What we learned: Celtics-Cavaliers

CLEVELAND -- With a little over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the game no longer in doubt, a demonstrative Kevin Garnett huddled with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Sam Cassell on the Celtics bench.

The topic: how to get the team out of the worst funk The Big Three have experienced in their 1½ years together.

"We were trying to work things out," Cassell said. "Trying to regroup. We're tired of talking about it. This [(expletive] is getting old now. We're tired of excuses. This is what we have in our locker room right here. Hakeem Olajuwon ain't coming here. We ain't getting him. It is what it is."

One fact is crystal clear after Cleveland's 98-83 drubbing of the Celtics on Friday: this Boston team, as currently constructed, would have trouble beating the Cavaliers in a seven-game series. Sure, when the opening tip goes up, Boston would still have three of the best four players on the floor. But Cleveland is deeper than Boston; it is a better shooting team, more aggressive. Overall, the Cavs are simply better.

Let's break down the five things we learned from the game:

1. Games like these make you realize the MVP race is over.

Be afraid, league. Be very afraid. LeBron James was already the NBA's most unstoppable offensive force ( Kobe Bryant is the most skilled player) and he lived up to that billing Friday, scoring 38 inside, outside and in-between points on 13-of-25 shooting. But it was his defense that stood out. Matched up primarily against Pierce, James held him to an uber-quiet 11 points (only seven through three quarters). James was physical when he needed to be and showed impressive lateral movement that left Pierce visibly frustrated. James finished the game with four steals and three blocks.

Paul Pierce is a tough cover," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "The last few games, he has had our number. I thought LeBron did a nice job of continuing to pursue Paul even when he got screen after screen after screen. I thought he just kept pursuing and trying to make Pierce work for his shots."

A lot of lip service has been paid to the impact playing for Team USA has had on James; maybe it's time to stop calling it lip service.

2. The once ironclad Boston defense now has some significant holes.