CLE Cavaliers at BOS Celtics (May 06, 2008)
2008-05-06 00:53:00
PA SPORTSTICKER PRO BASKETBALL NOTE
+No. 1 Boston (66-16) vs. No. 4 Cleveland (45-37)+
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By Ed Kacik
PA SportsTicker Staff Writer
KEY MATCHUPS: Celtics C Kevin Garnett, the NBA's Defensive
Player of the Year, averaged a team-high 21 points and nearly
nine rebounds a game in the opening round against a young and
inexperienced Atlanta Hawks defense. Things won't be nearly as
easy this time around for Garnett, who will be tested on both
ends of the floor. C Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was second on the
Cavaliers with 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in the first round
against the Washington Wizards, should keep Garnett busy on the
defensive end. Meanwhile, it will be up to four-time Defensive
Player of the Year C Ben Wallace to limit the Celtics' emotional
leader in the low post. Wallace, who was acquired from the
Chicago Bulls during the regular season, had eight blocks in the
first round and certainly has the size and strength to compete
with Garnett on the blocks.
PIVOTAL PLAYERS: No player in the NBA has been able to limit
Cavaliers F LeBron James on offense. After winning his first
league scoring title by averaging 30 points per game during the
regular season, the 23-year-old phenom continued his dominance
in the opening round, scoring 29.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.7
assists in the six-game series vs. the Wizards. James has
proven he is capable of carrying his team through the playoffs
but will have his hands full trying to counter Boston's "Big
Three." ... With battles looming on both ends of the floor for
Garnett, F Paul Pierce and G Ray Allen will need to step up even
more against the Cavaliers. Pierce averaged 18 points and made
42 percent of 3-pointers in the first round but struggled to
control his emotions and stay out of foul trouble, even drawing
a $25,000 fine by the NBA for making a "menacing gesture" during
Game Three. The Celtics also will rely on Allen, who averaged
16.1 points in the opening round, to help counter the Cavaliers'
outside shooting.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: "We just have to let (the first round) go.
We can celebrate for maybe an hour, but then let it go and
back to the scouting report. Besides LeBron (James), they have
a lot of guys that can play, they just came out of a tough
Washington series, we just have to have another great focus." -
Celtics C Kendrick Perkins
"We are a very experienced team. We didn't come into the
postseason saying, 'Let's just win the first round.' We want to
get back to the (NBA) Finals and we want to win it. We know
how the second round of the series is. We have lost in the
second round and we have won the second round before. It's
going to be very important that we maintain our focus on another
level. We need to step it up another level. ... We need to be
prepared to win on the road. You have to do that to win in the
postseason." - James
SEASON SERIES & HISTORY: The Celtics and Cavaliers split the
season series - two games apiece - as both teams failed to win a
game on the road. ... Boston hasn't faced Cleveland in the
postseason since the 1991-92 campaign, when the Celtics were
ousted in seven games during the Eastern Conference semifinals.
... Cleveland lost its first two postseason series against
Boston, falling, 3-1, in the first round of the 1985 playoffs
after losing in six games during the 1976 conference finals.
PREDICTION: The Celtics were widely considered the favorites to
reach the NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference after posting a
league-high 66 wins during the regular season. However, Boston
stumbled in the opening round, needing seven games to oust the
Hawks after failing to win a game in Atlanta. While Boston won
by an average of 25 points at home in the opening round, they
struggled to contain an athletic group of players led by G Joe
Johnson, who averaged 20 points per game. If the Celtics
struggled to guard Johnson, how are they ever going to contain
James - arguably the best player in the NBA? James has proven
that he can put his team on his back and carry them to the
Finals, as he did last season. But, despite an attempt to
improve the supporting cast with a mid-season trade, it's likely
Cleveland doesn't have enough talent overall to contain the
Celtics' trio of Garnett, Pierce and Allen. James will dominate
the series but his teammates will struggle to produce against
the Celtics' top-notch defense, which got a rude awakening in
the first round. CELTICS IN SEVEN.
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