92 Game 7 victory. Boston went on to win the NBA championship and the aging team still believes it has one last run.

That's hard to imagine if Pierce doesn't pick up his play. The All-Star forward is shooting just 31 percent from the field in the series, has made only 4 of 16 3-point attempts and is averaging 12.7 points.

``Obviously we do want to get him involved more, he has to get his rhythm better,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after practice.

After struggling in Game 2, when his sore right elbow looked worse than perhaps it is, James resumed overpowering the Celtics the way he usually does Friday night. He scored 21 of his 38 points in the first quarter, helping the Cavs put it away early in their 124-95 victory, Boston's worst home loss ever in the playoffs.

Besides his offensive dominance - he is the career leader in scoring average against the Celtics - James is an All-Defensive team selection who is making things tough for Pierce. And Boston is helping by not doing enough to get its leading scorer in the flow.

``They really haven't gone to Pierce a lot, which is OK with us,'' Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. ``Pierce is a great player and the only thing we hope we can do when he catches is try to make him work.

``We haven't quote-unquote shut him down, but 'Bron's done a nice job of trying to stay in front and not give him any angles and contest and just try to make it as tough on him as he can. And Paul's missed a couple of shots and hopefully he will continue.''

Neither James nor Pierce spoke to the media Saturday.

The matchup was never more lopsided than in the pivotal first quarter Friday, when James shot 8 of 10 while outscoring the Celtics by himself. Meanwhile, Pierce missed all five attempts on his way to a 4-of-15 night.

Pierce dismissed his offensive woes after Game 3, noting he didn't score much in either of the games in Cleveland and the Celtics managed to split them. Boston could try to force him the ball more to get him going and make James work on defense, but that could disrupt the Celtics' ball movement.

``I feel like it's not one guy. One guy's not going to figure this out, and when we've been successful we've relied on each other,'' said guard Ray Allen, who also struggled in Game 3. ``Yeah, Paul has to be more aggressive, Paul does have to attack starting out games and when he does that, we do play well.''

Rivers acknowledged that having to defend James is likely taking something out of Pierce's offense. Watching the league's MVP hit his jumpers has to be demoralizing for any defender, because James is almost unguardable when they are falling.

``It's not fun when you're doing things the right way and the shots are still going in,'' Cavs guard Anthony Parker said. ``And Paul is such a big part of their offense that I don't know how that affects him on the offensive end.''

Far more alarming to Rivers than Pierce's struggles was his team's defensive effort Friday. If the Celtics can't control James, a career 30.9 points-per-game scorer in the regular season against Boston, it becomes even harder to keep his supporting cast in check.

When James was passive in Game 2, Cleveland put only two other players in double figures in its blowout loss. With James aggressive from the start Friday, five teammates hit double figures and the Cavs shot 59.5 percent.

``He has a cape, there's no doubt about that. And a lot of guys played through his cape, but that's with every great player,'' Rivers said. ``You can't name a great player, especially the Kobes and the LeBrons of the world. When they get it going, they make you feel pretty much like Hercules as well, and that's what he does. That's what he should do.''

Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Rondo's triple-double helps Celtics even series at 2-2

By Couper Moorhead, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday May 9, 2010 9:03PM

BOSTON (NBA.com exclusive) -- Just as everyone was getting ready to write off the Boston Celtics and, effectively, the Big Three era following Boston's worst home playoff loss in franchise history in Game 3, a transcendent performance from Rajon Rondo changed everything.

Now, with Boston's 97-87 win in Game 4, the second-round series is tied 2-2 with two games to play in Cleveland. It's certainly not Boston's dream situation, but it's infinitely more manageable than the death knell of a 3-1 deficit.

"Nobody wants to be a part of history from a losing effort," Tony Allen said. "Everybody was looking at film yesterday and was down on themselves. Today they came out and just wanted to turn that negative energy that we had last game into something big today."

Rondo was more than big, deserving of every superlative that will be lavished upon him. His 29 points, 13 assists and 18 rebounds all came within the flow of the game that he dominated, and it's just the third time in league history those numbers have appeared in a playoff box score.

"The best way for us as a team to start a fast break is when I rebound," Rondo said. "I had a mind set to just try to help the bigs on the boards. I just try to get as many as possible."

What's been true for Boston all season is that no matter how well Rondo is playing, no matter how well he is scoring against a defense basically begging him to shoot a jumper, the Celtics need someone else to provide fourth-quarter scoring.

They got it from unlikely sources.

"[Rondo's] a good player so you have to give credit where credit is due, but one player can't beat us," Mo Williams said.

Out of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics got four points on eight shots in the fourth quarter. Out of Tony Allen and Glen Davis? Make that 11 points on five shots, all of them layups.

"Individually, Cleveland's pretty good," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We're not going to win that match. But collectively, as a team, we have a shot. We have a chance. And we have to stay that way."

With the Cavaliers having recovered from a double-digit deficit to take a temporary lead in the third quarter, the Celtics appeared to be on the verge of what's become their customary second-half collapse. The game was slowing down, the Celtics had various components in foul trouble and the crowd was anxious.

Then, Tony Allen and Davis joined Rondo in the three-pronged fast break, each of them passing in transition, running the wings, avoiding LeBron James' expected chasedown blocks and scoring, scoring, scoring. Less than four minutes into the final quarter, the Celtics were back up by 12.

"They may be one of the older teams but Rondo is one of the youngest players in the playoffs," James said. "It doesn't matter if those guys are running with him, he's getting the ball up the floor."

Cleveland would crawl back within two one final time, but some questionable decisions by James in the final minutes -- like passing up an isolation at the top of the key with Garnett defending for an Anderson Varejao 17-footer -- and timely offensive rebounds from Rondo sealed the deal.

Most concerning for Cleveland was that Boston -- granted, they were the team up against a wall on its home court -- made nearly every single hustle play available to them. The Celtics scored 23 points in transition; the Cavaliers scored seven. The Celtics scored 13 second-chance points; the Cavaliers had none at all. The Cavaliers pulled down the smallest total of offensive rebounds the Celtics have allowed all season, three, and that's with Boston being notorious for allowing extra possession to hustling, athletic teams.

"We talk about it all the time," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "The most aggressive team is going to win.

"There is no explanation for it," he added. "We talk about it, we preach it, our guys even talk about it and preach it. Now we've just got to go out and do it. We can't afford to play a half on the road against a team like this."

And yet, despite the hustle, the energy, Rondo, Tony Allen, Davis and the best crowd TD Garden has had all season, the Cavaliers still had a chance to win. Maybe that's the lesson, that Cleveland's better, in the end, is better than Boston's best, and the series will come down to the inconsistencies of one team trumping those of another.

But tonight, that's not important. What is important is that the Celtics, so vulnerable throughout the regular season, did not go quietly. And when it's best of three, anything goes.

"It was a collective team effort," Rondo said. "I had a couple of numbers tonight but the biggest thing is that we got the win. That's the bottom line."

• Cavaliers: Green, Telfair, Williams
• Celtics: Gaffney, Lafayette, Scalabrine

• Cavaliers: --
• Celtics: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Officials: #14 Joe DeRosa, #24 Mike Callahan, #38 Michael Smith
• Attendance: 18624
• Duration: 2:54

Cleveland Cavaliers (61-22)		Boston Celtics (51-32)
Start of 1st Quarter
(12:00) Jump Ball Perkins vs O'Neal (Williams gains possession)
O'Neal Jump Shot: Missed Block: Perkins (1 BLK)	11:40
	11:39	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	11:21	Pierce Jump Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	11:20
O'Neal Turnover : 3 Second Violation (1 TO)	11:06
	10:54	Garnett Turnaround Fade Away shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:53
Jamison Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: James (1 AST)	10:41 [CLE 2-0]
Williams Foul : Personal (1 PF)	10:30
	10:22	Allen Jump Shot: Missed
Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:21
O'Neal Slam Dunk Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Jamison (1 AST)	10:06 [CLE 4-0]
	10:06	Perkins Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 1 (3 PTS)	10:06 [CLE 5-0]
	09:58	Pierce Foul : Offensive (1 PF)
	09:58	Pierce Turnover : Foul (1 TO)
James Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	09:47 [CLE 7-0]
	09:41	Team Timeout : Short
	09:31 [BOS 2-7]	Allen Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Rondo (1 AST)
	09:21	Rondo Foul : Personal (1 PF)
Jamison Driving Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Williams (1 AST)	09:11 [CLE 9-2]
O'Neal Foul : Defense 3 Second (0 PF)	08:55
	08:55 [BOS 3-9]	Allen Free Throw Technical (3 PTS)
	08:46 [BOS 5-9]	Rondo Floating Jump shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Allen (1 AST)
Parker 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: James (2 AST)	08:33 [CLE 12-5]
	08:19 [BOS 7-12]	Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS)
O'Neal Layup Shot: Missed	08:11
	08:10	Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	07:57	Garnett Jump Shot: Missed
Parker Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	07:56
Williams Jump Shot: Missed	07:49
	07:47	Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
Jamison Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	07:33
	07:33 [BOS 8-12]	Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
	07:33 [BOS 9-12]	Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)
O'Neal Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Rondo (1 ST)	07:17
	07:11	Rondo Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)
Jamison 3pt Shot: Missed	07:03
	07:02	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	06:52 [BOS 11-12]	Allen Running Jump Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Rondo (2 AST)
Williams Jump Shot: Missed Block: Perkins (2 BLK)	06:34
	06:32	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	06:25	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
	06:24	Pierce Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	06:23 [BOS 13-12]	Pierce Putback Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Williams Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	06:23
Williams Substitution replaced by West	06:23
	06:23 [BOS 14-12]	Pierce Free Throw 1 of 1 (3 PTS)
	06:15	Perkins Foul : Defense 3 Second (1 PF)
James Free Throw Technical (3 PTS)	06:15 [CLE 13-14]
James 3pt Shot: Missed	06:04
	06:04	Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	05:54	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	05:54
	05:54	Perkins Foul : Loose Ball (2 PF)
	05:54	Team Timeout : Regular
	05:54	Perkins Substitution replaced by Wallace
	05:41	Pierce Foul : Personal (2 PF)
	05:41	Pierce Substitution replaced by Allen
	05:29	Wallace Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	05:29
Team Rebound	05:29
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	05:29 [CLE 14-14]
	05:13 [BOS 16-14]	Garnett Alley Oop Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Rondo (3 AST)
Parker Step Back Jump shot: Made (5 PTS)	04:56 [CLE 16-16]
	04:39 [BOS 18-16]	Rondo Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS)
	04:25	Wallace Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	04:25
Team Rebound	04:25
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 (5 PTS)	04:25 [CLE 17-18]
	04:00	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
	03:59	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
Jamison Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	03:56
Jamison Substitution replaced by Varejao	03:56
	03:56 [BOS 19-17]	Allen Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
	03:56 [BOS 20-17]	Allen Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)
Parker Jump Shot: Missed	03:39
Varejao Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	03:38
West 3pt Shot: Missed	03:34
	03:33	Wallace Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	03:28	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed
	03:27	Garnett Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	03:26 [BOS 22-17]	Garnett Putback Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)
	03:02	Garnett Substitution replaced by Davis
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Hickson	03:02
James 3pt Shot: Missed	02:56
	02:55	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	02:50 [BOS 24-17]	Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS)
Team Timeout : Regular	02:49
Parker Substitution replaced by Moon	02:49
	02:25	Allen Foul : Personal (1 PF)
James Free Throw 1 of 2 (4 PTS)	02:25 [CLE 18-24]
James Free Throw 2 of 2 (5 PTS)	02:25 [CLE 19-24]
	02:01	Davis Jump Shot: Missed
Moon Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	02:00
James Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Allen (1 ST)	01:45
Hickson Foul : Personal (1 PF)	01:43
	01:43	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	01:43	Team Rebound
	01:43 [BOS 25-19]	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (9 PTS)
James Jump Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: West (1 AST)	01:29 [CLE 21-25]
	01:22 [BOS 27-21]	Allen Driving Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS)
Hickson Jump Shot: Missed	01:07
	01:06	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
	01:04	Allen Substitution replaced by Finley
Hickson Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	00:49.2
	00:49.2 [BOS 28-21]	Wallace Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
Hickson Substitution replaced by Powe	00:49.2
	00:49.2 [BOS 29-21]	Wallace Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)
	00:34.0	Wallace Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
James Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	00:34.0
Team Rebound	00:34.0
James Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)	00:34.0 [CLE 22-29]
	00:27.1 [BOS 31-22]	Rondo Step Back Jump shot: Made (11 PTS)
West Layup Shot: Missed Block: Allen (1 BLK)	00:07.2
Team Rebound	00:07.2
James Jump Shot: Missed	00:01.9
	00:01.4	Davis Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
End of 1st Quarter
Cleveland Cavaliers (61-22)		Boston Celtics (51-32)
Start of 2nd QuarterBack to Top
	11:46 [BOS 33-22]	Allen Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Rondo (4 AST)
O'Neal Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Varejao (1 AST)	11:22 [CLE 24-33]
	10:55	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
West Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:53
West 3pt Shot: Missed	10:46
	10:45	Finley Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
West Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	10:41
	10:41	Finley Substitution replaced by Pierce
	10:41	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	10:41	Team Rebound
	10:41 [BOS 34-24]	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (12 PTS)
Varejao Foul : Offensive (1 PF)	10:29
Varejao Turnover : Foul (1 TO)	10:29
O'Neal Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	10:16
	10:16	Rondo Substitution replaced by Allen
	10:16	Davis Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	10:16	Team Rebound
	10:16	Davis Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Varejao Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	10:16
West Jump Shot: Missed	09:53
West Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	09:52
	09:51	Wallace Foul : Personal (4 PF)
	09:51	Wallace Substitution replaced by Perkins
O'Neal Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	09:40
	09:40	Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	09:31	Pierce Turnover : Lost Ball (2 TO) Steal:West (1 ST)
	09:27	Allen Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Parker Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)	09:27 [CLE 25-34]
Parker Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)	09:27 [CLE 26-34]
	09:11	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
Parker Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	09:10
	09:04	Davis Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
	09:04	Allen Substitution replaced by Rondo
	09:04	Davis Substitution replaced by Garnett
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 (8 PTS)	09:04 [CLE 27-34]
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 (9 PTS)	09:04 [CLE 28-34]
	08:55	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (1 BLK)
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	08:54
Williams 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Parker (1 AST)	08:40 [CLE 31-34]
	08:29	Team Timeout : Regular
	08:21 [BOS 36-31]	Garnett Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Pierce (1 AST)
O'Neal Hook Shot: Missed	08:03
	08:02	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)
	07:55 [BOS 39-31]	Allen 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Rondo (5 AST)
	07:44	Garnett Foul : Defense 3 Second (0 PF)
Williams Free Throw Technical (4 PTS)	07:44 [CLE 32-39]
Varejao Substitution replaced by Jamison	07:44
Williams Substitution replaced by James	07:44
Jamison Layup Shot: Missed	07:28
	07:26	Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	07:22	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	07:21
Jamison Layup Shot: Missed	07:15
	07:13	Pierce Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	07:07 [BOS 41-32]	Allen Jump Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Garnett (1 AST)
Instant Replay - Overturn Ruling	07:07
Team Timeout : Regular	06:57
West Layup Shot: Missed Block: Perkins (3 BLK)	06:42
	06:41	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:7)
James Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	06:38
West Substitution replaced by Williams	06:38
	06:38	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	06:38	Team Rebound
	06:38 [BOS 42-32]	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (13 PTS)
O'Neal Layup Shot: Made (11 PTS)	06:13 [CLE 34-42]
	05:52	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	05:51
James Layup Shot: Missed Block: Perkins (4 BLK)	05:41
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	05:40
	05:40	Garnett Foul : Personal (1 PF)
James Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO)	05:24
O'Neal Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	05:15
	05:15 [BOS 43-34]	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 (14 PTS)
	05:15 [BOS 44-34]	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (15 PTS)
	05:04	Allen Foul : Personal (1 PF)
James Free Throw 1 of 2 (9 PTS)	05:04 [CLE 35-44]
James Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	05:04
	05:04	Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
Parker Foul : Personal (1 PF)	04:55
	04:55	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	04:55	Team Rebound
	04:55 [BOS 45-35]	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (16 PTS)
Jamison Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: James (3 AST)	04:40 [CLE 37-45]
	04:34 [BOS 47-37]	Garnett Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Rondo (6 AST)
James Driving Layup Shot: Made (11 PTS)	04:18 [CLE 39-47]
	04:18	Perkins Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
	04:18	Perkins Substitution replaced by Davis
James Free Throw 1 of 1 (12 PTS)	04:18 [CLE 40-47]
	03:58	Pierce Jump Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	03:57
	03:50	Allen Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Williams Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)	03:50 [CLE 41-47]
Williams Free Throw 2 of 2 (6 PTS)	03:50 [CLE 42-47]
	03:34	Allen Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Parker (1 ST)
James Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO)	03:29
	03:16 [BOS 49-42]	Rondo Running Jump Shot: Made (18 PTS)
	02:58	Garnett Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Timeout : Official	02:58
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	02:58
Team Rebound	02:58
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	02:58
	02:58	Garnett Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	02:35 [BOS 51-42]	Garnett Jump Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Rondo (7 AST)
Jamison Running Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Williams (2 AST)	02:22 [CLE 44-51]
	02:06	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)	02:05
Williams 3pt Shot: Missed	01:54
	01:52	Team Rebound
O'Neal Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	01:29
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Varejao	01:29
Williams Substitution replaced by West	01:29
	01:29	Davis Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	01:29	Team Rebound
	01:29 [BOS 52-44]	Davis Free Throw 2 of 2 (1 PTS)
James Jump Shot: Missed Block: Davis (1 BLK)	01:10
	01:08	Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:8)
	01:05	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed
	01:04	Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	01:00	Davis Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:James (1 ST)
	00:55.4	Allen Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
	00:55.4	Allen Substitution replaced by Allen
Jamison Substitution replaced by Hickson	00:55.4
James Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	00:55.4
Team Rebound	00:55.4
James Free Throw 2 of 2 (13 PTS)	00:55.4 [CLE 45-52]
	00:38.9 [BOS 54-45]	Pierce Pullup Jump shot: Made (5 PTS)
Parker 3pt Shot: Missed	00:23.8
	00:22.4	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
End of 2nd Quarter
Cleveland Cavaliers (61-22)		Boston Celtics (51-32)
Start of 3rd QuarterBack to Top
	11:35 [BOS 56-45]	Garnett Jump Shot: Made (14 PTS)
Jamison Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: James (4 AST)	11:15 [CLE 47-56]
	11:03	Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed
Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	11:02
Jamison 3pt Shot: Missed	10:52
	10:51	Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
James Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	10:33
	10:33 [BOS 57-47]	Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (15 PTS)
	10:33 [BOS 58-47]	Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (16 PTS)
	10:14	Pierce Foul : Personal (3 PF)
Jamison Driving Dunk Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: James (5 AST)	10:08 [CLE 49-58]
	09:54	Allen Jump Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)	09:53
O'Neal Turnover : Traveling (3 TO)	09:45
	09:33	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	09:32
Perkins Violation:Kicked Ball	09:24
James Running Bank shot: Made (15 PTS) Assist: Williams (3 AST)	09:15 [CLE 51-58]
Jamison Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	08:55
	08:55 [BOS 59-51]	Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (17 PTS)
	08:55 [BOS 60-51]	Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (18 PTS)
	08:41	Pierce Foul : Shooting (4 PF)
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 (12 PTS)	08:41 [CLE 52-60]
	08:41	Pierce Substitution replaced by Allen
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 (13 PTS)	08:41 [CLE 53-60]
	08:27	Allen Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (1 TO)
Parker 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Jamison (2 AST)	08:14 [CLE 56-60]
	07:58 [BOS 62-56]	Allen Jump Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Rondo (8 AST)
O'Neal Slam Dunk Shot: Made (15 PTS) Assist: Williams (4 AST)	07:47 [CLE 58-62]
	07:28 [BOS 64-58]	Allen Running Layup Shot: Made (16 PTS)
Rondo Violation:Kicked Ball	07:18
James 3pt Shot: Missed	07:11
	07:10	Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	06:53	Perkins Layup Shot: Missed Block: Jamison (1 BLK)
Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	06:51
O'Neal Layup Shot: Made (17 PTS) Assist: Parker (2 AST)	06:46 [CLE 60-64]
	06:26	Allen Foul : Offensive (3 PF)
	06:26	Allen Turnover : Foul (2 TO)
Williams Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)	06:17
	05:55	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	05:54
Parker Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Rondo (2 ST)	05:36
Parker Foul : Personal (2 PF)	05:35
	05:35	Team Timeout : Regular
	05:14	Perkins Jump Shot: Missed Block: O'Neal (2 BLK)
	05:13	Team Rebound
	05:10	Garnett 3pt Shot: Missed
	05:09	Rondo Rebound (Off:1 Def:8)
	04:54	Rondo Layup Shot: Missed
O'Neal Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	04:53
James Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (17 PTS)	04:41 [CLE 62-64]
O'Neal Foul : Personal (4 PF)	04:20
	04:20	Perkins Substitution replaced by Wallace
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Varejao	04:20
	04:12 [BOS 66-62]	Allen Layup Shot: Made (18 PTS)
Williams 3pt Shot: Made (9 PTS)	04:01 [CLE 65-66]
	03:44	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
	03:43	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:8)
	03:40	Allen Layup Shot: Missed Block: James (1 BLK)
	03:40	Team Rebound
Parker Substitution replaced by West	03:40
	03:29	Allen Jump Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)	03:28
Jump Ball Garnett vs Varejao (Wallace gains possession)	03:25
James Turnover : Lost Ball (4 TO) Steal:Garnett (1 ST)	03:25
	03:13	Wallace Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)	03:12
James Turnover : Bad Pass (5 TO) Steal:Wallace (1 ST)	03:02
West Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	02:54
Team Timeout : Regular	02:54
	02:54	Garnett Substitution replaced by Davis
	02:54 [BOS 67-65]	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 (19 PTS)
	02:54	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Varejao Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	02:54
Varejao Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: James (6 AST)	02:41 [CLE 67-67]
	02:18	Wallace 3pt Shot: Missed
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)	02:17
Williams 3pt Shot: Missed	02:07
	02:06	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
James Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	01:56
	01:56 [BOS 68-67]	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 (20 PTS)
	01:56 [BOS 69-67]	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (21 PTS)
	01:41	Allen Foul : Shooting (4 PF)
Instant Replay - Support Ruling	01:41
West Free Throw 1 of 3 (1 PTS)	01:41 [CLE 68-69]
	01:41	Allen Substitution replaced by Pierce
West Free Throw 2 of 3 (2 PTS)	01:41 [CLE 69-69]
West Free Throw 3 of 3 (3 PTS)	01:41 [CLE 70-69]
Varejao Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	01:28
	01:28 [BOS 70-70]	Wallace Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)
	01:28	Wallace Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	01:28
James Turnover : Bad Pass (6 TO) Steal:Davis (1 ST)	01:12
	01:07 [BOS 72-70]	Allen Dunk Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Rondo (9 AST)
West 3pt Shot: Missed	00:42.9
	00:41.9	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:9)
	00:31.9	Pierce Jump Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	00:29.6
	00:29.6	Rondo Foul : Loose Ball (2 PF)
Jamison Free Throw 1 of 2 (13 PTS)	00:29.6 [CLE 71-72]
James Substitution replaced by Parker	00:29.6
Jamison Free Throw 2 of 2 (14 PTS)	00:29.6 [CLE 72-72]
	00:10.9 [BOS 74-72]	Allen Reverse Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Rondo (10 AST)
Williams 3pt Shot: Missed	00:02.9
	00:01.9	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	00:00.0	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 3rd Quarter
Cleveland Cavaliers (61-22)		Boston Celtics (51-32)
Start of 4th QuarterBack to Top
West Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Allen (2 ST)	11:42
	11:38 [BOS 76-72]	Rondo Layup Shot: Made (23 PTS) Assist: Allen (1 AST)
James 3pt Shot: Missed	11:11
	11:11	Team Rebound
O'Neal Foul : Loose Ball (5 PF)	11:11
O'Neal Substitution replaced by Hickson	11:11
	10:46	Rondo 3pt Shot: Missed
Hickson Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:45
Parker 3pt Shot: Missed	10:20
	10:19	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:10)
	10:16	Rondo Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO)
Hickson Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Wallace (2 ST)	09:56
	09:50 [BOS 78-72]	Davis Layup Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Rondo (11 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	09:48
Varejao Substitution replaced by Jamison	09:48
James Layup Shot: Missed Block: Wallace (1 BLK)	09:36
	09:33	Davis Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	09:21 [BOS 80-72]	Allen Driving Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS)
West Layup Shot: Missed Block: Wallace (2 BLK)	09:05
	09:03	Wallace Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	08:57 [BOS 82-72]	Davis Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Rondo (12 AST)
Team Timeout : Short	08:56
West Substitution replaced by Williams	08:56
Hickson Substitution replaced by Varejao	08:56
James Turnover : Lost Ball (7 TO) Steal:Pierce (1 ST)	08:44
	08:40 [BOS 84-72]	Allen Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Pierce (2 AST)
Williams Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (2 TO)	08:26
	08:06	Pierce 3pt Shot: Missed
Parker Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	08:05
Jamison 3pt Shot: Missed	07:53
	07:52	Wallace Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
Parker Foul : Personal (3 PF)	07:52
	07:52	Allen Substitution replaced by Allen
	07:28	Davis Turnover : Lost Ball (2 TO) Steal:James (2 ST)
Williams Floating Jump shot: Made (11 PTS) Assist: James (7 AST)	07:15 [CLE 74-84]
	06:50 [BOS 86-74]	Rondo Pullup Jump shot: Made (25 PTS)
Varejao Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Jamison (3 AST)	06:33 [CLE 76-86]
	06:21	Rondo Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:Parker (2 ST)
James Layup Shot: Made (19 PTS)	06:17 [CLE 78-86]
	06:15	Team Timeout : Regular
	06:15	Davis Substitution replaced by Garnett
	05:57	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	05:56
James Layup Shot: Made (21 PTS)	05:37 [CLE 80-86]
	05:37	Pierce Foul : Shooting (5 PF)
	05:37	Pierce Substitution replaced by Allen
James Free Throw 1 of 1 (22 PTS)	05:37 [CLE 81-86]
	05:20	Wallace Jump Shot: Missed
Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)	05:18
James Layup Shot: Missed	05:00
	04:59	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:11)
Williams Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	04:51
	04:51	Wallace Substitution replaced by Perkins
	04:51	Allen Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	04:51	Team Rebound
	04:51	Allen Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	04:51
Varejao Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: James (8 AST)	04:34 [CLE 83-86]
	04:34	Allen Foul : Shooting (5 PF)
Varejao Free Throw 1 of 1 (7 PTS)	04:34 [CLE 84-86]
	04:23	Allen 3pt Shot: Missed
	04:22	Garnett Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)
	04:02 [BOS 88-84]	Allen Layup Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Garnett (2 AST)
	03:52	Garnett Foul : Personal (3 PF)
Jamison Jump Shot: Missed	03:46
	03:45	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:12)
	03:38	Rondo Jump Shot: Missed
Team Rebound	03:38
	03:38	Perkins Foul : Loose Ball (4 PF)
Varejao Jump Shot: Missed	03:17
	03:16	Rondo Rebound (Off:2 Def:13)
	02:54	Garnett Jump Shot: Missed
	02:53	Team Rebound
Jamison Foul : Loose Ball (4 PF)	02:53
	02:53	Timeout : Official
	02:53	Allen Substitution replaced by Pierce
	02:43	Rondo Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Varejao (1 ST)
	02:43	Garnett Foul : Loose Ball (4 PF)
Varejao Free Throw 1 of 2 (8 PTS)	02:43 [CLE 85-88]
Varejao Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	02:43
	02:42	Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
	02:26	Allen Layup Shot: Missed Block: Varejao (1 BLK)
	02:24	Rondo Rebound (Off:3 Def:13)
	02:21 [BOS 90-85]	Pierce Driving Dunk Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Rondo (13 AST)
Williams Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Allen (1 ST)	01:55
	01:36	Garnett Jump Shot: Missed
	01:35	Rondo Rebound (Off:4 Def:13)
	01:34 [BOS 92-85]	Rondo Putback Layup Shot: Made (27 PTS)
Team Timeout : Regular	01:34
James Jump Shot: Missed	01:28
	01:28	Garnett Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)
Varejao Foul : Personal (3 PF)	01:23
	01:23 [BOS 93-85]	Pierce Free Throw 1 of 2 (8 PTS)
	01:23 [BOS 94-85]	Pierce Free Throw 2 of 2 (9 PTS)
Parker 3pt Shot: Missed	01:16
	01:16	Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)
	01:08	Perkins Foul : Offensive (5 PF)
	01:08	Perkins Turnover : Foul (1 TO)
James 3pt Shot: Missed	01:05
	01:03	Rondo Rebound (Off:4 Def:14)
	00:40.8	Allen Jump Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	00:39.6
	00:33.3	Allen Foul : Shooting (6 PF)
	00:33.3	Allen Substitution replaced by Allen
Jamison Substitution replaced by Moon	00:33.3
Williams Free Throw 1 of 2 (12 PTS)	00:33.3 [CLE 86-94]
	00:33.3	Perkins Substitution replaced by Finley
Williams Free Throw 2 of 2 (13 PTS)	00:33.3 [CLE 87-94]
James Foul : Personal (4 PF)	00:26.5
	00:26.5	Finley Substitution replaced by Perkins
Moon Substitution replaced by Jamison	00:26.5
	00:26.5 [BOS 95-87]	Allen Free Throw 1 of 2 (15 PTS)
	00:26.5	Allen Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
James Rebound (Off:1 Def:8)	00:26.4
	00:20.5	Garnett Foul : Personal (5 PF)
Williams Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	00:20.5
Team Rebound	00:20.5
	00:20.5	Perkins Substitution replaced by Finley
Jamison Substitution replaced by Moon	00:20.5
Williams Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	00:20.5
	00:19.9	Finley Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
Williams Foul : Personal (4 PF)	00:17.8
Moon Substitution replaced by Jamison	00:17.8
	00:17.8 [BOS 96-87]	Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 (28 PTS)
	00:17.8 [BOS 97-87]	Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 (29 PTS)
Team Timeout : Short	00:17.8
Williams Layup Shot: Missed	00:13.9
	00:12.5	Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
End of 4th Quarter

broadcast information
country		channel			time
usa			ABC	National	3:30 pm ET
canada			TSN	national	3:30 pm ET