CLEVELAND — Kevin Garnett and Joe Smith share a bond, and painful memories, that literally go skin deep.

Garnett and Smith were teammates in Minnesota from 1998-2000 and again from 2001-03. The two big men anchored the Timberwolves frontcourt and Smith says he “guarded Kevin every day.”

But in May 2000, the lives of both men changed forever. After a birthday celebration for Garnett in downtown Minneapolis, teammate Malik Sealy’s sport-utility vehicle was hit by a pickup truck traveling the wrong way down the highway, killing Sealy. The truck was driven by Souksangouane Phengsene, 43, who survived the accident with head and chest injuries.

It was later learned that Phengsene was driving drunk with a blood-alcohol content of .19, which is above the legal limit in Minnesota. He was subsequently given a four-year prison term.

Sealy was a popular teammate and was especially close to Garnett and Smith.

Smith thought so much of Sealy that he had a tattoo inscribed on his right arm that reads, “Only God can Judge me. Rest in Peace MS2.”

MS2 is Sealy’s initials and uniform number. Garnett received the same tattoo a few weeks after Smith.

“It was a tough situation to get over when you lose a teammate, especially in that fashion,” said Smith. “Everybody was close with Malik. That was the type of person he was.”

When Smith and Garnett see each other in this series, Sealy is on their minds. As Smith enters the game, he and Garnett bump arms where the Sealy tattoos sit.

Smith said he thought Phengsene “got off too easy,” after the incident. He has since been charged in two more drunken-driving cases.

One came in October 2006. Then, on March 30, 2008, Phengsene was arrested in Minneapolis on suspicion of drunken driving.

He was sentenced to another eight years in prison on April 28.

Cavs’ Wallace is recovered

There was plenty of intrigue as to whether Ben Wallace would play or not last night.

Wallace left Game Two in Boston during the first quarter with a case of dizziness and was later diagnosed with an inner-ear infection and a bad bout with allergies.

Wallace did not practice Friday or yesterday morning but was in the starting lineup.

He was introduced as a starter, but Anderson Varejao ran out on the floor. Wallace was indeed in the starting five, however, and he helped right away with three baskets in the first quarter. Varejao, Wallace, Smith and Zydrunas Ilgauskas give the Cavs depth up front. Wallace and Smith were part of the major trade the team made in February.

“That’s where their trade makes sense,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “You lose one guy and you have two others to fill the void. That tells you how deep they are in that spot.”

Rivers, Cavs go way back

Rivers has a history with the Cavaliers. Growing up outside Chicago, Rivers frequently made a long ride to Ohio to watch his uncle, Jim Brewer, play for the Cavaliers. The Cavs played at the Richfield Coliseum in those days. “I was a huge Cavs fans. I used to come to Richfield, which was a heck of a ride. We drove but I don’t know what that drive was. When you’re a little kid you don’t remember much of anything about car rides.”

Rivers’ favorite player was high-scoring guard Austin Carr. He attended Carr’s summer camp for several years and marveled at his skills. “He would come in and do these shooting shows. It wasn’t a show but it was for me because he never missed,” said Rivers. “He became one of my favorite players. When we had our second son, I named him after Austin Carr.”

Austin Rivers is now a high school sophomore living in Florida who happens to be one of the elite hoopsters in his class nationally.

kmcnamar@projo.com