Jeff Green Scores A Career-High 43 Points For Boston But Miami Wins Its 23rd Straight Game

I think I speak for all basketball fans, nevermind Celtics honks, when I demand that the Celtics and Heat face each other in the Eastern Conference Finals (again) this spring. Tonight, we were treated to an instant classic regular season game (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one) as Miami (52-14, 22-11 away) survived a career-high 43 points by Jeff Green (7 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals) to beat Boston (36-30, 24-10 home) 105-103 at TD Garden.

This was the Heat's 23rd straight win and I doubt they had a harder one during this absurd streak. For the Celts, they exhibited their usual dose of incredible heart in the face of adversity. Kevin Garnett didn't play (thigh bruise) which made it seem like they had zero chance to win. Thanks to Green's once in a lifetime performance, Boston actually controlled much of the game but fell apart down the stretch.

Paul Pierce (17 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) had a chance to give Boston the lead at the end with a 3-pointer out of a timeout but the shot hit the front rim and Miami controlled the rebound. Courtney Lee (13 points, 3 steals) was the only other Celtic in double-figures although Jason Terry (9 points) and Jordan Crawford (8 points) played very well off the bench.

LeBron James (37 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) was brilliant, like you'd expect from the best player in the world, while Mario Chalmers scored a sneaky 21 points. Dwyane Wade (16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) was held in check which always seems to happen against the Celtics. Chris Bosh had 13 points and five rebounds while former Celtic Ray Allen (6 points, 5 rebounds in 30 minutes) was mostly silent.

Boston got off to a perfect start given the circumstances, they led 31-19 after one quarter. Miami chipped into that lead, trailing by only six at halftime (59-53). The C's were still up heading into the fourth quarter (82-78) but their shots stopped falling in crunch time.

The Celtics shot almost 5.0% (54.2-49.4) than the Heat, hit three more 3-pointers (10-7) and scored 16 more points on the fast break (22-6). Miami hung on because they grabbed six more rebounds (39-33), they had 16 more points in the paint (50-34) and five less team turnovers (21-16).

These bitter rivals opened up the 2012-13 NBA season and this gave Miami a 2-1 advantage in the season series. They meet once more (Friday, April 12) in Miami during the regular season. Another playoff series would be incredible after last season's Eastern Conference Finals went seven games.

The C's hit the road for three games: at New Orleans on Wednesday (8 p.m., CSN), at Dallas on Friday (8:30 p.m., CSN) and at Memphis on Saturday (8 p.m., CSN). The Hornets (22-46, 5th in Southwest Division) are awful but they won 90-78 in Boston on January 16. Austin Rivers is out for the rest of the season with a broken hand so there won't be that natural distraction for Doc. Look for the C's to bounce back from that loss, one of the worst of their season.

UPDATE 3/19: D.J. White has been signed for the rest of the season.

UPDATE 3/20: Apparently White's deal is multi-year whatever that means.

UPDATE 3/21: haha Shavlik Randolph was also signed for the rest of the season.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Heat Come Out Firing On All Cylinders, Roll Over Celtics 120-107 On Opening Night

After what seemed like months of hype, the 2012 NBA regular season tipped off tonight with a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics at Heat. Just like Game 7, Miami (1-0) came out on top of Boston (0-1), 120-107 at Americanairlines Arena.

Things couldn't have gone any better for fraud Heat fans. LeBron James (26 points, 10 rebounds) still looks like the best basketball player on the planet, Dwayane Wade (game-high 29 points) was healthy, Chris Bosh (19 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks) was a capable third option while Ray Allen (19 points off the bench) had a hell of a debut for Miami. Even Mario Chalmers had eight points and 11 assists while the ghost of Rashard Lewis scored 10 off the bench.

Boston is clearly loaded with talent, it is just going to take time to mesh the veterans with the younger guys and other new players. Rajon Rondo (20 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds) picked up where he left off with his 25th straight regular season game of 10+ assists. Paul Pierce had a team-high 23 points, five rebounds and five assists while Brandon Bass notched 15 points and 10 rebounds in the start.

Other positive notes for the C's: Courtney Lee scored 11 in his Celtics debut and Leandro Barbosa exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter also in his first game with the Green. Kevin Garnett (9 points, 12 rebounds), Jason Terry (8 points) and Jeff Green (3 points) were the main no-shows for Boston and the reason why they lost, outside of the non-existent defense.

The Heat led basically from wire to wire. They were up 31-25 after one quarter and 62-54 at halftime. Miami was about to blow Boston out when they took a 93-76 lead into the fourth. Thanks to Barbosa, the Celts made it interesting and even cut it to four with a 14-3 run but they ran out of gas. Bosh scored seven straight points and that was it.

Rondo picked up a flagrant foul late for a cheap shot on Wade which was proceeded by a technical foul for berating an official earlier in the contest. I thought he had changed over the summer? The main thing to take away from tonight is not to get too wrapped up in the result. It's only 1 of 82 and as far as I'm concerned, the Heat are still the best team in the NBA (as much as it pains me to write that).

Getting away from the hoopla of tonight's ring ceremony and banner raising event, the Celtics can get back to basketball and forget the Ray Allen drama for a while. This is a new team that can run (27-12 fast break points) but they'll need to cut down on the turnovers (19-6 points off turnovers in favor of Miami). The C's get a couple days to rest and practice before hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday (7:30 p.m., CSNE) in their home opener.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Wade Misses Winning 3 At Buzzer, Celtics Survive OT In Game 4 To Tie Series At 2

First off, let me say that I was shocked that Dwyane Wade (20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks) missed a wide-open 3-pointer that would have won Game 4 in overtime for the Heat.

After Rajon Rondo (15 points, 15 assists) made one of two free throws, Miami elected to go for the win and they couldn't ask for much more as Wade got Marquis Daniels to bite on a pump fake. Trouble is, Wade is not a good 3-point shooter (probably the only major flaw in his game).

Instead, Boston held on for a gritty 93-91 win tonight at TD Garden, evening the Eastern Conference Finals up at two games apiece. The Celtics had six players score in double figures (a first for this series) while all five starters did the same for the first time since Game 7 vs. Philadelphia.

Boston would need all of those contributions since Paul Pierce (23 points, 6 rebounds) fouled out (3rd time in last 5 games) on a charge (correct call) early in overtime. Soon after that, LeBron James (29 points, 6 rebounds, 7 turnovers) fouled out for the first time in four years (wish I was joking). With that, the offensive burden fell to Wade and it should come as no surprise that the guy who hasn't topped 23 points in the four games so far in the series, couldn't finish the job. Ironically, LeBron (the guy who isn't clutch at all) hit a tying 3-pointer late in regulation. Still, he also passed up the final shot to Udonis Haslem (12 points, 17 rebounds) who had to force an airball as regulation expired. Sweet last possession Coach Spo.

Kevin Garnett had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, Ray Allen put up 16 points (including 4 3-pointers) and Brandon Bass notched 11 points and seven rebounds. The pleasant surprise for the Celts was Keyon Dooling (10 points) who hit three 3-pointers and provided the only points off Boston's bench which otherwise scored one total point. That's not to say they didn't make plays though since Mickael Pietrus drew LeBron's sixth foul and grabbed two offensive rebounds on the same possession late in overtime-helping Boston kill over a minute off the clock.

This game followed the pattern of the previous two where Boston jumped out to a big early lead (21-6 & 61-43 before settling for 61-47 at halftime) but Miami responded with a big third quarter (21-12). The Celts scored 34 points in the first quarter and had 61 at the half, the most the Heat have allowed all postseason. The Heat scored 23 in the first quarter and 24 in the second quarter. Miami outscored Boston 21-16 in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Yes, that's correct: the Celts scored 28 points in the second half and captured a must-win playoff game.

If it makes you feel any better, the C's offense really exploded in overtime (4-2). Looking at the box score, it's hard to say why the Heat lost. They made three more free throws (17-14), had twice as many fastbreak points (14-7) and 10 more points in the paint (48-38). This was the first game that the team with more points in the paint lost in the series.

Boston's three more 3-pointers (9-6), four more offensive rebounds (11-7) and two more assists (22-20) were just enough for them to somehow survive.

The first eight games of the Western Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Finals have all been won by the home team, proving how insanely important home court is in the NBA playoffs. To break this streak and advance to the NBA Finals, the Celtics (and Thunder) will need to find a way to win on the road. I think all Boston needs is one so why not on Tuesday in Game 5 (8:30 p.m., ESPN)? I have confidence that Boston will win Game 6 at home mainly because they're 8-1 at the Garden this postseason while Miami is 3-4 on the road; plus, the Heat have lost seven of their last eight (including playoffs) in Boston.

If we're being honest, the C's let Game 2 (115-111 OT loss) slip out of their hands which means that although they could be up 3-1 in this series, they at least can have confidence that they can win at AmericanAirlines Arena. They've won the last two games in the series so keep the momentum going that way. As I've said all along, the Heat are facing all the pressure and scrutiny in this series. Nobody outside of New England expected the Celts to make this a competitive series let alone win it. Early reports after Game 4 indicate that Chris Bosh is expected to return in Game 5 (he was injured in Game 1 vs. Indiana). That sounds like the move of a dare I say, desperate team?

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Some Unexpected Help Pushes Celtics To A 101-91 Game 3 Win Vs. Miami

It turns out that coming home was all the Boston Celtics needed to completely change up their gameplan and therefore find a way to beat the Miami Heat.

In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight at TD Garden, Boston was able to play the way that got them here: they were unselfish (4 guys in double figures), they pounded the ball inside (58-46 advantage in points in the paint) and hit free throws (20-10). This all added up to a complete 101-91 win for the Celts that brought some life to this series, cutting the Heat's advantage to 2-1.

It's hard to believe that in a must-win game to save the season, Marquis Daniels (9 points, 5 rebounds) and Keyon Dooling (7 points, 4 rebounds) were two major keys to the victory. That's the gospel truth though, both provided major energy, defense and some timely scoring as Boston's bench (19 points, series high for them) finally showed a flicker of life.

When Boston focuses on getting Kevin Garnett (24 points, 11 rebounds) the ball down low, good things usually happen, especially with no Chris Bosh in the lineup for Miami. Paul Pierce scored 23, Rajon Rondo orchestrated everything with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Ray Allen had 10 points and five rebounds. Off the top of my head, I think it was the best single game for those four players this postseason; meaning that they all showed up at the same time in a big way.

LeBron James (34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) scored 16 in the first quarter but the Celtics' collapsing defense was able to limit him the rest of the way. He only took five foul shots (making one) and after hitting every jumper early on, those same shots weren't falling when it mattered. This loss didn't fall on LeBron's thick shoulders though, Dwyane Wade (18 points) no-showed for most of the first three quarters. Mario Chalmers (14 points, 6 assists) and Mike Miller (11 points, 6 rebounds) continued their strong play for Miami.

The Celtics led from start to finish and while their 24-point advantage shrunk to as little as eight points in the fourth quarter, they had them all the way (haha yeah right, I think we all sweated out those last few minutes).

Boston was up 30-28 after the first quarter and 55-42 at halftime thanks to a late 3-pointer by Allen. It would have been even more if not for some easy fastbreak buckets the Heat converted after made shots by the C's. The third quarter has been Miami's jackpot in the playoffs but the Celts didn't allow that to happen (30-21). The Heat made a run in the fourth (28-16) credit to them for not packing it in but a lack of 3-point shooters (5 for 17) really hurt them.

While Game 3 was the most important of the series, the same can now be said for Game 4 on Sunday night (8:30 p.m, ESPN). All Miami wants is one road win and they'll go back to South Beach with a chance to close it out. Not for nothing but Boston is 7-1 at home this postseason and the Heat have lost six of their last seven playoff games at TD Garden (spanning three postseasons).

Without Chris Bosh, the Celts are a deeper and more unselfish team. Tonight was a perfect example of what happens when Rondo, KG, Pierce and Allen are in harmony. Add in some great minutes from Dooling and Daniels and now we have ourselves a series.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

The Celtics Waste The Best Game Of Rajon Rondo's Career, Lose Game 2 In Overtime

In this era of instant analysis (thanks Twitter and 24/7 news cycle), overreactions and Sportscenter playing on a constant loop, it's easy to lose perspective on things at times. Make no mistake about it though, Rajon Rondo had one of the greatest performances tonight that we'll ever see in an NBA playoff game.

Rondo went for a career-high 44 points (16 of 24 shooting) with 10 assists, eight rebounds and three steals but it still somehow wasn't enough as the Heat won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals 115-111 in overtime this evening at AmericanAirlines Arena.

An optimist would say that Miami just held serve at home as they went up 2-0 in the series; a pessimist would tell you that Boston gave it their best shot but they came up empty in what amounted to a must-win in everything but the name.

It's hard to put into words how well Rondo played. Let's start with the fact that he played all 53 minutes and scored all 12 of their points in overtime. That is absurd. He was 2 for 2 on 3-pointers, 10 of 12 from the free throw line and he hit jumpers all night long. Oh and he only had three turnovers. Paul Pierce (21 points, 6 rebounds) fouled out for the second time in three games and unlike in Game 7 vs. Philly, Rondo wasn't able to carry his team by himself without the captain. Kevin Garnett had a very quiet 18 points and eight rebounds but on the flip side, Ray Allen put up 13 points in 43 minutes.

One of the most promising parts of this was Ray's tying 3-pointer (tying it at 99). He still didn't shoot great (5 for 11 from the floor) but he looked way more energized than he has recently. Brandon Bass had eight points and 10 rebounds but he got buried on the bench in the fourth and overtime as Celtics head coach Doc Rivers went with Mickael Pietrus (to cover LeBron James).

If I told you that James was 7 for 20 from the floor, you would probably do cartwheels (assuming you like Boston) but the problem was that he took 24 free throws. Yes my friends, he hit 18 of them for 34 points along with 10 rebounds and seven assists in one of the most fraudulent big-time stat lines in playoff history.

Dwyane Wade (23 points) was absent for most of the first half but he was the central figure in the three biggest plays of the game (for Miami). Mario Chalmers (22 points) was the unlikely hero that helped the Heat overcome a slow first half. Udonis Haslem (13 points, 11 rebounds) also made a couple huge key hoops which made up for LeBron pooping his pants like usual (missing two shots at the end of regulation and two free throws in overtime). Wade's crazy plays were 1) a block on Allen's layup, 2) a non-foul call on Rondo where he hit him over the face and 3) a big boy And-1 (missed the free throw) after he was fouled by KG in the lane.

The Celts actually were up by as many as 15 points (47-32) in the second quarter but the Heat chipped away thanks to a laughable foul advantage (33-18). Three Celtics fouled out while only one Heat player (Joel Anthony, 4) had more than three fouls. LeBron and Wade combined for four total fouls in 91:35 of combined action. As we learned in the Philadelphia series, double-digit leads for the C's are nothing, they can give them up in a quarter or two. The truth is that if Miami (31 of 37) hit their free throws, they wouldn't have needed overtime but I digress.

Boston deserved a better fate (yeah I said it, without even wearing my Celtics foam finger) after leading most of the way. They were ahead 24-18 after the first quarter and 53-46 at halftime. The Heat exploded (35-22) in the third but credit the C's for hanging in there and winning the fourth (24-18).

The combination of no depth and Pierce fouling out proved to be too much to overcome for Boston. The Celtics shot 49.4% from the field and 26 of 29 on free throws. The Heat got back into the game thanks to 3-pointers (10-5) and moving the basketball well (24-15 assists). Miami had eight more fastbreak points (18-10) and 10 more points in the paint (40-30). Miami's bench outscored Boston 25-7 and had 12 more rebounds (17-5).

So here we are, the series shifts back to Boston on Friday (8:30 p.m., ESPN) for Game 3 as the Celts face an absolute must-win at TD Garden. You know that David Stern and the NBA's worst fear is a sweep in the Conference Finals so with the Thunder down 0-2 and heading home not to mention the Celtics in the same predicament, I have a feeling that both teams will find a way to get it done in Game 3. Otherwise they'll both be eliminated very shortly. Pardon me while I take a cold shower to wipe that stink off then cry myself to sleep thanks to either of those depressing notions.

Winning four out of the next five games against Miami is daunting enough, Boston should only focus on Game 3 and how they can find a way to get back in this series before it's too late.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

After Winning In Miami, The Celtics Are Absolutely A Contender In The Eastern Conference

For the second time in nine days, the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat in convincing fashion.

What made tonight even better was that the Celts (33-24, 13-15 away) went down to American Airlines Arena-where the Heat (40-16) were 24-3-and topped them 115-107.

It's one thing to blow out a team on your home court (91-72 on April Fool's Day at TD Garden), a common occurrence in the NBA, but it's another to pick up your biggest win of the season on the road against a true NBA Finals contender and a team that lost in the Finals last season. Boston has won eight of its last 10 games and sports a 4-2 mark after an insanely difficult stretch of games.

For whatever reason, these teams appear to be going in opposite directions with the playoffs just a few weeks away. Boston is 18-7 since the All-Star break while Miami is 13-9 in that same time period. I can't explain why (maybe cause it's truly their last title push?) but Kevin Garnett (24 points, 9 rebounds) and Paul Pierce (27 points, 7 rebounds) have been particularly sharp during that run.

It also helps that Rajon Rondo (18 points, 15 assists) is racking up the assists. He reached double-figures in assists for the 18th straight game. Hell, he's even taking and making numerous jump shots now. Brandon Bass had the other double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Avery Bradley scored 11.

Only three guys played off the Celtics bench but they still combined to outscore Miami's five substitutes 23-16. Ray Allen had nine points, Greg Stiemsma put up eight points and seven rebounds while Sasha Pavlovic added six points.

LeBron James (36 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) was a beast for the Heat but Dwyane Wade (20 points) wasn't himself and Chris Bosh (13 points, 9 rebounds) continues to disappear against KG and/or in a meaningful contest. Mario Chalmers scored 18 points for Miami, who led by six early in the first quarter but were forced to play from behind the rest of the way.

The numbers in the box score tell the whole story: Boston shot 60.6% from the floor, 64.3% (9 of 14) on 3-pointers and 80% (20/25) from the free throw line. You'll never lose with a complete shooting performance like that. We all know that the Celtics can hit shots but they also pulled down six more rebounds than the Heat (40-34) and dished out four more assists (23-19).

Really the whole key to the game was that the C's got off to a hot start, leading 33-22 after the first quarter. However, unlike earlier in the season, they didn't let it get away. Sure, the Heat made the NBA-sanctioned comeback but every time it looked like Miami would take control, the Celts would hit a big shot or make a play. It was uncanny.

Boston was up by as much as 18 points in the second quarter before Miami cut it to 65-57 at halftime thanks to a LeBron 3-pointer at the buzzer. Still, it was the most points the Heat had given up in a first half all season. The two teams mirrored each other with 24 points in third quarter and 26 in the fourth quarter.

Miami will get one more chance to prove that Boston isn't in their heads (Celts lead the season series 2-1) as they face the Celtics in the penultimate regular season game on April 24 at the Garden. Until then, I will say that the Celts should have nothing to fear if they meet the Heat in the playoffs; they look like a better all-around team at the moment.

There's no time to celebrate this victory though as the C's are back at the Garden tomorrow night to face the Atlanta Hawks. Boston won 79-76 on March 19 in an ugly but satisfying win in Atlanta.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

This series is not over, hell Gumby Rondo came back from the dead

I knew that the Boston Celtics had way too much pride to get swept or go down in flames as badly as they looked in Games 1-2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat.

Last night, in Game 3 at TD Garden, the Celts won 97-81 to cut the Heat's series lead to 2-1.

The crazy part was that Boston seemed to be doomed when Rajon Rondo (11 assists) went down with a dislocated elbow in the third quarter after an awkward fall with Dwyane Wade (23 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds). After Rondo was scraped off the parquet, you could feel the crowd and team collectively think "I can't believe this is how it's going to end."

This is the NBA though which loves the drama and Rondo somehow returned to action after the Celtics trainers popped his elbow back in place in the locker room. Paul Pierce's (27 points) wheelchair from the 2008 NBA Finals wasn't even needed.

With Game 4 tomorrow night, it'll be interesting to see how Rondo is feeling after the adrenaline wore off. That elbow is going to be really sore; after he came back last night he was basically playing with one arm (truly bonkers stuff).

Last night will always be remembered for Rondo's truly heroic (I try to never overuse that word either) performance but it also served as Kevin Garenett's resurrection. After playing terrible in Game 1 and o.k. in Game 2, KG (game-high 28 points, 18 rebounds) just eviscerated Chris Bosh (6 points, 5 rebounds) in a matchup that Boston has to win to get by the Heat.

Given the stakes of the contest, it will go down as one of Garnett's best games ever for the Celtics. Similarly, the Celtics defense really stepped up after they looked old and slow in Miami.

LeBron James was basically a non-factor, which is almost impossible to do. He had 15 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and four assists. Mario Chalmers (17 points) and Joel Anthony (12 points, 11 rebounds) actually had the best games for the Heat which is good for those two but not a positive sign for Miami as a whole.

It was the Garnett and Pierce show with a great supporting role by Rondo but Ray Allen also added 15 points. Delonte West played well off the bench with 11 points. Shaquille O'Neal even had a basket in his return after missing over a month of action.

The Celtics got off to a quick start and led 27-21 after the first quarter. The Heat responded with a strong second quarter (25-17) and a 46-44 halftime advantage. Boston played their best quarter of the series (28-15) in the third and kept the lead in double-digits in the fourth (25-20).

For the game, Boston shot 50.0% to 42.5% for Miami. The Celtics hit four more 3-pointers (9-5) and grabbed three more rebounds (39-36). Thanks to Rondo, the Cs had seven more assists (27-20) while the Heat had two more steals (9-7) and five more blocks (9-4). The underrated key to the game was the fact that Boston had a 13-point (18-5) advantage in fast break points. Miami turned into a jump-shooting team and when that happens, they're very beatable.

Game 4 is also a must-win for the Celtics. They need to get the job done again and put all the pressure back on the Heat (who are front-runners as far as we know). Hopefully Rondo can give Boston something since his presence alone makes such a difference for the team.

Bring on the Cavs

It lasted one game too long but you had to figure Dwyane Wade would single-handedly win a game or two for the Miami Heat. Plus, in the last two postseasons, Boston hadn't finished anyone off in less than six games.

The Celtics dispatched the Heat last night with a 96-86 win at TD Garden in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Cleveland knocked out Chicago last night as well in Game 5, setting up a nice semifinal series beginning in Cleveland on Saturday.

This celebration didn't have the juice of the Bruins from the night before since less was expected of the B's and the Celts won the title two seasons ago and still are a legit contender. Also, Buffalo put up a great fight while the Heat were dogs (outside of Wade).

In possibly his last game for Miami, Wade was a beast as per usual with a game-high 31 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

So now he goes back to South Beach, hangs out with Gabrielle Union and figures out by July 1 if he wants to peace out or stick around with a franchise that is going nowhere at the moment.

Boston's starting five which was good since they got 13 points from their bench. That equation simply won't work against a deep team like the Cavs.

Ray Allen finished off a good series with a team-high 24 points. Paul Pierce added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Rajon Rondo notched 16 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds while Kevin Garnett had 14 points and eight rebounds. Kendrick Perkins remembered that he can score a couple baskets a game as he submitted eight points, six rebounds and three assists.

Mario Chalmers was the only other Heat player with double figures as he scored 20 points.

For the fourth time in the five playoff games, the C's held Miami under 100 points. It was also the third time in five games (all at home) that the Heat scored 86 points or less. That defensive identity is key moving forward since the Cavs have a ton of firepower and are capable of putting together runs in no time.

I don't worry about the Celtics scoring against Cleveland but stopping LeBron and Co., particularly at Quicken Loans Arena (where he'll get every single call) will be nearly impossible. Still, it's an intriguing series and should be a lot of fun to see it unfold.