If someone had told you that the Cavaliers would hold Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to a combined four points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, you would have felt very confident in a Cleveland victory. On the other hand, if that same person told you LeBron James would go 2 for 18 from the floor, you would be certain that the wine and gold would lose Game 1. Even though both events occurred, the latter scenario held true as the Cavs went down 76-72 last night in Boston.
It was too much Kevin Garnett for Boston, as The Big Ticket scored 28 points, including two big hoops down the stretch to give the Celtics two point leads in the final minute. And as predicted, Rajon Rondo hurt the Cavs, scoring 15 points and dishing out six assists. Twinsburg graduate James Posey was also a key player for Boston, scoring 8 points and contributing to the tough defense the green played on LeBron James.
Boston played excellent team defense, not just on James, but also in total. The wine and gold shot just 30% from the floor, and a paltry 4 for 18 from behind the three-point line. As has been the story in all seven playoff games, when the Cavaliers are making shots, they win. Last night, they didn’t and they lost a game in which they themselves played excellent defense. You have to figure if James has even a below average shooting game, Cleveland takes the home court advantage by winning Game 1.
However, part of LBJ’s problems was due to the design, or lack of it, of the Cleveland offense. The Celtics decided to put two, sometimes three men on #23, in an effort to get the ball out of his hands, and also to keep him from going to the basket. Why doesn’t Mike Brown have James come off screens and get the ball in motion? Also, is it against the rules to have James post up from time to time? It’s easy for a good defensive team to find LeBron James. He’s the guy with the ball dribbling at the top of the key while his teammates flatten out or to try to run a pick and roll with him. It’s too easy for a team like Boston.
The only Cavaliers who had a good offensive night was Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who scored 22 points on 8 of 18 shooting. Actually, Wally Szczerbiak wasn’t bad either, hitting 5 of 14, including two of the team’s four three point shots.
Another curious decision was the DNP attached to Devin Brown’s name in the box score. Coach Brown decided to go with the returning Sasha Pavlovic instead. D. Brown has outplayed Pavlovic all season long, and was a key contributor throughout the regular season. He deserves some playing time because he is such a versatile player.
The wine and gold now have to win Game 2, or they face an uphill battle. Remember, they lost the first two games against Detroit last year, only to win four straight, so they have overcome an 0-2 deficit before. James will be better, but so will Allen and Pierce. The Cavs need Anderson Varajao to step up and play Garnett, because the combination of Ben Wallace and Joe Smith struggled last night. Once again, and it sounds simplistic, the Cavs need to make shots. If they do, they can come home all tied in the series.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 