It was a sight not often seen with these Celtics.
With 2:50 remaining in the 108-88 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last night at TD Garden, Celtics coach Doc Rivers threw in the white flag.
His team was down 16 after being up as many as 13 on the Eastern Conference’s top squad, and Rivers sent Brian Scalabrine, Shelden Williams, and Marcus Landry onto the floor with Tony Allen and Nate Robinson.
Part of it was practical. For a team that had dealt with its share of injuries - one that was playing without captain Paul Pierce for the second straight game because of a sprained right thumb - Rivers didn’t want to take any risks.
Part of it was admitting defeat. The Cavaliers outscored the Celtics, 60-32, in the second half, 35-14 in the fourth quarter, and the way they were playing - with Mo Williams spotting up for threes like they were practice shots and LeBron James getting to the free throw line like he had made reservations there - it looked as if they could have piled the lead as high as they wanted.
A game the Celtics once had a firm grasp on had gotten out of hand.
“I’m not a college coach,’’ Rivers said. “I don’t believe in calling timeouts when you’re down 30 with two minutes left. You’re not going to win the game, and if somebody gets injured you’re going to feel worse.
“Give it to them. They beat us. I could have done it, probably, with five minutes left because we didn’t come out and react like we were going to get back in the game.’’
The Celtics have become notorious for playing mixed-bag basketball this season, playing well in stretches and falling apart in others. But for their struggles, the majority of those losses were in games that were within reach and ultimately were decided by two or three baskets.
Playing most people’s preordained NBA finalists for the first time since beating them in the season opener, the Celtics did not break their recent trend.
“We knew it was going to be a test,’’ said Kevin Garnett (10 points, 10 rebounds). “But on the same level, the way they came out, we’ve got to be a 48-minute team. We can’t just play one half and relax, especially against a good team, a proven team, a team full of veterans who are eager.’’
The Celtics looked inspired in the first half. Rajon Rondo scored 12 points in the first quarter, almost single-handedly constructing a 31-21 lead. The Celtics shot 60 percent in the first quarter, and forced the Cavaliers into missing 25 of their 44 first-half shots.
Ray Allen (team-high 21 points) knocked down all three of his first-half 3-point attempts. Garnett had a team-high six rebounds before the break, and the Celtics, who had won four of their last five, look poised to scorch a Cleveland team still trying to work Antawn Jamison into its rotation.
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