Backup plan paid off

Bench provides support for James

LeBron James tells his mother, Gloria, that her assistance isn't required after he absorbed a hard foul in the first quarter from Paul Pierce. Gloria James left her seat to admonish Pierce. (MARK DUNCAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

CLEVELAND - LeBron James had the big game and hit the biggest shots. The contributions of the Cleveland Cavaliers' bench were bigger.

That's why the Cavaliers and Celtics are headed back to Boston with their Eastern Conference semifinal series tied at two games apiece following Cleveland's 88-77 victory last night at Quicken Loans Arena.

While James had his best game of the postseason with a game-high 21 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds, a crucial late 3-pointer, and an exclamation-point dunk that gave Cleveland a 9-point lead with 1:45 remaining, it was the supporting cast that should have taken a curtain call in front of the sellout crowd of 20,562.

The Cavaliers' subs, notably Daniel Gibson, Anderson Varejao, and Joe Smith, outscored their Celtics counterparts, 36-17, outrebounded them, 19-11, and outplayed them at the game's key points.

Gibson, who entered when starter Delonte West went to the dressing room with an irritation to his left eye with 5:19 remaining in the first quarter, finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Gibson hit 5 of 9 shots - including 2 of 4 3-pointers - in 28 minutes. Varejao played 26 minutes, scoring a personal playoff-high 12 points and grabbing six boards, and Smith had 8 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes.

"It was big for us to come in and perform like we did," said Gibson, the second-year guard out of Texas. "Our starters have been playing so well it was important for us to come in, give them a chance to sit down but maintain their level of play."

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown seconded Gibson's take.

"Our bench was terrific," he said. "Every guy who came off the bench really contributed in a big way."

That is not to discount the play of James, who scored 6 points in the fourth quarter. His two biggest baskets came late in the quarter, a 3-pointer in front of the Boston bench with 3:17 remaining and a thunderous dunk over Kevin Garnett with 1:45 to go. The 3-pointer gave Cleveland a 79-73 lead, while the dunk brought down the house - and the Celtics.

"I just wanted to be aggressive," said James. "I hadn't had a play like that the whole series. I turned the corner and saw [James] Posey and Kevin. I gave Posey a fake and he took it and once I got into my 1-2 there aren't too many guys who can get up there with me."

Brown used the word "amazing" three times in his description of James's play. "Sometimes I get giddy watching him," Brown said.

James made 7 of 20 shots (35 percent) from the floor, his best shooting night of the series. He is shooting 26 percent from the field in the four games.

James's mother, Gloria, got into the action with a little more than four minutes remaining in the first half. James went to the basket and was fouled hard by Paul Pierce. Both players stumbled into the crowd near Gloria James's seat. Gloria James shouted at Pierce as Garnett stepped in front of her to play peacemaker.

James took exception to his mother's involvement. "Sit your [expletive] down," he screamed. Said James after the game, "I used some language I shouldn't have. I'm glad it wasn't Mother's Day."