Back to Beantown

CLEVELAND -- The Boston Celtics are going home for another Game 7.

They handled the Atlanta Hawks.

LeBron James may not be as easy.

James scored 32 points -- 19 in the second half -- and the Cavaliers forced a decisive and fitting finale to this home-sweet-home playoff series with a 74-69 victory Friday night over the Celtics, who have gone from regular-season road kings to postseason road kill.

"It was either win or go home," James said. "I'm not ready to go home."

The Cavs packed for a weekend stay in Beantown -- not a few weeks relaxing on Cape Cod. They've got at least one more game left, and in the NBA, it's as big as they ever get.

Game 7. On Sunday. In Boston.

James, whose jump shot has mysteriously been missing in this series, made 2 key baskets midway through the fourth quarter to slow a Boston comeback, Wally Szczerbiak hit a 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining and Joe Smith dropped 2 free throws with 14 seconds left as the Cavs moved the series back to the East Coast.

The Cavs are attempting to become the 14th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit and win a series, and to do so, the defending Eastern Conference champions will have to win in Boston, where the Celtics are 7-0 in the postseason and play like a possessed team with title potential.

On the road, they're 0-6 and just ordinary.

Still, the Celtics feel good about going home.

"Mentally we feel like we're a confident team," Paul Pierce said. "We've been in Game 7s before, and we feel like this is a game we let slip away. Hopefully, we can go home and take care of business."

After Game 6, Celtics coach Doc Rivers was still fuming over some calls he felt went against his team.

"Tell the refs to do the interview. They were just as important," an angry Rivers shouted at a team official as he walked back from the postgame news conference.

After falling behind 72-63, Boston hung around as the Cavs came up empty on several possessions and the Celtics were still within 5 when Pierce was whistled for a questionable charge. Allen made 2 free throws to bring Boston within 72-69, but Joe Smith stepped to the line and as 20,000-plus fans fell deadly silent, made the 2 biggest free throws of his 13-year career.

When the final horn sounded, James fired the ball to the other end and the Cavs left their home floor hoping they can get another chance to play on it again this season.