CEBU, Philippines - The Boston Celtics tied its first round playoffs series versus the Chicago Bulls by winning Game 2, the other day.
Game 3 and 4 will be in Chicago where the Bulls owns a respectable 28-13 home record. Boston might be able to steal a game in Chicago and survive the younger Bulls but a more formidable rival in Orlando looms in the next round.
Without Kevin Garnett, it would be improbable for the Celtics to overcome Orlando. If by chance - and it’s as slim as Juicy Fruit - they get past Orlando, then the Cavaliers will finish them off.
The ailing Boston bench received another crippling blow when forward Leon Powe reinjured his knee that ended his season. Even Rajon Rondo is hurting. He has been playing with a twisted ankle and I don’t think he could on hold any longer.
This is it for Boston. Without the Big Three, there will be no repeat. Adios, goodbye, see you next season.
The culprit in Boston’s sudden reversal of fortunes was the injury to Kevin Garnett. His “strange” knee injury kept him out of the latter part of the regular season, suiting up in only four games in the last two months.
The troublesome right knee bothered him no end. In practice, he was limping. NBA sources say he was only “70 percent.” Doc Rivers said he had seen it all and made it clear that Garnett is done.
Garnett, however, is insisting to come back. You couldn’t blame the competitive Garnett from hanging on. The repeat scenario is still playing in his mind like a familiar tune. That tune, it seems, is now fading out eerily as the playoffs progresses. And he knows it.
Some Celtics fans are still praying, hoping against hope that Garnett could suit up. Even if he does, he won’t be so much of a help. He will be more of a liability than asset. The guy has guts, but you need more than guts to survive the playoffs and Doc Rivers knows that very well.
Rivers said he’s not focused on KG returning to the line-up. Ray Allen has crossed him out of the line-up too. Allen said he has programmed his mind that KG isn’t coming back and is “planning it that way for the rest of the playoffs.”
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It would be a Lakers-Cavaliers showdown in the NBA finals now that Boston is out. The teams are both 2-0 against their first round playoffs rivals. They will rout other contenders to clinch their respective conference titles.
The series would light up the billboards. It would be the best home team (Cleveland with a 39-1 record) against the best road team (Lakers with a 29-12 card).
The match-up between Kobe and LeBron (although I don’t think they will guard each other) will be explosive. LeBron is more athletic but Kobe has finesse - the smoother operator if you may.
The Lakers won two regular season games against the Cavaliers. Those games, however don’t really count during the finals. If there was anything evident in those two games, it was that the Lakers seem to know how to play LeBron. They made him bleed for his points, limiting him to 23 and 16 points, respectively or a low 19.5 points average in both contests.
Odds makers, experts and most sportswriters are favoring the Lakers to win the series. What do you think?
For comments, please write rabai_o@yahoo.com - THE FREEMAN