Winslow Townson / AP

Boston's Kevin Garnett dunks during the fourth quarter of Game 5 against Cleveland on Wednesday. Garnett scored 26 points.

updated 11:11 a.m. ET May 15, 2008

BOSTON - Someone is going to have to beat the Celtics in Boston to keep them from winning their 17th NBA title.

Cleveland is hoping for one more chance.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 20 points and 13 assists as the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 96-89 on Wednesday night to move within a win of the Eastern Conference finals.

Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland.

“We know it’s a win-or-go-home situation. We’ve got to approach it that way,” said LeBron James, who scored 23 of his 35 points in the first 20 minutes and then went cold again. “We’re a very good team at home. But a LeBron James team is never desperate.”

Paul Pierce scored 29 points and helped shut James down for much of the second half. The Cavaliers forward had 23 points with 3:50 left in the first half but made just one basket in the next 20 minutes as Boston erased a 14-point deficit and took the lead for good.

James, who shot under 26 percent in the first four games, was 12-of-25 from the field but made just four of his last 14 shots and missed all five of his 3-pointers.

“Whether we get 35 or 20 (from James), it doesn’t matter at this point,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “To lose the game ... that’s what’s more disappointing than anything else. Whether he gets this or that, I’m not really concerned, because he’s going to contribute in other ways.”

Cleveland cut an 88-77 lead to 91-87 on two free throws by Delonte West with 46 seconds to play. But, after running down the shot clock, Garnett got the rebound of his own miss and Paul Pierce hit five free throws in the last 16 seconds to ice it.

“This momentum, and what we did here tonight,” Garnett said, “we’ve got to figure a way to carry this on the road.”

The Celtics are undefeated at home but they have yet to win on the road, a streak that allowed the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks to go the distance in the first round and let Cleveland back in this series after Boston won the first two games.

Video   "LeBron James' team is never desperate" May 15: LeBron James and the Cavaliers are on their last leg heading back to Cleveland for Game Six.

“We’re going to get one. I don’t know when,” coach Doc Rivers said. “It would be great if it’s Game 6.”

Boston, which had an NBA-best 66-16 record in the regular season, has the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. But no team has ever won a title without winning an away game.

In fact, Boston could be the first team to advance through the second round without a road win.

“They have a good cushion, being the best team in the NBA,” Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. “They really don’t have to win on the road. Hopefully, we can take care of our business at home and come back here and have another shot.”

Cleveland took a 43-29 lead in the second quarter thanks to eight straight points from James. But Rondo hit back-to-back 3-pointers as the Celtics scored 14 of the last 17 points in the first half, then took the lead with the first four points of the third quarter.

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