Celtics send Cavs, LeBron packing
BOSTON — It was win or go home for the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals with the Boston Celtics holding a 3-2 lead in the series.
They packed it up and will get the summer to ponder where and how things went wrong and worry about the franchise's future after the Boston Celtics beat them 94-85 to take the series 4-2.
Kevin Garnett led the way for the Celtics with 22 points and Rajon Rondo followed him with 21 point and 12 assists.
LeBron James, after spending a few days being criticized for his lack of effort and heart, recorded his sixth career postseason triple-double with 27 points, 19 rebounds (a postseason high) and 10 assists. Point guard Mo Williams had 22 rebounds, seven rebounds and four assists.
"They're battled tested and they came out and did a heck of a job against us," coach Mike Brown said. "You have to give them credit."
There is a lot that can be said about James' performance in this game, but "quit" isn't one of them. He played aggressively and tried to perform virtual CPR on his out-of-sync team in the fourth quarter, only to have things come up short.
James struggled for much of the game, finishing with nine turnovers, looking more for his shot inside than out, something that the Celtics planned. He had little in the way of the way of a jump shot, but somehow managed to eke out two 3-point shots that cut the Celtics' lead to 78-74 with 9:34 left in the game.
But Boston rebounded, taking control of the game from that point on, going on a 10-0 run as it worked as a team to take turns hammering nails into the Cavs' postseason coffin. A layup by Rondo? No problem.
Rasheed Wallace taking his youth elixir? Done. Rondo leading a fast break for an easy basket? It was there.
With 5:50 left in the fourth quarter, the Cavs season officially ended with a Garnett slam dunk on a fast break, courtesy of Rondo's 12th assist of the game. They led the Cavs by 14 points, and it was over. There was no turning it on, because the Cavs couldn't.
The Celtics held the Cavs to 38 percent shooting in the game and forced many of the 24 turnovers that the team committed that led to 27 Boston points.
But there were others to step up, right? Wrong. Williams looked as if he was heading for a redemption game. He had 20 points in the first half, but showed up with just two points in the second.
The loss will leave Northeast Ohioans with a bad taste in their mouths, but it also leaves a cloud of doubt hanging over the franchise's head.
James is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and test free-agent waters, and it would be ludicrous to suggest that Brown's job will be secure after this one.
