BW on the Celtics - Cavs Rivalry (from ESPN's Daily Dime)

[_amon _ones]

I'm not sure I agree completely with BW on how good the Celtics - Cavs matchup could be in the playoffs (other than the fact that they really don't like each other). The Cavs ended up losing by 5 points to Boston at home (even though it wasn't really that close) with 4 new players, 1 just returning from injury, 1 getting over the flu (quarantined in his hotel room in the first game of an away back-to-back), missing a starter and a key rotation guy (who both know the system better than the 4 new guys who have played all of 3 games with the rest of the team), while on the 2nd night of an away back-to-back...the deck was stacked just slightly against the Cavs in this one. I fully expected them to lose.

Boston, meanwhile, won one game against the Cavs without LBJ, but that was also with the Cavs missing Hughes and AV, as well. Heck, Nichols ended up playing 4 minutes in that game! The Celts were full strength, and only managed 80 points at home.

The Celtics were 7-2 while KG was injured, including beating Dallas and the Spurs...it's not like they were hurting that much while KG was out.

Once this team gets to gel, though, and Wally and West get comfortable with the wide open looks that LBJ provides, as well as AV and Z getting used to playing with Big Ben and Smith, this team will be a force. They will be able to dominate inside, and have 3 or 4 deadly marksmen outside. They have the best all around player in the NBA right now, and added perfect complimentary pieces to help him maximize his abilities and lead. They've played all of 3 games together, and need to learn each others' strengths and weaknesses. As soon as they are comfortable with that (and MB is comfortable floating all of those minutes around to the best combination of players), this team can be very, very good...and downright dangerous.

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers wrapped up their regular-season series Wednesday in an uneasy draw.

Ostensibly, they both left the court at the TD Banknorth Garden thinking about themselves more than each other, the Celtics clutching a 92-87 victory in a game that was not as close as the final score. The two Eastern Conference powers split four games head-to-head this season, Boston winning once when Cleveland was without LeBron James and the Cavs taking one when the Celtics were without Kevin Garnett. Nobody lost at home.

In reality, though, it's been one long saber-rattling session. As of this moment, Cavs vs. Celtics would be a second-round matchup in the playoffs and a potentially testy one.

This is pretty clear: The Cavs don't like the Celtics much and James always gets fired up playing against Paul Pierce. It goes back four years when the two had to be pulled off each other in the tunnel after a preseason game at Ohio State University after a more-than-contentious game in which Pierce spit at the Cleveland bench.

This season alone James has said the Celtics "talk the most trash in the NBA" and that it wasn't his or his team's style.

Off the court, though, the Celtics seem to offer nothing but respect to the team trying to catch them. Especially in regard to the 11-player trade the Cavs executed last week, bringing in Ben Wallace, Joe Smith and former Celtics Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West.

"The trade was valuable to them, it made them tougher," Garnett said Wednesday. "This is a team to be reckoned with. They are deep and now they are experienced, and it makes the East a little more exciting."

At least the Cavs are trying to make it that way. One of the reasons they attempted to rework their frontcourt was to handle the way Garnett -- the centerpiece of Boston's offense. Wallace was targeted to be a versatile defender who could bang with Garnett in the post.

Wallace kept Garnett out of the post Wednesday, but Garnett burned him and the Cavs in pick-and-roll. Garnett nailed a series of jumpers over Wallace on his way to 18 points. After picking up 21 rebounds in his first two games as a Cav, Wallace had just six in the loss while Garnett had 11.

But there are personality battles beyond the superstars, too. Glen Davis is a perfect foil for Anderson Varejao, both energy big men off the bench and both skilled at getting on the other team's nerves.

Davis got the better of Varejao, who is still recovering from a severe ankle injury that cost him a month, by scoring nine points with four rebounds. (Varejao didn't score.)

Boston also was rough with the Cavs on defense, bumping players off course and denying about every pass and trapping James frequently. Boston's play on the defense end totally took Cleveland out of its offense and got a message across.

Cavs coach Mike Brown was so upset with the rough stuff that he was ejected for the first time in his career for arguing. "They are the best team in the league," James said afterward. "They are in the top five in most defensive categories and you have to give much credit to them."

For now, though, the two sides will prepare for a potential postseason matchup without seeing each other. The Cavs are still trying to get healthy -- they dodged a bullet when James' turned ankle Wednesday turned out to be minor. The Cavs are also trying to figure themselves out; unforced errors cost them a game Tuesday night in Milwaukee . The uneasiness on offense while everyone learns the plays made it easier for Boston to impose its will a night later.

The Cavs are battling the Raptors for the East's fourth seed and they are not taking their eyes off the Magic for the third spot.

The Celtics, meanwhile, are focused on getting Garnett back to 100 percent. For the first time since the All-Star break, Celtics coach Doc Rivers felt Garnett didn't move well coming back from his abdominal strain. Then there's their roster. They added P.J. Brown Wednesday and everyone knows they are waiting to make a call to Sam Cassell. All while holding off the surging Detroit Pistons.

"We're playing for something and so are they," said Szczerbiak, who made his first return to Boston after being traded last summer. "They have been playing together all year and they have the best record for a reason. We are looking up at them right now, but we will be working hard and give us a little time and we'll be ready to give them a good fight."

Brian Windhorst covers the Cavs and the NBA for the Akron Beacon Journal

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