Paul Pierce's 41 Points in Game 7 Lead Boston Celtics to Conference Finals

I am drained.  I can’t imagine how Paul Pierce and LeBron James feel right now.

After a few minutes celebrating the Celtics 97-92 game seven win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, wrapping up the series and advancing to the conference finals for the first time since 2002, I thought that I’d really like to watch that game again.

It didn’t have the back and forth lead changes that often characterize great basketball games.  But make no mistake, this was a memorable game.  Pierce poured in 41 points, carrying the team on the offensive end.  "The Truth" also had four rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals.

LeBron was just as good, if not better.  James scored nearly half of his team’s points, with 45, adding five rebounds and six assists.  He knocked down three three-pointers.

Everyone knew LeBron was capable of scoring 40+ points, and it was almost expected that this would be the type of game he would have.

Not so many people thought Pierce had it in him. 

He is 30-years old.  His 41 points represented a season high (previous season high, 35 points in a 98-90 win over the Spurs on Feb. 10).  While playing the best defense of his life throughout the series, the sixth all-time scorer in Celtics history had failed to reach 20 points in five of the first six games of the series. 

I thought it would have to be the rest of the team doing the scoring if the Celtics were to win.

But right away it was obvious Pierce was going to be a factor on the offensive end, scoring nine of the team's first 16 points.  And immediately I started thinking about Pierce scoring 46 in a deciding playoff game back in 2002 over the 76ers.  Pierce's 41 points represent the second-highest total for a Celtic in a game seven (Sam Jones scored 47 in 1963).

Both Pierce and James had over 20 points in the first half.  I felt at half time, with Boston ahead 50-40, that if Pierce could cancel out James in the second, that the Celtics would win.  The thinking being that the rest of the Celtics would outplay the rest of the Cavs.

And that is really what the game came down to.  Neither player received a ton of help, but Pierce received more than James.

The only other Cav in double figures was the former Celtic Delonte West (15).  No one else on Cleveland offered James much support.  Three of the five Cavs starters failed to score a point in the first half.

Pierce received help from 13 points from Kevin Garnett (to go with 13 boards), and eight points from both Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo.

But the unexpected stars in this game for Boston were a pair of bench players—Eddie House and P.J. Brown.

First, P.J. Brown—the 38 year-old scored a season-high 10 points, all in the second half, and grabbed six boards, three on the offensive end.  It was Brown who had the biggest hoop of the game for the Celtics.

Cleveland had cut the lead to 89-88 following a LeBron James dunk with 2:19 to play.  It was the closest the Cavs had been since the game's opening seconds.  Cleveland had the momentum.

But after a defensive stop for the Celtics, Brown hit the game's most important hoop—a 21-foot jumper, putting Boston ahead 91-88.  In fact, it was Brown who made the final two field goals of the game for the Celtics. 

Eddie House only had four points, two coming at the free throw line with 16 seconds to play, giving Boston a 94-89 lead.  But his energy alone was a major lift for the Celtics. 

House averaged nearly 20 minutes per game during the regular season. However, in the postseason, he had become an afterthought, averaging about five minutes per game entering Sunday’s game seven.

This might not sound like a big deal, but I think we all know there are many players who would have sulked, complained.  And then either not been ready when called upon, or tried to do too much. 

House did neither.  His stats might not stand out to someone looking at the box score, but anyone who watched the game realized the impact he had coming off the bench for the C’s.

The Cavs lost the game because they did not get the contributions that the Celtics did from the other players.  I have to wonder what LeBron is really thinking in the aftermath of game seven—a year ago, Cleveland advanced to the finals.  I am sure he was expecting to take the next step this season, not two steps backwards.

Ultimately, this was not a pretty series: six times one of the teams failed to reach 80 points.  But Sunday was a great game seven.  It was not quite Bird-Dominique, but basketball is at its best when two stars are raising their games and battling back and forth.  That is what we watched Sunday between Pierce and LeBron.

As is usually the case, no matter how bright the stars shine, it is a role player who must come through. 

For Boston, P.J. Brown came through with his jumper that extended the Boston lead to three points.  For Cleveland, Delonte West, who had a great second half, did not come through in the big spot—missing an open three with a minute left that could have tied the game.  

The Celtics then made all six of their free throws, clinching the win, and their trip to the Eastern Finals.

In the history of the Boston Celtics, the team is now 19-5 all-time in game sevens (16-3 at home). Entering this season, it had been 20 years since Boston won a game seven. They now have won two game sevens in less than a month. 

The last time Boston made the finals, the Celtics had to win a game seven at home in the Eastern finals against the Pistons.  Do Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and the rest of the Celtics have another game seven in them? 

I hope they do, but I don’t know if I do.  But I have until Tuesday night to get myself ready for another series.