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Varejao provides energetic lift as Cavs put away Celtics 93 - 104
March 14, 2010
Boston can live with the amazing things LeBron James always does. Now if the Celtics could just find a way to slow down Anderson Varejao. That seemed to be the sentiment following the Cavaliers' 104-93 home win Sunday, when Varejao was simply his typical self. In other words, the Cavs' 6-foot-11 wild child of a forward chased down loose balls, threw his body into the heat of battle underneath the basket and annoyed the opposition every time the opportunity presented itself. It's true that James finished with a game-high 30 points (as well as eight rebounds and seven assists), but it was Varejao who got the Cavs (52-15) started by scoring 15 of his 17 points in the first half. Actually, Varejao didn't even take a shot in the final two quarters, finishing 6-for-8 for the game. Afterward, Celtics coach Doc Rivers could only shake his head in admiration, and perhaps a little disbelief. "I thought one guy completely dominated this game, and that was Varejao," Rivers said after watching his team fall to 41-24. "Loose balls, activity, getting under our skin. I mean, he's doing what he should do. That was very frustrating." Varejao took charges, found seams in the defense for wide-open layups and, to be completely honest, got a few lucky bounces on shots that probably should have never gone in.
"That's Andy," James said. "That's what he does. You know he's going to be active, going to play his butt off every single game and give it his all." Varejao's performance was just another example that these Cavs have become more than just All LeBron, All the Time. They also received well-rounded performances from the likes of Mo Williams (14 points, six assists), J.J. Hickson (12 points, strong defense on Boston's big men) and Antawn Jamison (15 points, 12 rebounds), who returned after missing Friday's game in Philadelphia with a stiff knee. "I thought we played the right way," said Cavs coach Mike Brown. "When you play a team like Boston, the most aggressive team is going to win. I thought we were aggressive on both ends of the floor for most of the game." That was especially true of James in the second half. He took just four shots in the first two quarters, finishing with six points at the half. But every time the Celtics' Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce started to heat up, James used the final 24 minutes to show them who's No. 1. During that time, James not only took 17 shots, but attempted 14 free throws.
"I was doing a lot of setting up [teammates] in the first half," James said. "I got my guys good looks and opportunities at the basket. But I had to be a little more assertive individually in the second half and attack some of the things I saw, but didn't attack, in the first half." Meanwhile, the Celtics certainly had their chances, making a run nearly every time it appeared the Cavs would pull away. Then came the first 5:04 of the fourth quarter, when they failed to score a field goal. It allowed the Cavs to turn an eight-point lead to 91-74 with less than 6:00 to go. Allen scored 20 points to lead the Celtics, with Garnett and Pierce adding 18 apiece. But none of it was enough to overcome a 51-43 deficit on the boards. "We made a lot of pushes," Rivers said. "We closed it halftime. We just could never get over the hump because every chance we got, they got another [rebound] that led to another shot."
The Cavs are a league-best 29-4 at home and have won nine of their past 10 overall. The Celtics fell one game behind Atlanta for the third playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, and have lost two straight against the Cavs. And their struggles against Cleveland may not change anytime soon if they don't find a way to slow down not just James, but Varejao as well. "I wouldn't say he gets under people's skin, but he does play with a lot of energy," Garnett said of Varejao. "He knows his place on their team and he doesn't come out of his role. He's effective and he's aggressive. If you want to beat Cleveland, you definitely have to take care of Anderson."