Four-Point Play: Kevin Garnett shows LeBron James toughness (USA TODAY)

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By Adi Joseph, USA TODAY

Updated 1h 26m ago

Four key points in the aftermath of the Boston Celtics' 94-90 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat:

LeBron James was underneath the basket. That put Kevin Garnett in a precarious position.

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By Robert Mayer, US Presswire

The Celtics center burnished his reputation on toughness as much as skill. He pounds his chest and screams and does push-ups on the court. His trash talk can get downright abusive, but it's part of his image. Now, James was underneath Garnett's basket, and he had to protect the goal and his reptutation.

So Garnett ripped the ball out of the NBA MVP's hands in what was more a mugging than a blocked shot. Then he raced down the court, set up in the lane, grabbed an offensive rebound, scored on a put-back jumper and drew a foul in the process.

That's a 36-year-old man you see in the highlight above, a 36-year-old man who dropped 26 points and 11 rebounds. Garnett's got nine 20-10 performances in 18 playoff games after seven in 60 regular-season games. Rajon Rondo's stolen the headlines for his passing and jawing, but Garnett remains the Celtics' heart.

MORE: Chris Bosh's return provides emotional lift in loss

Garnett possesses everything the Heat lack right now: toughness, size, opportunist luck and anger. ESPN's Doris Burke asked Garnett what drives him after 17 years in the NBA. "Competition, the naysayers, the owners who talk too much, the people who don't think a 36-, 35-year-old could do what I do," he said. "I take a lot of pride in my craft. I work really hard in my craft every day, and I'm a true professional."

When Garnett wasn't blocking James, which he did again in the fourth quarter, he was scoring often and efficiently. He had 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting in the second half. And he sealed the win, draining two free throws with 8.8 seconds to play to give Boston a four-point lead.

His rejuvenation runs parallel to San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan's recent uptick. Theirs was the biggest one-on-one rivalry in the NBA the past 15 seasons, two first-ballot Hall of Famers of the same age, height and position. Their styles opposed, and they don't care for each other, even if the disdain isn't particularly public. Now, each 36, they're clawing toward NBA Finals berths. Duncan's got four rings to Garnett's one, but Garnett's closer to another.

In his prime, Garnett was a virtuoso. He could play and defend all five positions and set up the Minnesota Timberwolves offense on nearly every play, from the point or the post. Now, he's a tour de force. He enters the paint with elbows up andleaves the rim rocking whenever he gets the chance.

Kevin Garnett has no time for grace. And he has no time for LeBron James.

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By Steve Mitchell, US Presswire

Mickael Pietrus made it to the podium. Granted, the Celtics reserve was joined by stars Rondo and Paul Pierce. But he made it to the podium after the game because he was exceptional during it. Pietrus can be referred to as a streaky player, to be generous. But he's finally found a role he can own on a nightly basis. He's as locked in as he was in 2009 for the Orlando Magic, when he played crucial defense on Pierce, James and Kobe Bryant in a run to the NBA Finals. In Game 5 of this series, he posted 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting and was the recipient of a breathtaking slap-pass from Rondo.

Dwyane Wade can't play two good halves in one night.The Heat guard was the team's best player in the second half again in Game 5, as he was in Game 4. He scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting and initiated the offense. He missed another late three-pointer, but this one wasn't ever going to win the Heat the game. The bigger problem came in the first half, when he scored seven points on 3-for-9 shooting and was invisible for long stretches. Wade's too good to give the Heat seven-point halves in the Eastern Conference finals, and his failures have thrown off James' game by making him into a shooter rather than a multidimensional play-maker.

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By Brendan Maloney, US Presswire

Kevin Durant is reaching a new level.The Oklahoma City Thunder forward was already a star, even a superstar. But he's hit a run that we all knew he could. In Game 4 against the Spurs, he scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to seal a victory. In Game 5, he felt out the defense, scored nine in the fourth and drew attention that freed up his teammates. But what's more important is his patience. Durant understands that he has talented teammates, and he understands that he's good enough to bail them out if they struggle early. So he's letting the game come to him, and the Thunder are clicking on all cylinders. Wednesday's Game 6 (9 p.m. ET, TNT) is in Oklahoma City. Next-level stars don't let the home fans down.

See photos of: Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett, 2012 NBA playoffs