Winning in Boston becoming a problem for James, Cavs
TD BANKNORTH GARDEN – LeBron James hears “M-V-P” chants in almost every arena he plays in.
But during his visits to Boston the past two seasons, James has heard the chants directed at an opposing Celtics player. It’s a trend he has to dislike, and is one he could squash instantly if he did only one thing different in this building: win.
The Celtics won their eighth consecutive game against Cleveland at TD Banknorth Garden last night, keeping King James winless in Boston since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined the Celtics before the start of the 2007-2008 season.
The home team has now won 15 consecutive games in the series between the two teams.
“It’s unbelievable,” James said of each team’s inability to win on the other’s home court. “At some point, if both teams beat each other later in the season, somebody’s going to have to beat the other on somebody else’s home court. We’ve got to break it open.”
The Celtics made sure the Cavaliers weren’t going to break anything open Friday night by preventing James from breaking out. The superstar forward turned the ball over three times in the first eight minutes of the game. By halftime, his turnover total (four) matched his rebound and assist totals. And he had made only 2-of-7 shots from the field.
“They’re a shrink-the-floor team,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said of the Celtics containing James. “They make that paint look crowded, and they do a nice job of rotating bodies no matter where the bodies are.”
Meanwhile, Paul Pierce channeled some of the magic he found in Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. While checking James on defense, the Celtics captain poured in 29 points and 9 assists.
In addition, a Celtics frontcourt minus Garnett dominated a taller Cavaliers front line, with Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins combining for 40 points. Powe, who actually stands a couple of inches shorter than James and was so unknown last season that Lakers coach Phil Jackson once called him Leon “Pow”, had 20 points and 11 rebounds himself.
But despite his team’s performance, Brown insisted he wasn’t projecting the loss toward future games.
“It’s a regular season game between two good teams,” Brown said. “Tonight they got the better of us. They deserved to win the game…I still feel we can win on anybody’s floor.”
If the Cavs are to win here, Brown needs better production from his superstar. James seemed off from the moment he arrived at the arena Friday evening. His signature smile was there, along with his freakish athleticism. But while putting said athleticism on display for some young fans before the game, James found the back of the rim more often than not on several dunk attempts.
On his first dunk attempt of the game at the 7:59 mark of the first quarter, James found the back rim once again, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the ball exploded off the hoop and found its way back into play. James finished the game with 21 points on 5-of-15 shooting.
“I think both teams know the intensity is different,” James said of the series.
You have to go back to Jan. 3, 2007 for the last Cavaliers win at the new Garden, a 107-104 triumph over a Celtics team that lacked not only Allen and Garnett, but also Pierce, who was injured during Boston’s 18-game losing streak that season. There have been four regular-season wins and four playoff wins in this building for the Celtics over Cleveland since then.
In other words, it’s been a while. And the Celtics are building confidence with every win.
“It means a lot to both teams,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers of keeping the Cavs from winning in Boston. “They clearly wanted to win here. And this is it for them until the playoffs. We have one more opportunity there. At least we have that.”
That game in Cleveland, on April 12, could leave the Celtics facing the same questions as the Cavaliers faced tonight should Cleveland win it. The Celtics have lost 10 straight games in Cleveland, their last win coming on Dec. 18, 2004. Now in a virtual tie for first place in the Eastern Conference, neither team wants to face the prospect of having to win on the road in the playoffs, should it come to that.
“Both buildings are tough to play in,” Allen said. “Both buildings are used to watching basketball, going into late May and June, so it is tough to get wins on the road…the team that wins in another team’s building is usually the team that ends up winning [it all].”
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