J.R. Smith clebrates after hitting his second consecutive three in the fourth quarter

Western Conference Semi-Final: Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Denver Nuggets (2) Series Tied 2-2

Game 4: Denver 120 – Los Angeles 101

The Nuggets’s balanced attack last night was far too much for L.A. to handle.  The Nuggets had all five of their starters in double figures, with Billups leading the way with 24 points.  On an off night for Anthony the Nuggets needed the rest of their team to step up in a big way in order to tie the series up and that’s exactly what happened.  Denver also received a significant contribution from the bench.  J.R. Smith had 24 points, Linus Kleiza added 10 points and Chris Andersen’s energy off the bench was infectious.

J.R. Smith started bombing from deep last night going 4 for 9 from three point range, though the Nuggets as a team struggled once again from deep.  Kleiza also shot 2 of 3, but the rest of the Nuggets’ roster shot 1 of 12 from deep.  The Nuggets’ two biggest advantages were the extra possessions they got from dominating the boards with a +18 advantage and also they stayed aggressive all night taking it to the lane and shot 49 free throws.

Nene had a particularly good overall offensive game scoring 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting.  More impressive than his scoring numbers was his passing skills that were on display yesterday.  Nene had 6 assists on the night including a pretty dish in the fourth where he drove into the heart of the Lakers defense drawing three defenders to him and then dishing it back to a cutting J.R. Smith for an easy dunk.

The rebounding advantage was stunning because of the Lakers significant height advantage in the frontcourt, but the Nuggets simply outworked them on the boards last night.  Kenyon Martin grabbed 15 rebounds, Nene 13 and Birdman 14.  It’s one thing for the Lakers to get beat if Denever’s shooting well from the field, but they only shot 44.8% from the field and won simply because the Lakers once again failed to work as hard as their opponent, in what has become a consistent trend in the playoffs.

The Lakers got contributions again both from Bryant, 34 points, and Gasol who had 21 points and 10 rebounds.  Outside of these two however scoring was severly lacking for L.A.  Bynum showed some signs in the fourth quarter of waking up hitting on a few nice post moves with the smaller Nene on him.  Odom once again vanished throughout the game as he has done all series making little ot no contribution in his 30 minutes on the floor.

The biggest worry however for the Lakers must be their point guard situation which is becoming more and more of an issue.  Not only are they getting almost no production there offensive, but they are turning the ball over and can’t seem to stay in front of anybody they are matched up against.

With the series shifting back to L.A. for Game 5 the Lakers did regain homecourt advantage by winning Game 3 in Denver.  They cannot get complacent however since the Nuggets have already proved that they can win on the road at the less than intimidating Staples Center.  The Lakers need to watch out for J.R. Smith who may have finally found his stride in this series and can be lethal off the bench, particularly if Carmelo can regain his touch from the field as well.

Phil Jackson needs to get better minutes from Odom, who can present the Nuggets with match-up problems they will struggle to find an answer for.  I would like to see Odom start the game alongside Gasol, where he seems to play much better.  This lineup will also give them a much more athletic team that can run with the Nuggets and Odom’s interior passing ability along with his ball handling skills can be a huge advantage for the Lakers.  Odom is a player that when he gets going early is extremely effective, so the Lakers should look to him early in the game.  I expect the Lakers to win Game 5, but this series should go the distance with L.A. pulling it out in 7.

Western Conference Finals: Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Denver Nuggets (2) Los Angeles Leads Series 2-1

Game 3: Los Angeles 103 – Denver 97 F

Have the real L.A. Lakers finally showed up?  I think so, though more out of necessity rather than that they have suddenly become motivated.  This team has shown the ability throughout the season and the playoffs to raise their level of play when it they absolutely need too.  In Denver they have found an opponent that they cannot afford to take games, halves, quarters even possessions off against.

Kobe Bryant was on fire last night showing off his entire offensive repertoire taking advantage of the smaller Dahntay Jones and posting him up.  He was also aggressive particulary in the fourth quarter and got to the line 17 times on the night converting on 15.  Bryant was also effective dishing the ball out last night, particulary in situations where the Nuggets sent double teams or when Bryant’s penetration forced them to rotate.  He had a particularly nice no-look pass to Fisher in the second quarter for a wide open layup.

Bryant got a lot of help from the rest of his crew, specifically Gasol and Ariza.  Gasol and Ariza both came up big in the fourth quarter with Gaosl taking advantage of his size against Chris Andersen and his quickness against Nene who was in constant foul trouble in the second half.  Gasol scored on two consecutive possessions in the post mid-way during the fourth quarter.  Ariza hit two open three pointers in the fourth quarter, making the Nuggets pay for leaving him open on the perimeter.  Ariza also came up with the big steal again at the end of the game much like in Game 1.  This was even more important since Anthony was onlyforced to foul him and in the process fouled out of the game.

The Lakers played excellent defense in the second half, particularly against Anthony who only scored 3 points, all free throws, in the second half after an 18 point first.  They also limited Kenyon Martin and Nene Hilario throughout the game.  The Lakers continue to lay off of K-Mart and unless he can hit that open 16 foot jumper the Lakers will continue to play off of him, closing off penetration into the lane.

The Nuggets actually led the game msot of the way, even though they had an extremely poor shooting night.  They shot only 39.3% from the field and were even worse from deep as they shot 5-27 from three.  Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony were in all regards horrific from the three shooting 2-7 and 1-7 respectively.  Both of them put up a number of questionable forced shots and Anthony even airballed a three.

The Nuggets need Nene to stay out of foul trouble since while he was in the game he was effective.  He shot 5-9 for 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 31 minutes.  The Nuggets need to get Nene more touches in the post last night, where he operated extremely effective against Gasol in the first quarter.  They also need Billups to not settle for jumpers and drive to the lane more.  This will put the pressure on the Lakers defense and should lead to more free throw attempts or Billups can kick it out for open jump shots.

Carmelo Anthony was shut down in the second half and the Nuggets’ inability to hit jumpers were critical in holding Anthony back.  With the Nuggets missing the Lakers were able to send extra defenders in Anthony’s direction and force him into passing the ball or turn it over.  The good news for the Nuggets is that J.R. Smith looked much better last night, hitting a few perimeter shots and really playing good defense against Bryant, not giving him anything easy down the stretch.

What is inexcusable was the Nuggets’ inability to make a simple inbound pass for the second time in the series.  This falls directly on head coach George Karl who has done more to hurt the Nuggets in this series than help.  His decision to have Kenyon Martin inbound the ball was only made worse by the fact that it looked as if Anthony was the only option on the play on a set play coming out of a timeout they were forced to call after being unable to inbound the ball previously.

Karl should also think about giving the Lakers some different looks.  The Nuggets could try and play some small ball lineups moving Anthony to the 4, allowing for Kleiza to play alongside him J.R. Smith, Billups and Nene or Andersen.  This lineup would give the Nuggets 4 perimter threats on the floor spreading the Lakers defense out and making it easier to get penetration into the lane.  This will also allow the Nuggets to push the tempo and play high pressure defense against the Lakers.  They may also able to make Bynum a non-factor by speeding the game up.

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Orlando Magic (2) Orlando Leads Series 2-1

Game 3: Orlando 99 – Cleveland 89 F

Cleveland needs to change their strategy in this series completely in order to win this game.  It’s a testament to how dominant James has been for the Cavaliers in this series that they only lost by 10 points last night and split the games in Cleveland.  The Cavaliers are not athletic enough to rotate out on Orlando’s shooters, are getting killed penetration and have no answer for the Magic’s pick and roll offense, especially when they run it with Dwight Howard against Ilgauskas.

Mike Brown is going to need to make some adjustments to give the Cavaliers enough speed and athleticism to match-up with the Magic.  They should start a lineup with Mo Williams, Delonte West, Sasha Pavlovic, James and Anderson Varejao.  Playing James at the 4 should be fine as he will be matched up with Rashard Lewis who will not be able to post James up, additionally Varejao starting at the 5 will neutralize the pick and roll to an extent because Varejao’s speed will allow him to recover quicker.  They will also be able to recover more effectively in transition when the Magic try to increase the pace of the game where Cleveland has been burned all series long.

This lineup will also create more opportunities for Cleveland to create more penetration into the lane.  If the Magic are forced to rotate the Cavaliers have four players in this lineup that can hit the 3.  Also Varejao is extremely good at moving without the ball and if Howard is forced to rotate he can take advantage.  While this lineup will be giving up size, their speed and ability to rotate faster will make it easier for them to box players out and limit offensive rebounding opportunities.

James was once again a force scoring 41 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and had 9 assists.  James accounted for 63 of Cleveland’s 89 points last night and his ability to create for others was on display throughout.  Even though he dominated the ball for much of the time he only turned the ball over twice.  Cleveland needs to get better production from the trio of Williams, West and Pavlovic specifically in hitting the open jumpers Lebron is creating for them.  Ilgauskas also needs to hit open jumpers to force Howard out of the paint.  One player the Cavaliers should play more is Joe Smith specifically for his ability to hit the open jumper and draw defenders out of the paint.

The Magic were execellent last night and were incredible defensively.  Their rotations were perfect and they closed out well on the Cavaliers’ shooters, forcing misses or extra passes.  Their size, length and speed are proving difficult for the Cavaliers to crack.  The duo of Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat has also been able to effectively control the paint and without having to respect Cleveland’s bigs it is making it nearly impossible for the Cavaliers to get easy baskets in the halfcourt.

Howard was a beast in the fourth quarter and became indefensible when he hit 14 of 19 from the free throw line for the night.  Alston finished 6 of 13 but by hitting 5 of his first 6 he provided Orlando with some early offense while Lewis and Turkoglu were sturggling and Howard saddled on the bench with 2 early fouls.  The biggest contribution throughout this series for the Magic has been Mickael Pietrus however who continues to hit open jumpers, hound James on defense and provide energy plays for the Magic crashing the glass and grabbing loose balls.  So far Cleveland has struggled to find an answer for Pietrus.

The Magic are moving the ball effectively and are executing their offense to perfection either leaking out after the Cavaliers miss or running the pick and roll in the halfcourt.  Orlando needs to change nothing and simply continue to do what they are doing until Cleveland can force them to adjust which has not happened so far through 3 games in this series.

Horrendous Officiating:

I used to believe that officials in the NBA used to rig games and that David Stern was a puppet master controlling teams’ destiny in the playoffs.  At this point it’s hard to believe that anymore with how uneven the officiating has been in all the playoff series.  How can two teams shoot 86 free throws combined in a game as the Magic and Cavaliers did last night?  How do Varejao, Ilgauskas and Dwight Howard foul out last night?

One thing that’s become apparent in the playoffs is that the officials have decided anytime there is contact of any kind a foul must be called.  The NBA should protect its players, but last I checked contact is part of the game and it should be officiated as such.  We do not need to see a foul called everytime James drives to the lane or everytime Howard posts up.  The biggest problem is that these officials are anticipating contact and therefore are anticipating fouls and calling games as such.  Officiating is not about anticipating what is going to happen, but about reacting to what HAS happened.

The worst part of all this has been how the flow of these games continues to get disrupted.  Basketball is best viewed when it is free flowing, because we get to watch the best athletes compete at the highest level and the best part is that that in this case the game is in the players’ hands not at the whims and behest of NBA officiating crews.

The officials need to a significantly better job of doling out flagrant fouls and technicals as well which disrupt the flow of the game more than the personal fouls do and more importantly have more repurcussions for the players.  Once again these are grown men and hard fouls are part of the game.  Let the players determine the game on the court, because fans don’t watch the games to see officials determining the course of playoff games by which team shoots more free throws.

There are often moments in sports that change players, franchises and cities.  These are moments that change the course of expected events and move a team ever closer to an achievement that previously seemed desperate.  Lebron James’ game-winner as time expired on Friday was one of those moments.

THE HISTORY:

Cleveland sports history and the Cavaliers’ history are filled with mostly moments of despair and failure.  This is a city whose last championship came in 1962 when Browns won an NFL Championship, 4 years before the NFL-AFL merger and the inception of the Super Bowl.  The Browns as we are familar with went on to tear the hearts from the city’s fans losing the 1986 AFC Championship game at the hands of John Elway and “The Drive”.  The following year they lost as Earnest Byner fumbled at the goal line en route to a late fourth quarter game-tying touchdown in the title game, again to the Broncos.

The Cleveland Indians lost the 1997 World Series to the Florida Marlins, in the process becoming the first team to have lost a lead while heading into the 9th inning of the seventh game.  Jose Mesa gave up the game tying run and in the 11th inning the Indians lost as Edgar Renteria drove in the game winning run.  Then of course there are the Cleveland Cavaliers and “The Shot”.

MJ celebrates "The Shot"

If ever a franchise was defined by one play it is the Cleveland Cavaliers.  In 1989 the Cavaliers faced Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the first round.  In the deciding game Craig Ehlo, who played on a sprained ankle had 24 points and was defending MJ with the Cavaliers up 1 with three seconds left to play.  The Bulls inbounded the ball and Jordan received the ball on the right wing and immediately dribbled twice to his left.  Jordan picked up his dribble and raised up for the shot as Ehlo came flying across obstructing his view, but only temporarily as Jordan seemed to hang in the air and as well know now, drilled the game-winner.

Has there ever been a city whose most memorable sports moments have not created heroes, but rather individuals who have been inexorably linked and have become symbols of the city’s sports futility.  Earnest Byner, Jose Mesa and Craig Ehlo represent each Cleveland franchise in this respect and until recently has been what nationall the city was known for.

THE SITUATION:

In the history of sports there may not be a player who has managed to infuse a city with as much hope and optimism as Lebron James.  Optimisim is a quality that previous to James’ arrival was absent from the average Cleveland fans’ mindset.  Since his arrival in 2003 the Cavaliers have only gotten better, winning their first Eastern Conference Chamipionship in 2007 over a heavily favored and experienced Pistons team.

This year James and the rest of the Cleveland team reached the NBA’s elite, winning 66 games, 39-2 home record and capping of the season with Lebron’s first MVP Award.  As the playoffs began the team seemed to just get better, sweeping their first two series with eight straight double sigit victories.  Even Cleveland fans seemed to be getting comfortable with being favorites and up 63-48 at halftime in Game 1 of their series against the Magic everything was going according to plan.

Lewis celebrates after he gave Orlando the 107-106 victory in Game 1

That’s when it happened.  Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglue and the rest of the Magic started drilling three pointers as Dwight Howard dominated the paint.  Lebron played what was perhaps his finest game, but down 106-104, Rashard Lewis drained a three pointer that gave the Magic a lead and the final score they would win by 107-106.  As the fans stramed out of Quicken Loans idea the sense of fear and panic was palpable and Cleveland’s supporters wondered if perhaps the curse over this city had not been lifted.

As Game 2 began the Cavaliers once again came out on fire, leading the game 43-20 midway through the second quarter.  Once again the Magic chipped away at the lead and captured the lead during the fourth quarter at 86-84.  The teams traded baskets until Mo Williams drained a three to give the Cavaliers a 93-90 lead.  It seemed that Cleveland was safe, but Turkoglu hit a three to tie and with the Magic having the ball with 13.7 seconds left, Turkoglu got the ball again this time defended by Sasha Pavlovic.  Turkoglue dribbled at the top of the key dribbled to his left and raised up from about 18 feet away hitting a jumper with one second remaining an Pavlovic’s hand right in his face.

Boom.  Cleveland was down 95-93, one second left, facing an 0-2 deficit and once again Cleveland fans faced the likelihood of failure.

THE MOMENT:

In the timeout Cleveland coach, Mike Brown drew up a play for a lob to Lebron James to tie the game.  The Magic however were onto it and were ready preventing the play.  With time running out and needing to get the inbounds pass, James, who was being defended by Turkoglu, checked back to the top of the key behind the three point line.  Mo Williams saw James check back and hit him perfectly in stride for a perfect catch and shoot situation under the circumstance.

James gathered himself, turned and launched a shot over the out stretched arm of Turkoglu.  Make no mistake moving away from the basket, turning and fading, this shot was as tougha s it comes.  As soon as James received the pass there were only three players who moved at all.  James, Turkoglu who was defending him and Rashard Lewis desperately trying to get there to alter James’ shot, everyone were spectators just like the 20,000 plus fans who were deathly silent leading up to the play and during it.

Lebron and 20,000 plus watch as the game winner goes up

James’ shot went up and started to head down.  This seemed like another cruel end though for a Cleveland team the city had embraced as Lebron’s shot seemed destined to miss.  The ball started its path down to the basket as the buzzer finall sounded as the crowd still sat in stunned silence, hoping against hope for the unexpected.  The ball hit the back rim and everyone expected the ball to rim out, teasing all the fans who stayed even after Turkoglu’s seeming game-winner.  Then a funny thing happened.  The ball went through the hoop and the Cavs’ won the game 96-95.

James’ reaction said it all.  It wasn’t the look of a cold-blooded killer like Chauncey Billups or Ben Gordan.  It wasn’t the swagger and arrogance that Kobe walks away with after nailing game-winning strike.  No James’ face conveyed the emotions that all Cleveland fans were experiencing at the same time.  Unbridled joy combined with the sentiment of “did that just happen”?

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN:

This shot may end up, but being a blip in an Orlando series win with the next two games in Orlando where Cleveland has had no success this year.  Something about this seems different though.  This is not Carlton Fisk hitting a home run in Game 6 and creating one of the magical moments in sports only to have his team lose in Game 7 of the World Series.  Something about this seemed different.

This shot has elevated all three parties directly linked by it; player, franchise and city.  Lebron James has been knocked for not being clutch, though he has been the best in the league at the end of games.  With Cleveland blowing a lead, losing Game 1 and the same fate looming at the end of Game 2 the league’s MVP needed to step up and save his team.  As the shot went up and Lebron watched it fall through a weight must have been lifted from his shoulders.

Lebron took over Game 5 against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals

Remember Kobe is clutch now, but he failed several times most notably against the Jazz shooting two airballs at the end of the 4th quarter and overtime in the 1998 Playoffs against Utah.  Sometimes it’s similar to how certain players just need to see the ball go into the hoop once to end a slump.  In fact it’s hard to say James was in a slump at all in clutch moments after two game-winning layups against the Wizards in 2006, his 25 consecutive points against the Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs or his classic duel with Paul Pierce in Game 7 last year in the playoffs with 46 points.

Something has certainly been missing from his resume and perhaps even his mindset, but this shot could be the turning point for James.  He will now have the confidence of knowing that he can do it and should make him even more dangerous in late game situations from now on.  James looks as if he is developing the ability the legends have of willing their teams to victory and not accepting failure in the process from themselves or anybody else.

Cleveland’s image as a franchise has also been drastically changed.  A franchise long associated with losing and the image of Craig Ehlo collapsing in incredulity after MJ’s game-winner are now replaced by James’ game winner.  Perception is everything and as important as it was to win the game for the Cavaliers it was more important that it be James, the franchise savior to hit it and validate the belief and faith the franchise had in him.

Most importantly is the city.  A city that has had no succes to speak of.  A city that has long been plagued by anti-heroes and its teams’ failures experienced somethind different.  They can now go into the future knowing that nothing is impossible and that they will always have a chance to win with James on the team.  They have finally had their faith rewarded and that by itself will change a city that for too long experienced only the feelings of failure.  After that shot failure seems a distant prospect, because Cleveland fans know that James will do everything in his power to carry this team across the finish line with a championship the perfect ending.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final: Boston Celtics (2) vs. Orlando Magic (3) Series tied 3-3

Game 6: Orlando 83 – Boston 75 F

Dwight Howard backed up his postgame talk following the Magic’s meltdowns in Game 5 in Boston.  Howard was an absolute beast scoring 23 points and adding 22 rebounds.  What was interesting to see was that Howard did most of his damage not by posting up Perkins, who held him to 2-6 shotting from the floor in such situations, but by being active moving around, tipping in missed shots and receiving passes from his teammates while cutting.  As important was Howard’s impact on the game on the defensive end where he blocked 3 shots and altered a number of others through his mere presence.

Howard got help too from Rashard Lewis, who added 20 points and took advantage of the mismatch he had all night with Scalabrine defending him.  The Magic also received a vital contribution from Hedo Turkoglu who only had seven points, but hit a three that extended the Magic’s lead to 81-75 and then put in a layup to give the Magic their final score of the game.

Dwight Howard dunks over Glen Davis in the second half of last night's game

As impressive as these three were for the Magic, perhaps the largest contribution they received in winning this game was from Mickael Pietrus.  His harassing defense limited Pierce and Allen all night, making them ineffective from the floor and significantly limiting the Celtics’ offensive opportunities throughout the game.  Pietrus also added 11 points on the offensive end for the Magic.

The Magic played great team defense last night, making fluid rotations a nd constantly forcing Boston to make the extra pass.  The Magic also smother the Celtics’ ball handlers and forced them into taking a number of low percentage shots on the night.  The Magic did a good job defending the pick and roll by switching in certain situations and in others fighting over the screens.

The Celtics on the other hand were awful all night on offense.  Paul Pierce was limited to 6-14 shooting from the field and missed two critical free throws that would have given Boston the lead when they trailed the Magic in the fourth quarter 75-76.  Ray Allen, as has been the case all series long, was absent.  The Celtics have to be wondering what is going on with Allen, who outside of his big three in Game 5, has been a detriment to Boston’s chances of advancing.  If Boston is to win Game 5, they will need Allen to find his groove if they want to win Game 7 on Sunday.

Rajon Rondo was very effective in this game with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists, but his contributions in the second half of the game were minimal, additionally his 5 turnovers were costly for the Celtics.  Kendrick Perkins was solid, once again, defending Howard and contributing 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Glen Davis cam back down to earth last night after the two most impressive games of his career and played 25 minutes, scoring only 6 points.  Boston’s bench is depleted as it is, but Scalabrine and Eddie House played well in their minutes on the floor adding 13 points together.

Looking forward to Game 7 it will be interesting to see if Ray Allen can get out of this funk and add some offense that Celtics are in desperate need of right now.  If he does the Celtics should clinch the series, but if not, this game could go either way especially if Howard plays inspired basketball as he did last night.  The Magic also need to start hitting their perimeter shots and make the Celtics pay.  I expect this contest to be close throughout, but the Celtics’ championship experience last year should payoff in crunch time, pulling away late in the game and advancing to meet Cleveland.

Western Conference Semi-Final: Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Houston Rockets (5) Series Lead 3-3

Game 6: Houston 83 – Los Angeles 75 F

Kudos to the Rockets, but this game is all about how unmotivated the Lakers have played many times in this series.  They came out flat and immediately fell behind 15-1, being dominated defensively by Luis Scola, not exactly the most skilled offensive player.  Scola looked like a Hall-of-famer in the first quarter putting in 14 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.

Aaron Brooks was phenomenal again leading the Rockets with 26 points and 4 assists.  It’s clear at this point that the Lakers have no answers for the speed and quickness that Brooks possesses.  He is simply abusing the Lakers’ point guard trio of Fisher, Farmar and Brown.  Not only is Brooks’ getting point for himself, but the Lakers are being forced to rotate help his way because of their point guards’ inability to keep him out of the paint and the Rockets are burning them with unselfish ball movement finding open shooters and cutters.

Aaron Brooks shoots over Lamar Odom in the second half

Gasol and Bynum spent the entire night taking turns being abused by Scola on offense and while Gasol was able to contribute 14 point and 11 rebounds, Bynum was largely invisible with 0 points and 7 rebounds in his 19 minutes.  Lamar Odom played gutsy off the bench chipping in with 8 points and 14 rebounds, but the Lakers desperately much better play from their frontcourt.  They should be owning the glass against the Rockets but instead only outrebounded the Rockets 45-39.

Artest and Battier took turns yesterday frustrating Bryant who had to work for his 32 points on 11-27 of shooting from the field.  Bryant’s inability as the team’s leader to get this team to compete at a high level night and nighout is alarming.  In the regular season is one thing, but to have these problems continue into the playoffs and allow a Houston team without its top two players to take them to seven is ridiculous.  What is even worse is Phil Jackson’ nonchalant attitude everything simply saying the Lakers are a different team at home.

The Lakers should still win this series in seven aand advance, but the Nuggets’ chances are looking better, though this L.A. team has a tendency to rise to the occasion when absolutely necessary.  Whatever is ailing the Lakers they need to figure it out and soon because they will be playing a motivated Denver team who if they beat, which is a big maybe, they will probably be facing King James’ Cleveland team in the finals, where a lack of effort will be sure to earn the Lakers a 2nd consecutive Finals defeat.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final: Boston Celtics (2) vs. Orlando Magic (3) Boston leads series 3-2

Game 5: Boston 92 – Orlando 88 F

Who would have thought 5 games into this series that Stephon Marbury would play a critical role in swinging, what was the first of what is essentially a best of 3 series, in favor of the Celtics last night.  With the Celtics trailing 77-63 when Marbury checked in, things looked bleak.  Their offense had been ineffective and uninspired the whole night and with Pietrus converting a on a three point play to bust the lead open to 14 things looked bleak for the defending champs.

Enter Marbury.  As soon as he entered the game early in the fourth with the Celtics trailing by 10, he hit two consecutive jumpers, however the Magic were still able to extend their lead to a 14 point margin.  Following a Boston timeout, Marbury prompty hit a three and on the Celtics’ next possession drilled another jumper.  He also converted on a 3 point play a few possessions later to cut the lead down to 83-75.  He checked out with the Magic again having a double digit lead at 85-75, but Marbury’s performance woke up the former champs from their lethargic play and the Celtics completed the rally back to win the game in regulation.

Marbury drives to the hoop in the fourth against Dwight Howard

Glen Davis continued his outstanding play with 22 points, 10 of which came in the Celtics’ comeback on 5 of 6 shooting during the fourth quarter.  Perkins once again contributed on the boards and with his tough play inside, pestering Superman all night long.  Paul Pierce has been a stud for the Celtics since Game 3 started putting together a pair of 27 point games in Orlando and he followed it up in Boston last night for his best all-around performance of the series yet, with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals.  Ray Allen also hit a three with Boston down two, to complete their comeback and give them an 86-85 lead with 1:20 remaining in the quarter.

The Celtics received a call with the game still at 86-85, Rondo was forced to shoot a three as the shot clock expired which appeared to miss the rim completely (Go to 2:10 of the video).  Perkins who had grabbed the ball argued with the refs who overtuned the call and gave the Celtics a new possession with 37 seconds left in the game.  The ball did appear to miss the rim, though the Magic did not talk about it after the game.

There was a great positive sign of development for the Celtics to take note of as the series shifts to Orlando for Game 6.  Ray Allen may have finally woke up from his series long slump towards the end of this game.  After struggling from the field, particularly from long-range, Allen hit the three that gave the Celtics their lead which they would not relinquish.  This may be the catalyst that gets Allen rolling again in this series.

The Celtics need to improve their off the ball defense, particularly on Orlando’s array of bombers.  They have not been dropping for them the past couple of games, but if the Celtics continue to give up open threes to the Magic could come back to bite them if Orlando gets hot.  The biggest culprit last night was Rondo, who coasted throughout the game and played with no sense of urgency.  He constantly got caught ball-watching in the first half on several occasions allowing Alston numerous open jumpers and burying two three-pointers in the first quarter en route to his most productive game all series with 16 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Magic played great for three quarters before their collective choke job in the fourth.  The offense started to stagnate and the ball movement that had been apparent through the third quarter disappeared in the fourth when the Celtics began their rally.  The Magic offense went nowhere near Dwight Howard in the quarter, or for that matter in the game with Howard only putting up 10 shots.  Note to Stan Van Gundy, your franchise player has carried you all season long he needs to shoot the ball more than 10 times.  This was particularly aggregious because Perkins’ foul trouble in the first half forced him to the bench early in the second quarter and Davis who is 5 inches shorter than Howard was caught defending him.  Attacking mismatches is the name of the game and Orlando failed to capitalize on that.

Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu both combined to have nice performances on the night with 19 and 18 points each respectively.  Their perimeter shooting opened up the Boston defense for penetration and Lewis was a beast in the post hitting a pair of bank shots in the third quarter when the Celtics were forced to go small.  That is a set the Magic should exploit more in Game 6.   Alston marred his best performance in the series with a puzzling drive late in the fourth, after Allen’s shot had given Boston the lead, that culminated in a hideous left handed hook shot.

The Magic need to address their inability to maintain big leads throughout the playoffs.  They blew a big lead in Game 1 of their first round series against the Sixers, nearly blew a 28 point lead in Game 1 of this series and blew their 14 point fourth quarter lead in Game 5 last night.  If they want to advance, they need to play like they did in Game 3, moving the ball around, feeding the post, shooters moving to open spots along the perimeter and aggressively driving the ball into the lane.  The Magic need to feature Howard early and often in the first quarter of the next game.  The Celtics’ frontcourt depth is thin and Howard can create contact putting the onus on the officials to make calls which could be extremely beneficial for the Magic.

The Magic should take Game 6 on their home floor, thought Boston certainly has the experience, mental toughness and moxie to win that game on the road.  However, after witnessing Magic’s let game jitters, Boston should no problem winning Game 7 on their floor.

Western Conference Semi-Final: Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Houston Rockets (5) Los Angeles leads series 3-2

Game 5: Los Angeles 118 – Houston 78 F

Where has that been all season long from the Lakers.  This was a clinic from start to finish and the Lakers served notice to everyone that has questioned their fortitude during the playoffs, including myself, that they are real contenders.  This game was over at halftime with the lead at 25, but the Lakers showed a true killer instinct by extending the lead to 40 by then end of the third quarter.

The Lakers received contributions from everyone on their roster starters and bench players equally.  Kobe Bryant was outstanding setting the tone early and scoring 26 points in only 3 quarters of action.  Gasol 16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 asissts and manned the paint with 3 blocks.  Trevor Ariza had 13, Farmar 12 and Odom and Josh Powell had 10 points a piece.

Kobe drives past Shane Battier and Ron Artest in the first half for a layup

Most importantly for the Lakers was Bynum’s emergence in this game.  Bynum was inserted back into the starting lineup due to concern over the status of Odom’s back and he responded with 14 points and 6 rebounds.  This is a great sign for the Lakers, who need Bynum to be productive and a presence in the post while providing physicality and toughness.  Be wary of Bynum’s performance however since he is a giant in comparison to the defenders the Rockets the biggest of which was 6-9, 250 pound Luis Scola.

The Rockets really have no positives to take out of this game.  The Lakers were able to execute on offense at will, getting open permiter shots, driving easily through the Rockets’ defense to the hoop, scoring in transition, grabbing 12 offensive rebounds which all played a part in the Lakers shooting 51.2% from the field for the game.

Offensively they looked inept and the Lakers pressured them into numerous turnovers which fueled the Lakers’ transition game.  The Lakers also ran out on all the Rockets’ outside shots and harassed them.  Ron Artest shot 4-15 from the field, 1-7 from three for nine points, Battier had only 5 points on 7 shots and Brooks who had a been a royal pain for the Lakers in Game 4, only had 14 points on the night.

With the series moving back to Houston for Game 6, the Rockets need to improve their ball-spacing, get out in transition on offense and create pressure on the Lakers’ defense in the halfcourt by getting into the paint.  The Lakers simply said need to repeat their performance in Game 5, which their season-long performances should tell us is very rare.  The Lakers are a thoroughly frustrating, inconsistent team who seem to go from incredibly performances, atrocious displays.  If the Lakers maintain the concentration and find the killer mentality they displayed in Game 5, this series will be over in 6.  If not, get ready for Game 7 in L.A. with a berth in conference finals on the line.

What a weekend of basketball.  There were some phenomenal match-ups and also some huge blowouts, but we certainly learned a lot about each team still playing and their chances from advancing.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final: Cleveland Cavaliers(1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (4) Cleveland Leads Series 3-0

In case anybody was actually worried we can officially say this series is over.  In honesty this series was over as soon as it started.  The Hawks do not have Al Horford, Joe Johnson or Marvin Williams at full strength and even if they had their chances were still slim.  Coming into the weekend the Hawks had been blown out twice in Cleveland and it looked like the best chance the Hawks had of winning a game in this series was to grab game 3 in Atlanta, boost their confidence and assert their homecourt advantage.

To their credit, Atlanta competed on both ends of the floor on Saturday.  They battled on defense and executed much better offensively than they had all series.  Joe Johnson had his largest impact in any game so far with 21 points.  To be honest Johnson really needed to match Lebron in this series for the Hawks to have a chance, which was near impossible task and has been as much throughout the series.  Josh Smith once again mixed in good aggressive drives into the paint with head-scratching jump shots.  If he ever figures that out that and polishes up that favorite jumper of his to make it effective he could become a superstar in this league.

I do not want to waste too much time writing about this uneventful series, but what else can you say about Lebron James’ performance throughout the playoffs so far.  People give Kobe credit for being the most focused and determined player.  Right now I see that same fire in Lebron and right now it looks like his focus is greater than Kobe’s.  He had 47 points on 15-25 from the field, 5-10 from three in addition to 12-16 at the charity stripe, not to mention his 12 rebounds and 8 assists with only one turnover to show.  The Cavs are feeding off of Lebron’s intensity and determination right now and look like world beaters.  They are virtually certain to be Eastern Conference Champions and look to be the clear favorites right now to win it all.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final: Boston Celtics (2) vs. Orlando Magic (3) Series tied 2-2

This series should go 7 if game 4 is any indication of how this series will be played the rest of the way.  Looking at this series before it started, I expected most of the games to be hotly contested with a number of close finished.  Four games in to the series we finally had our first real contest Sunday night.  Game 3 on Friday was a clinic for the Magic. They shot 59.1% from the field.  When the Magic hit their jump shots at that clip and Boston’s defense is as uninspired as it was Friday, their is no chance for the Celtics to win the game.

The Celtics dodged a major bullet with Kendrick Perkins not being suspended after his elbow to Mickael Pietrus’ neck during the early 4th quarter of game 3.  The only good sign for the Celtics that carried over into game 4 to great effect was Paul Pierce’s revival in this seriesputting in 27 in both games 3 and 4 in Orlando.

Game 4 was the real story though, with Blen “Big Baby” Davis the unlikely hero of the game and the series for Boston so far.  This game was exactly what we have all been waiting for so far from these two teams.  Close throughout the game, with Boston leading at halftime, throughout the third quarter and then clinging on to their lead at the end of the fourth quarter.  Pierce was hot throughout the game shooting 9-18, but more importantly was aggressive driving to the lane throughout the game and being rewarded with free throws and connecting on 8 of 9 on his way to 27 points.

The Celtics must hope that Ray Allen will wake up during game 5 back at home.  His performances throughout the weekend in Orlando were underwhelming and particularly frustrating on Sunday during a close game.  he shot 6-13 for 12 points.  If Allen can find his touch back in Boston, that will make the game easier for the rest of the Celtics and open up driving lanes for Rondo and Pierce to slice through Orlando’s defense.

No how far the Celtics advance during the playoffs, but they can thank Kendrick Perkins and Davis for raising the level of thier games during the playoffs without Garnett and Powe.  Perkins is averaging a double-double and Davis has effectively stretched the floor for the Celtics with his ability to hit mid-range jumpers anywhere from 15 to 18 feet out from the hoop.  Perkins has been a major factor that the Celtics have been able to defend Howard effectively throughout the series and has been the anchor of their defense in KG’s absence.  Davis’ game winning shot in game 4 as time expired was impressive for a player who was barely in the rotation at the beginning of the year and was a second round pick two years ago.  Whatever success the Celtics experience from here on out they can tip their hats to these two players who have played better than most could have imagined.

For Orlando game 4’s result is hugely disappointing.  They had a chance to go up in this series 3-1 with game 6 in Orlando and a chance to clinch a berth in the Eastern Conference finals.  Instead, Orlando will head to Boston with the series tied 2-2 and with a game 5 Boston win meaing Orlando can not win the series in game 6 in Orlando and even if they did it would only ensure a game 7 in Boston which is where teams go to be eliminated in the NBA Playoffs historically.

The Magic simply said, needed to hit their shots, specifically from the three point line, shooting 27 times and only hitting 5 times, including 1-7 during their comeback in the 4th quarter.  The Magic get into trouble, not by shooting the three, but by their inability to change their offensive game plan when it is not falling.  This falls squarely on Stan Van Gundy’s shoulders, who needs to be able to adjust to his team game-to-game.  Turkoglue continued his inconsistency throughout the playoffs going from an efficient 24 point performance in game 3 to a horrific 4-14 performance on Sunday for 14 points.  Orlando’s bench played well yesterday outscoring Boston’s bench 31-2.

Going into game 5, Boston needs to get more contributions from their bench, specifically Eddie House who allows the Doc Rivers to rest Rondo and Allen for periods of time when he is shooting well.  They will also, as mentioned before, need the real Ray Allen to step up.  Orlando needs to continue to force Boston’s role players to beat them.  They also need to keep Rashard Lewis aggressive offensively, who has seemingly found his groove back in Orlando.  I would also move Courtney Lee back to the starting lineup, since he makes Ray Allen work much harder than J.J. Reddick does on both ends of the floor.  I still see this series going the distance with the Celtics eeking out a game 7 victory at home.

Western Conference Semi-Final: L.A. Lakers (1) vs. Houston Rockets (5) Series tied 2-2

To know everything wrong with the Lakers it is as easy as watching their counterparts in the East, the Cavaliers.  Cleveland is focused taking care of business so far effectively with the mindset of cold-blooded killers not letting any lead go to waste and not allowing their focus on concentration to waver.

The Lakers on the other hand continue to frustrate their fans and confound everyone who has watched them play.  Game 3 was the good Lakers, and when they are going, it is nearly impossible to beat them.  They held a double digit lead throughout the second half of the game.  Kobe was unstoppable and aggressive getting to the line 8 times in the game.  Odom looked fluid on the floor, moving without the ball, crashing the boards and rotating effectively to double-team Yao in the post and force the ball out of his hands.  They also got production from the bench, solid point guard play and did a good job of limiting Aaron Brooks’ effectiveness by keeping him out of lane and out of the heart of the Lakers’ defense.

Now for all the good things that did Game 3, they also received the additional advantage of Yao being ruled out for the rest of the playoffs following the diagnosis of a stress fracture in his left foot.  So the Rockets, already without T-Mac and now without Yao were expected by most, including myself to see this series end sooner rather than later.  So what did the Lakers do?  They came out and displayed all their weaknesses that has people questioning their ability to win a championship.

The game started off ominously with Trevor Ariza mishandling a ball and in his attempt to save the ball from going out of bounds threw the ball back in which the Rockets claimed and Artest converted into a layup.  As the first quarter progressed it was obvious the Lakers lacked any kind of effort or passion.  Kobe was held to 15 points, though his apparent disinterest in the game had as much to do with that as Shane Battier’s hounding defense did.  Looking at Gasol’s line for the game it is quite impressive with 30 points and 9 rebounds, that is until you account for the fact that he scored 18 of these points in the fourth quarter, with the Lakers already down by 29 at the beginning of the quarter.

The Rockets for their part were impressive. dominating the game from start to finish never trailing once.  Aaron Brooks looked like Chris Paul, weaving through the Lakers defense constantly throughout the game and rising up and nailing four 3-pointers.  Shane Battier also exploded for 23 points, complete with 5 threes, giving him the 8 point edge against Bryant in their matchup.  Luis Scola was a rock once again, clearing the glass and hitting open jumpers.  Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes did not score much, but they were physical defensively, particularly Hayes’ post defense on Gasol, not allowing him to back him down.

The Rockets deserve much praise for their execution and effort in the wake of Yao’s season ending injury.  However the Lakers were atrocious.  Their defense was atrocious allowing 83 points in the first three quarters even though Artest shot 4-19 for only 8 points.  Fisher was pathetic defensively once again, his lack of speed exposed by Brooks.  Farmar and Shannon Brown look hopeless so far in this series, with Farmar conceding a halfcourt alley-oop to Brooks at the end of the third quarter as time expired.  Odom continued his enigmatic play with a poor performance and is questionable with game 5 after he left the game early on Sunday after aggravating his back and Bynum has officially become irrelevant to the Lakers in this series.

The Lakers will still win this series, though it will take at least 6 and maybe even 7.  There are a few things that definitely need to concern them.  Lethargic play, particularly on defense. has become a habit as well as a tendency to relax when they have a lead during a game.  They are not getting much production out of their bench and the entire roster has been inconsistent game-to-game in this series.  The most alarming problem has been their lack of toughness and physicality outside of committing flagrant fouls and throwing elbows, the same problem that eventually doomed them against the Celticds in the finals.

The Lakers will advance to the Western Conference Finals, but they definitely will need to elevate their overall play against the Nuggets.  If they do not they may be able to squeeze past the Nuggets, but against the Cavaliers they stand no chance.

Western Conference Semi-Final: Denver Nuggets (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7) Denver leads series 3-0

I will not spend too much time talking about this series other than to say that the Mavericks never had a chance since the outset.  The Nuggets are superior in talent, athletically, depth and motivation.  The conclusion of game 3 has been surrounded by controversy, with the NBA issuing an apology saying the referees bungled a foul that should have been called on Antoine Wright against Carmelo Anthony since the Mavericks had a foul to give.  Note of advice to Antoine Wright, this is the NBA Playoffs.  If you are going to foul somebody hold them push them slap their hand as hard as you can.  Do not slap somebody’s wrist and then throw your hands up in the air, the NBA sign for innocence and then complain about it.

It is a same that the Mavericks lost this game, since this is by the far the best they have played in the entire series.  Nowitzki was phenomenal with 33 points and 16 rebounds.  Josh Howard started the game off effectively and Kidd was able to post up Billups with ease.  Unfortunately for the Mavericks, Kidd was abused defensively by Billups who was on fire.  Anthony, while not shooting well, was aggressive and made a living at the line, in addition to nailing the game winning shot with one second left.

This series is effectively over.  Dallas may make a last stand and win game 4, but make no mistake about it, the longest this series goes is 5.  Denver is playing as well as anybody right now and where a month ago it looked like the Lakers would walk through the Western Conference to the finals, the Nuggets should be able to give them a run for a chance at earning a berth in the finals.

Note: For a good analysis of game 4 of the Lakers-Rockets series read Charley Rosen’s  write-up on the game at http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9560342/Lakers-a-no-show-vs.-Yao-less-Rockets.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final:  Boston Celtics (2) vs. Orlando Magic (3) Series tied 1-1

Now we can put to rest any thoughts that the Celtics are too exhausted from their first round series with the Bulls to compete against the Magic.  The Celtics came out with their foot on the throttle and did not let up at any point during the game.  Rajon Rondo dominated this game from the start with his third triple double of the playoffs with 15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds.  On the defensive end, he was able to shut down Rafer Alston and really neutralized his ability to penetrate, create for others and score himself.  Ray Allen was also able to recover from a poor effort in game 1 to add 22 points off of 7-15 shooting.

The biggest boost for the Celtics came quite unexpectedly from their backup point guard, Eddie House.  House was effective shooting off of screens as well as occasionally foraying into the lane and converting on pull-up jumpers, runners and layups.  House had 31 points on an extremely efficient 11-14 from the field, including 4-4 from deep.  In addition to the offensive punch he provided House was also instrumental in keeping the crowd alive all night and energizing the whole Celtics team.

Glen Davis and Perkins continued their solid play on the board, each adding double figures and cleaning the glass.  More importantly, on defense they did a great job of controlling the paint, not allowing easy layups and dunks and doing a good job of neutralizing Dwight Howard.  Scalabrine also came off the bench and was solid in 34 minutes of action, being active defensively, moving the ball well around the perimeter and setting screens to loosen up the Celtics’ offensive stars on the night.  So far in this series the Celtics have gotten solid play from their frontcourt, which has held up admirably in the playoffs without Kevin Garnett and losing Leon Powe in game 1 of the first round series.

Paul Pierce needs to get on track for the Celtics and soon.  Last night he had another disappointing performance, scoring 3 points in 16 minutes of play.  Pierce was constantly in foul trouble the entire night and never got a chance to get in the flow of the action.  If the Celtics are going to win this series they need the new Big Three of Rondo, Allen and Pierce to click on most nights.  Last night they got bailed out by Eddie House’s offensive explosion, but Pierce needs to be a big contributor with the series shifting to Orlando for game 3 and 4.

The Magic were horrendous last night.  They were constantly burned on the Celtics pick and rolls, often with Rondo driving to the lane and dishing for a layup or kicking out for the three.  They are going to need to find a way to get the ball out of Rondo’s hands and deny him pentration into the paint.  They should throw him some different looks, maybe double teaming him early in the shot clock and force the ball out of his hands.

Orlando’s team defense as whole needs to improve as the Celtics piled up a team total of 34 assists, as the Celtics scored predominantly in the flow of their offense all night.  They also need to do a better of being more active on defense by getting in the passing lanes and they need to be more aggressive in fighting over screens and closing out on shooters.  The Magic should also be wary of Pierce in game 3 who is sure to be aggressive in looking for his shot after his limited outing on Wednesday night.

Orlando needs to do a better job of ballspacing on offense.  Right now the offense looks very mechanical.  They need to spread the floor right at the beginning of the game with Alston, Reddick, Turkoglu and Lewis and allow Howard to operate in the post.  Once Howard gets the ball he needs to get better in reading the double team and looking for open shooters around the perimeter or for someone cutting to the lane.  This should provide more fluidity from their offense.

There are a couple of things to look out for with the Magic in game 3.  Rafer Alston could be suspended for slapping Eddie House in the head during game 2.  If this is the case the Magic are going to be asking a lot from Anthony Johnson whose minutes should go up, which is detrimental for Orlando’s offense and should be very beneficial for Rondo who can abuse Johnson with his speed, agility and quickness.  Tyronn Lue could also more burn in that case, which is never good.  The Magic could also get a boost if Courtney Lee is able to come back from his sinus injury.  Orlando is also going to need Turkoglu and Lewis to be more aggressive in getting the ball which will open things up for Howard and the rest of the Magic team.

Western Conference Semi-Final: Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Houston Rockets (5) Series tied 1-1

The Lakers finally came to play last night.  They matched the Rockets’ physicality and intensity last night and did not back down at any point during the game.  Kobe delievered an elbow to Ron Artest, which led to Artest going right up to Kobe, after a foul was called on him, and giving him a piece of his mind.  Artest was ejected, but their match-up in game 3 should be something to watch out for.  Bryant should not be suspended for the next game, but point guard and temmate Derek Fisher most likely will be after dropping Luis Scola to the floor on a hard, borderline dirty screen.

Into the game, Bryant was dominant putting up 40 points on 16-27 shooting.  However the biggest difference in this game was the Lakers’ supporting cast.  Gasol played well with Odom in the starting lineup and had 22 points and 14 rebounds.  His defense on Yao was also outstanding, limiting the big man to 12 points and he was a presence in the lane with 4 blocks.  The Lakers got a lot more production from the point guard spot as well, combining for 24 points and 4 assists.  Ariza was phenomenal throughout the game yesterday, hustling after loose balls, aggressively driving to the lane and playing tough, physical defense all night.

The Rockets struggled to establish Yao last night who also had trouble with fouls all night which limited him to 26 minutes and did not allow him to get into the flow of the game.  Artest played well last night with 25 points shooting 8-14 from the field.  Artest’s offensive play in this series has been very mature, playing within himself and taking what the defense is giving him.  Luis Scola also played poorly with only 12 points but even worse only 4 rebounds in 24 minutes of play.

Aaron Brooks went from stud in game 1 to an absolute dud in game 2.  He shot 3-9 from three point range and 5-15 from the field for only 13 points without getting to the line once.  Brooks is at his best when he does not settle for jumpers and puts pressure on the defense by driving to the lane.  The Rockets as a whole need to do a better job of penetration and getting the Lakers’ big men into foul trouble, especially since Bynum has struggled significantly throughout the series.

As the series shifts to Houston for games 3 and 4 both teams have things they need to worry or adjust to.  The Rockets need to find a way to neutralize Kobe’s supporting cast because if Kobe is on and the supporting cast is getting into it as well the Lakers are unstoppable.  They need to harass Gasol in the post and force the Lakers to beat them from the perimeter which they have struggled to do so far in this series.  The Lakers need to continue to make Yao struggle and force other players to beat them.  If they can neutralize Yao and Artest to an extent, this will put the pressure on the rest of the Rockets to deliver.  It is also important that the Lakers can work Bynum back into the rotation which help them defensively and make their already loaded bench even deeper.

I hate using the word must-win, strictly because it is a cliche and because of how overused the word has become.  In the playoffs it seems that every game in a series is now called a must-win.  It gets used in situations and cases that it is not even worth mentioning.  Tied 2-2 going into the Celtics’ game 5 showdown against the Bulls every one of ESPN’s NBA pundits called this a must-win game for both teams and during the telecast it was impossible to go more than 2 minutes without calling it a must-win game.

The games tonight though that the Celtics and Lakers both face in the defence of their Eastern and Western Conference titles, respectively are must-win games.  The Celtics battled through a gureling 7 game thriller against Chicago in the first round and came out flat in game 1 of their series against Orlando.  They cannot afford to be sluggish from the outset of this game and must be crisp.  If they are forced to play from behind again after the amount of energy they have expended in the playoffs already it may be impossible for them to win this game or the series.  If they go to Orlando down 0-2, all Orlando would need to do is split to get the chance to seal the series on their court in Game 6.

The Celtics have a depleted bunch but Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins have teamed up to form a solid frontcourt duo throughout the playoffs so far, with Perkins establishing himself as a solid low-post defender.  Scalabrine has given them decent production since he has been asked to play extended minutes and adds value as a shooter.  However they need Eddie House to get on track and start nailing a higher percentage of his jumpers.  It also goes without saying that Pierce, Allen and Rondo must perform like stars in every game and carry this team on their collective backs.

The problems that plague the Celtics are all physical, but the Lakers have an even more significant problem in that their problem is mental.  Plain and simple, the Lakers slack off during games and their concentration loses focus.  They paid the price for that in Game 1 as the Rockets came out much more focused than their foes.  After the game what worries me even more about this Lakers team is their reaction acting as if they needed this to maintain their concentration and that this is good for them.  Note to Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson and company, but a loss is never good particularly in the 2nd round of the playoffs, at home, against a team eager to prove themselves worthy as a contender.

They need Andrew Bynum to step-up and deliver when his team needs him against the Rockets’ physical front-line.  Gasol and Odom can not bang inside with Yao, Scola and Chuck Hayes, but Bynum can help them out and give the Lakers a physical presence manning the paint.  The Lakers would also be well served to front Yao with Bynum and bring help defenders from the perimeter and force the ball out of Yao’s hands and make the rest of the Rockets beat them from outside.  That said Gasol and Odom need to be more agrressive and more productive for the rest of the series and force the Rockets’ bigs outside of their comfort zone defensively.

Plain and simple the Lakers need Ariza to hit threes like he was in the Utah series where he went 11 of 18 from deep in the series.  Most importantly is they need better all-around play from their point guards.  Derek Fisher, Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar looked helpless against Aaron Brooks on defense as he drove past them all day creating havoc on the Lakers’ interior defense.  They also struggled to produce much offensively scoring a combined 13 points on 4-11 shooting from the field, 2-2 from the line, 4 assists and 3 to’s.  Compare that to Aaron Brooks who had 19 points on 7-14 shooting from the field, 4-6 from the line, 2 assists and 3 to’s.  Beyond the number Brooks’ ability to put pressure on the Lakers defense allowed for effective perimeter ball movement by the Rockets which led to them finding the open man more than not.

The Lakers are going to need a whole team effort in this series and they need to bring it 100% each time, because this Houston team is not going to beat itself.  They cannot make the mistake of depending on Kobe to bail them out as we saw it failed in game 1.  If the Lakers’ supporting cast can step-up and prove themselves as the most talented team in basketball then the Rockets should nothing more than a speed bump on their road to their match-up in the finals against King James and the Cavs.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final Game One: Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (4)

After receiving his first MVP award, Lebron James left no doubt that the voters made the right decision.  Coming out and dunking on the Cavs first possession James set the tone for a series that should go no longer than five games.  James had in 16 of his 34 points, 5 of his 10 rebounds and 2 of his 4 steals, all in the fourth quarter.  However even with the Cavs up 28-17 at one point in the first half, the Hawks were resilient and cut the lead to 5 with the score 49-44 Cleveland going into halftime.

With no assists Lebron came out in the second half setting up open jumpers as James’ supporting cast got into the series and started putting up points on the board extending Cleveland’s lead to double digits at the beginning of the second half.  More impressively though in the second half was the Cavaliers’ defense, holding the Hawks to 28 points on 8 of 30 shooting.  When the Cavaliers play their brand of suffocating defense, the Hawks already lethargic on offense and ranking 13 out of 16 playoff teams in terms of offensive efficiency, will struggle as they did last night to put points on the board and compete.

What should worry the Hawks even more is that the Cavaliers were rusty in the first half and when they came out in the second half it looked like they had worked out all the kinks from their eight day layoff.  The Cavaliers’ size and defensive toughness inside should also lead to a lack of production from Atlanta’s frontcourt, particularly since Horford’s injury has severely limited his production.

If the Hawks have any chance to win it hinges on a few key things.  First of which is, Joe Johnson needs to wake up.  He’s had one good game in the playoffs, granted it came in game 7 of their first round series with the Miami Heat, but they need him to step up his game and give them between 25-27 ppg every single game.  The fact of the matter is that without Johnson producing the Cavs can afford not to send double teams his way.  Without Johnson playing at his best all series, this team has no chance.

They are also going to need Josh Smith to play smart basketball on offense.  Too often Smith will settle for an outside jumper or a three pointer, where he is shooting 14.3% from during the postseason.  Smith is nearly unstoppable when he attacks the basket and can make Lebron work defensively if he plays to his strengths.  If Smith can make him work on defense, James’ offense and the opportunities he creates for his teammates may slown down a bit.

They are also going to need solid defensive play from Mike Bibby.  The Hawks need Bibby on the floor at all times of the game because of the  poise, veteran savvy and clutch shooting he provides an Atlanta team that lacks composure in big spots all too often.  However Mo Williams has torched him in every match-up this year and if that trend continues the Cavs can be deadly on offense.  Team defense in general is going to be important with James’ ability to drive and kick to any of Cleveland’s array of outside shooters.

Finally,  the Hawks are going to need great work on the glass from their frontcourt.  This may be the hardest task Atlanta faces as they stand undersized against Cleveland’s big men.  If the Hawks can clean the boards on defense and restrict the amount of possessions the Cavs have they stand a chance.  All of this does not take into account for the adjustments that Cleveland can make with their versatile and deep roster in addition to Atlanta’s generally uninspired offensive play unless they are in transition.  While at times they move the ball beautifully, there are other times where they go into strictly 1-on-1 situations for entire quarters.  Bottom line is this game was simply a microchosm for what this series will be.  A complete outclassing of one team over another.  If the Hawks play their absolute best and the Cavaliers still play solid every night, they win this series in five games.

Western Conference Semi-Final Game Two: Denver Nuggets (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (6)

This series should be over very soon if things remain as is after the first two games.  The Mavericks without a healthy Josh Howard do not have the offensive fire power to match-up with the Nuggets not to mention their struggles on the defensive end of the court.  Nowitzki played incredibly last night, mixing it up well with jumpers as well as aggressively taking it to the hole en route to an incredibly efficient offensive outinf with 35 pts on 11-20 from the field and 12-13 from the free throw line.  Terry added 21 points off the bench and they even had a 52 point contribution from the bench and they still lost by 12.

The Mavs look helpless against the Nuggets’ big men trio of Carmelo Anthony, Nene and Kenyon Martin who combined for 62 points, including 27-34 from the free throw line.  This team simply is outmuscled and outsized by the Nuggets’ frontline and they have no answers for them.  What makes it even harder for them is how easily the Nuggets’ perimeter defense is getting broken down by Billups and J.R. Smith, who is a huge x-factor for the Nuggets right now.  To be honest the Mavericks are going to have to outgun the Nuggets to win this series, because defensively they do not stand a chance.

The Mavericks need to play a lot of small ball in this series and try and create mismatches.  Play Nowitzki at center force Nene to come out of the paint and defend him which should open up the lane for the Mavericks wing players to drive to the hoop.  I would like to see a line-up with Barea, Kidd, Terry, Wright and Nowtizki at the 5.  They would give up a lot of size but they may be able to create a lot of offense through taking advantage of their quickness in one-on-one match-ups.  Defensively, this would be a nightmare for them, but conventional lineups are not going to win this series for them.

Their best chance to compete with a chance of winning this series is if Josh Howard can get healthy.  He’s also a capable rebounder and a solid, on the ball defender.  He also gives the Mavericks an additional scoring option.  Howard has a variety of moves driving to the basket and can also shoot from the perimeter.  Howard was their most consistent performer in their first round series against the Spurs, but with his ankle injuries aggravated again Howard was limited to 6 minutes of play last night.  If that continues this series should be over in 5 and if the Nuggets do not get complacent it could even be a sweep.