The Cleveland Cavaliers came from behind to defeat the Boston Celtics 101-93 on Saturday night. Despite an elbow strain that was aggravated during the first-round series with the Chicago Bulls, LeBron James led all scorers with 35 points in Game 1. Meanwhile, point guard Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 27 points.
Here is some input about what to watch out for in Game 2 tonight.
Boston Celtics
> Forward Paul Pierce was held to 13 points in Game 1 on 5-17 shooting. This included a 1-6 mark on 3-Point Field Goals. Look for Pierce to get better spot-up shooting opportunities in Game 2. Expect Pierce to move around much more to force LeBron James to have to cover more ground and play more physically.
> Rajon Rondo carried the team as the point guard in Game 1. Not only did he score 27 points, but he also had 6 rebounds, 12 assists, and shot 12-14 from the free throw line. However, he did not have any steals despite being the league leader during the regular season. In Game 2, he will need more help from backup Tony Allen, who brought 5 points and 2 rebounds--but no assists--off the bench on Saturday. With better play from T. Allen, as well as better shooting from Pierce, Rondo should be able to focus more on playing defense tonight.
> If defense is a problem tonight, look for Rasheed Wallace and others to use up their fouls. The Cavs only shot 21-31 (67.7%) from the free throw line last game. Coach Doc Rivers also expressed his displeasure that Glen Davis eased up on defense in Game 1 due to foul trouble in the first half. Thus, the green light is on to foul as needed.
> If the Celtics falter in Game 2 . . . :
Look for Marquis Daniels to get more minutes as soon as possible. If he gets minutes in the second half tonight, it will be to guard either LeBron James or Mo Williams. Meanwhile, a Celtics loss tonight means that Nate Robinson could get minutes in Game 3. Robinson would be called upon to punish the Cavs' sluggish defense of the point guard position. Of the players currently in Boston's rotation, Tony Allen risks losing the most minutes if adjustments are needed following a Celtics loss.
Cleveland Cavaliers
> Mo Williams came to life in the second half of Game 1. As different players have different motivators and different ways of getting warmed up, it is clear Williams feeds off of his scoring. His defense on Rondo in the first half was terrible, but once he started scoring in the second half, he was better able to guard Rondo and Ray Allen. Coach Mike Brown will have to make sure Williams gets his share of the shots, and he needs to make sure Mo uses his full offensive repertoire rather than just settling for 3's.
> J.J. Hickson provided a much needed spark off the bench on Saturday. His 11 points on 5-7 shooting was key to Cleveland cutting Boston's lead in Game 1. Hickson brings an energy that Leon Powe brought to the Cavs-Celtics series two years ago; now, Powe is with the Cavs. As such, the Celtics might not be able to counter Hickson this series, and Hickson may have identified himself as an X-factor. Hickson's impact will likely affect the total minutes played by Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison, and even Anderson Varejao.
> Delonte West looks like he is becoming the other X-factor for the Cavaliers to defeat the Celtics. West's ability to guard both Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen means that he should get at least 30 minutes tonight. Also, aside from 'Bron and 'Tawn, Delonte is the main Cavalier that can consistently create his own shot. He can do this whether or not he is running the offense. As such, look for Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to see reduced minutes tonight.
> If the Cavaliers falter in Game 2 . . . :
Coach Mike Brown's adjustments will be directly related to what he perceives caused the loss. He will use Shaq and Zydrunas Ilgauskas more if the Celtics interior defense looks weak, or he will use Moon or Daniel Gibson if the Celtics take a long-lasting lead tonight with a smaller lineup. Boobie's 3-point shooting remains a weapon on the Cavs bench upon which Brown can call if LeBron's elbow continues to limit the MVP's scoring.
Here is some input about what to watch out for in Game 2 tonight.
Boston Celtics
> Forward Paul Pierce was held to 13 points in Game 1 on 5-17 shooting. This included a 1-6 mark on 3-Point Field Goals. Look for Pierce to get better spot-up shooting opportunities in Game 2. Expect Pierce to move around much more to force LeBron James to have to cover more ground and play more physically.
> Rajon Rondo carried the team as the point guard in Game 1. Not only did he score 27 points, but he also had 6 rebounds, 12 assists, and shot 12-14 from the free throw line. However, he did not have any steals despite being the league leader during the regular season. In Game 2, he will need more help from backup Tony Allen, who brought 5 points and 2 rebounds--but no assists--off the bench on Saturday. With better play from T. Allen, as well as better shooting from Pierce, Rondo should be able to focus more on playing defense tonight.
> If defense is a problem tonight, look for Rasheed Wallace and others to use up their fouls. The Cavs only shot 21-31 (67.7%) from the free throw line last game. Coach Doc Rivers also expressed his displeasure that Glen Davis eased up on defense in Game 1 due to foul trouble in the first half. Thus, the green light is on to foul as needed.
> If the Celtics falter in Game 2 . . . :
Look for Marquis Daniels to get more minutes as soon as possible. If he gets minutes in the second half tonight, it will be to guard either LeBron James or Mo Williams. Meanwhile, a Celtics loss tonight means that Nate Robinson could get minutes in Game 3. Robinson would be called upon to punish the Cavs' sluggish defense of the point guard position. Of the players currently in Boston's rotation, Tony Allen risks losing the most minutes if adjustments are needed following a Celtics loss.
Cleveland Cavaliers
> Mo Williams came to life in the second half of Game 1. As different players have different motivators and different ways of getting warmed up, it is clear Williams feeds off of his scoring. His defense on Rondo in the first half was terrible, but once he started scoring in the second half, he was better able to guard Rondo and Ray Allen. Coach Mike Brown will have to make sure Williams gets his share of the shots, and he needs to make sure Mo uses his full offensive repertoire rather than just settling for 3's.
> J.J. Hickson provided a much needed spark off the bench on Saturday. His 11 points on 5-7 shooting was key to Cleveland cutting Boston's lead in Game 1. Hickson brings an energy that Leon Powe brought to the Cavs-Celtics series two years ago; now, Powe is with the Cavs. As such, the Celtics might not be able to counter Hickson this series, and Hickson may have identified himself as an X-factor. Hickson's impact will likely affect the total minutes played by Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison, and even Anderson Varejao.
> Delonte West looks like he is becoming the other X-factor for the Cavaliers to defeat the Celtics. West's ability to guard both Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen means that he should get at least 30 minutes tonight. Also, aside from 'Bron and 'Tawn, Delonte is the main Cavalier that can consistently create his own shot. He can do this whether or not he is running the offense. As such, look for Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to see reduced minutes tonight.
> If the Cavaliers falter in Game 2 . . . :
Coach Mike Brown's adjustments will be directly related to what he perceives caused the loss. He will use Shaq and Zydrunas Ilgauskas more if the Celtics interior defense looks weak, or he will use Moon or Daniel Gibson if the Celtics take a long-lasting lead tonight with a smaller lineup. Boobie's 3-point shooting remains a weapon on the Cavs bench upon which Brown can call if LeBron's elbow continues to limit the MVP's scoring.