C’s Survive Brawl

Posted by Mike Giardi May 7, 2008 at 8:17 am

Last night, I bet you didn’t quite realize you were going to be watching a throwback to the Celts/Pistons series in 2002, did you? That was the Celts team CNNSI’s Marty Price referred to as the “Boston Stranglers.” They took care of Detroit in 5, but it was U-G-L-Y from start to finish.

No different at the Garden Tuesday. I was struck almost from the opening possession just how hard the C’s and Cavs were going at each other. I know this is Round 2 of the playoffs, but there was some nasty stuff out there. Play in the post was not for the feint of heart. Slaps, elbows, knees into thighs, chests all puffed out. There’s no doubt a bunch of those big men will need to visit the team masseuse.

Then there’s LeBron. The 2-for-18 is stunning. The 10 turnovers equally mind-boggling. Every time the Cavs King went to the rack, he got whacked. Okay. That’s the price you have to pay, and James knows it. But for a good two quarters, LeBron stopped going deep to the bucket, instead settling for ill-timed jumpers and deep 3’s. I don’t know who encouraged that, but if I’m the C’s, I’m praying there’s a repeat performance on Thursday night. You realize that if LeBron hit anything, the Cavs steal Game One. They SHOULD have stolen it. Now, you wonder how their psyche will be affected in less than 48 hours when the two teams go at it again.

C’s fans probably breathe a sigh of relief after looking at the box score as well. The C’s survived a 15-0 run by Cleveland in the 3rd Quarter, and two dreadful offensive performances by Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Ray got shut out in a game for the first time since 1997. Heck, I barely even noticed he was on the floor last night. He went from one extreme in the Atlanta series - forcing his shot - to last night’s debacle - when he got outplayed by Wally Szczerbiak. Trust me, those last words hurt. Not so much for me, but for Ray.

As for “The Truth,” well, the truth is, he is still way too emotional. It cost his team in Game 6 vs. the Hawks, and I must say, I fear it will come back to harm this group again at some later date, be it in May or June. Plus, I think that when Pierce gets angry, he is reckless in his approach to the basket. That led to some hard spills last night, and this is a guy who is dealing hip and back injuries suffered in the Round One. I suppose it too late to suggest he’ll change, considering how long he’s been in the league, but trust me, a change would be nice.

Alright - get your rest. Thursday is bound to feature more of the same.