The Celtics and Cavaliers play Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night, and I've got a mess of thoughts about this one, so let's just dive right in.
ESPN's Mark Jackson let loose this whopper late in Cleveland's Game 6 victory at home: "If LeBron gets this Cavaliers team to the Finals, it's a better accomplishment than winning the Finals."
I understand the sentiment -- LeBron's supporting cast is steaming hot garbage -- but a little perspective is in order. The Cavs were taken to seven games in the first round by the fifth-seeded Pacers, who played well down the stretch, but are no one's idea of a super team.
They then swept the fraudulent Raptors, one of the worst No. 1 seeds in NBA history, in the conference semifinals. Toronto folded like a gutless poker player and then fired its coach. The Raptors as we know them are done.
That left the surprising Celtics standing between Cleveland another Finals. Say what you want about Boston's overachieving story, but beating a team without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward that's relying on a 20-year-old rookie, a 21-year-old second-year man, and a third-string point guard for offense isn't exactly a miraculous accomplishment. The real miracle is that the Celtics are in this position at all. Game 7? Against LeBron? Seriously?
But no, really, LeBron is amazing. . . .
Speaking of LeBron, I can't believe I fell for that fatigue nonsense in Game 5. ESPN served that one to us in a Hungry Man microwavable dinner tray and I lapped up the Salisbury steak with an "Mmmmm!" reserved for filet mignon. Won't happen again.
The James who stormed the court in Game 6 was many things, tired not among them. He scored 46 points in 46 minutes, chased down Terry Rozier for a coast-to-coast block, and overwhelmed the Celtics right to the end, when he drilled a pair of step-back 3-pointers over Jayson Tatum.
The game still gave us the spectacle of James wincing and grimacing after teammate Larry Nance glanced the back of his leg and LeBron collapsed like Sofia Coppola at the end of Godfather III. But he made it back to his feet! And stayed in the game! Like Willis Reed!
Hockey fans live in a state of perpetual aggrieved inferiority when it comes to the sport's relative lack of winter popularity. Basketball rules; deal with it. Anyway, the one complaint that's completely valid is the undercurrent of melodrama that accompanies the game's biggest stars, who get every call, whine about every missed call, and frequently treat minor injuries as a cause for the administering of Last Rites. James is the King in this arena, too.
If the Cavs lose, the fatigue narrative becomes the obvious excuse; look for more shorts-pulling if the Cavs trail late. If Cleveland wins, then LeBron's accomplishment becomes even more heroic. Despite being spent, he delivered!
Gag. . . .
If we're being honest, the natural progression for the Celtics would be a Game 7 loss. They're not ready to compete for a title. They've just benefited from a perfect draw in the East, from the less-than-the-sum-of-their-parts Bucks to the not-ready-for-primetime-Sixers to the hanging-on-by-a-thread Cavs.
Consider the progression under head coach Brad Stevens:
2014: 25 wins
2015: No. 8 seed, first round sweep
2016: No. 5 seed, lose first round in six games
2017: No. 1 seed, lose conference finals in five games
2018: No. 2 seed, conference finals Game 7
Reaching Game 7 is the logical next step. Winning it should realistically take another year. . . .
Anyone who watched the Warriors overwhelm the Rockets on Saturday night -- from down 17 to up 30 in a little over two quarters -- should be cured of the misplaced belief that Golden State somehow represents a more favorable matchup against the Celtics.
The Rockets are relatively one-dimensional without Chris Paul. They clear out for James Harden and let the presumptive MVP do his thing. That's infinitely more defensible than Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green raining 3's, especially with former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala due back shortly.
If the Celtics somehow advance, we should all be pulling for Houston on Monday in the West's Game 7. . . .
With all due respect to Jaylen Brown's fast starts, Terry Rozier's turnover-free performances, and Jayson Tatum's emergence as a legit go-to scorer, the key player tonight will be Average Al himself.
After a dominant start in Boston, Al Horford has largely been neutralized by the rugged, active defense of Tristan Thompson. Since shooting 13-for-23 (.565) in the first two games, Horford has been held to 13-for-34 (.382) since.
In Game 6, the Cavs aggressively double-teamed Horford, and though it took work to get him the ball, the Celtics relied on his outstanding passing ability to find open teammates for easy baskets. The C's abandoned that approach thereafter, however as Horford finished 2-for-8 with six points and four assists (3 in the 1st quarter).
The Celtics don't need Horford to score to win. His point totals are consistently overrated. But they need him involved. Cleveland doubling him should play in to Boston's hands, but only if the Celtics are patient enough to get him the ball. . . .
Marcuses Smart and Morris do lots of good things on the court. Pulling up for jumpers isn't on the list. Morris is shooting 50 percent this series on 3-pointers. Those looks are fine. The killer for both are the isolation pull-ups that stagnate the offense and lead to transition baskets the other way. Smart should play with the following edict: shoot on post-ups only. His .234 percentage on 3-pointers this postseason ranks dead last in the NBA of anyone with at least 35 attempts.
Both of them should stick to what they do well -- playing defense, diving for loose balls, threatening to start fights, etc. . . . Otherwise, they're killing the offense. . . .
And finally, don't celebrate too wildly about Kevin Love's absence. The Cavaliers have been more dangerous without him all series -- minus-20 with Love on the court vs. plus-18 with him off it -- and they're more active and athletic in his absence.
One player to watch -- Larry Nance Jr. He murdered the Celtics on the offensive boards with second-chance points in Game 6. He's basically in the game to convert lobs and putbacks, but those can both be weapons. . . .
Oh, I've been uniformly terribly at the prediction game all postseason (Bucks in 6, Sixers in 5, Cavs in 6), so here's hoping I'm wrong one more time:
Cavaliers 110, Celtics 104.