Two losses, a back injury to Kobe, ineffective play from Farmar and Radmonovic......The Lakers are now getting their first taste of adversity in these playoffs.  This time we cannot count on Kobe to bail us out. You cannot know how he is going to respond, we saw that he physically could not get it done in overtime 3 nights ago. Now maybe Kobe has responded to treatment, and will be able to carry the Lakers to victory as he has done so many times in the past.

But we cannot bet on that, that means the rest of the team has to be prepared to defeat a confident and capable team in a pressure packed game 5. This is the most significant game the Lakers have played since they took a dump in the finals against Detroit. So the questions are now looming large.

Can Pau Gasol get it done in a pressure packed playoff situation?

Will Lamar Odom step up like he did in the 4th quarter of last game, or fade into oblivion?

Is Vladdy playing basketball or snowboarding?

Will Farmar continue to wilt under the pressure of this series?

and of course the biggest one, How is Kobe's back?

We will find out tonight, ought to be fun.

Question: Who takes the important shot for the Celtics?

Answer:

Great Job KG!! You led your team to victory with a complete performance that included taking the two biggest shots of the game for your team and making them both. Now I want you to do that for the rest of the Playoffs, no more of this Ray Allen BS.

Question: which point guard plays for the Celtics in the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter?

Answer: well Cassell did nothing to build his case. He left Gibson open for a tying 3 pointer, he ran out the shot clock and chucked up some junk on a key possession and almost lost his cool and got himself a technical in winning time.

Question: Will Lebron get some help?

Answer: Yes he will, and he will not have another poor game like today's for the rest of the series.

Question: Will someone/something make Lebron mad?

Answer: I think he will be pretty pissed tonight. He will finish those layups as dunks next time, and I look for him to bounce back with a vengeance.

Question: who will win the coaching battle?

Answer: Undecided, why the Celtics did not go 2 for 1 in the final 40 seconds mystified me. Only KG coming through big time covered up that gaff.

Celtics win by 4 at home with KG's best performance of the playoffs and Lebron's worst. Does that inspire confidence Celtic fans?

The Eastern Conference Playoffs were looking to be rather dull until Atlanta and Philly livened things up by challenging the two logical choices for the conference finals. While it appears that Detroit has righted the ship (tonight's game will be a huge indicator). There is serious doubt regarding the Celtics chance of making the NBA finals when only Detroit was considered a legitimate threat to them going into the playoffs.

On the other hand Cleveland dispatched a Washington team that many had picked to beat them, and set themselves up as a legitimate threat to the Celtics by doing so. This may be the most interesting and hard to pick series in the second round. I am going to have to go through the matchups to make proper sense of this one.

Center- Kendrick Perkins v Big Z. Ilgalskus is a former all star with considerable skills. He can score down low, set mean picks and knock down the 12 footer. Perkins is an energy guy who rebounds well, and can finish strong when his defender leaves him. He keeps Garnett from having to bang and allows him to roam on defense which is where he really shines. Perkins can affect this matchup best by running out on the break and constantly moving around the paint to make Z work to box him out. If he does this effectively, he can help to negate Z's size and skill advantage by tiring him out. Edge Cavaliers

Power Forward- Many feel KG should of won the MVP this year for his unprecedented affect on the Celtics in the win column. His work ethic, intensity and unselfishness galvanise the Celtics and their home crowd. When this happens Boston tends to jump out to big leads and take the heart out of their opponents. Ben Wallace was once a great defensive player and energy guy. He has clearly lost a step. What is worse is that he is a complete non-factor on offense. This will enable KG to roam and dominate the game from a defensive standpoint. I seriously think that Wallace should be sat down and that the Cavs should start Varejo at PF, but more on that later. On paper, HUGE ADVANTAGE CELTICS

Small Forward- Lebron James is the most dominant player in the NBA. Only Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul can currently rival his ability to affect the outcome of a basketball game. He is a physical anomaly with great handles, incredible slashing ablity, excellent passing but a questionable outside shot. Paul Pierce is an excellent scorer whose defensive liabilities were exposed against Atlanta. He is a fierce competitor who can be counted on to take and make big shots, but his ability to move laterally and defend a far more athletic player will be on center stage in this series. If Doc Rivers is able to adjust his line up and get quality minutes from James Posey at this position, with help defense coming from Garnett, then the Celtics should be able to survive this matchup. Advantage Cavaliers                          

 Paul Pierce gets some help keeping up with LBJ

Shooting Guard- Ray Allen is a perenial all star with the sweetest shot this side of Reggie Miller. Allen has been thrust forward as the player that KG and Pierce want taking the important shots. While he had a brutal 4th quarter in game 6 against Atlanta, throughout the season and his career he could be counted on to hit big time 3 pointers. Will he hit the big shot with the Celtics playoff life on the line? We don't know the answer to that yet, in fact it is conceivable that the Celtics could win a title without having to answer that question. The real question is his defense, Joe Johnson exposed his inability to stay with an active 2 gaurd willing to drive the ball, too bad the Cavaliers don't have anyone like that to take advantage. Wally Sczerbiak is known for being a shooter. Unfortunately I have never seen him make those shots on the big stage. He also cannot penetrate and plays terrible defense. I would pull him out of the starting line up if Daniel Gibson gets hot. Advantage Celtics

Point Guard- Earlier this season I questioned what effect Sam Cassell would have on Rajon Rondo. I have seen both players on the court in the late 4th quarter of close games and I don't think Doc Rivers has a clear idea of his rotation when it comes to point guard. With a young player especially, worrying about getting the hook cannot help his play. He is a tough defender, and at times an explosive penetrator. Will his heart be in his throat this series? We shall see. Delonte West has quietly gone from bust to acceptable since his acquisition. He has all the tools except size but that wont hurt him against the Celtics. He is one of the keys to this series, if he plays well the Cavs have a legitimate shot here. Even

Bench- The Celtics bring veteran leadership and play making off the bench with Cassell and Posey. They bring strength and explosiveness with Leon Powe and Glenn Davis. They can also get viable minutes out of PJ Brown and Brian Scalabrine in a pinch. Gibson, Varejo, Jones and Smith are the keys to the series in my eyes. Quality minutes and confident play from this group could expose the flaws in the Celtics and make a series of it. Even

Coach- Doc Rivers is a former coach of the year. He preaches defense, energy and professioalism. But questions remain about his X's and O's. He was unable to engineer a win at Atlanta and seemed slow to realize he needed to put Posey on Joe Johnson. Can he make the right moves and maintain his stars good will? That is the challenge in front of him. Mike Brown has been much maligned for letting Lebron run the whole show on offense and getting mediocre effort from his team as a whole. He does have the experience of taking his team to the finals last year, he should get at least a little credit for that. Even

Intangibles- Boston has home court, and despite their difficulties in the previous series, they have looked invulnerable at home. Stern has already shown that he wants Boston in the finals by refusing to suspend KG for shoving a referree. Will there be a Donaghy factor in this series? The Cavaliers are battle tested, they know they can go to the finals, Lebron will take the ball in the last 5 minutes, Gibson showed he can knock down a shot when it counts as well. The Boston 3 party has won nothing throughout their careers, they have not looked poised in the close games so far in these playoffs and KG's behavior after game 7 did not indicate that he is handling the pressure well.

I think Cleveland can take this series if they can keep it close in 1 or 2 games at the Garden. I think the best way to do this is put Varejo in the starting line up and move Wallace to the bench. Varejo will be able to finish plays when KG leaves him, and this can keep KG from getting the crowd and his team fired up with a block or steal. I would also put Gibson in at shooting guard and instruct him to drive on Allen all day. As a point guard he should be able to find open players for easy baskets.

Unfortunately I expect to see Ben Wallace and his lack of hands and footspeed make KG look like the rightful MVP. Sczerbiak will similarly make Allen look like the superstar he once was and the CELTICS WIN IN 7.

Three blind mice,

See if they choke,

they traded for Allen and Garnett,

they still have not proved anything yet,

they are in position to be upset,

three blind mice!

Question: Who do you want to take the critical shot?

KG- Not me, let Ray take it!

Paul Pierce- Not me, Let Ray take it!

Ray Allen- Not me, let someone get open!

Give Ray credit for taking those shots in game 6. He built us somethint nice:

Thank goodness for James Posey, the only Celtic who has performed in the close games in this series.

Obviously there have been 3 blowouts so far and Boston is home today, so Boston fans have to feel confident......or is there just a little fear there?

In other news, Lakers start their series against Utah, I will skip the breakdown. Lakers in 6 with each team winning at least 1 on the road.

This is going to be a great series. These are two teams that mirror eachother in their work ethic and professionalism. I did not pick either team to reach this round. I was greatly impressed with New Orleans domination of the Mavericks. I think the Suns pretty much sh1t the bed against the Spurs. I am going to have to break down the matchups to make sense of this one.

Point Guard- Tony Parker is a great point guard. In fact I would rank him 3rd among NBA point guards. When you factor in his playoff experience it is hard not to rate him as the number one point guard once the playoffs begin. Chris Paul has been a revelation. He has been the most dominant point gaurd I have seen since Magic Johnson. He makes his teammates so much better it is sick. I am giving a slight edge to Paul in this one, he just finished tearing J Kidd a new one and I think he is ready to go right at Parker. Yeah I know Bowen will be defending him, but I will get into that part later. Slight edge to Hornets

Shooting Guard- Manu Ginobli v Morris Peterson- Manu is one of the most dynamic players in the NBA. When he goes off, the Spurs win. Morris Petersen has been a journeyman player. He is a decent defender, has a subpar shot, can still finish a little bit. Anything he gets will be a gift from CP3. Huge Edge Spurs

Small Forward- Bruce Bowen v Peja Stojakavic- Bowen's defense of Chris Paul may be the key to the entire series. If he can effectively contain Paul, then the Spurs go on to win the series in a walk. After having just abused 2 time MVP Steve Nash, he should be primed and ready to do this right? We will see, I consider Chris Paul a much tougher cover than Steve Nash at this point. Peja is known to us Laker fans as a deadly outside shooter who could never make the shot at the end of the game in the playoffs. I think this still pretty much accurate. But with Chris Paul and David West having the stones to take the ball at the end, his accurate shooting in the first 3 quarters may help provide the cushion that the Hornets will need if they are going to win games. Even

Power Forward- Duncan v West- this is a strange matchup in that these players will not guard eachother. Mainly because neither man can, and both coaches will protect their primary post up threat from fouls. Duncan is the big fundemental and still has plenty of gas left in the tank. He had some amazing games against the Suns and should do the same thing here. West has continued to provide toughness, a silky 15 footer and yeoman's work in the paint. He has been steady in the playoffs as well. Edge Spurs.

Center- Tyson Chandler surprised me last round. He did not disappear in the face fo the physical play of Bass and Dampier. In fact, he was outstanding. He is playing with energy and enthusiasm. He has also showed his mettle under fire. Oberto is a serviceable player who works hard finishes easy plays and listens to his coach and teammates. Kurt Thomas will be on the floor during the key minutes anyway. Edge Hornets

Coach- Popovich is the best coach in the NBA over the past 10 years. The plays that set up Finley and Duncan for open 3's at the end of game 1 attest to that. So do 4 titles and a decade of excellence. Pop's gameplan in game 3 took the Suns heart, exposed their flaws and put th series away. So this has to be an advantage for the Spurs right? Dont be so hasty, I made my points about B Scott here http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/SoCalF4N/2008/02/28/Byron_Scott_the_most_underrated_coach_in_the_NBA

He has been through playoff wars as a player and a coach, he been to the finals twice as a coach. His demeaner, toughness, belief and constancy were a huge part of the Hornets victory over wide eyed Avery Johnson's Mavericks. Call me crazy but I call this matchup Even.

Bench- The Hornets have a number of live bodies but their key reserves are Pargo and Wells. Wells will be a huge X factor in this series. IF he can provide some quality defense against Ginobli, IF he can provide some post up points in the paint, he could swing this series either way. The Hornets have a collection of live bodies with question marks on the bench if 1 or 2 of them emerge against the mostly unathletic Spurs, it could provide another key advantage. Becasue I listed Ginobli as a starter (to me the guy who plays the last 5 minutes of a close game is the starter), I am not listing him as a bench player. The Spurs players who should see minutes in this series are Finley, Barry, Thomas, Udoka and Vaughn. Of these players only Udoka has the opportunity to match the Hornets energy. Finley showed he still has a little left. So lets just say this one is Even.

Other Factors: Hornets have Home court. The Spurs are truly great. Ginobli Parker and Duncan are the real big 3, forget those blind mice in Boston. These guys are clutch, tough, professional you get the idea. The Hornets are the new kids, they should be just happy to be here, they should be intimidated by the stage and the opposition. They should go quietly in 5 or 6 games. Or should they? Maybe the Spurs really are old, maybe the Suns sucked so hard they made the Spurs look better than they currently are. Maybe the Hornets aren't just happy to be here. Maybe they are going to attack the Spurs, expose their injuries and deficiencies. Maybe Ginobli's body is not strong enough to completely take over, maybe Bowen cannot keep up with Paul. Yeah, I have nothing but maybes here, so my pick has to be HORNETS IN SEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right I have lost my mind, I just broke this thing down and it showed me that even with my generous interpretations that the Spurs should win. But that is why I am an idiot blogger and not a professional. GO HORNETS!!!!!