Classic

Posted by Randolph Charlotin May 18, 2008 at 9:37 pm

While game seven wasn’t easy on the hearts of Celtics fans, you have to admit that you were glad to witness a duel between Paul Pierce and LeBron James that will go down in history. Give ESPN a week and the game will be re-run on their Classic network.

That was what a game seven is supposed to be: Competitive from beginning to end with superstar performances. King James vs. The Truth. Already it is being compared to the Larry Bird-Dominique Wilkins showdown and Pierce-James belongs in that class of unforgettable duels.

Everyone knew LeBron was due for a dominant offensive performance and boy did he bring it. After having trouble getting to the rim all series, he bullied his way to the rim, either finishing or getting the foul. And his unreliable jumper became money in the bank from all locations. It couldn’t be more evident than the two 3-pointers he nailed in the fourth quarter as he carried his Cavs team, preventing Cleveland from falling too far behind.

Not to be out-done was Pierce, nearly matching James point for point. From the very beginning Pierce set the pace, taking James one-on-one with spins, drives, fadeaways, and off repeated screens. As the teams played into crunch time, the ball was in Pierce’s hands to either take his defender or create for a teammate.

Despite a 45-point performance, King James’ efforts came up short for two reasons.

1. It wasn’t the King’s court. The home team never lost a game during this series. Thanks to home court advantage, the Celtics had the deciding game played on the parquet with Red Auerbach’s name on it.

2. The King’s loyal subjects were nowhere to be found. Only Delonte West, the other Cavalier in double figures with 15 points, showed up to play alongside James. 7-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskaus’ performance shrunk the deeper the series went. And old friend Wally Szczerbiak turned in a 0-3 for zero points performance.

While Pierce was used to carrying a team, other stepped up for Boston, unlike the past few years for The Truth. P.J. Brown came off the bench with 10 points and two key baskets down the stretch: a put-back of a Rajon Rondo air ball with 2:45 left and calmly hitting a jumper with 1:21 remaining. Eddie House and Ray Allen sunk their free throws during foul time. And, of course, Kevin Garnett was present during the whole game with 13 points and 13 rebounds. But a late turnaround jumper helped the Celts maintain a lead they never relinquished.

Isn’t it kind of funny looking back at how the focus had been on Garnett throughout the playoffs? In everyone’s mind the fate of Boston was placed in his hands. Ultimately Garnett played Antoine Walker for Pierce, stepping aside for the team’s best offensive machine to carry the team to victory. Remember, it is Pierce, and not Garnett, that is the captain of the Celtics. And in game seven, Pierce showed why he still is.