Good afternoon everyone. I know it has been a few days since I’ve posted anything on the blog, and you are all still waiting for updates to the Rebounds Spring League section of the blog with summaries from May 5th and May 12th, but I’ve been busy with my job. My schedule changed about a couple weeks ago, and while I’m still going in at my usual time, I’m leaving an hour later since my time is being tracked now whereas my first week, it wasn’t. Unfortunately, that is the first of what will be several changes this summer. I will let you know about them when the time comes.
Anyway, while I was posting articles to my other major web site, Hurricaneville, in anticipation for the upcoming 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which is only two weeks away, I was watching the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics with the winner taking on Detroit in the conference finals starting on Tuesday. Actually, I had started the afternoon by watching the Eastern Conference Finals of the NHL Playoffs between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but after the Penguins, led by phenom, Sidney Crosby, took a 5-0 lead, I figured that it was time to take in some hoops. I don’t watch much hockey, and I wanted to take some of that in so that I could get a feel for what was happening.
Moving on to the Game 7 playoff game, it was one for the ages as Cleveland’s LeBron James and Boston’s Paul Pierce went mano a mano in the fourth quarter. For every shot Pierce hit, James had an answer. Considering that Boston had the more talented team on paper, and was the top seed in the Eastern Conference after rolling through the Atlantic Division with a final overall record of 66-16, the Celtics had their hands full again after fighting through what turned out to be a surprisingly grueling seven game series with the eighth seeded Atlanta Hawks. However, since both teams held serve at home in the series, and the Celtics got clutch free throws from Ray Allen, Eddie House, and Pierce in the last minute of the game to pull out the victory over Cleveland, 97-92.
James, who played with a passion, fire, and unwillingness to lose, ended up with 45 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds while Pierce countered with 41 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Former Celtic, and St. Joe’s University standout, Delonte West chipped in for the losers with 15 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds while Kevin Garnett pitched in for the winning cause with a double-double of 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. NBA Veteran, P.J. Brown, who is well known to Knicks fans for the wild brawl that took place in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals back in 1997, but was not even playing in the league at the start of the season, came up big with 10 points on four field goals including a clutch jumper down the stretch along with 6 rebounds, and an assist.
Boston appeared to be in control in this one with an 18-13 lead after the first quarter, and then a 32-27 effort in the second for a ten point, 50-40 lead at the intermission. However, the Cavaliers, which were 45-37 overall on the season after reaching the NBA Finals last year, rallied with a 28-23 showing in the third quarter, and when LeBron took his game to another level in the fourth, the team pulled within one for the first time since the first quarter. James made a key play with a steal at midcourt on the right side, and then drove in for the layin that closed the gap to 89-88 with 2:20 to go in the game. The performances put on by both James and Pierce were definitely one of the most memorable seen in recent years.
Most importantly though, it’s nice to see the Celtics climb back into contention again. Having Boston back at the top is very helpful to the success of the NBA since the franchise has had such a rich tradition. Hopefully, the Knicks will eventually turn things around, but they have a lot of work ahead of them.