Garnett leads Celtics to sloppy Game 1 win over Cavs

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Garnett leads Celtics to sloppy Game 1 win over Cavs
2008 NBA PLAYOFFS SPECIAL COVERAGE- EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS GAME 1
Game played May 6, 2008

BOSTON, Mass. – Kevin Garnett rescued the Boston Celtics from themselves in a lackluster team performance that resulted in a 76-72 Game 1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Garnett posted 28 points in the win, while the rest of Boston’s vaunted “Big Three” and the Cavaliers’ headliner, LeBron James, turned in very average performances.

Down 70-68, Garnett led the way offensively down the stretch, hitting a jumper to tie the game at 70 and scoring again with 21 seconds to play for a 74-72 lead, after Zydrunas Ilgauskas had tied the score on a tip-in for Cleveland. Sam Cassell and James Posey each also knocked down two free throws to ice the victory, as James missed a contested layup that would have tied the game with less than 10 seconds to play.

The sub-par offensive play on both sides began from the opening tip, as Boston began 0-for-7 from the field and didn’t get on the board until Garnett scored four minutes into the game. However, that play sparked a 16-4 run, during which the Celtics hit eight straight shots. Rajon Rondo scored eight points during the run, and Garnett added six and Kendrick Perkins contributed the other two for a 16-9 lead. A Posey 3-pointer at the end of the quarter gave the Celtics a 25-15 advantage at the end of the first.

Trailing 29-17, Cleveland got back into the thick of things with a 7-0 spurt, during which Ilgauskas, Delonte West and James each netted two points and Aleksandar Pavlovic hit a free throw. At halftime, Boston’s lead was down to 41-37.

Third-quarter play continued the back-and-forth trend of the game. Down 45-37, the Cavaliers embarked on a 14-0 run. Ilgauskas scored nine points, Wally Szczerbiak hit a 3 and West scored two for a 51-45 lead.

The Celtics ended a six and a half minute scoring drought on a Perkins free throw, then had an 8-1 run to end the third. Perkins scored five points, Paul Pierce scored his first basket and Cassell hit a free throw for a 53-52 lead at the end of the period.

Boston had the first run of the fourth, with Garnett scoring, Cassell hitting a 3 and then a jumper to take a 66-60 lead. However, Cleveland made a 10-2 run from there to set up the events down the stretch. Szczerbiak made a 3-pointer, James made a layup, Daniel Gibson hit a 3 and Ilgauskas made a jumper for the 70-68 lead.

For Boston, Rondo scored 15 points and Cassell added 13. Pierce was held to four points and Ray Allen was held scoreless for the first time since 1997. Perkins pulled down 12 rebounds for the Celtics.

Cleveland was led offensively by Ilgauskas’ 22 points. Szczerbiak added 13 and James, who was 2-for-18 from the field with 10 turnovers, scored 12 in the loss. Ilgauskas added 12 boards for the Cavaliers.

Game 2 of the series will commence in Boston Thursday night.

Video credit- TNT