Lack of effort means trying times for Celtics

The Celtics entered yesterday’s game nine games behind the Cavaliers, and were the fourth seed themselves. To get to back to the Finals, they’ll likely have to get through the Cavaliers, and whether they want to or not, they find themselves wondering how they measure up.

Yesterday, after the Celtics took their second loss to the Cavaliers in just three weeks, the dif ference between the teams wasn’t the monster-sized center Cleveland added in Shaquille O’Neal (at home nursing a surgically-repaired thumb), it wasn’t the shooting they added in Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon, and it wasn’t even James and his 30-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist performance.

“The glaring difference,’’ said Boston’s Ray Allen, echoing everyone’s thoughts, “was just their effort.’’

Cleveland outscored the Celtics, 27-10, on second-chance points. And as he laid out for loose balls, tipped up shots to keep possessions alive, and slipped past defenders to score baskets, Anderson Varejao was a curly-haired metaphor for the things the Celtics lacked.

It was a 16-16 game when Varejao stepped on the floor in the first quarter. By the time he left, he had pulled down six rebounds (three offensive), scored 15 points (slipping behind Kevin Garnett for 2 of them and popping away from Garnett for 2 more), and thoroughly annoyed the Celtics.

“The only way to stop him is being more physical,’’ said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “That was the plan coming into the game, but we never got a body on him.’’

Varejao’s 17-point, 10-rebound performance wasn’t prettier than the 20 points Allen scored but it was effective.

“Regardless of what his stats look like, he’s giving himself up,’’ said Allen. “Yeah, LeBron’s getting all the press and the hype and scoring the points, but he’s giving himself up.’’

Varejao did the things the Celtics have spent weeks trying to motivate themselves to do consistently.