BOSTON — Someone is going to have to beat the Celtics in Boston to keep them from winning their 17th NBA title.
Cleveland is hoping for one more chance.
Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 20 points and 13 assists as the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 96-89 on Wednesday night to move within a win of the Eastern Conference finals.
Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland.
“We know it’s a win-or-go- home situation. We’ve got to approach it that way,” said Le-Bron James, who scored 23 of his 35 points in the first 20 minutes and then went cold again. “We’re a very good team at home. But a LeBron James team is never desperate.”
Paul Pierce scored 29 points and helped shut down James for much of the second half. The Cavaliers forward had 23 points with 3:50 left in the first half but made just one basket in the next 20 minutes as Boston erased a 14-point deficit and took the lead for good.
James, who shot less than 26 percent in the first four games, was 12-of-25 from the field but made just four of his last 14 shots and missed all five of his 3-pointers.
“Whether we get 35 or 20 (from James), it doesn’t matter at this point,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “To lose the game . . . that’s what’s more disappointing than anything else. Whether he gets this or that, I’m not really concerned, because he’s going to contribute in other ways.”
Cleveland cut an 88-77 lead to 91-87 on two free throws by Delonte West with 46 seconds to play. But, after running down the shot clock, Garnett got the rebound of his own miss and Pierce hit five free throws in the last 16 seconds to ice it.
“This momentum, and what we did here tonight,” Garnett said, “we’ve got to figure a way to carry this on the road.”
