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Celtics series will be long in the tooth
The Cavaliers are in for a tooth-and-claw battle with the Celtics,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and they know it.
LeBron James was 10 when Kevin Garnett was drafted by the Timberwolves straight out of Farragut High School in Illinois 15 years ago. That was back in the days before The King was even a prince.
Garnett has put a lot of miles on his sneakers since then 1,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],124 games in the regular season and 74 more in the playoffs,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], including the game Saturday at The Q between the Cavaliers and Garnett's team of the last three years,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Celtics.
Similar stories could be told about four other Celtics. Ray Allen is in his 14th season,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Paul Pierce in his 12th, Rasheed Wallace in his 15th and Michael Finley in his 15th.
Before tipoff,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Celtics coach Doc Rivers was asked about the perception his team is too old to win the NBA championship. He grinned before answering.
"We are old," Rivers said. "We're just going to bring out our canes and see what we can do."
The Celtics are content to have people believe they can't do what they did just two years ago when they won the title. They were an aging bunch then,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], too.
Rivers might be selling, but James and the Cavaliers aren't buying. The Cavaliers had to dig deep in the opener to knock off Boston, 101-93. For 2 1/2 quarters, it seemed they were going to lose home-court advantage in the series opener.
"These are two of the best teams we have in this whole league,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," James said. "I think they just needed a new challenge. I could tell that team was ready for a challenge, ready for the playoffs to start. You could tell that from the Miami series (the Celtics knocked off the Heat in five games). Like San Antonio, teams like this aren't about the regular season. They are about the big picture."
There were times Saturday when the Cavaliers looked old and sluggish. The Celtics looked like the younger team, slicing to the basket in the first half and beating the Cavaliers to the boards. Five stitches closed the gash.
However this series ends up,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the Celtics sent a message they are not going quietly. Boston had the momentum early,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], lost it when Mo Williams stole it from them with 14 points in the third quarter,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and then they tried to grab it back.
"We have to play better,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Cavs forward Antawn Jamison said. "We all slow down at this point of the season. But they want another world championship. You can see the urgency in their eyes."
Of course, the Cavaliers have some urgency of their own, though it seemed to take forever to show it Saturday. Shaquille O'Neal is in his 15th season.
And there is that LeBron contract thing to think about,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych].
A steal and a thunderous dunk by Williams as he beat Perkins to the basket and then a 19-foot rainbow jumper by Williams after a steal by Anthony Parker cut Boston's lead to 69-62. Williams made a running jump shot from seven feet,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], a jumper from 19 and a pair of free throws before Jamison split a pair of free throws. By then the Celtics' lead was down to 73-69.
Williams' hot third quarter spurred the Cavaliers' defense in the second half. They could have caved after halftime,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but they did not lose their composure. The Celtics didn't quit, either. Continued.2.
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