Will Celtics end LeBron James' tenure in Cleveland — again?

Jeff Zillgitt | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Celtics drub Cavs to move one win from NBA Finals SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt breaks down Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, where the Celtics rolled to take a 3-2 lead on the Cavaliers and set up a potential closeout game in Cleveland.

BOSTON – When LeBron James was a young player, older Boston Celtics teams made playoff life difficult for him.

Now that James is older – 33 compared to 23 in his first series against Boston – a younger Celtics team is making playoff life difficult for the four-time NBA MVP.

It’s the circle of NBA life. The Celtics were there in the beginning, they were there in the middle and they shall be there in the end – in the name of Auerbach, Russell and Bird, amen.

The Celtics have James and Cleveland on the verge of elimination in the Eastern Conference finals after a 96-83 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday.

“I'll speak in the present, and I think they're a very well-coached, well-balanced, hungry team,” James said. “They've got a bunch of young guys that were drafted very high and drafted very high for a reason, because they can do multiple things. They can be aggressive offensively. They can defend. They can shoot. They can put the ball on the floor. They can make plays for themselves and for others.

“I can speak for this moment right now. I don't want to really talk about other previous teams I've played against. I've played against a championship Boston Celtics team before, in '08, when they beat us in seven games. But right now, this is the present, and this team is really good.”

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It’s 3-2 Celtics, and Game 6 is Friday in Cleveland where Boston lost Games 3 and 4. The Celtics are 1-6 on the road in the postseason, and beating James on his home court in an elimination game will be difficult. He has played in seven consecutive Finals and has won 23 consecutive playoff series in the East.

“I've never went to any season saying, ‘OK, let's have a Finals streak,’” James said. “It's just all about just win every game and it should put us in position to play for a championship.”

So here we are, with a Celtics team close to eliminating a James-led Cavaliers team, just like 2010. Boston beat Cleveland that season and helped push James to Miami where he won two titles.

He hasn’t lost to Boston in a playoff series since, beating the Celtics 2011 and 2012 with the Heat and 2015 and 2017 with the Cavs.

Friday’s game will be the 40th postseason game James has played against Boston. The matchup has generated some of his greatest playoff successes and some his greatest playoff disappointments.

He had 45 points in a loss to the Celtics in 2008 and 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a necessary Game 6 victory in 2012. In 39 playoff games – 23 victories – against the Celtics, he has scored at least 30 points 22 times. He also scored just 12 points in 2008, 15 points in 2010 and 11 points in 2017 against the Celtics.

James vs. the Celtics in the postseason is one of the enduring and dramatic themes of his career. The Celtics have been his nemesis, a foe he learned to beat after agonizing playoff defeats.

This series carries wide-ranging implications. The future for James, the Cavs and the NBA could be based on the outcome of Game 6 or even a possible Game 7.

With both teams playing so well at home and so poorly on the road, a seventh game is a good bet, and James is 5-2 in Game 7s.

He also knows how to lead a team to a comeback – the Cavs were down 2-0 and 3-1 to Golden State in 2016 and won the title. He trailed 3-2 to the Celtics in 2012 and won the series. If he pulls it off this time, he will need to do so on the road, like he did against the Warriors.

“For me I think I look forward to seeing us respond on Friday night,” James said. “I know how well we've played at home in this postseason. That's the only thing I can worry about right now. I'm not worried about a Game 7. You have to worry about Game 6. You can't put yourself in that moment until you take care of the present.”

As for the notion that he's fatigued, James has always logged heavy playoff minutes. He is playing 40.5 minutes per game and has played more minutes than anyone this postseason (649 total).

For a 26-point, 10-rebound, five-assist performance, Game 5 was not a good one for James, who had six turnovers and has 29 turnovers in the series.

“He looked a little tired to me, yes,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said when asked about James’ fatigue.

James downplayed that angle.

“I had my moments. But I think everybody at this point is tired or worn down or whatever the case may be,” he said. “Still trying to make plays to help our team win, put us in position to win.”

There’s no room for fatigue with Cleveland’s season in jeopardy.

“You've got to be ready to play now,” Lue said.

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