Kevin Garnett offers postgame thoughts after the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Asked what fuels him, Garnett said: "The competition, the naysayers, the owners who talk too much. The people who don't think a 36-year-old can do what I do. I take a lot of pride in my craft, I work really hard at my craft everyday, and I'm a true professional."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers heaped praise on Garnett's effort in Game 5 in which the Big Ticket chipped in a team-high 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting with 11 rebounds and two blocks over 35:36 to carry Boston to a 94-90 triumph.

"He's just amazing," said Rivers, while pointing out Garnett's insane playoff plus/minus stats. "(He) doesn't have to score -- obviously, we need his scoring, that's important -- but he just, he's our life. I mean, he really is. He just does so many things that don't have numbers to it. A lot of it is with his voice. He's, in a strange way, a calming effect on some of our guys, if you can ever call Kevin that, he is. He's just been terrific for us."