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Cavs hope return home brings good fortune against Celtics |
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Written by Neil Jordan
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Saturday, 10 May 2008
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 The struggles of LeBron James over the first two games of Cleveland's Eastern Conference semifinal against Boston have been well-documented in the media, and he will be eager to come back to QuickenLoans Arena for Game 3 on Saturday, when the Cavaliers host the Celtics in an NBA playoff clash. BetOnline.com has the Cleveland Cavaliers –1.5 favorites against the Boston Celtics with the total set at 176 points.
The Celtics put up another stellar defensive performance in Game 2's 89-73 victory, forcing the Cavaliers to shoot 35.6% from the floor with 15 turnovers. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen recovered from a offensively poor Game 2 with 19 and 16 points, respectively, while Kevin Garnett had 13 points and 12 rebounds. The Boston bench also played a big part in the win, especially during a 27-12 second quarter which gave the Celtics the upper hand. The substitutes outscored their Cleveland counterparts 34-17, and brought a lot of energy to a team that got off to a sluggish start.
James led the way with 21 points, but he has his second straight below-par shooting game by going 6-for-24 in this encounter. James is struggling with the length of the Boston defense, particularly when he drives the lane as Garnett and company are closing off his passing lanes. When he does make a pass, his teammates cannot hit their open shots, with the exception of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was 9-for-12 for 19 points. Cleveland's long-range shooting was horrendous, as they were 2-for-13 as a team from three-point land.
The Cavaliers are narrow 1-point favorites at home in this battle, and without a doubt, a huge game is needed by James to break the Celtics out of their funk. Role players such as Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak should be more comfortable in front of their home crowd, but James will be the one to get them going. The Celtics also have yet to prove they can win on the road, as their three losses at Atlanta shows. Look for “King” James to break out as the Cavaliers pull themselves back into the series with a key victory on Saturday. Get your Free NBA Prediction in Now!
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers – 8:00 PM ET
Free NBA Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers
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