Starting five: Cavs 108, Celts 84

I figured the Celts would lose last night but was likewise disappointed by the apparent lack of effort. I still think the Celts win this in 5 or 6. With re LeBron, i'm so tired of his divaness on the court and how he falls like he's been shot everytime someone brushes him. Between him and the entire San Antonio roster, the flopping has gotten way out of control. It is something that the league needs to stop encouraging and that refs need to stop enabling by giving the flopper a foul call.

Sometimes the ball doesn't go in the ocean. That's what happened in the first quarter and put them behind quickly by 19. The Cavs were clearly energized to be back home in the Quicken Loans Arena (which has to be the worst name for any public stadium or arena).

The Celts settled for too many jump shots early on. Take the ball to the hole! I also was concerned early by the amount of times Perkins touched the ball on offense.

After every foul on him, you'd think LeBron just got hit with enemy sniper fire by the way he reacts.

Nice outing for Dice K last night. I could knipick the bases loaded walk, but I won't.

Looks like Lowrie is headed back to Pawtucket today with Cora and Casey coming off the DL. I actually forgot all about Alex Cora until it was mentioned last night that they were coming off the DL. Cora does some nice things, but is he really a better player than Lowrie at this point? Cora is probably better defensively, but Lowrie is much better with the bat.

You're so right about Perkins (and West's appearance: I'd rather stare at Cassell for an hour than see that bruise-like tatt on Delonte's neck). I have no idea why Snowshoes feels compelled to put the ball on the floor every time he's fed underneath.

Snowshoes! That's PERFECT.

LeBron's whining is enough reason for me to root against the Cavs - and for a team from Boston! - this series. Just shut up and play, kid.

I do like LeBron a lot - he seems pretty well-adjusted for someone who has been called The Chosen One since his early teens, and I appreciate that he plays so unselfishly. But the flopping thing is just ridiculous.

1) Cassell needs to be sent to " Exile Island." In the middle of the season I remember thinking, " Eddie can't play the point, he dribbles like a 4th grader." Eddie, we miss you!

2) Posey is the 3rd best player on the C's. How is this guy a mid-level exception player? The dude is a warrior. Yes, Ray, I'm talking about you.

3) One of the Globe's finest wrote an article in mid-season about how the coaching staff was working with Kendrick to break his BAD HABIT of bringing the ball down to his knees before going up to score. FAIL!

4) Hey Doc, as a former point guard, can you explain the Rondo how to use his body to shield himself from the defender so he doesn't get owned 3 times a game. Also, you might want to mention to him that showing the ball to the aforementioned defended before he goes to the rim probably isn't a great idea. Just a thought .

5) On a different note: Remy stated that Julio came into the clubhouse and told Francona he couldn't go, so Lowrie got the nod at SS.last night. When I heard that I started cracking up. I can picture Julio talking to T.F., looking down at the floor, " Ummmm, yaaaa, my, ummmmm, hammy tightened up on the way over to the park, I can't go tonight." Money aside, a Cora/ Lowrie platoon of some kind is the best thing for the team. Julio should be playing in the National League. One more thing, I noticed Julio makes about 750,000 less than Beckett. Beckett should fire his agent and hire Julio's guy.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

I fear that Eddie is a lost cause at this point, though they certainly could use his shooting.

By the way, echoing Ken from Hingham's sentiment, here's the tribute to my mom I wrote while I was at the Monitor. Probably the best column I ever wrote, and certainly the sappiest. She's still going strong, five years later.

http://touchingallthebases.blogspot.com/2005/05/thanks-mom.html

Let's see Delonte West is Cleveland's point guard with average handles yet Rondo is not pressing him. Wally had no handles yet we do not press him. The guys that helped us get 66 wins - House, Davis and Allen sit on the bench while the old men Brown and Cassel get all the minutes even when were behind by 20 points late in the 3rd qtr.
Rivers! The Cavs don't have a point guard so why do we need to play our ineffective ones Rondo and Cassel. Put your 5 best players on the court let Ray or Paul play the point, spread the court, post up Garnett or slash to the hoop and kick it out to your 3 point shooters. Back in the 70's ML Carr was playing guard because KC had the brains to make adjustments and play his 5 best.

Cleveland coming home adrenaline won this game. After everyone settled down, the score was 76-71 Cavs in the final 3 quarters. They won't get out to that kind of jump on Monday night.

Someone needs to hit Cassell with a bus. He is screwing up everything. I want more House and zero Cassell. I want Rondo trying to figure out this Cavs defense rather than sitting on the bench to watch the old man throw up another shot in double coverage.

Lebron must not have a father because if he did, the old man would be telling him to stop being such a fairy on incidental contact. He makes European Soccer players look like Rocky Balboa.

Type your comment here...you boston trogs make me laugh.your ignorance of the game of basketball is almost as apalling as your cockney wannabe english accents.stick to giving kennedy and edwards lapdances up there in the peoples republic of bostain and leave sports discussion to literate people.

The only reason I allowed that previous comment is because it killed me that the fool couldn't grasp the "type your comment here" concept.

Doc should sit down Pierce and tell him if he takes another three pointer in the first quarter he will be benched for the rest of the game. Everytime they get out to a decent start, Pierce blows a turnover by chucking up one from outside the arc and it usually is the start of a run for the other team.

FWIW-- Nobody is winning on the road second round.

Yeah, road teams are something like 1-14. And I do think the Celtics will win tonight. I have a hunch that Rondo plays much better tonight.

While we reminisce about mediocre Celtics, how about Sherman Douglas? He would have gotten major Tommy Points had they been in existence then.

P.S. Tell the Cleveland guy how to use a computer ... "Type your question here..." :(

http://touchingallthebases.blogspot.com/2005/05/thanks-mom.html

Nice work, Chad!

Wow, I was just watching an old 1995 Expos-Mets game on ESPN Classic, and realized that Mike Lansing was an EXACT splitting image of Jim from "The Office." I tried to find a picture of him from that season, but couldn't find any, and he doesn't look like Jim later in his career. The resemblance was uncanny.

Then it made me think of how terrible Mike Lansing was on the Red Sox. Those were some dark, dark years. Maybe he would have played better if he'd been playing in Scranton.

Can anyone settle this argument between me and my friend? Does Jason Varitek really weigh as much as Ortiz? Baseball reference has Varitek at 210 and Ortiz at 230. But every other website has them weighing the same. Chad, any inside info on the matter? I know its stupid, but, I keep fighting tooth and nail that they dont weigh the same.

The only way Papi weighs 230 is if he's sawed off a limb.

thanks, chad, but hes not buying it because he doesnt know who you are. So I submitted the question to Keith Law's blog, The Dish, so I can have a legitemite source (because he is a former scout, I'm not saying you arent legitemite, I love your writing, but I think my friend will be more inclined to believe a former scout). So there is a case of Molson XXX on the line, hopefully Keith gives the same answer you did, Chad. I dont think I spelled legitemite right, did I? it looks funny.

Well at least PJ Brown showed up in the 4th quarter. No one else did. I'm at a loss for words trying to figure out an answer for this.