It was a good omen right from the start of this game as Perk won the tip although the first minute was sloppy on both sides with a 24 second violation on each team and a defensive 3 second violation on KG. The Cavs came out strong to begin the game rushing out to an 18-9 lead in the first 8 minutes. The Cavs held a 23-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. It seemed like more of the same from games 3 and 4 with the Celtics shooting 35% and the Cavs shooting 50%. The Cavs also beat the Celtics on the boards 10-7 in the first quarter.
The Cavs continued their run in the second quarter as they ran the lead up to 43-29 with 3:35 left in the half. Doc put Rondo back in for Sam and it paid dividends right away as Rondo hit 2 3 pointers in a row to cut the lead to 43-37 Cavs. That started a 14-3 run by the Celtics to cut the lead to 46-43 at the half. LeBron scored 23 points in the half but the Cavs role players didn't get the job done.
The Celtics came out ready to play in the 3rd quarter as Ray hit a jumper to cut the lead to 1. Rondo then got a steal and a layup to take the lead at 47-46. The lead then went back and forth until Boston took the lead for good at 58-55 with 5:15 left in the third. The play of the game came with 3:51 left in the 3rd quarter when Rondo skied for a block on a layup by Delonte West. The lead at the end of 3 was Celtics 72 and Cavaliers 63.
The Celtics got a little sloppy down the stretch as Delonte got a couple of steals and took them in for easy layups and the Cavs were able to cut the Celtics 12 point lead down to 4 points with just 12.2 seconds left in the game. Pierce scored the Celtics last 8 points from the free throw line to seal the 96-89 win.
Rondo was the player of the game as he took over the game on both ends of the floor and finished with 20 points, 2 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and just 1 turnover. Kevin Garnett was also huge in the game with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Paul Pierce was much more aggressive in taking the ball to the hoop while still doing a good job of defending LeBron in the second half. After 23 first half points, James scored just 12 in the second half. Pierce finished with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Ray Allen still struggled with his shot, going only 4-11 from the field for 11 points, but he did a good job of fronting Wally and holding him to just 10 points on 3-8 shooting. Ray also made a big play with 15.6 seconds left and the Celtics leading 93-87. KG missed a jumper and Ray tipped the rebound out to Pierce who was fouled and he hit both free throws to give the Celtics some breathing room. Big Baby gave the Celtics a boost of energy off the bench as he scored 6 points in 11 minutes. At one point he landed full force on Wally which couldn't have been too pleasant for Wally. Sam Cassell once again struggled and went scoreless in 5 minutes of play.
All of the starters except Perk, who was in foul trouble much of the game, played over 40 minutes. It was nice to have Rondo on the floor to start the 4th quarter so that we had momentum right from the beginning. The Celtics ended the game shooting 48% and they held the Cavs to 45%. The Celtics also out rebounded the Cavs 38-30. The Celtics ball movement was excellent in this game as they had 25 assists on 37 field goals. The Cavs had only 11 assists. This game still had a huge disparity in free throws as the Celtics shot 17-23 and the Cavs shot 23-41 from the line. This may have had a different result if the Cavs hit their free throws.
The series shifts back to Cleveland for game 6. Can the Celtics finally get a win on the road? I certainly hope so. The Celtics seem to have found their defensive intensity once again and their ball movement was back. Hopefully they can carry those things over to game 6 and finally pull out a win on the road.
NBA.com is reporting the Danny Ainge has been named Executive of the Year. He earned this award by masterminding the biggest single season turnaround in NBA history. When Danny took over, he made several bold moves including trading Antoine Walker away. He stockpiled young talent in spite of drafting in the middle of the first round. This season he was able to use that young talent to bring in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to return Celtics Pride to Boston.
They will present the award prior to tonight's game 5 in TD Banknorth Garden. Let's hope seeing their GM honored will light a fire under the team.
Well, the Pistons have finished off the Magic in 5 games. They won on the road and they did it without Chauncey Billups. That should concern the Celtics in that they haven't been able to get it done on the road in 5 tries at full strength. Another thing that is concerning is that the Pistons are now sitting back and resting while the Celtics are going to have to go at least 6 games and possibly 7 if the Celtics can find some heart somewhere. This is assuming that the Celtics can come back and win 2 more games. I used to think that the Celtics were a lock for the Eastern Conference finals but the way they have been playing I don't know any more.
My thoughts on what went wrong in game 4. First, the players deserve blame because they didn't play defense. They weren't aggressive. They forgot all about the defensive rotations that made them so effective all season. Second, the players forgot about playing the team offense. Every one was trying to do it all by themselves. Pierce pulling up for quick 3's killed the offensive momentum. They completely forgot how to move the ball against an aggressive defense to find the open man and they have completely abandoned the idea of taking the ball to the basket. You go to the basket and you either get a high percentage shot or get fouled but yet, the Celtics have not been doing that. They have been settling for outside shots.
Much of rebounding is effort and desire. Players have to be aggressive in going after rebounds. They can't just wait for rebounds to come to them. This is how Rajon Rondo or Leon Powe can out rebound the bigger players around them. They simply want them more. Rebounding is crucial to winning games. There is an old adage that "Offense sells tickets, Defense wins games, rebounding wins championships." The reason for this is that when a team wants it more and plays harder they will be getting the rebounds. It's all about effort. The Celtics have been out rebounded on the road almost every time. This speaks to their effort. It just hasn't been there. Second and third chance baskets will kill a team and the Celtics have been allowing it to happen.
And, aside from the players, Doc's substitutions and game management have been head scratching at best. Doc did a good job in the regular season, but in the playoffs when coaching now becomes so much more important and from game to game it becomes a chess match between coaches, Doc hasn't gotten it done. Starting Big Baby in the 4th when he hadn't played at all in the game and playing him for over 5 minutes when he clearly struggled from the first minute was puzzling. Why did Leon play only 6 minutes when he has given the team a lift and has played well throughout the playoffs so far? Why is Sam getting so many ineffective minutes? Rondo was playing great in game 4 and yet he sat way too long. Eddie House is clearly a better shooter than Cassell and he was the one who got us here and he did a very good job of running the team so why is he not getting any minutes? When Sam is in, the ball movement stops and it becomes Sam's shooting gallery. Why had Doc gone so far away from the rotations that won this team 66 games and got them here? I say play Eddie House. I had a good laugh at this photo on Red's Army today and I had to share it here. Makes the point quite well.
Yesterday's Globe had a quote that caught my attention:
Coach Doc Rivers said his team needed to play better "under stress" during the final stretch of games. Pierce and Garnett begged to differ.
"I wouldn't say we're lacking poise," Garnett said. "In a situation like ours, we are trying to do everything that Doc wants us to do. He makes all the calls. He gives us direction. For the most part, we pretty much try to do what he wants."
Said Pierce, "I don't know what he means. I'm stressed every game. Stressed to get a win."
KG saying that the team is doing just what Doc wants is a pretty big indictment on Doc's coaching since they have been failing pretty miserably in the past two games. This looks like Doc putting the blame on the players and the players turning around and putting it right back on Doc. They don't need discord right now. They need Ubuntu. Let's hope they find it quickly. Tonight is a must win for them.
This team has been terrible in the 4th quarter of games. In the fourth quarter of their last 5 road games the Celtics have scored 19, 18, 17, 21, and 12 points respectively. 12 points in the fourth quarter of a game that is a 1 possession game going into the quarter? That is inexcusable. KG being 0-2 in that quarter? That is even worse. How could KG not get more than 2 shots? How can they not score more than 12 points? The Cavs have LeBron to take over in the 4th quarter. The '86 Celtics had Bird who would take over in crunch time. But, the Celtics don't seem to have anyone who is willing to step up in the 4th quarter and take over the game. KG becomes invisible. Pierce resorts to quick 3 point hero shots. Ray Allen has been invisible this whole series other than a spurt in the 3rd quarter of game 4. This team's mental toughness has been questioned. Now is the time for them to step up and close this series out in 6 games and show that they have mental toughness or every one will have a long summer to think about why they didn't.
To state the obvious: These Boston Celtics are not a championship team. It's a huge surprise after their dominance of the regular season, but under the defensive pressure of the playoffs their three stars have lost all feeling for how to play off one another. They are a numb offensive team that doesn't feed off strengths or mismatches, that doesn't develop a go-to scorer during the game and doesn't exhibit poise when mandatory. Over the closing minutes of tight games the Celtics look as if they have no idea where to go with the ball or which of them should take over. This is why no overhauled team has ever won a title in its first year together: It takes years for a championship team to learn to play together and barring some kind of heavenly revelation the No. 1 seed isn't going to achieve that unity this postseason.
I still think this is a championship caliber team. You don't win 66 games at home and then dominate teams on your home court the way the Celtics have without being a championship caliber team. Are they playing like one now? Absolutely not. But I think the problems are fixable with a bit more effort from each player to play the way they did to get them here and with a little better coaching from Doc.
All that being said, the Celtics aren't alone in their struggles on the road in this round. Only the Pistons have won a game on the road in this round. The Spurs, Hornets, Lakers and Jazz haven't been able to do it either. But, they all won a road game in the first round while the Celtics weren't able to get it done then either. I am just hoping they can get it together at home and that it was the road that threw them off. After watching their lack of heart and lack of effort in games 3 and 4, I just don't know any more. The Celtics almost lost game 1 and now the Cavs are coming in with confidence. They have been here before and won games 5 and 6 against the Pistons last season and with that behind them, they know they can do it again, especially the way the Celtics have been playing. I am plenty nervous going into this game.
I had to chuckle over LeBron's mom coming to his aide in game 4. I remember one time when my son was fouled hard in a game and I was down there ready to take the kid on and he was lucky cooler heads around me held me back. It is a mother's instinct to proctect your kids, plain and simple. There have been several times where I would give players an earful in a game. Thankfully, my son never told me to sit my a** down. I raised him better than that.
Tonight's game is huge. It is a must win because the way the Celtics have been playing on the road, they can't afford to give up home court advantage. I just hope the good Celtics show up tonight because if they don't, we will be left with a lot of questions about this team and a long time to wonder about them.
I really don't think Boston will win.. I mean I don't expect another 24 pt blow out but they had 2 pressure situations in ATL where they coulda ended the series in game 4 and game 6.. And they lost both.. They had 3 chances to win on the road and they lost them all. Idk I just don't see us losing.
Scouts Inc. On ESPN picked the Cavs to win this one. They are almost always wrong. But even worse -- SI.com bust out the minicurse by calling Lebron underrated on the cover.
We need to tie the series and if we do I believe we'll have a great chance of winning Game 5 in Boston.
The momentum is definitely in our favor now. Let's carry that big win into tonight's game!
To be honest I don't really see LeBron "getting his shot back" (as they're saying) in this series. It's 75% credited to Boston's defense in my opinion. But I still feel LeBron's shot selection could be better.
“I don’t care who it is when they’re standing in front of me,” West said. “It can be a former team or it could even be my own mama. She’s going down. “I have to get my hands on that trophy.” -- D West
A little tougher to play in our place huh Boston?
Lol ray fouls lebron hard and he falls down
Perkins is gonna get in a fight with somebody
Im surprised how much Boston still swarm lebron considering his scoring has not bin a threat this series in comparison to the rest of the cavs team like Z?
3 guys fouled lebron to the hole!! How did they not call a foul on that play, yet they called two tap fouls on boobie and small bump on sasha. The refs are not calling this straight up.
LeBron gets hit by four defenders taking it to the hoop, finishes...no call!!!!!!! But Casell ("Martian") gets breathed on and A CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This game is rigged... The refs are calling it for Boston, this isn't right. I am sorry, I am not a conspiracy theorist, but this is very one sided so far
I still predict KG and Av have to be separated before this series is over. AV is just the kinda player who gets under KG's skin
Refs are calling it like we are playing in Boston.
Boston is a bad team. They won't win 45 games next year. This should of been a sweep for us.
If that happened, the AV would finally earn his salary
Pierce is such trash, probably my least favorite player in the NBA.
Pierce looks like he wanted to pick him up and take him home.
LOL @ LeBron yelling at his mom LeBron told his mom "Sit yo ass down"
Was that brons mom holding back KG???
Did you see how lebron told her to sit down like that...did u see her throw up her hands ready to fight
I don't think it matters how the cavs play. This game is already decided. This really blows. I have never thought that about a game, but I really think it is.
THE REFS AND THE NBA WANT THE CELTICS TO WIN THIS SERIES LIKE THEY WANTED PATRICK EWING TO GO TO THE KNICKS
I wouldn't feel good if I was the Celtics considering they were riding the refs the whole half and they are still losing. If we had decent refs, we would have a double-digit lead.
Wally is in better shape than Allen
I hate the one on one interviews with KG. People act like he deserves to win more than any other player just because he's aged and ringless. YOU GOTTA EARN IT KEVIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need to build a bigger lead if Doc leaves his bench in. We should just Iso Gibson cause Casell can't guard him.
Ray Allen scares me tonite..hes been strokin 2nd half
If we only had Posey....
Rondo is annoying as hell, dude is fast though
What a pass! That's where LeBron is better than Kobe
Remember folks, Boston likes to choke. That's their game plan.
This has been very fair officiating. Calls have been balanced on both sides.
Kevin garnett seriously has temper issues. I can so see him just ki lling someone
I seriously hate Garnett. I hope he gets T'd up soon.
PJ brown is such a dirty player
CHOKE CHOOKE CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE CHOKE
We got this series in 6 BABY!!!!!
All we need is game 5 and it's over.
I think the Cavs are one of if not the best defensive team in the NBA playoffs.
Now for the OVERRATED STUFF.. Boston..because they had the best record and blew out teams..they GET TOO MUCH ATTENTION..noted by TNT crew WHO JUST reguritate on and on about how the Celts are plaing.. But the Cavs have quitely locked on on their star players...and tonights D was even more intense than what the Celts have been showing..
So how much $ do you think Barkley lost betting the Celtics?
Pierce always looks like he's about to cry. Temper-tantrum Tessie is who he is...
've noticed that! He's looked like that is whole career though so it's nothing new. It's probably just more noticeable now since it's the playoffs and most people are paying more attention to that stuff though. It is kinda funny though.
Guys...When I heard the crowd...WALLY,WALLY,WALLY....Then I recall Minnesota Timberwolves days.....Good old WALLY.....How much I would like to know what he told the Celtics bench when he made that 3 pointer!!!!
I think I heard him yell, "That was WICKED awesome!" back at the Celtics bench in his best Donny Walberg voice. That was another great moment tonight.
Wally World is going on.....We will beat the Celtics....
I love how the Cavs just get NO credit from the national pundits. It's always "Boston not playing up to potential," "Boston not playing smart enough". We're the friggin defending champs!!! The Cavs are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA. I just hope we continue to tear Boston apart. Credit Mike Brown with an AMAZING defensive night here. We showed desire on the glass and defense and wanted this game more.
Now, Let's go fertilize their garden.
Very good win..Now time to silence the Boston garden like the palace was game 5...priceless hahhaha
It is filled with bandwagon fans. It is not the garden.
Game 4 started out much better than game 3, but the end result was the same as the Celtics lost to the Cavaliers 88-77. The Celtics are going back to Boston with their series tied at 2 games apiece once again. In 5 tries, they inexplicably have not been able to win on the road. After a blow out in game 3, they came out more aggressively in this one and kept it close until the final 2 minutes when the Cavaliers pulled away.
Perk got into quick foul trouble and went to the bench with 4:10 left in the first. Perk returned in the second quarter only to pick up his third foul a little over a minute later. He finished with 2 points and 3 rebounds in just 18 minutes of play. PJ Brown benefited the most from Perk's foul problems as he had his best game as a Celtic with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in 22 minutes. It was very puzzling that Leon Powe played only 6 minutes after playing very well in the post season so far. In another puzzling move, Big Baby started the fourth quarter and played 4 minutes with only 1 missed jumper and a foul to show for his efforts.
KG was very active in this game, diving for loose balls and forcing 2 jump balls. He had 13 points in the first half but scored just 2 points in the second half to finish with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in 40 minutes. At times, Paul Pierce was aggressive in taking the ball to the hoop and it seemed as though he would take over the game but then, he would stop driving and settle for quick outside jumpers. He had 13 points on 6-17 shooting to go with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Ray Allen seemed to come alive in the second half, finally breaking out of his shooting slump and scoring 9 of his 15 points in the 3rd quarter. He also pulled down 6 rebounds and dished out 3 assists.
Rajon Rondo did a good job of pushing the pace of the game and he also was more aggressive on offense. He finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in 33 minutes. Sam Cassell struggled In this game as he was 0-5 from the field in 14 minutes of play and defensively he was burned by Daniel Gibson almost every time down. Doc may have left Sam in too long as the offense seemed to stall when Sam was running the point.
Through 3 quarters, the Celtics controlled the boards with a 31-28 advantage at the end of 3. They were out rebounded 6-1 in the fourth quarter however. Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics clearly didn't put the effort out in the final period. Once again, the Celtics gave up too many easy shots as they allowed the Cavs to shoot 46% from the field. On the other end, the Celtics struggled with their offense, shooting just 39%. Unlike the other road games, the Celtics held the edge in free throws as they shot 20-26 to just 12-18 for the Cavs.
There was one moment in the game that was laughable. With 4:13 left in the half, Pierce wrapped up LeBron to prevent a break away dunk. Their momentum took both of them into the crowd where LeBron's mother happened to be sitting. His mother, Gloria, was up and ready to take on the Celtics. To this, LeBron clearly told his mother: "Sit your a** down." It was pretty funny.
The Celtics were within 4 with 2:43 left in the game but they allowed the Cavs to go on a 9-2 run to end the game as the Cavs scored on a variety of dunks and 3 pointers to close out the game. They just seemed tired and a step slow and allowed the Cavs to run away in the final minutes. The Cavaliers' bench came up big with 36 points and 19 rebounds while the Celtics bench struggled with just 17 points and 11 rebounds. No Celtics' subs were in double figures while on the other side Gibson had 14 points and Varejao had 12.
The series now shifts back to Boston for game 5 and hopefully the struggles they have had on the road won't follow them home. The Celtics are still the only team who hasn't won on the road in the post season and their Jekyll and Hyde persona between home and the road has gotten more and more puzzling and more than a little worrisome. Hopefully they can find a solution to their poor play on both ends of the court, or their dream season may end considerably short of the goal.
KG was named to the NBA's All Defensive Team, but he is the only player on the NBA's best defensive team to make it. Rajon Rondo received 11 votes and Paul Pierce received only 2 votes. Here are the complete results.
2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points Forward Kevin Garnett, Boston 24 4 52 Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 24 4 52 Center Marcus Camby, Denver 14 9 37 Guard/Forward Bruce Bowen, San Antonio 13 10 36 Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio 12 9 33
2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points Forward Shane Battier, Houston 9 11 29 Guard Chris Paul, New Orleans 10 6 26 Center Dwight Howard, Orlando 8 9 25 Forward Tayshaun Prince, Detroit 3 14 20 Guard Raja Bell, Phoenix 4 10 18
Other players receiving votes, with point totals (First Team votes in parentheses): Chauncey Billups, Detroit, 14 (5); Jason Kidd, Dallas, 13 (4); Rasheed Wallace, Detroit, 13 (3); Rajon Rondo, Boston, 11 (3); Deron Williams, Utah, 8, (3); Josh Smith, Atlanta, 8, (3); Ron Artest, Sacramento, 8 (2); Tyson Chandler, New Orleans, 8 (1); Andrei Kirilenko, Utah, 6; Derek Fisher, Los Angeles Lakers, 4 (1); LeBron James, Cleveland, 4 (1); Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 4 (1); Kirk Hinrich, Chicago, 3 (1); Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia, 3 (1); Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia, 1 (2); Brandon Roy, Portland, 2; Paul Pierce, Boston, 2; Andre Miller, Philadelphia, 1; Andres Nocioni, Chicago, 1; Baron Davis, Golden State, 1; Caron Butler, Washington, 1; Chris Bosh, Toronto, 1; Dikembe Mutombo, Houston, 1; Josh Howard, Dallas, 1; Richard Hamilton, Detroit, 1; Ronnie Brewer, Utah, 1.
I am at a complete loss as to how a team can be so dominant on defense during the regular season both at home and on the road and can be totally dominant on defense at home in the playoffs and then go on the road and completely forget how to play defense. It just doesn't make sense. Bucks Diary has a theory as to what is happening and they may have a point.
During the regular season, both at home and on the road, Celtic opponents shot free throws at a rate equal to about 45% of their two point baskets attempted. That's high, but given the Celtics physical style, not out of proportion. Likewise during the home portion of the Celtics' postseason, Celtic opponents have shot throws at about the same rate, 45% of their 2Pt FGA. However, since the Celtics lost Game 3 of their Opening Round series to the Hawks in Atlanta, Celtic road opponents have shot free throws at the astounding rate of nearly 70% of their 2 point field goals attempts. No one, not one team in the NBA, gave up free throws at that rate during the regular season... not even the Bucks... and the refs gave the Bucks no quarter on the road. So a leap to 70% by a top-flight defensive unit like the Celtics is an astounding turn of fortune, and it could be the reason the Celtics are suddenly an ineffectual road defensive team. It seems they've been neutered by a band of Zebras.
The free throw discrepancy on the road has been a problem. When the Celtics drive, they get beat up and don't get the foul or even worse, get called for a bogus offensive foul. It is a shame that the officiating is so bad that it can change the whole complexion of a series.
When I saw this video of KG and Bill Russell on ESPN, it brought tears to my eyes. I get goosebumps every time I watch it. Absolutely incredible video. We can only hope that KG will be inspired to lead the Celtics to #17 after having Bill Russell tell him how proud he is of him. I get goosebumps thinking about it.
I don't believe that the Cavs won game 3. I think that the Celtics lost it. There is a big difference. A lot of media pointed to how well the Cavs shot but if Boston was playing defense like they did in Boston, I guarantee that Cleveland would not be shooting as well. Most players can hit wide open shots with no one guarding them. The Celtics lost that game. They have to get back to playing their game including the team defense that they play at home. The Globe reports that the Celtics had a very intense practice on Sunday.
Forward Paul Pierce said he is confident the Celtics will win tomorrow's Game 5 because of the hard practice they had today. He said the key is tough defense.
Yes, tough defense is the key. It is the key to winning games and to winning championships but you have to actually play it to get the win. Hopefully Pierce is right and the Celtics will get the win.
The Pistons have figured out how to win on the road, even without Chauncey Billups. The Lakers lost games 3 and 4 on the road. The Hornets lost games 3 and 4 on the road, but the Pistons won game 4. The Celtics have to do the same. A loss in this game will cast a shadow over this team. We could still win the championship without winning a game on the road as long as we win every game at home, but there would always be an asterisk on the team. Great teams find a way to win on the road. The Pistons have done it. The Lakers won on the road in game in Round 1. The Celtics are the only team still in the playoffs that haven't won on the road. They have to win game 4 to get this monkey off their backs.
In an unreal move, the Celtics petitioned the league to allow them to wear their white jerseys tonight and even more unreal, Stern said yes. The Globe has an article on the lengths to which the Celtics owners are going to try to get the Celtics to mentally feel like they are in Boston for tonight's game. Come on guys, these guys are vererans. They should be able to win regardless of where they are. It is all a matter of focus, effort and desire, not white or green jerseys or clam chowder from room service. The Pistons didn't need to play mental games to win on the road. The Celtics need to look inside to figure out the problems, not a bunch of gimmicks. They simply haven't brought their intensity and effort on the road. They know how to play tough defense and they know how to win on the road. They just aren't doing it. If being the subject of ridicule for being the only team not to win on the road in the playoffs doesn't give them incentive enough to come out and win, a change in jerseys won't do it either. Maybe Wyc should try heart transplants next.
I don't think I have ever seen a worse crybaby than LeBron. He is truly a drama queen. I half expect him to fall on the ground and check his mouth for blood every time a whistle blows even if no one is anywhere near him. Rondo gets knocked silly just about every trip to the basket and he just picks himself up and goes on without any added drama. I am amazed at how tough this kid is. LeBron gets a touch foul and he is wincing and checking his mouth for blood and looking like a truck just hit him. All those acting lessons he took to do the commercials is paying off. Green Bandwagon compares Posey's take down of James to McHales take down of Rambis many years ago. I leave you with the video from their article that compares the two. Great read.
Here are comments found around the Cavs boards during their game with the Celtics. It is amazing how the fans of a team can go from being so down their team and their star to loving them in just one game. In the comments from the last two games everything was how bad the Cavs are and don't deserve to win and then during this game it is all about how they are going take this in 6 games. Ahh... the fickle minds of NBA fans.
New Orleans - San Antonio 2:1 Detroit - Orlando 2:1 Los Angeles - Utah 2:1 Boston - Cleveland 2:1 See a pattern? I guarantee a win for tonight! ;-)
This is a home game at the Q. Not only has CLE historically done better against Boston at home, BOS has been pretty stinko on the road.
Boston will choke.
I agree, all of Boston's big three are known for choking in the playoffs.
Gotta love how the announcers have basically been calling LeBron a flopper when the Celtics have been flopping all over the place lately and they've made no comments at all.
Man I can't stand Boston
West is playing like a real pg tonight.
Boston is overrated. We will win the series. Cavs in 6
And here goes Boston choking another road game away.
There's dirty Posey for you
LeBron with a LITTLE acting there too though.
That wasn't meant to be flagrant. It was clear as daylight that if lebron didn't over react or he didn't bend down it would be normal. I aint complaining though
If this was a baseball game, James Posey would need to go up to bat with some catcher's gear on if I was pitching.
Well, I'm looking forward to Detroit again. Boston is so soft, I'm embarrassed for them.
LeBron needs stop acting so much. It really is a little annoying. Anyways, GO CAVS!
Well, if I coached the Celtics, I would focus our offense down low. They only got KG 6 shots in the first half, you have to assume he is going to finish this game with 18+. Additionally, I would play my big line-up: Perkins, KG, and Posey, try to establish some high percentage offense and force an adjustment.
Pierce is playing incredible defense on Lebron. Never seen anybody do it like he is right now.
We need to look at more Paul pierce driving film,he seems clunky and outta control everytime he drives,I don't get why he doesn't turn it over more
Pierce is deceptive and hard-nosed. That's his game and it's been working for the better part of the last decade. Don't think you're gonna find something that simple at this point. He's got strong hands and a good sense of the angles.
Cassell falls out of bounds without any contact and they don't make any Acting comments. I'm surprised they didn't praise him for the good veteran move. They'd have said LeBron was devil and will be the cause of the demise of basketball.
Like I said after game 1, Boston is not good enough to win the championship, and it's mainly due to their PG play and the fact that they only have one play maker.. If you notice, their only slasher that ca score is Pierce, and he's much better in the post when he faces up... Obviously there's no way we're winning the title either, and Boston is a much better team than we are in terms of talent, but nonetheless, I don't see that team winning it all... There's no way they're better than the Spurs team we faced last season... None.. They're good, but not championship good...
They've got a good defense especially when they are allowed to grab, hold and beat up on you like they are in Boston.
Seriously, when did Paul Pierce become an all world defender?
Rondo's looking down. That might bode well for the cavs for the rest of the series. A bad game or two in the playoffs can really get to a young player's confidence.
Doc is an avg coach..his D IQ is not even upto MB's mark..his team makes him look as a gr8 coach...in my books he just sucks...
Yessssssss rondo is sad..
LOL at Rondo. Dude got absolutely crushed out there tonight.. I felt bad for him in a way.
If the Cavs play half as good as they did tonight for the rest of the series and LeBron plays like he should, we will win this series in 6!
Tonight was a nice win, but I'm not very excited at all. We HAVE to win Monday, and I can almost assure you that Boston will play much, much better on Monday and the game will be much, much tighter.
