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Cavs take Game 4, 88-77

Posted by Michael Vega, Globe Staff May 12, 2008 11:00 PM

The Cavaliers evened their best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference semifinals with the Celtics at two games apiece after pinning Boston with its fifth road loss of these playoffs, 88-77, tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.

LeBron James led the Cavs with 21 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds and a windmill dunk that electrified the sellout crowd of 20,562 and gave the Cavs a commanding 84-75 lead with 3:18 remaining.

Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson chipped in 14 points apiece for the Cavs.

Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo all scored 15 points apiece to lead the Celtics, who will return to TD Banknorth Garden to host Game 5 Wednesday night.

18 comments so far...
  1. Better get your game on Bean-town...Lebron likes to play in game 5's...especially an away game 5....

    Posted by C-Town May 12, 08 11:10 PM
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  1. HA HA--Celtics are an old washed up team that can't win on the road. Serves you fair weather fans right.....

    Posted by smithers May 12, 08 11:12 PM
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  1. What kind of rotation was that in the game. Both times Cassell came in for Rondo the flow of the game went nowhere. The beginning of the 2nd and 7 minutes in the 4th he has Cassell in the game missing open shots and walking the ball down while Rondo, who had 15, was on the bench. The Celtics will lose this series because they do not go to the basket enough and their shots are off. Plus, Doc is using the wrong rotation. 8 guys for the Cavs to 12 for us, go figure. Cassell has messed the CHEMISTRY of the team and they will lose because of it also. Well there is always next year.

    Posted by Carl May 12, 08 11:15 PM
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  1. What kind of substitutions was that tonight Doc? Sam Cassell in for Rondo for the first 7 minutes in the 4th quarter and missed all his shots while Rondo who had 15 points and pushes the ball up the floor is on the bench, again. Plus Big Baby comes in who hasn't played all night. The Celtics made the mistake of taking Eddie House out of the lineup because he brought the ball up quickly and found guys opened alot. The ball moved and shots were easier. Cassell has messed up the Chemistry. Period. I feel bad for Eddie since he and Rondo brought them the success they had in the regular season. Well chalk it up to the curse of the Celtics. See ya all next year.

    Posted by carl pinette May 12, 08 11:33 PM
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  1. Boston need to look at each other an trust each other on driving and dishing in the paint. Kevin needs to post-up alot more. Cleveland has no answer for KG. KG needs to look for the cutter more often. Kevin and Paul can dictate the Cleveland defense. Rondo is doing well he needs to be relax to pressure. I cheering for you guys on the West Coast. Stay on the DREAM.

    Posted by matt May 13, 08 12:21 AM
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  1. "LeBron James led the Cavs with 21 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and a windmill dunk ..."

    Actuially it was 21 points 13 assists and 6 rebounds.

    Editor's note: Good catch, James. This has been fixed.

    Posted by James May 13, 08 07:39 AM
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  1. Idea for Doc:

    Start Perk, Garnett and Powe up front. Pierce and Rondo in the backcourt.

    Everything goes to the hoop.

    This is the high energy group. Pierce has a tendency to let down but this group won't let him and he'll soar.

    Ron (Celts since 1956)

    Posted by Ron Fucci May 13, 08 07:48 AM
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  1. I have a question, Where is Eddie House? All year Eddie has provided a scoring spark off of the bench. He has hit big three's and has stood his own on the defensive end. Also, he is no worse a passer than Sam Cassel, but that's not saying much. I think that Doc Rivers needs to take a look back at how the team has gotten to where it is now. Before Cassel was here, Eddie was playing really good basketball. Now that Cassel is here we don't have the same kind of shooting presence on the floor when the starters are out. Eddie has shown that he deserves to be in the game, and if given the opportunity to play, I think that Eddie will shine.

    Posted by Connor Meiselman May 13, 08 08:37 AM
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  1. cavs fans are so delusional. they're all up Lebron's aß like he isn't about to opt out and leave cleveland in the cellar where they belong

    Posted by prescrunk May 13, 08 09:22 AM
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  1. doc rivers has no idea what he's doing. talent and luck will only get you so far. this is a rude awakening for a lot of people that doc has no idea how to coach. look at his track record. nothing accomplished in orlando or boston as of yet. i hope he proves me wrong but at this rate doesnt seem so.

    Posted by Alex May 13, 08 09:58 AM
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  1. why not give it to Kg on the post more i feel like he could have dunked everytime. allen and pierce are just off, missing shots they hit during the regular season. they need to simply step it up and play with more confidence. the team was never really challenged in the regular season so they are just getting used to playing playoff basketball where tight games really matter, we'll go back to bean town and take game 5 and then win on the road in game 6. i predict 20+ from allen and pierce and 15 and 15 from garnett.

    Posted by bob cousy May 13, 08 11:42 AM
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  1. Yup, once again Doc Rivers blows the game. Hey what do you say we put in Sam I cant make a bucket on the road to save my life Cassell, and yah lets throw in Big Baby whos been on the bench the whole game, good stuff Doc. I hope you buy some season passes to Disney cause you will have alot of time back home in Orlando next year! I love the celts, I always have, we suck on the road, we dont even look like we give a damn, and thats to bad after the season we had. Oh well we would probley get smoked by the pistons anyways. We all know that the damn Spurs are gonna win it all again anyways. Screw it! Go Sox!!! lets get some pitching Theo!

    Posted by T-Bud May 13, 08 11:56 AM
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  1. I guess Bibby was right all along...I see all the fair-weather fans jumping off now. What a shame!!

    I've said it all along...the Celtics are not a championship team. Just because you have 3 great players and the best record in the league doesn't automatically make you a team taht's ready to compete in the playoffs. This team has absolutely no experience in the playoffs other than Cassell who really just jumped on the bandwagon for a ring.

    Every team in the league knows how to pace themselves during the regular season and they know how to get ready for the playoffs. Th eCeltics have been out to prove everyone wrong all season and did a great job all season but the unexpected intensity being thrown at them by these other teams know is knocking them off their high horse.

    They should be ashamed that a team like the Hawks took them to a 7 game series and they should be ashamed that they have not won one game on the road. All it takes is one loss at home and they're done.

    Posted by Jess24 May 13, 08 01:21 PM
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  1. Oh yeah...by the way...Kevin Garnett better be looking for revenge after he got posterized yesterday. Now that was a dunk!

    Posted by Jess24 May 13, 08 02:10 PM
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  1. prescrunk, go back to your DC cave, your season is over.

    Posted by Blow the whistle May 13, 08 10:58 PM
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  1. After (hopefully) a game 5 win at home. How about we start the bench players for game 6 (Cassell / House / Posey / Davis / Powe) leave them in for about 5 minutes, let the Big 3 and Rondo watch and hype themselves up because the starters aren't setting the tone from the beginning on road games...

    Just a thought....

    Posted by John May 14, 08 10:51 AM
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  1. I've temporarily decided to boycott the Celtics in this series. They had BETTER win tonight. I don't need to watch what is expected. IF they win tonight, I will resume watching for Game Six. If they LOSE tonight, they really don't deserve to win this series. In either case, I'm so frustrated with this team right now, I get no joy in watching what I thought was going to be a GREAT post-season which is currently turning into a train wreck.

    I've been a fan since the last year Bill Russell was playing/coaching. That covers 6 of the 16 championships. I've seen Russell, Hondo, Cowens, Jo Jo, Bird, McHale, Parish right up to Pierce. So, I'm no fair-weather fan.

    But, this team's inability to win a road playoff game has got me beside myself.

    Posted by Matt Talvim May 14, 08 01:48 PM
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  1. I love the fans that say "we", as in we need to get better... or we will come back tonight. Too funny. News Flash!!! you aren't on the team. If I was a player I would come to your house and slap you.
    Why KG got more votes for MVP than Lebron is a mystery. But the Cav's are not just Lebron.

    Posted by Cavs Fan May 14, 08 07:14 PM
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