BOSTON -- A collection of postgame news, notes and analysis after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics, 108-88, Thursday night at TD Garden:
The rundown (a quick look at the postgame headlines)
* Cavaliers rally started by slowing Rondo
* Varejao emerges as unsung hero after Shaq's injury
* Doc's opinion: Celtics and Cavs go through each other
* Mo's 3-pointers, mo' problems for the Celtics
* Loose balls: Daniels' illness, Landry's debut, Powe's return
Why C's faltered, Part 1: Cavs slow Rondo
Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo scored 10 of Boston's first 12 points and boasted 14 points and 8 assists after the first half, pacing Boston to an eight-point advantage at the break. One of the main reasons Cleveland was able to rally was its ability to short-circuit Boston's spark plug after intermission, particularly by forcing the Celtics into a half-court offense by making shots.
“I didn’t get a lot of looks like I did in the first half simply because, on defense, we didn’t get stops," said Rondo. "It’s hard to run when you’re taking the ball out of bounds every time down in the second half. In that first half, there was a lot of missed shots, we got easy looks, easy breaks. In the second half, it seemed like I was walking the ball up the court every time when they made shots."
The Cavaliers shot 43.2 percent in the first half (19 of 44), but blistered the field for 64.7 percent after the break (22 of 34 overall).
What's more, the Cavaliers clamped down on Rondo and the pick-and-roll in the second half. According to ESPN Stats and Research, Rondo spent 18 plays as the primary ball-handler in the pick-and-roll in the first half, connecting on 3-of-4 shots for six points and three assists for 12 points total generated. In the second half, he missed his only field-goal attempt off the pick-and-roll, and didn't generate an assist or a single point.
"We kept Rondo out of the paint a little more," said LeBron James. "In the first quarter and first half, he did a great job of getting to the paint and breaking our defense down, making a shot for himself or creating for others. We definitely made a conscious effort of trying to lock him down more in the second half.
"We were just more conscious of trying to keep him out of the paint. He’s very effective when he gets into the paint because not only does he create for himself, he creates for others."
Why C's faltered, Part 2: Varejao gets under their skin
Shaquille O'Neal's injury might have been the worst thing that could have happened for the Celtics.
When O'Neal departed with 6:58 remaining in the first half with a right thumb sprain (sound familiar, Paul Pierce?), Anderson Varejao's minutes spiked and -- already a known Kendrick Perkins agitator, and the two scuffled yet again in the third quarter -- the big-haired forward did all the little things for Cleveland.
Varejao scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting with 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a plus-18 in the plus/minus category over 31 minutes of action.
"I thought the star of the game for them was Varejao," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I thought he was absolutely amazing with his energy, with his defense, how he kept the ball alive. I thought he kept them within striking range in the first half with his offense and defense."
Added Kevin Garnett: "With Varejao, he puts a lot of energy in the game and keeps a lot of balls alive. He’s very active. With the addition of [Antawn] Jamison, he extends their offense. You have to worry about a shooter because [Jamison] can shoot 3's. LeBron spreads the court, then he draws and kicks. You've got to get to the shooters. I thought, first half, Rondo did a great job taking it to their defense finding open guys. Second half, I thought they shrunk the floor. With Shaq they can’t run, in my estimation. I don’t think they can run as much as they can when they have Varejao in there and it's two different teams when they're playing like that.”
Doc's opinion: Cavs not hungrier than Celts
After Garnett suggested the Cavaliers were not hungrier than the Celtics in the second half of Thursday's win, Rivers agreed with that assessment and suggested both teams were equally as eager to achieve their goals.
“Well, I think they were as excited in the second half because they saw themselves with a chance to win here," he said. "And you could see, once we opened that door, it was difficult [to shut it]. But we feel like we have to go through them. It’s like I told the guys before the game: For us to get what we want, we have to go through them. And for them to get what they want, they have to go through us. And then Orlando’s in there and everybody else. But that’s the fact. And something’s got to give, at some point."
Mo 3-pointers, mo' problems
How much did Mo Williams slay the Celtics in the fourth quarter? The guard erupted for 14 of his 19 points in the final frame, connecting on 5-of-7 shots, including a quartet of 3-pointers. The Celtics as a whole were 3-of-21 shooting in the fourth quarter, missing all four 3-point attempts, for the same total of 14 points.
"It's good for Mo," said James. "For us, I think, in the long run, we will be fine. But for Mo, I think it's better for him than for anything. This league is a lot about confidence, and when your confidence is taken away, you kind of start to second guess yourself. So Mo’s confidence raised up again tonight because he was able to play so well in a big game especially on the road."
Loose balls
* Marquis Daniels looked absolutely drained after logging nearly 31 minutes of action, much of which was spent chasing James (36 points). Daniels, who was sent home from Wednesday's practice while battling an illness, looked downright exhausted as he battled a head cold, but the mere fact that he played cannot be understated. Rivers went out of his way to praise his effort after the game.
* Rookie forward Marcus Landry logged his first game action with the Celtics, playing the final 2:50 after Cleveland put the game out of reach. Landry missed both shots he took. Nate Robinson finished with seven points on 2-of-6 shooting in his second performance in green.
* Leon Powe made his 2009-10 debut against his former team, logging four minutes and scoring four points. Powe spent his first three NBA seasons with the Celtics before signing with Cleveland in the offseason.