PATRICK McMANAMON
Akron Beacon Journal
May 12, 2008 01:30 am
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Something exists in the world called “The Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity.”
Talk about delving into a swamp of sinking mangrove trees.
I would propose a simpler study — “The Psychology of the Seven-Game Series” in sports.
For one, it avoids the quagmire that other study presents.
It’s also quite fascinating — to those of us who find things like this fascinating.
These series have lives of their own. A team loses once or twice and feelings can sink. One win can change the feel of everything. And if ever a team steps back and looks at the series in its entirety, it is in big, big trouble.
This is the way things were with the Cavaliers. They lost twice in Boston, once in a game they could have won, once in a blowout.
The feeling leaving the new Boston Garden was not good — at least not as I read it. Because the big picture stated the Cavaliers needed to win four-of-five against a team that had won 66 games during the regular season.
The Cavaliers’ view, though, was that they needed to win one game.
They did — and now they must have brought some doubt into the minds of the Celtics.
If the Cavaliers win one more game, things are exactly where they should be — each team having won on its home floor, with three games to go. Not a solo act Much has been made of LeBron James’ shooting in this series, and rightly so. James has not been himself, though he showed signs of breaking free of this mini-slump in Game 3.
But James is hardly the Lone Ranger as far as poor shooting goes.
Two of Boston’s stars are struggling as much as James.
Paul Pierce is 12-for-35, 3-for-13 from three-point range.
Ray Allen is 8-for-26, 1-for-11 from three-point land.
Rajon Rondo is 8-for-24, Sam Cassell (the point guard who has never seen a shot he does not like) is 8-for-26.
Which speaks well for the Cavaliers’ defense.
Through three games, the Celtics are averaging 83 points per game, and are shooting 41.1 percent.
The rest of the series will be close if the Cavaliers continue that kind of defensive effort. Playing together Part of the Cavaliers’ problems the first two games was that when James struggled, the rest of the team seemed to slump its shoulders.
In Game 3, everyone played, and played well.
“A lot of guys contributed,” Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. “Five or six guys in double figures. Defensively, we helped each other. We stayed with the plan we wanted.”
The Cavaliers aren’t going to shoot 65 percent in many halves, and they’re not going to have 32-13 leads after first quarters a lot, but they can keep playing offense the way they did the first quarter.
They moved the ball, they set up teammates and they played like they can play.
James still had a tough night shooting — 5-for-16 — but the consequences were not as severe because he got help.
One can look at this two ways. First is that the offense hasn’t been consistent, so there might not be a repeat Monday.
The other, the preferred way locally, would be to say that even if the offense is not run as well as it was in Game 3, James should continue to find his shot. And his efforts should offset any drop-off. Getting in their heads The Celtics won 31 games on the road this season.
In the playoffs, they have turned into the Washington Generals.
Atlanta beat them three times.
Atlanta.
Now the Cavaliers have handled them rather handily.
This might seem to be something that is now in the Celtics’ heads. How can it not be, when everyone is asking them about it, writing about it and talking about it?
But the flip side is, danger lurks, the Celtics will somehow find themselves and come up with the supreme effort away from Boston.
“That’s what I was thinking about all day (Saturday),” Joe Smith said. “I’m still worried about it going into the game (Monday).”
“You know sooner or later they’re going to figure it out and they’re going to have a good game on the road,” Z said.
Which makes it imperative for the Cavaliers to keep playing defense like they have been, and to play offense like they did in Game 3. Still pressure Coach Mike Brown wouldn’t call Monday a must win, but if the Cavaliers lose, the Celtics go home with a chance to end the series.
Saturday “doesn’t matter if we lose (Monday),” Smith said.
Doesn’t take psychology to understand that point.
McManamon is a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal. Reach him at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com.
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