cleveland cavaliers

The Boston Celtics' first NBA championship banner in 22 years is hanging from the rafters of their arena.

The banner was raised Tuesday night at the end of a ceremony in which players were presented with their championship rings before their season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Two prolonged contract holdouts early last season hurt the Cleveland Cavaliers, damaging their chances of getting back to the NBA finals.

They made sure it wouldn't happen again. The club signed restricted free agent guard Delonte West to a two-year contract Friday, a deal that includes a third-year club option for 2011-12.

Guard Delonte West signed a multiyear deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, ending concerns the restricted free agent would hold out at training camp.

General Manager Danny Ferry didn't disclose terms of the deal Friday. The Cavaliers acquired West from the Seattle SuperSonics on Feb. 21 as part of a three-team, 11-player trade.

West played in 61 games for Seattle and Cleveland and averaged 8.3 points. He filled a need for a starting point guard.

The Boston Celtics will now face the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Eastern Conference finals. That series tips off on Tuesday.

The Celtics won their place in the finals with a 97-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the semifinals on Sunday in Boston.

Unable to carry the Cleveland Cavaliers to a win, LeBron James will have to settle for a memorable performance in a loss.

James scored 45 points on 14-of-29 shooting in the Cavaliers' 97-92 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday.

His teammates mustered very little, including Wally Szczerbiak, who was scoreless, but James didn't blame anyone.