Celtics-Cavs Second Round Series

[BuckNutty]

It's been difficult to watch this series. Growing up in Massachusetts the only Boston team I ever liked was the Celtics. I've lived in Ohio for most of my life and I'm a big Lebron fan. I've actually found myself rooting for Cleveland, probably because I dislike Boston fans more than I like the Celtics. The KG antics don't help Boston's cause.

Gotta believe the game 5 winner wins the series.

 

[OH10]

Gotta believe the game 5 winner wins the series.

Agreed. Can't see any way for the other team to win two in a row, with one on the opposing team's court.

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Cavaliers looking to pave the road to glory

Without home-court advantage, Cleveland must score one in Boston
Wednesday, May 14, 2008Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter
So much chatter has followed the Boston Celtics and their playoff road woes (0-5), but the Cavaliers have not exactly been dominant in playoff games away from The Q, either.
The Cavs are 2-3 on the road this postseason and have yet to win at Boston, where they will meet the Celtics at 8 tonight in Game 5 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Cavs did not have much success on the road during the regular season (18-23) and they ended it losing six of their last nine and one of those wins, against Philadelphia, came via a controversial call.




Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Home court more of a high tech affair, Bill Livingston says


Wednesday, May 14, 2008Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist
Boston Garden, a scarred battleground with a par quet floor made of scraps of wood left over from World War II, is no more.
All the "pits" are gone now. There was Chicago Stadium, with the locker rooms in the cellar, where visitors felt like burrowing animals under attack; old Madison Square Garden, where the rims were so loose they were called "sewers" because everything went down them; and assorted nightmare edifices across other time zones.
TD Banknorth Garden is a sleepy, corporate name for the Boston Celtics' new home. The intimidation is supposed to come from the crowd noise, generated by the same fans Atlanta's Mike Bibby called "front-runners" in the first round series, and from the physically coldest arena in the NBA. Boston Garden, which was not air-conditioned, was the league's hottest. Fire then, ice now.




Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Hoop looks a little tighter in Boston, says Terry Pluto


Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Imagine being a Boston Cel tic fan. Your team goes from 24 wins in 2006-07 to 66 this season. Your team was 31-10 on the road! Your team was 25-5 ver sus the tougher Western Con ference. Your team has three poten tial future Hall of Fam ers in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Your team is certainly the beast of the Eastern Conference, if not the best in all of basketball - at least in the regular season. Now, they are about to blow a series to Cleveland? In the second round? After being up, 2-0? Your team that has not survived the first round in five years? Your team that really hasn't been a championship contender since the late 1980s? Your team is going to fall apart . . . now?
Yes, it's like that in Boston.
It's also a little like that in the Boston dressing room, where players heard coach Doc Rivers say too many of them took "hero shots," trying to win the game themselves. He added, "We have to play better under stress." Ouch! Keep in mind the Boston Big Three of Pierce, Allen and Garnett have won as many championships as you have. None of them have even played in the finals. And these aren't kids, Allen being 32, Garnett 32 on May 19 and Pierce 30. They have this season, and maybe next year to win a title. The players know it. The coaches know it. All of New England knows it. The pressure is on the Green, which hasn't won a road game since April 14 in New York. In the Boston Globe, columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote the phrases "melt down" and "title dreams go down the drain" in the same sentence - the first sentence of his column from the Cavs' 88-77 victory in Game 4.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Cavs get another shot
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Aim to improve on shooting woes, turnovers in first games in Boston[/FONT]
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
BY Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

INDEPENDENCE When Daniel Gibson walked out of TD Banknorth Garden last week, the Cavs guard didn't leave with good memories.

Two losses and two poor offensive performances left the Cavs in a hole in the Eastern Conference semifinals. A week later, their series even at 2-2, Gibson said the Cavs are eager for their return to Boston tonight for Game 5. The game tips at 8.

"Everybody's focused, everybody's ready to go out there and try to get a win," Gibson said after the Cavs practiced Tuesday afternoon before heading to Boston.

Gibson didn't do a whole lot in Boston the first time around, but became a huge factor in Cleveland by Game 4.

"That's the thing about a series," Gibson said. "As it goes on, you tend to get better with knowing how to play the game, knowing when to pick your spots, when to score, when to pass, when to make plays (by) just becoming comfortable with a team."
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Cavaliers Notebook: Varejao makes Garnett work for his points
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
BY Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

INDEPENDENCE Not all of the Cavs' adjustments are coming on the offensive end. A change on the defensive end is working out well, too ? putting Anderson Varejao on Kevin Garnett.

The Cavs began doing more of that in Game 2 and Varejao played extensive minutes off the bench guarding the Celtics All-Star the past two games. And after ripping the Cavs for 28 points in Game 1, Garnett has averaged 15 points over the last three games.

"Just (be) more aggressive, more physical," Varejao said is his strategy with Garnett. "Don't give him any air space to think about what to do. That's pretty much it. And everybody did a great job moving on defense."

Head Coach Mike Brown doesn't expect Varejao or starter Ben Wallace to shut down Garnett, but just make him work for shots. Garnett took just 13 shots Monday, one less than point guard Rajon Rondo, a sign the Cavs are succeeding. "Varejao is doing a terrific job on Kevin right now, and we need to try to keep him moving in the post," Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers said.

Cont....

 

[Bestbuck36]

If Andy continues to mess up KG and Lebron finally finds his shooting touch, I think we can steal one in Boston. It'll take both of those things and more to do it but I've just got a feeling we're going to see a lakefront final again this season.

 

[exhawg]

On the bright side the Celtics really haven't had a good game offensively this series, which says a lot about the Cavs D. The biggest difference between games 1 & 2 and games 3 & 4 was the Cavs scoring. If they continue to play the defense that they've been playing the whole series without the TO's and decent scoring they can win this series. If Lebron can go for 30-40 and get his % up around 40 the Cavs will win tonight.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I think it will be a double digit win for the Celtics tonight.....both teams play very well at home.....so far it has been a very good series.....much like the regular season match-ups.....

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I think it will be a double digit win for the Celtics tonight.....both teams play very well at home.....so far it has been a very good series.....much like the regular season match-ups.....

We shall see...the line is 8.5 tonight...

I think it comes down to LBJ in the clutch, much like game 1...We will see how he plays...

 

[Napoleonbuck]

I'm feeling a Cavs victory. Aside from two quarters in game two, the Cavs have played consistently with or above Boston.

I definitely don't see a double digit victory, unless the Cavs are held to 60's or the low 70's. Boston hasn't shown any ability to be successful consistently against the Cavs defense, both home and away. No reason to think that will change now.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

I'm feeling a Cavs victory. Aside from two quarters in game two, the Cavs have played consistently with or above Boston.

I definitely don't see a double digit victory, unless the Cavs are held to 60's or the low 70's. Boston hasn't shown any ability to be successful consistently against the Cavs defense, both home and away. No reason to think that will change now.

I agree with this...if West, Wally, Boobie, Smith can show up and shoot the ball well tonight we will have a great shot...

 

[Piney]

If Lebron can go for 30-40 and get his % up around 40 the Cavs will win tonight.

I think that should scare any Celtic fan. All the Cavs need is a big night from LeBron and the tables are turned. LeBron has been turning it around the last few games and it just feels like he will break out tonight.

My prediction... the Cavs start strong but the Celtics come back in the 2nd quarter and take the lead midway through the 3rd quarter. Then LeBron takes it to another level in the 4th quarter while Pierce and Garnett disappear again.

Cavs win by 6-10 pts.

 

[exhawg]

I think that should scare any Celtic fan. All the Cavs need is a big night from LeBron and the tables are turned. LeBron has been turning it around the last few games and it just feels like he will break out tonight.

My prediction... the Cavs start strong but the Celtics come back in the 2nd quarter and take the lead midway through the 3rd quarter. Then LeBron takes it to another level in the 4th quarter while Pierce and Garnett disappear again.

Cavs win by 6-10 pts.

I hope that the old Celtics are getting a little tired. That will help the Cavs if it's true. They've played every other day for a while now.