Behind The Scoreboard
For the first time in five years, the Boston Celtics made their debut in the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday of last week.
Boston finished off a hard-fought series against the Washington Wizards in Game 7, punching its ticket into the conference finals.
The Celtics reward? They get to face a familiar foe – defending NBA champions, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who went undefeated through two playoff rounds against the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors.
Does Boston have a chance to win against Cleveland?
The Celtics grabbed the East’s top seed to secure home-court advantage and are in the conference finals with eyes on Cleveland’s throne after a tough series win over the Wizards. Boston has been counted out at every turn, labeled as one of the worst number one seeds in post-season history. They had to overcome plenty of adversity to earn their place in the conference finals. Boston’s mountain to climb for conference supremacy remains just as steep.
The playoffs are all about matchups, and this one plays right into the Cavaliers’ hands.
The Celtics had one of the worst rebounding teams in the league during the regular season. They were pounded in the playoffs and will most likely struggle to keep Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love and James off the boards. Boston is also known for its struggles of defending the paint that could easily work in Cleveland’s favor. James is shooting 65.9 percent in the paint this post-season. Kyrie Irving is hitting 49 percent in the lane.
The only two teams that stand a chance against Cleveland in a seven-game series are out West – Golden State and San Antonio.
Some have predicted that Cleveland will sweep Boston, earning its third straight trip to the NBA Finals.
In Game 2, Cleveland cruised past Boston (130-86) to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals and tied an NBA record with their 13th straight playoff victory. The Cavaliers led by 14 points after the first quarter, by a record of 41 at the half, and by 46 after the third. James and the rest of the starters sat out the fourth quarter, but the 130 points were the most ever scored by a franchise in a playoff game.
It was the most devastating home playoff loss ever for Boston – the most decorated franchise in NBA history.
James still has a chance for a fourth NBA title, a second in a row. Maybe Golden State can figure out a way to slow him down, or perhaps San Antonio, if it can come back in the West.
Hopefully the Celtics can find a way because time is running out.