BOSTON — For the third time in the last four years, coach Brad Stevens and his Celtics are trying to figure out a way to prevent LeBron James from ending their season.


 


James and the Cavs swept the Celtics, 4-0, in the opening round in 2015. They eliminated the Celtics, 4-1, in the Eastern Conference finals last year and the Cavs and the Celtics were tied, 2-2, in the conference finals entering Game 5 Wednesday night at the Garden. [...]

BILL DOYLE The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

BOSTON — For the third time in the last four years, coach Brad Stevens and his Celtics are trying to figure out a way to prevent LeBron James from ending their season.

 

James and the Cavs swept the Celtics, 4-0, in the opening round in 2015. They eliminated the Celtics, 4-1, in the Eastern Conference finals last year and the Cavs and the Celtics were tied, 2-2, in the conference finals entering Game 5 Wednesday night at the Garden.

 

Even though he’s 33 years old and has both handed out and taken a beating during his 15 seasons, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound James remains a force.

 

In his three postseason series against the Celtics, James has averaged 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists and he’s actually increased his scoring each year against Boston, from averaging 27 points in 2015 to 29.6 last year to 32 in this conference final. His nine assists per game are also his most of the past three playoff series against the Celtics.

 

“LeBron is the best player this generation,” Stevens said, “and he’s just maintained that because of his commitment to improvement. He’s always been an unbelievable physical player, he’s always been a savvy player and he’s always had just like the natural instincts to make the right basketball play along with a tremendous skill set. What’s really I think just has taken him to a whole different level is obviously the experience of having played in so many of these situations and being able to read everything that’s going on around the court, but [also] being able to shoot the jump shot at the level and rate that he can now.”

 

James won two NBA championships with Miami and one with Cleveland. His teams have represented the conference in the NBA Finals every year since the Celtics did in 2010.

 

Stevens said when he took over as coach of the Celtics for the 2013-14 season, opponents would allow James to shoot the outside shot in an effort to keep him from driving to the basket.

 

“You can’t do that and feel good about it over a seven-game series,” Stevens said. “You may mix that in occasionally because it might be the lesser of two evils, but at the end of the day, he’s too good to do it. It’s a testament to him and his work, and that’s why it’s so fun to get a chance to compete against him.”

 

At least Stevens is having fun coaching against James. Plenty of other coaches haven’t looked at it like that. A challenge, yes. Fun, no.

 

The Celtics have not double-teamed James and neither did Indiana or Toronto in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

 

“He’s a great passer,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said, “so if you double-team him, he’s going to pick you apart. People have different philosophies. When I [coached] here, our thing was to make him score the basketball and try to take away everyone else, but you’ve got to pick your poison.”

 

So what’s the right way to guard James?

 

“I think you’ve just got to try to keep him off balance the best you can,” said Al Horford, who was selected All-Defensive second-team Wednesday, “because he can do everything on the court. Earlier in the playoffs we would play guys similar to him, like Giannis [Antetokounmpo], for example, but LeBron is not only driving, he’s shooting threes and just the ability to do both just presents a lot of problems. So when we approach, it’s the team that’s really locked into him because just one guy it’s very difficult to contain him.”

 

In the first four games against the Celtics, James shot 39.1 percent (9 of 23) from three-land after connecting on only 3 of 18 in four games in the previous round vs. Toronto.

 

In his career, James has averaged 29.3 points in 49 regular-season games against Boston, his second-highest average against any team. He’s averaged 29.4 points in 29 games vs. Utah.

 

“Make it as hard as you can,” Stevens said. “That’s all you can do. Make it as hard as you can.”

 

By scoring 44 points in Game 4, James became only the fourth player in the last 40 years to score at least 40 points more than once against the Celtics in the same playoff series. James scored 42 in a Game 2 Celtics victory at the Garden. That multiple 40-point milestone could actually work in the Celtics’ favor.

 

In 1984, New York’s Bernard King scored 40 or more twice against the Celtics. In 1986 Chicago’s Michael Jordan did it and in 1988 Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins did it. The Celtics won all three of those playoff series.