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Game Preview: Round 2, Game 3 - Cavaliers at Celtics
 |
vs. |  |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Series | 1-1 |
| 5-2 | Record | 5-2 |
| 102.6 | PPG | 96.6 |
| 97.4 | PPGA | 89.3 |
| 47.9 | FG% | 47.5 |
| 44.9 | Opp. FG% | 43.8 |
| 40.0 | Rebounds | 40.3 |
| 21.6 | Assists | 22.9 |
| 13.4 | Turnovers | 16.1 |
| 6.1 | Steals | 8.9 |
| 7.3 | Blocks | 4.3 |
| Point Guard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Mo Williams |
Rajon Rondo | ||
| Shooting Guard | |||
Anthony Parker |
Ray Allen | ||
| Small Forward | |||
LeBron James |
Paul Pierce | ||
| Power Forward | |||
Antawn Jamison |
Kevin Garnett | ||
| Center | |||
Shaquille O'Neal |
Kendrick Perkins | ||
| Sixth Man | |||
Anderson Varejao |
Rasheed Wallace | ||
Friday, May 7, 2010
TD Garden, 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN
RADIO: WEEI 850 AM
Its title is Game 3, but it's much more than that. Tonight's 7 p.m. matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers may be the most hyped Celtics game since the 2008 NBA Finals.
Who would have it any other way?
The hype is deserved, as these two teams are knotted up at one game apiece in this best-of-seven series, and whichever team wins tonight will be halfway home to a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Boston took Game 2 in Cleveland in convincing fashion, blowing out the Cavs, 104-86, behind Rajon Rondo's 19 assists, which tied a team playoff record. Rondo has been the best point guard in the playoffs, as well as the best player in this series, and has led Boston to another playoff emergence. The C's are possibly the most talked-about team in the league right now after that win, and they will be looking to carry that momentum through tonight's game.
Luckily for them, the attention is warranted. The Celtics are 5-2 in the playoffs and have taken away home court advantage from the regular season's best team in the league. As Kevin Garnett said at Thursday's practice, he thinks this team is clicking as well as it ever has.
"As a team we're playing some of the best basketball we've played all year, I'll tell you that," Garnett said in response to a question about his strong individual play.
But no matter how well the C's are playing, winning this game will not be an easy task. Doc Rivers knows that his team must play better overall if they're going to take Game 3, because the Cavs will be giving their best shot tonight.
"War - it's going to be a tough game," said Rivers. "You know LeBron's going to be better and their whole team is going to be better. We have to be better. We have to attack more."
If James' is going to be better, it's going to be because he attacks more, too. He has clearly been hesitant to drive to the basket and create contact due to his strained right elbow. He participated fully in Thursday's practice without limitations, just like Garnett and Kendrick Perkins did after sitting out Wednesday, and sounds as if he's healthy for Game 3.
He'd better be, because in front of this Garden crowd tonight, the Celtics should be as pumped as they've ever been to take this game into the win column.
Will Pierce step up?
The most impressive part of the Celtics splitting their two games in Cleveland might be the fact that they did so with very minimal contributions from their top scorer from the regular season. Paul Pierce's 18.3 PPG average was tops on the team this season and he bumped that up to 19.6 PPG in Boston's five games against the Heat in Round 1. Against the Cavs, though, Pierce has played well below his accustomed level at the offensive end.
The Truth is putting up only 13.5 PPG thus far against Cleveland on 33.3 percent shooting, and that is not typically an ingredient for Boston's success. He is, however, playing great defense against LeBron James at the other end of the court and is a big reason why there is so much national talk about James' elbow and him underperforming, too.
Although Pierce is playing great defense, it would be difficult to argue the notion that the Celtics will not be able to win this series without greater offensive production from their captain. Tonight will be his chance to get back on track in front of a rowdy home crowd in the Garden.
Free throws
When taking on the Miami Heat in Round 1, the Celtics were the team being sent to the line consistently and wound up taking an average of 25.4 free throws per game as opposed to the Heat's 17.2.
In two games against the Cavs, that trend has completely flipped. On the strength of LeBron James, Cleveland has taken 69 free throw attempts to Boston's 39, which has resulted in 15 more points from the charity stripe.
It's difficult to win games when being dominated at the free-throw line, and Doc Rivers and his team know that. Rivers openly discussed that issue after practice Thursday afternoon and said that his players must attack the basket more often if they want to be successful in this series. Two players that will be heavily relied upon to even that free throw number out will be the aforementioned Pierce as well as Rajon Rondo.
Strong start, stronger finish
We all know that the Garden should be as loud as it has been all season when the ball goes up for tip off tonight, and that should help the C's come out with plenty of energy to start this game.
A strong start should be expected, but a stronger finish is what will be necessary. The C's have a history of letting up in the second half this year, and there is evidence of that in their Game 1 loss. If the C's can play well in the first half and take a lead into the locker room, you can bet your paycheck that the coaches will be preaching the word "finish" for the entire intermission.
