Sun, Jul 20 2008
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Published May 14, 2008 03:17 am - So who’s the pressure on now? A Patrick McManamon column: Defense dominates series and Cavaliers have upper hand PATRICK McMANAMON Akron Beacon Journal So who’s the pressure on now?
This NBA playoff series between the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics has bounced back and forth between two cities, with each team winning twice on its home court. That’s what is supposed to happen. But the dynamics of the Eastern Conference semifinals change from city to city and from game to game. Safe to say that when the Cavaliers came back from Boston, they knew that they were in a must-win situation. Fall behind 3-0 or 3-1, and the series would tilt decidedly toward the Celtics. Now the Celtics return home after losing twice in Cleveland, and looking bad doing so. The first loss was one-sided, and in the second, the Celtics did not show up in the fourth quarter. Unless you count a 12-point fourth quarter “showing up.” And unless you count being on the receiving end of an in-your-face, windmill dunk for the decade “showing up.” That dunk symbolized the fourth quarter. LeBron James broke free for the first time for a highlight-film moment, and the Celtics were unable to stop him. In fact, their efforts to stop him looked meek. Much like their fourth quarter. Through the series, there has been one constant: The Cavaliers have played excellent defense. The Celtics are shooting 40.5 percent. They are scoring 81.5 points per game. They are 15-for-58 from 3-point range. And the alleged Big Three have turned into a Very Good One who didn’t come through in the fourth quarter of Game 4. Ray Allen is 12-for-36, which means he’s making one in three shots. Rajon Rondo has taken more shots than Allen; Sam Cassell, five fewer. Which kind of states how involved Allen has been in the Celtics’ offense. Paul Pierce is 18-for-52, and it seems that every time that James does something, Pierce thinks he has to try to do something better. It’s not working. 
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