Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics are moving to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years. LeBron James is headed to the off-season again without a championship and has possibly played his last game as a member of the Cavaliers.
Celtics 94, Cavaliers 85: Boston Eliminates LeBron James, Cleveland In Six Games
Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Celtics beat Cleveland, 94-85, in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Rajon Rondo contributed 21 points, 12 assists and five steals for Boston, which gained the 4-2 series victory by winning the final three games.
James was limited to 3-of-14 shooting in Tuesday night’s 120-88 loss. Two nights later, he turned the ball over nine times, but still finished with a triple-double of 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Akron native, the top overall pick by the Cavs in 2003 and the two-time reigning NBA MVP, is due to hit the free agent market on July 1 along with other superstars such as Miami's Dwyane Wade, Toronto's Chris Bosh and Atlanta's Joe Johnson. James has given no indication if he'll stay in his home state or head to another team. The Boston fans shouted "New York Knicks!" in the closing minutes, signifying a possible landing spot for James next season.
Slowed by an injury to his right elbow, James shot 11-of-35 over the final two games. The miscues by the Cavs also hurt, as they had 24 turnovers in Thursday’s game, leading to 27 Boston points.
Paul Pierce scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half for the 2008 NBA champions, who will face Orlando in the East finals. The second-seeded Magic will have home-court advantage against Boston, which came into the playoffs seeded fourth. The Magic, who beat Boston in seven games in the conference semifinals last year, have won 14 straight games, including sweeps of Charlotte and Atlanta in the playoffs.
Mo Williams tallied 22 points for the top-seeded Cavaliers, who couldn't reach the conference finals for the second straight year. They lost in six games to Orlando in 2009.
It also means another year of title disappointment for Cleveland, a city that hasn’t won a major sports championship since 1964, when the Browns captured the NFL crown. It’s the longest drought for any city with at least three majors sports franchises. The Cavs made it to the 2007 NBA Finals before being swept by San Antonio.
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