If the Boston Celtics are lucky enough to raise their 17th National Basketball Association championship banner this June, they may just look back at Game One of the Eastern Conference semifinals as the launching point that got them there.Not all victories are created the same, and some are much uglier than others. Tuesday night at the Garden, the Celtics’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers was no exception. A quick glance at the numbers tells the story; the Celtics held the Cavaliers to 30 percent shooting, the two teams combined for nearly 40 turnovers, and three out of the four future Hall of Famers on the floor didn’t bother to show up. Despite the fact that there have been CYO games prettier than this one, the Celtics will take the victory and move on.Despite the Celtics’ offensive struggles, they did manage to find a hot hand, and on the day when Lakers star Kobe Bryant won the MVP award, Kevin Garnett made a strong case for himself, scoring 28 points, including the go-ahead basket late in the fourth quarter. Following the game, an exhausted Garnett said, “I was just being aggressive; I noticed that they were trapping from different positions, saw a lane, and just was aggressive. I took my time, got my head up, just a good shot and that’s it. Nothing more or less to it, just trying to be a lot more aggressive on the floor.”As the series continues tonight at the Garden (Game 2, 7 p.m., CSNE), the Celtics will try to take a 2-0 series lead. In a series with so much star power, it is the battle of the benches that may determine which team moves on.Ray Allen made it clear; the Celtics are much more than the “Big Three.” Praising the contributions of veterans Sam Cassell and James Posey, Allen said, “Sam hit some big shots for us. Posey had some big plays; we are a team of many different parts. We have guys that can play and win games for us. We have always known that, and that’s what we pride ourselves on.”The Celtics also know that they cannot count on another LeBron James disappearing act. Paul Pierce, for one, says that this series can only get better from here.”I was looking at it that I can’t play any worse than this, and we got a win,” Pierce said. “I look at it as it’s all uphill. Again, Ray can’t play as bad as he did, or LeBron, so I think we’re setting ourselves up for an exciting series, man. Obviously, it was ugly, but I look forward to getting even better and better.”Ugly or not, winning is beautiful, and the Celtics look to remain perfect at home in the playoffs tonight at the Garden.