Cassell is one of the few Celtics with championship experience. He won two championship rings with the Houston Rockets and has been trying to tell his teammates to relax and not be overwhelmed by the enormity of the finals.

“It’s the same game, it’s just a bigger stage,” Cassell said. “You’re not at your high school auditorium any more. This is Carnegie Hall.”

And so far in the series, Garnett hasn’t appeared ready for it.

The Celtics’ inspirational leader has displayed his usual intensity and has been his customary force on the boards. But he’s just 22-of-62 (36 percent) and missed 15 shots in Game 2. Without Garnett as an offensive threat, the Celtics have to count on Pierce and Ray Allen to carry the scoring load.

“We’ve got to get Kevin going, clearly,” Rivers said. “He’s shooting below 40 in the series, and that’s something he doesn’t do. Paul, I honestly never worry about a lot offensively. He’s a great offensive player. He had a tough night, and he’ll get it going.”

Pierce admitted feeling nerves in his return to L.A., and his stats line: 2-for-14 from the field, 0-for-4 on 3-pointers, six points in 32 minutes, reflected it. He said he wasn’t bothered by the sprain knee he suffered in Game 1, but the strain of being home may have been too much.

“I was probably a little more anxious than normal being that I’m at home in front of more family and more friends,” he said. “I’ve got to block that out and go out there and leave it on the court. I’ve done it in the past, I’ve been out there and played and played well, and it’s time for me to do it again.”

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