CLEVELAND — The Boston Celtics are going home for another Game 7.

They handled the Atlanta Hawks.

LeBron James may not be as easy.

James scored 32 points — 19 in the second half — and the Cavaliers forced a decisive and fitting finale to this home-sweet-home playoff series with a 74-69 victory last night over the Celtics, who have gone from regular-season road kings to postseason road kill.

"It was either win or go home," James said. "I'm not ready to go home."

The Cavs packed for a weekend stay in Beantown — not a few weeks relaxing on Cape Cod. They've got at least one more game left, and in the NBA, it's as big as they ever get.

Game 7. Tomorrow. In Boston.

James, whose jump shot has mysteriously been missing in this series, made two key baskets midway through the fourth quarter to slow a Boston comeback, Wally Szczerbiak hit a 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining and Joe Smith dropped two free throws with 14 seconds left as the Cavs moved the series back to the East Coast.

The Cavs are attempting to become the 14th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit and win a series, and to do so, the defending Eastern Conference champions will have to win in Boston, where the Celtics are 7-0 in the postseason and play like a possessed team with title potential.

On the road, they're 0-6 and just ordinary. Still, the Celtics feel good about going home.

"Mentally we feel like we're a confident team," Paul Pierce said. "We've been in Game 7s before, and we feel like this is a game we let slip away. Hopefully, we can go home and take care of business."

The Celtics are 15-3 in Game 7s at home, but the Cavaliers may have some confidence playing on the parquet after nearly winning Games 1 and 5.

"We can win," James said. "We know we can win. We just have to go out there and do it."

Kevin Garnett scored 25 points, Pierce 16 and Ray Allen just nine on 3-of-8 shooting. The Celtics got just two points from guard Rajon Rondo, who scored 20 in their Game 5 win. Boston's point total was the second lowest in franchise playoff history and the fewest points ever given up by Cleveland in the postseason.

Afterward, Celtics coach Doc Rivers was still fuming over some calls he felt went against his team.

"Tell the refs to do the interview. They were just as important," an angry Rivers shouted at a team official as he walked back from the postgame news conference.

James added 12 rebounds, Delonte West had 10 points and Smith came off the bench to add nine, none bigger than his two free throws that closed out the Celtics.

James went 1 for 6 in the first quarter before he began driving to the basket. He drew fouls and scored nine of his 13 first-half points from the foul line.

Unable to explain the Celtics' problems away from home, Rivers said he didn't do anything radical to end Boston's road slide.

"We didn't hold a seance," he said.

The Celtics will now conjure up some of the ghosts from their glorious past as they prepare for their second Game 7 in these playoffs.

"Fortunately, we don't come back to Cleveland," James Posey said. "All we have to do it go home and win."

The Cavaliers played without injured guard Daniel Gibson, one of their best outside shooters who helped close out the Detroit Pistons in last year's conference finals. Gibson separated his left shoulder in Game 5.