Garnett, Stephen A., Braylon, Etc.

A few quick thoughts:

1. I don't think it matters all that much but as a Cavs fan, I'm a little upset that Garnett is out for the playoffs. First of all, the Magic give me far more concern than Boston. While I'm 90% sure the Cavs would beat a healthy Boston team in a 7 game series with the home court, I am far less comfortable playing Orlando. With the Magic's size and 3-point shooting ability, they could very easily get hot and steal one at the Q. Meanwhile, the Cavs have struggled mightily in Orlando. What's more, if Boston still manages to get past the Magic, I think they'll be a slightly more dangerous team playing with an "us against the world" or "nothing to lose" mentality in a potential Eastern Conference finals than they would have been with Garnett out there hobbling around at 60%. Overall though, I'm confident it's not going to matter. The Cavs are going to win the east. That's right, I said it. This is the year and this is the team.

On a side note, what a gift this is for Celtics fans. In spite of what Bill Simmons wrote this morning, we all know that this will give Celtics fans the title defense excuse they are so desperately seeking. Ten years from now, instead of telling everyone that they couldn't defend their title because they were the 3rd best team in the league, they'll be pulling the whole, "yeah, and we were poised to do it again but then Garnett broke down so we never had the opportunity" routine. Leave it to Boston fans to come up with some great revisionist history. Make no mistake: The Celtics had NO chance of defending their title, even with a healthy Garnett. Both the Cavs and Lakers are younger and more talented, and Boston is terrible in the clutch away from home.

2. Well Stephen A. Smith is no longer with ESPN. That's right, the man who built his career on making up stories and being the loudest guy in the room is apparently a free agent. According to deadspin, the worldwide leader asked Smith to take a pay cut and he was not having it. Shrewd career move Steve. I'm sure, given the huge demand for journalists right now, you'll have no problem landing a better gig. Even if you don't though, you can always hang your hat on the lasting impact you made on the sports world with "Quite Frankly."

3. I sincerely hope that the Browns trade Braylon for a first rounder but wouldn't it be fitting that they'd end up spending an insane amount of money on first round picks shortly before the collective bargaining agreement is completely rewritten to include a rookie pay scale.

4. If I were Mark Shapiro, I'd be spending my days studying the minor league prospects of contending teams that need a catcher. Victor's value is going to be sky high this summer and the Indians need to seize the opportunity to move him.

5. I started thinking today about a scenario that would make the city of Cleveland spontaneously combust. Game 7, NBA finals, Cavs win a thriller, the fans are going berzerk as the players hoist the O'Brien trophy, and then, out of nowhere, Lebron grabs the trophy, the microphone, and a pen, and then Ferry walks out with a new 3-year contract that Lebron announces he is signing. I honestly think people would start having heart attacks. Now that would be some kind of something.

Ok, I obviously have nothing more to talk about. That's it for now.

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Tales From Beantown

A couple of months ago, I decided that this would be a great season to catch the Cavs on the road. As any diehard fan can tell you, there is something special about being a road fan. You can't help but feel like a bit of a celebrity walking into another fan base's house wearing enemy colors. It's impossible not to enjoy the fact that you stick out like a sore thumb and everyone that sees you knows that your love for your team is unimpeachable. You instantly begin to revel in all the dirty looks, snide remarks, and empty threats you receive from opposing fans. I know it sounds a little ridiculous but anyone who has traveled for a big game can tell you that you just feel like a little bit of a hardass the entire time.

There is one small problem with the "road fan" concept in the NBA, however: There is nothing inherently significant about attending an NBA road game. In baseball, there is an unmistakable novelty attached to attending a different ballpark for the first time. Since the death of the stadium and rebirth of the park, being a baseball road fan has regained its appeal. My buddy and I attended a mid-season Pirates/Nationals game at PNC last year and even though we couldn't have cared less about the game, the whole afternoon couldn't have been more enjoyable. Every baseball park is like a new world to explore. You don't even need your own team on the field to enjoy the experience. In the NFL, while each stadium is a little different, it's really the unique gameday atmosphere of each city that makes the travel worth it: the tailgaiting, the fans, the traditions....the overall experience in each city is always unique. Plus, with only 16 games in a season, every game is a big game.

The NBA doesn't have any of that. For all intensive purposes, an arena is an arena and based on my limited experience, there is nothing particularly special about the "atmosphere" in any given city. For the most part, over the course of an 82 game season, a team is only going to play a few truly meaningful or memorable games and the rest are just forgettable snoozefests attended by tons of corporate types entertaining their clients and season ticket holders paying their dues to get playoff priority.

So, the point is that traveling with your team in the NBA lacks the cache' of the other two major sports. Given this reality, when picking my destination and game back in December, I tried to ensure that regardless of how the season went, my game would be memorable. Thus, I settled on the March 6 Cavs/Celtics tilt. Aside from the fact that I assumed that the game would have a meaningful impact on conference seeding, I figured that even if one of the two teams went in the tank, I would still get to experience the whole Celtics . . . you know . . . thing. As a Cleveland fan, I don't really know anything about tradition. Sure the Browns were great before the merger but that almost doesn't even count. If your team hasn't won in the modern era of its particular sport, it's hard to say that the fan base has truly been enriched by tradition. Now I know the Boston Garden is long gone but I thought that there would still be something special about going to a Celtics home game . . . just because, well, it's the Celtics. Bird, Russell, McHale, Havlicek . . you get the point. Just because I may hate the Celtics, it doesn't mean that as an NBA fan, I can't appreciate their cultural relevance.

Having decided upon my game, I hit Craigslist hard for about a month and found a Celtics season ticket holder willing to part with his 3rd row floor seats (about 10 feet beyond the baseline by the Celtics' tunnel) for a fairly reasonable price (Yes, I know it's shocking that my CMCR press credentials weren't enough to get me in with the rest of the mainstream media). Thus, last friday afternoon, the significant other and I headed for Beantown.

So, without any further windup, I'll give offer my observations from the evening. You'll notice that I don't have much to say about the game and really, there are two reasons for this: 1) It was a terrible game and in my opinion, aside for a few disturbing trends, was an aberration rather than a harbinger; and 2) It's really hard to understand the x's and o's of a game when you're attending it, especially when you're sitting at court level. I mean I figured out that our guys were dominated down low, but in terms of Boston's defensive schemes or any really insightful observations as to why we were dismantled, I would need to see the tv footage. Ok, oberservations:

The Arena:

As I said earlier, there really isn't much you can do with a basketball arena. There may be some unique ones out there but I certainly have been to one. Still, I expected that there would be at least something unique about TD Banknorth. After all, it is home to the most successful NBA franchise in history in a city that prints money. However, after attending a game in "the new Garden," I'm pleased to report that I was wrong. There is absolutely nothing noteworthy or significant about it. It's built on top of North Station and I found it hard to tell where the station stopped and the arena began. Everything in the place is a little bit drab and underwhelming. The concourses seemed a little bit narrow and poorly appointed. The concession stands were uninteresting and the merchandise shops were small and forgettable. Inside the arena, the dimensions actually look similar to the Q. It seats about 2,000 fewer people than the Q but you can't really tell just by looking at it. About the only noticeable difference other than the parquet floor is the ugly urine colored seats. Overall, although my expectations were probably a little bit too high, I was completely underwhelmed by the place. Without all the banners hanging from the rafters, it's just another sterile NBA arena. Even my girlfriend, who has never been one to heap compliments on anything Cleveland-related, admitted that she preferred the Q to TD Banknorth.

The Atmosphere:

This was by far the most shocking aspect of the night for me. I was walking into the home of the defending NBA champions, the most storied franchise in the sport, on a night when they would be taking on perhaps their biggest current rival with Eastern Conference supremacy on the line . . . and I was wearing the colors of the other team. I thought for sure that people would be getting in my face. As we made our way to our seats, I was a little surprised that there was absolutely NO buzz in the air . . . no "let's go Celtics" chants in the concourse . . . no yelling or high-fiving among fans. It was, for lack of a better word, weird. When we arrived at our seats, I observed the other individuals in the immediate vicinity, figuring that I was destined to have a few words with at least some of these people throughout the course of the night. Sitting directly behind us was a young kid, about high-school age, and his overly made-up high-school girlfriend. He had obviously been given the tickets by his father and seemed more concerned with impressing his female companion than anything related to the game. To our left was a 30-something woman, at least 200 pounds, attending the game by herself. I gathered throughout the course of the night that she was a) a season ticket holder, and b) attended the game for the sole purpose of getting absolutely shitfaced. I'm not kidding when I tell you that she sat there the entire night pounding beer after beer without saying anything to anyone. It was bizarre. By the end of the game she was an absolute mess.

To our right were a couple of 20-something guys that looked and acted like they'd rarely been out of their mothers' houses or spent much time away from playing World of Warcraft. It's not like we were sitting in the cheap seats and these guys didn't know the first thing about the Celtics. Throughout the game, they would take turns offering inane observations while the other would act like he had just been given color from Hubie Brown. I couldn't help but be reminded of the following exchange from The Waterboy:

Paco: Look at Bobby tackle. I haven't seen a tackle like that since Joe Montana.

Walter: Joe Montana was a quarterback, you idiot.

Paco: I said Joe Mantegna.

. . . except the guys sitting next to me could've both played the role of Paco. In front of these two oracles of NBA wisdom sat a group of 65+ grandparents that looked like they got lost on the way to Country Kitchen and ended up at an NBA game. Suddenly, I was starting to get worried that there wouldn't be a serious Celtic fan in the vicinity to get in my face and make things interesting. Then, about 10 minutes before tip, my fears were allayed when two gigantic meatheads-walking stereotypes if you will-sat right down in front of me. The one was wearing gigantic diamond earings, a massive diamond encrusted watch, a gold and white "Bird" USA Basketball Jersey, and was sporting some religious ink on his shoulder. I was sure that this guy was going to turn around and get into it with me at some point.

Now, you guys all watched the game. The Cavs absolutely laid an egg. I mean other than about a 5 minute stretch in the second quarter, the Celtics absolutely OWNED the game. Plus, the game featured a skirmish in which Varajao and Z completely overreacted to a hard fould by Glen Davis. This was exactly the type of game in which, if I were at home at the Q and the Cavs were dominating, I would be absolutely crucifying any opposing team's fans. Well, would you believe that I spent the entire night standing up and yelling for the Cavs and got no more than a few glances from the guy in front of me. I mean nothing! I was shocked. This was Boston. These fans were supposed to be merciless. Yet, I stood up the entire game and didn't receive a single insult. Moreover, the atmosphere in the arena was terrible. If I didn't know better, I would've thought I was attending a January matinee against the Bobcats. I mean the fans got a little loud when the Celtics dropped the hammer in the 3rd but other than that, the only times they made any noise all night were when Lebron blew the dunk and Rondo came back from the gimpy ankle. I was astonished. Maybe one or two chants, standing for a couple of possessions . . . but other than that, nothing. I don't know why the energy level in the building was so flat but here are my best guesses:

1. Boston is and always will be a Red Sox town. Walking the streets all weekend, you would've thought it was October. Red Sox gear everywhere. Just because the Celtics are a legendary franchise, it doesn't change the fact that Boston's first love is baseball. The same could be said for the Browns in Cleveland. We may love the Cavs and adore Lebron but the Q will never match the type of atmosphere that could exist in Browns stadium if the franchise ever stopped trying to murder professional football in Cleveland.

2. This Celtics team....doesn't look like the old one. I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for saying this but there is something very different from Bird, Cousy, Cowens, Havlicek, Heinsohn, McHale and Walton when compared to KG, Allen, and Pierce. I'm sorry but Boston isn't exactly known for embracing cultural diversity. I have absolutely no way of backing this up (and I know guys like Russell stand in direct opposition to the point) but I just get the impression that Boston would be a little happier to root for white superstars.

3. This team was not built organically. These Celtics fans went from hoping to land Oden or Durant and praying that Doc Rivers would get fired one day to being a title favorite the next. I've used the analogy before but it's like a mother waking up one day and being handed her baby without ever being pregnant. Unlike Cleveland's relationships with the Cavs, Boston fans never went through the growing pains with their team. I know we've gone through a lot of roster turnover but essentially, we've watched our "core" guys go from lottery team to perennial contender over about a five year period. Boston fans probably know that Kevin McHale and Sam Presti have more to do with their team's success than shrewd management or player development. You can just tell that these fans don't quite connect with their team in the way that you would expect. There are only two players that really seem to have a special connection to the fans: Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. This makes total sense. Peirce is a career Celtic and Rondo is Boston's guy. As I've said, you develop a special connection to a player when he makes his breakthrough with your team. Do Boston fans love Garnett? Of course. Still, it's just different. The connection isn't the same. (Side note: Does anyone else think it's a little ridiculous that everyone is blowing Garnett for being "so intense" that he can't even sit on the bench while he's injured? I mean if J.R. Giddens pulled the same thing, would the Boston media slobber all over him like they've done with KG?)

The Entertainment:

Completely contrived: The opening video during player introductions was WAY too long and reaked of the idea that this was a franchise that had a lot of tradition but didn't know how to incorporate it into the present. It featured tons of old game footage, former player interviews, and speeches by Red that all had the cumulative effect of lulling the fans to sleep rather than pumping anyone up. The video culminated with the obligatory "Kevin Garnett is intense!" shot of KG growling into the camera. Objectively speaking, it just didn't do it for me and surprisingly, I got the impression that even the Celtics fans were a little bit over it.


The in-game entertainment was horribly cliche'. Lots of clips from Hoosiers and 300. Lots of "fan cam" timeouts. Overall, there was not an ounce of originality on display the entire evening, which, in all fairness, could really be said for any NBA arena including the Q. Every place is doing the same tired annoying stuff during every break in the action.

The Players:

Kendrick Perkins is huge. Mikki Moore is massive and looks a little like Busta Rhymes. Big Baby Davis is extremely short and wide and has the potential to sport some Antoine-Walker-like neck fat later in his career. Rajon Rondo looks like a Somali Warlord. Paul Pierce looks like a catfish.

The Game:

1. If you attend a road game, you can see why the people that know say that the role players are the reason that it's so hard to win on the road in the NBA. Sure Lebron stunk up the joint but the more alarming trend was how tenative some of our role players were. Everyone just looked terrified that they might make a mistake. Sure guys like Gibson, Hickson, and Pavlovic can give you a handful of passable minutes when they're feeding off the energy of the home crowd but on the road, they're complete liabilities. About the only one who looked comfortable is Varejao who, no matter what the venue, always plays with energy and reckless abandon. I walked away feeling even more convinced that the Cavs need homecourt all the way through to win a title. Sure they have a chance to win a series against a team of equal or greater talent without the home court...if Lebron pulls another game 5 at the Palace. But, there's no way he's doing that in two consecutive series and without it, the Cavs don't have the bodies to win two consecutive series against good teams without having both of them begin and end at home.

2. I couldn't believe how badly Mike Brown messed up the game. The Cavs got outplayed in the 3rd and as I recall, began the 4th down 9. Now, on the road against a good team and down 9, you know that if you don't start closing the gap and take the momentum early in the quater, the game is going to get out of reach. So, what does Mike Brown do? Put Lebron on the bench and start the quarter with Gibson on the floor and Szczerbiak guarding Pierce. Shockingly, Boston blew the game wide open. I just couldn't believe that Brown was essentially conceding a game that wasn't even a double-digit deficit with a full quarter to play. I really like Mike Brown but that decision was indefensible.

3. If Garnett isn't in there, the Cavs should be running the offense through Z. Again, we figured this out about 40 minutes too late. Nobody on the Celtics outside of KG has the combination of size, instincts, and footwork to guard Z down low.

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4. Having Marbury on the Celtics is like having a double-agent working for our team behind enemy lines. I have absolutely no fear for his game and I'm thrilled about the possible destruction he could cause in Boston. After a week, Celtic fans are already a little uneasy every time he steps on to the floor. A part of them is rooting for the great reclamation story but deep down, they're all a little disgusted with the fact that they have to root for such a despicable guy. Overall, in light of the cries of "don't shoot" I was hearing from the faithful every time he touched the ball, I get the impression that things between Marbury and Boston fans are going to end badly...and if he tries to do anything other than bring the ball up the court come playoff time, the fans, and more likely, Garnett, might kill him.

5. Our frontcourt is soft but you didn't need me to tell you that.

Overall, it was a strange night. The experience was a little bit of a letdown...the team's performance was terrible...and yet I came away oddly satisfied. Maybe it's just because I realized that as NBA fans, we're not missing anything. Attending a game at the Q is just as good, and I would even argue better, than attending a game in Boston.

One final note: It's a special feeling walking into an opposing arena knowing that Lebron is on your team. It's like showing up to a gunfight with a machine gun and knowing that everyone else is carrying a civil war pistol. The sheer terror harbored by opposing fans toward Lebron is palpable. Sure Lebron had a horrific night, but you know what: Boston fans are still terrified of him. And as you and I know, they have every reason to feel that way. We may have lost the battle on this night but I still believe in our chances to win the war.

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Cavs-Celtics Running Diary

Here is my belated running diary on last night's Cavs-Celtics game, which will be completed with the help of my Tivo. It is late, but I love reading running diaries even after games I watched so this is for those who cannot get enough of the game or who missed it. The Cavs and Celtics are two of the 3, maybe 4, elite teams in the NBA so this is a huge game for a regular season game. The Cavs really have a chance tonight on national television to make a statement about the pecking order in the NBA. Without further ado, it is time to press play on my Tivo:

First Quarter

12:00 - No surprises in the starting lineups. Starting for the Cavs are Mo Williams, Delonte West, Lebron James, Ben Wallace, and Anderson Varejao. Starting for the Celtics are Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kendrick Perkins, and Kevin Garnett.

12:00 - I thought a throwback jerseys were throwbacks to jerseys that used to be worn or are at least close to it. Did the Cavs ever wear anything like that?

11:50 - Ben Wallace with a drive and score to the basket off a pick and roll. Never thought the game would start like that. This can only be a good sign.

11:05 - Anderson Varejao with a nice double pump layup off a Lebron James assist. Andy simultaneously being in shape this and learning to play under control this year has been huge, especially now that Z is hurt. I no longer cringe when he drives, spins, and attempts a layup because he no longer does it wildly.

10:20 - Celtics with some nice ball movement between Pierce, Garnett and Perkins for a Perkins layup.

10:07 - Varejao hits a jumper, which is another improvement in his game. I think the assumption that he is gone after this year is starting to look like a premature one. I am starting to think that the Cavs should keep him even though he is going to want a lot of money. He is just too important to the Cavs.

9:42 - Same three players, same result for Boston. Another nice play.

9:29 - Lebron with a nice pass to Big Ben for an easy layup. The Celtics pay for overloading on Lebron.

8:40 - I think Mo Williams has now hit three tear drop shots to the start the game. Cavs are up 12-8.

7:45 - Pierce to Garnett to Perkins again. Nice wrap around pass by Garnett. This is a battle between low-scoring big men right now in the form of Perkins, Wallace, and Varejao (although you could say that title no longer applies to Andy).

7:15 - Big Ben gets an offensive board, passes to a cutting Varejao, and Varejao is fouled on the layup attempt. Andy makes the two free throws, and the score is Cavs 14, Celtics 10. The battle of low scoring big men continues.

6:47 - Ben Wallace with the steal, which leads to Lebron getting fouled on the way to the hoop. I am not sure that Garnett fouled Lebron although he might have hit him on the face. Cavs are up
16-10 after Lebron makes the two free throws. Garnett is T'ed up for arguing. Score: 17-10.

6:25 - Garnett misses another shot. He has started cold.

6:04 - Delonte West with a nice short jumper over Garnett. The Cavs have started hot tonight.

5:03 - Cavs are forced to call a timeout as Lebron looks like he was hit in the eye on the last play. No call was made. Garnett gets his first points on the following play on a dunk with Lebron still holding his head at the other end of the floor.

4:44 - Lebron takes on Paul Pierce, gets buy him, and gets fouled as he makes a layup over Garnett. Cavs 22 Celtic 14.

3:50 - Daniel Gibson and J.J. Hickson checks in for Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao.

3:17 - Kendrick Perkins is fouled as he attempts another close-in shot. He has been scored over half of Boston's points thus far, surprisingly enough. He has nine points after he splits the free throws. Cavs 22 Celts 17.

2:54 - Lebron drives and kicks to Wally who knocks down a 3. Wally apparently snuck into the game without me noticing. Cavs 25 Celts 17

2:20 - Lebron with another assist as J.J. Hickson slams the ball home. Lebron has really been making the Celtics pay for overloading on him, and the big men (Wallace, Andy, and Hickson) have been in the right spots for the scores.

1:04 - James is rewarding for all his sharing as Gibson now hits a cutting Lebron for a big slam. Cavs 31 Celts 21

0:47 - Ray Allen misses a three as the Celtics are not shooting well.

0:35 - Pierce gets a fast break dunk after Rondo stripped Lebron. Cavs 31 Celts 23.

0:14 - Lebron drives for a nice layup on the ensuing play.

0:00 Lebron James comes out of nowhere to reject Perkin's short shot attempt at the buzzer. The crowd is buzzing as the quarter ends. Hickson also altered Rondo's shot on the same play. He has gotten into good position to affect shots a couple of times this game, which is good to see from the rookie. Cavs 33 Celts 23 after a strong first quarter from the Cavs. The Cavs are making shots, playing tough defense, and are really attacking the basket right now.

Second Quarter

12:00 - On the floor to start the quarter for the Cavs are J.J. Hickson, Anderson Varejao, Daniel Gibson, Mo Williams, and Wally. For the Celtics, Leon Powe, Eddie House, Ray Allen, Gabe Pruitt, and Glen Davis.

11:30 - Hickson misses a dunk, but once again gets in the right position on offense for the Cavs. He is playing the way he needs to thus far for the Cavs. He is working hard on defense and getting into positions to score by cutting to the basket at the right time.

10:24 - Powe makes a tough shot over Varejao who was playing some tight defense on him.

9:30 - Hickson is fouled on short jumper off a decent post move. I wondered how J.J. would respond when playing extended minutes with Z hurt against a good opponent. So far so good. Cavs 34 Celtics 27 after the free throws.

9:01 - Not much to say on the Celtics thus far as Ray Allen misses another shot. None of their stars are lighting it up. They are still in the game though.

8:24 - Leon Powe scores off a cut and a nice feed. He is a really nice player. He is Boston's version of Andy.

7:32 - Mo Williams has hit two straight baskets to give him 9 points. Cavs have Delonte, Gibson, Williams, Hickson, and Varejao on the floor. Cavs 38 Celts 31.

6:23 - Cavs with some great hustle to knock the ball away from Powe and get the loose ball. Boobie knocks down a 3. The Celtics call a timeout. The Cavs are hot tonight. They are in total control right now of this game. Lebron is back in when the game restarts.

5:05 - The Celtics miss 3 shots (House, Davis and Pierce) on one possession as the Cavs defense is getting hands in people's faces and the Celtics are not hitting their shots.

4:20 - Ben Wallace steals the ball and leads a fast break. He does not do a bad job although Lebron misses the shot, but let's never see that again.

3;37 - Lebron hits a 3. Not much scoring in this quarter. Cavs 44 Celtics 33. It was 33-23 after the first quarter.

3:18 - Ben Wallace alters Pierce's shot on a miss. Ben Wallace has been great.

2:27 - Allen misses another shot on a 3 point attempt. I am not sure he has scored. Garnett miss a short jumper too.

1:52 - Delonte has a nice drive and kicks the ball to Varejao who makes the jumper.

1:43 - Rondo hits Garnett on a nice alley oop. Someone lost Garnett on that play.

1:14 - Lebron hits another 3. Cavs 49 Celtics 35.

0:00 - It's halftime. The Cavs are playing really well tonight. I am not sure anyone could say anything bad about their performance thus far. Their defense has hustled and contested shots. The Cavs big men have done a good job in the middle. The Cavs offense has been attacking the basket and not settling for jumpers. Most jumpers have been on drive and kicks. The ball movement has been good. Even if they were not making their shots, this is exactly how you want to see them play every game. Let's not get too carried away though. They are only up 9. If Pierce gets hot, things could change quickly. Cavs 49 Celts 40.

3rd Quarter

12:00 - Starting lineups are back on the floor as the 2nd half starts.

10:30 - Rondo knocks the ball away from Mo Williams, immediately gets it back, and is fouled by Lebron on a fast break layup attempt. Jeff Van Gundy would like me to know that that was not a foul; however, Lebron got him with the body although the block was clean. Celtics are closing in. The score is 49-45 after Rondo's free throws as the Cavs have yet to score.

10:00 - The scoring has really slowed in this game after a 33-23 first quarter. Both teams are holding the the other defensively. Their defenses are the true reason that these two teams are tops in the east.

9:28 - Lebron with a crossover, drive, and a made left-handed layup as he is fouled. He completes the 3 point play and the score is Cavs 52, Celtics 45. Lebron is just as good around the basket with his left hand as he is with his right, which we all probably know but is still amazing.

7:56 - Van Gundy and Marc Jackson both think Lebron has been the MVP thus far. I cannot disagree although Wade has been really good this year.

7:17 - Lebron with an nice double pump layup. He has 22 points. Cavs 56 Celts 49.

5:51 - Steals on both ends: one by West and the other by Rondo. More missed shots. The Cavs turn the ball over again. The Cavs have scored just 7 points in this quarter, but hold on to a 56-51 lead. This has really become a defensive battle.

5:10 - Pierce misses a 3 pointer. It looks like he has only 5 points in this game. He often has huge games against the Cavs as he seems to love the challenge of playing against Lebron. Credit Lebron with playing good D.

4:44 - The game has gotten sloppy. I think the Cavs have turned the ball over on their last three possessions. For the most part, the Celtics are returning the favor. Varejao ends the Cavs turnover streak with a nice one-handed layup over his head for 2 points and a trip to the foul line. Cavs 59 Celtics 51 after the made free throw.

4:26 - Ray Allen hits a 3. He now has 7.

3:58 - Varejao hits a jumper on a Lebron assist. He is having a solid game with 13 points.

3:45 - Rondo drives to the basket and falls to the floor after it looks like he is hit in the head by one of the Cavs. There is no call. I have now watched this three times, and I am pretty sure that he bounced the ball off the top of his head when he tried to shoot. I have never seen that before. Wow. The play ends with Garnett hitting a jumper after a scramble for the ball after Rondo's head maneuver.

Unknown time since ESPN stole the clock from the screen: Lebron with an amazing (for a normal player) block from behind on Allen's fast break layup attempt. That move is becoming routine for him. Remember when everyone was amazed when Tayshaun Prince blocks Reggie Miller's layup from behind a few years ago. Lebron now does it about once every game or two.

2:35: On the other end of the floor, Lebron hits a jumper while being fouled by Rondo. Lebron is doing everything tonight: dishing the ball, driving for layups, hitting a few threes, blocking shots and playing huge D on Paul Pierce. Cavs 64 Celts 56.

2:14: Lebron swarms Pierce and forces him to give it up. He had the ball for about 10 seconds and could do nothing with it. Hickson gets the board when Powe misses.

1:25: Van Gundy is stating that Mike Brown does not get enough credit for the Cavs defense. Amen. Lebron hits another 3. Cavs 69 Celtics 58.

0:40: Delonte West and Daniel Gibson show how the Cavs offense should run. West fakes a 3, drives to the basket, and kicks it to Gibson in the corner. Gibson does not have an open 3 so he drives to the basket, and kicks it to West who knocks down the 3. They worked the ball in and out with great ball movement.

0:00: Pierce misses a fallaway jumper with Lebron once again in his face to close the quarter. Cavs 72 Celtics 60 after 3.

Fourth Quarter

12:00 - Varejao, Szcerbiak, Williams, Hickson and Gibson are out there for the Cavs to start the 4th. House, Allen, Powe, Davis, and Pierce for the Celtics. Let's see how the Cavs handle the lead without Lebron on the floor when Lebron provided much of their offense in the 3rd.

11:12 - Pierce hits a jumper over West who is now guarding him. Although West is a good defender, Pierece could take advantage of this matchup.

11:00 - Mo Williams hits a running tear drop. This is his time of the game with Lebron being out.

10:14 - Mo Williams with a nice pass to Varejao who is fouled on the layup. Cavs 74 Celts 62 after Andy misses both free throws.

10:00 - Pierce with a turnaround jumper over Wally who is guarding him for some reason. A shot of Lebron shows he wants back in the game to guard Pierce. You have to love his desire to get back in their to play defense.

9:24 - Pierce is really forcing it with Lebron out. He gets two close-in layup shots and offensive rebound before Powe scores. Lebron is coming back in.

8:49 - Varejao forces an offensive foul on Leon Powe. Lebron follows with a driving layup. Then, he knocks the ball away from House, runs the length of the floor, and dives for the ball before it goes out. The crowd is loving it. Lebron wants this game. This is a huge game for him.

7:44 - Lebron hits a jumper in the corner. Cavs 78 Celts 66. Unless Pierce goes off on the Cavs, it is hard to see the Cavs losing at this point.

6:36 - Lebron with a steal and a tough left-handed layup over Allen. He how has 36 points and 4 steals. Cavs 83 Celts 68.

5:40 - Boston has now turned the ball over three straight times after a West steal.

5:20 - Are the Celtics resorting to Hack-a-Ben in a regular season game? They fouled Ben Wallace far away from the ball. Maybe smart but weak. Ben hits 1 of 2. Cavs 84 Celts 71.

5:00 - Following a Pierce missed layup with Lebron and Ben in his face, the Celtics foul Ben Wallace again. The crowd is booing. Varejao looks like he is going to come in for Ben who makes 1 of 2 again. I would leave Ben in just to make a point to Boston and because we are up 14.

4:55 - Varejao is called back from the scorer's table to the bench. I love it.

4:32 - Wallace is fouled again. Lebron tries to shoot before they can do it and makes a 3 pointer from about half court. He did not shoot in time, but it has the crowd going crazy. Wallace makes 1 of 2 a third time and Lebron slaps the ball out for the offensive rebound. The Celtics choose to cease fouling Big Ben as Lebron forces his way into the middle and is fouled. Cavs 90 Celts 71 after Lebron's free throws.

4:01 - According to the announcer, the Celtics will fall to third in the Eastern Conference after this game. Incredible. A few weeks ago, they were 27-2.

4:01 - More Ben Wallace fouling by the Celtics. Doesn't the Hack-a-Ben seem a little desparate for a reigning champion in the regular season? The Celtics are really struggling right now. They will have lost 7 of their last 9 after this game.

3:13 - Lebron is now on the bench. Hickson, Varejao, and Gibson are in. The Celtics big 3 are out. It is officially garbage time. Gibson knocks down a 3 after some nice ball movement. Cavs 95 Celts 78.

0:00 - Final Score: Cavs 98 Celtics 83.

Post Game Thoughts

This was a fun and exciting game tonight for Cavs fans. They took on one of the top teams in the NBA and beat them by 15 to extend their record at home to be 19-0. I wrote before the game that this was their first chance for a statement win to provide the final proof that they are an elite team. The Cavs made a statement tonight although we should keep in mind that Boston is struggling right now. The game was often close, but the Cavs always seemed like they were in control. Not to mention, they did all this without Zydrunas Ilgauskas. When the Cavs play defense like this, are aggresive on offense, and have good ball movement, I am not sure anyone can beat them.

Lebron James was all over the place tonight and had 38 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Also, I think he earned some All-Defensive team, if not Defensive player of the year, votes tonight with his defense on Pierce who only had 11 points. It was really obvious he wanted to win this game. Anderson Varejao also had a strong performance with 14 points and 9 rebounds. However, as Lebron basically stated after the game, this is only one game. Hopefully, the Cavs can use this game to build some momentum on their quest to get the #1 seed for their playoffs.
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Takin' Care of Business

Quick reactions from a great night of basketball:

1. I'm sorry for going a little off topic with thought number one but this has to be said: If the FCC doesn't have someone from ESPN arrested tonight in connection with the decision to broadcast closeups of Doris Burke in HD, then they are officially sanctioning broadcast obscenity. My dear god! I've seen reptiles with better faces.

2. In case you've been living in a bomb shelter for the last few months, allow me to fill you in on something: Lebron James has widened the offensive gap between himself and the rest of the basketball playing planet. Oh yeah, and just for fun, he's become one of the top 10 defenders in the world as well. It has been well documented that Boston lacks the intimidation factor that many other defending champions have had over the years. As an opposing fan, you respect their abilities but they don't really scare you per se. On the other hand, if I were rooting for Boston, Lebron James would absolutely terrify me. I mean I wouldn't sleep at night thinking about having to face Lebron 6.0 in the playoffs. If you asked me to describe his dominance right now to someone who had never seen him play, the only adjective I could think of would be "Tigeresque."

3. If Boston has the 1 seed and they meet the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals, it's probably 50-50 as to who wins. If the Cavs have the home court, i'd say its 70-30 Cavs. I just don't see this team losing 4 games at home in a playoff series. In addition, if the Cavs have the home court, it probably means Boston will have to slug it out with Orlando in the Eastern Conference Semis. If that's the case then I REALLY like our chances. Don't underestimate the importance of the route to the conference finals. Remember in 2007, the Cavs got Detroit after the Pistons had played a tough 6 game series with Chicago. With a very thin and not getting any younger Boston team, being forced to go through two elite teams to get out of the East would be an extremely tall order. The Cavs have a tough month ahead of them and it is imperative that they at least stay within striking distance of the best record in the East. I know right now it seems like they might run away with the one seed but Boston will right the ship and the Cavs will, at some point, hit a skid themselves.

4. Right now, aside from having the basketball equivalent of the atomic bomb in their arsenal, the Cavs have two huge advantages over Boston: 1) their bench is infinitely better, and 2) Lebron's versatility allows them to give a lot of different lineup looks. Who would've ever thought that having a guy who is the best player in the league at four different positions would be such an advantage?

5. Garnett is a fantastic player and an absolutely HUGE liability for Boston going forward. If things start going south for the Celtics in a playoff series, I would expect Garnett to be the first one to completely lose his cool in a very Rasheed-like way. For all the credit he gets for his intensity, he could single-handedly sink Boston's ship if adequately provoked. And if this scenario plays out, I would expect Anderson Varejao to be prominently involved. You could say I'm a little excited for the Playoffs.

6. In the next month, Mike Brown needs to earn his paycheck by keeping this team hungry. They will be coming down from an emotional high after playing well in a game they had probably been looking forward to for months. They could very easily fall back into the lazy apathetic basketball that we've seen glimpses of over the last couple of weeks. This is a crucial time for this team. They absolutely must keep the pressure on Boston and Orlando to maintain the torrid pace.

7. If his team makes a big move before the deadline, my head might explode. If you added the right guy to the mix, and I haven't yet formed an opinion as to who that might be, it might be lights out for the rest of the East. I'll stop short of bringing the West into it until I see how these Cavs match up with LA.

8. If they haven't already done so, the Cavs should probably make sure Z starts traveling with a body man just in case Dan Fegan decides he likes the Cavs' current starting lineup.

9. Great crowd tonight. I hate it when fans resort to cliche' chants like "Overrated" and "Boston sucks" but it's hard to find fault with the noise level and intensity on display in the Q tonight. There is a reason that Cavs are unbeaten at home. They win with defense. Defense is all about effort. Great crowds inspire great efforts. You see the connection.

10. If you haven't noticed, Lebron has become a real live version of Bill Brasky. Every single television analyst can't wait to tell us how big he is and all of them come up with different numbers. On any given night, Lebron can range from 6'6 250 to 6'9 285.

11. Get excited for the rest of the regular season. Seeding is going to be EVERYTHING this year. That means that for the first time in as long as I can remember, the Cavs are going to be playing extremely meaningful games all winter. As a fan, what more can you ask for? (Image from Plain Dealer)

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Quick Hitter Thoughts of the Day

Some days there just isn't anything that moves you to write an entire story. Still, I feel compelled to get a few things off my chest so we'll do this Peter King style.

Quick Hitter Thoughts of the Day:

1. Kudos to you Notre Dame. There are few things in this world that are more pathetic than going 14 years without a Bowl win. Beating a WAC team in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and then strutting around like you're hot shit is one of them. Well done gentlemen. I'm pretty sure touchdown jesus is blushing right now. This might be worse than Derek Anderson's "We got our swagger back" text message to Peter King after the first Cincinnati game this year.

2. Speaking of the WAC, I was looking at the standings and notice that Louisiana Tech is also in that conference. Maybe this has already been discussed somewhere but that blew my mind. Hawaii and La. Tech are in the same conference?! Those two schools are over 4,000 miles apart! I challenge anyone to come up with any two teams in any sport that are in the same conference that are farther apart than that.

3. Watched Boston and the Lakers today. I plan to write about this in a future column but the Celtics just don't intimidate me. They're good for sure, but this Cavs team could absolutely beat them, even without home court. As for the Lakers, obviously they can present matchup problems with two legit 7 footers to go with Kobe but they still have plenty of issues, namely that they just stop defending for long stretches.

4. The Lebron Six Chalks are awesome looking. It saddens me that once you're out of college, you can no longer wear hightops anywhere outside of a gym without looking like a complete douche.

5. I laugh every time I think about Abe Pollin crapping in his depends every time he has to sign a paycheck for Gilbert Arenas. Only 5 1/2 more seasons Abe and you're out from under that one! Seriously, could there be a better example of the notion that a fool and his money are not long for each other? What exactly was he thinking? "Hmm, what if I take the core of this perennial 40 win team and first round punching bag and give them all long-term deals for twice as much as they're currently making. That'll put us over the top for sure!" You know what though, it couldn't have happened to a worse bunch of guys. Every time we see this team they're pretending to be thugs and running their mouths. Enjoy the lottery Washington. You're going to be seeing a lot of it in the next few years.

6. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Shaun Smith will not be back with the Browns next year.

7. I woke up way too early this morning and ended up watching Sportscenter (I know, how 1990's of me). Anyway, the show featured a heartwarming little puff piece featuring Steelers players reading a Christmas poem. ESPN is as much about sports these days as MTV is about music (I'm pretty sure I just sounded like a curmudgeon right there. These damn kids and their rock music). Oh, and in case you've not caught wind of it yet, ESPN would like you to know that KEVIN GARNETT IS INTENSE!

8. Brian Windhorst is an excellent journalist who just so happens to look like "Seth" from Superbad.

9. I was bored yesterday and actually stopped by the Indians team shop. The apparel collection is absolutely disgraceful for a professional sports team. I spent 20 minutes trying to find a decent T-shirt and couldn't do it and the polos were just laughable. I did get a good laugh out of the fact that the team is still designing new Travis Hafner gear. Apparently they didn't get the memo that he retired two years ago. On a brighter note, I did pick up a Sizemore alternate home jersey for 50% off (and yes, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that all grown men look ridiculous in jerseys).

10. The Cavs are currently in the process of affixing a nice little 42 center to the Washington game tonight. Nice to know they can still mail it in when they want to.

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