LeBron James couldn't make a basket down the stretch—or at virtually any other time—and the Boston Celtics eked out a 76-72 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Kevin Garnett scored 28 points to make up for an off night for the rest of Boston's Big Three.
James was held to 12 points on 2-for-18 shooting. He missed three drives and a 3-pointer in the final minute. Game 2 is Thursday night in Boston. James scored Cleveland's first basket and then missed his next 10 shots before driving for a layup that cut Boston's lead to 66-65 with 5:34 left. (More 2008 NBA playoffs stories.)