Celtics vs. Cavs Playoff Schedule

Game 1: Sunday (4/19), 3pm (ABC) in Cleveland

Game 2: Tuesday (4/21), 7pm (TNT) in Cleveland

Game 3: Thursday (4/23), 7pm (TNT) in Boston

Game 4: Sunday (4/26), 1pm (ABC) in Boston

Game 5*:Tuesday (4/28), TBD in Cleveland

Game 6*: Thursday (4/30), TBD in Boston

Game 7*: Saturday (5/2), TBD in Cleveland

*If necessary

NBA Conference Semis Picks

WIZARDS over PACERS in 6

HEAT over NETS in 7

TRAIL BLAZERS over SPURS in 6

THUNDER over CLIPPERS in 6

NBA Playoff Match Ups

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Indiana Pacers
8. Atlanta Hawks

4. Chicago Bulls
5. Washington Wizards

3. Toronto Raptors
6. Brooklyn Nets

2. Miami Heat
7. Charlotte Bobcats

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. San Antonio Spurs
8. Dallas Mavericks

4. Houston Rockets
5. Portland Trail Blazers

3. Los Angeles Clippers
6. Golden State Warriors

2. Oklahoma City Thunder
7. Memphis Grizzlies

Sports On Top Of Sports On TV: What Do You Do?

Your Big 4 sports are all in action tonight.  Your move.

NFL Draft - 1st Round (NFL Network/ ESPN)

Red Sox (Clay Buchholz) vs. Houston Astros (NESN)

Bruins vs. Tampa Lightning (NESN+)

NBA Playoffs
Heat vs. Bucks - Game 3 (TNT)
Nets vs. Bulls - Game 3 (NBA TV)
Clippers vs. Grizzlies - Game 3 (TNT)

Decision time.  For me it's not close.  I'm a Draft guy.  NFL and NBA, two of the best events on the calender.  But for the Pats-Fan-Layman you're not going to have much action for awhile.  1st round starts at 8:00pm, Pats have the 29th pick, that'll be post Sox and B's.

I'd go Draft, Sox (because I own Buchholz in Fantasy), NBA playoffs, and then last the Bruins.  3 games left in the regular season and we all just want the playoffs to begin, especially the Bruin players.  They've been bad. 

Good luck to you and yours.


Keefe

Keefe & B.Robb Talk Celtics

Game 1 went to the Celtics 92-91.  The 76ers and C's get back on the court tonight in Game 2.  Yesterday Rich Keefe and Brian Robb (CelticsHub.com) discussed the series on 98.5 The Sports Hub.  Click below to listen.

Why The Grizzlies Could Win It All

The Memphis Grizzlies are only the fourth 8 seed to win a playoff series, and only the second team to win a 1st round best-of-7 match up. They defeated the Spurs in 6 games and have gotten out to a 1-0 lead over the Thunder. (Keep in mind the title of this post is Why The Grizzlies Could Win It All and not Why The Grizzlies Will Win It All, if I wanted more shock value I would have said that, but I don’t believe it.) Regardless, the Grizzlies, even without Rudy Gay, are a team that is feared by their opponents.

Coming into this post season the Grizzlies had a 0-12 franchise record in the playoffs. They never sniffed the second season while in Vancouver, but got there three straight years in Memphis (2003-2006) only to be swept each time. After four years of no playoffs, the Grizz went 46-36 this year (same record as the 7 seed Hornets) and were awarded with the last seed in the West.

Their young star Rudy Gay (20 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts this season) only played in 54 games as a shoulder injury cost him the rest of the year. The idea that Memphis could be a pesky 1st round opponent seemingly went out the window with Gay’s injury. However, when the regular season came to an end and the match up of #1 Spurs vs. #8 Grizzlies was official, some, like TNT’s Charles Barkley, thought that Memphis would beat the aging and banged up Spurs. But can they keep going?

Memphis is 5-2 in the playoffs. They proved they can win on the road (victories in both San Antonio and Oklahoma City) and they are a perfect 3-0 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. They have a combination of young guys and veterans. It’s clear that they feel like they belong. Obviously the notion that they would be satisfied with one upset is false thanks to their Game 1 performance in OKC.

How do they do it? It starts with Zach Randolph. A guy who put up 20-10s throughout his career on bad teams. He was labeled a clubhouse cancer, waste of money, etc. Whether it was Portland, New York, or his brief stay with the Clippers, it seemed like no buddy wanted his production because of his attitude. Well it’s working in Memphis; after they won their 1st playoff game (Game 1 vs. San Antonio) the team announced they had inked Z-Bo to a multi-year extension. And how about this for a complement, All-Star and 2-time NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant said that Randolph is the best power forward in the league today.

Whether that is true or not (Dirk & Pau are pretty good) it is incredibly high praise and it’s not an outlandish statement anymore. The combo of Randolph and Marc Gasol has been absolutely devastating. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins will have to slow those guys down if the Thunder are going to win this series. If not, Randolph-Gasol vs. Gasol-Bynum-Odom in the next round would be worth the price of admission.

So the 8 seed Grizzlies, have an advantage in most series at the 4-5 spot, they get great rebounding and scoring from those positions. Point guard Mike Conley has gotten better in each of his 4 years in the NBA. He’s no Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, or Russell Westbrook, but he knows his game, plays smart and doesn’t turn it over. He’s more of a pure point guard compared to the guy he is matched up with in this series, Westbrook. Conley is also not a liability like a Mike Bibby or Derek Fisher.

Over half of the Grizzlies points in the playoffs come from the trio of Randolph-Gasol-Conley. The lack of Rudy Gay has actually made the roles on the team more defined. Those three are relied on for the majority of the shots (50.2% of the shots). Fellow starters Tony Allen and Sam Young, score only when they are open (Young can hit the outside shot, I don’t need to tell you about TA). Off the bench, the Grizz bring in O.J. Mayo (who they tried to trade on deadline day), Shane Battier, Darrell Arthur, and a little bit of Greivis Vasquez to spell Conley.

With Rudy Gay out, they are not going to score a lot from the wing spots, however Tony Allen and Shane Battier force the opponent to work their ass of to get theirs. We know the Thunder are Durant & Westbrook. They hope they get a great night from James Harden or Serge Ibaka. Memphis comes at you with more of a team. Game 1 their bench outscored Oklahoma City’s 27-16, and one would think that advantage might be even greater at home.

Despite being an 8 seed, and despite not having Gay, look at how they match up against every team left in the playoffs (not counting the Hawks)…

Vs. Lakers:
Derek Fisher vs. Mike Conley
Kobe Bryant vs. Tony Allen/ O.J. Mayo/ Shane Battier
Ron Artest vs. Sam Young/ Shane Battier
Pau Gasol vs. Zach Randolph
Andrew Bynum vs. Marc Gasol

Lamar Odom vs. Darrell Arthur/ Z-Bo

Vs. Mavericks:
Jason Kidd vs. Mike Conley
DeShawn Stevenson vs. Tony Allen
Shawn Marion vs. Sam Young
Dirk Nowitzki vs. Zach Randolph/ Darrell Arthur
Tyson Chandler vs. Marc Gasol

Jason Terry vs. O.J. Mayo/ TA/ Shane Battier

Vs. Bulls:
Derrick Rose vs. Mike Conley/ TA
Keith Bogans vs. Tony Allen/ O.J. Mayo
Luol Deng vs. Sam Young/ Shane Battier
Carlos Boozer vs. Zach Randolph
Joakim Noah vs. Marc Gasol

Vs. Heat:
Mike Bibby vs. Mike Conley
Dwyane Wade vs. Tony Allen
LeBron James vs. Sam Young/ Shane Battier
Chris Bosh (assuming he doesn’t take himself out because of the pressure that would be associated with the NBA Finals) vs. Zach Randolph
Big Z vs. Marc Gasol

James Jones vs. O.J. Mayo

Vs. Celtics:
Rajon Rondo vs. Mike Conley
Ray Allen vs. Tony Allen
Paul Pierce vs. Sam Young/ Shane Battier
Kevin Garnett vs. Zach Randolph
Jermaine O’Neal vs. Marc Gasol

Delonte West vs. O.J. Mayo
Glen Davis vs. Darrell Arthur
Jeff Green vs. Shane Battier

Is it just me or do they match up extremely well with everybody? I’m not saying they are going to win the title, but the Grizzlies are going to be a very tough out. Between their down low scoring, great rebounding, elite perimeter defenders, and x-factors (Mayo or Young could go for a random 30 one night), toss in a home court advantage, they may not have the best looking dance team, but watch out. Good luck to the Thunder, because they need it.

-Keefe

Thoughts from the Game 1's

I watched as much as I could over the weekend, and this is what I came up with.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

#1 Bulls vs. #8 Pacers (104-99 Chicago, 1-0)

Shocking. Well as shocking as it can be without the #1 overall seed actually losing. Indiana was leading from start to almost the very end. Tyler Hansborough? Where did that come from? Looked like he was playing a Tuesday night game against Clemson for a few minutes.

I thought Danny Granger summed it up best by comparing Derrick Rose to a stalker ex-girlfriend, every time you turn around she’s there, at your door wherever. I think this game will wake up the Bulls and they will win in 4 or 5.

#2 Heat vs. #7 76ers (97-89, Miami 1-0)

Give credit to Chris Bosh, ok you don’t have too, but he played well and helped the Heat avoid a loss. For the Celtics sake let’s hope Philly can win a game, or two at home, so LeBron and company have to work rather than coast into the 2nd round. I have faith the 6ers can make them fight after watching on Saturday. Game 2 is tonight.

#3 Celtics vs. #6 Knicks (87-85, Boston 1-0)

Jermaine O'Neal! Watching that game was the first time all season when I actually had a JO in Indiana flashback. The way he narrows his body and gets all skinny when he shoots and it a pretty good shot blocker. Now I don't expect that to keep up the rest of the playoffs, but it was fun nonetheless.

The Celtics were lucky in the fact that Carmelo Anthony played well for 1 quarter, and they still nearly lost the game. Melo is going to be better, however if Billups misses a game or two or just isn't effective, it may not matter.

#4 Magic vs. #5 Hawks (103-93, Atlanta 1-0)

The Hawks don’t seem to like playing with each other and they certainly don’t enjoy coaching in general, but they stole home court from Orlando. Dwight Howard 46 points 19 rebounds… in a loss. Let the big man get his and take everyone else out. It worked once, will it work again? I’m going to stick with my pick of the Magic winning this series, the Hawks self hate will overcome.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

#1 Spurs vs. #8 Grizzlies (101-98, Memphis 1-0)

How about this one? Tony Allen starting for a contender? Ok contender is a bit aggressive, but they do present some tough match ups even without Rudy Gay. Memphis get its first playoff win in franchise history (0-12 coming in), and they follow that up by giving Zach Randolph a 4-year contract extension. And you know what? I like it. Sure he seems like the obvious, pay for play guy, 1-year, incentive deals, but go for it Memphis!

It’s the same team Chris Wallace led front office that dealt Pau Gasol for nothing (although Marc Gasol has turned out pretty nice) and drafted Hasheem Thabeet #2 overall, only to pair him with another 1st rounder to get Shane Battier… back.

Manu’s elbow could be the key to this series, however I still think San Antonio advances, but they sure seem ripe for the picking.

#2 Lakers vs. #7 Hornets (109-100, New Orleans 1-0)

I thought New Orleans was the worst Western Conference Playoff team, and the only one not capable of winning a series. Winning a game I figured would be a stretch, let alone at the Staples Center. Hats off to Chris Paul. Maybe he hasn’t been as explosive as we’ve seen earlier in his career, but can we ease up on Derrick Rose is waaaaaay better than CP3, and so is Deron Williams, maybe even Russell Westbrook. Chris Paul is still here folks.

#3 Mavericks vs. #6 Trail Blazers (89-81, Dallas 1-0)

This could be a classic case of everyone picks the “underdog,” making them not the underdog any longer, and they end up losing to the original favorite. Teams 5-8 in the West were hoping to get Dallas. Well Portland did, what can they do with them? As Bill Simmons pointed out in his recent podcast, the Mavs have the best player in this series (Dirk) but Portland might have the next 4 (Aldridge, Wallace, Miller, Camby?) It’s debatable.

Wes Mathews is a good player who had a poor Game 1. Brandon Roy is a total wild card. His injuries knocked him down from a potential Top 10 player, to the team’s 7th man.

As poor as Dirk’s supporting cast is, I believe in this series, he can win 3 games while his supporting cast can take 1. Hey J. Kidd had 24 points in Game 1. Jason Terry is capable of 30 one night, and I’m probably the only person in the country that thinks Shawn Marion could slap up a 20-12 in one of these games.

#4 Thunder vs. #5 Nuggets (107-103, OKC 1-0)

This is the series (outside of Boston-New York obviously) that I am the most interested in watching, and will find ways to be in front of the TV for every minute.

Funny how the 4 playoff teams that really changed at the deadline are involved in 2 series. The Nuggets made a franchise altering deal with the Knicks, and the Celtics shocked their own fans… and players, by trading with the Thunder. A couple months later and you get Celtics-Knicks and Thunder-Nuggets.

I like watching Perkins play. I never, ever, thought I would say that. I yelled at every moving offensive screen, every time he put it on the floor near the basket and did his infuriating “gather move.” But now that he’s gone, I’m like, “Wow look at that screen! Did you see that board? There’s the scowl!” The question remains with OKC, how far can Durant-Westbrook carry them as their only offensive options?

As for Denver, it’s amazing how they don’t have a single star player but can still go a legit 11 deep with each guy bringing their own flavor. George Karl has them meshing well, but you got to wonder if it’s just a fun regular season team that surprised, only to bow out in the playoffs.

If the first weekend is any indication of how the rest of the 2011 post season is going to be, we are in store for one of the all time greatest. I’ll be back throughout the playoffs with scattered thoughts.

Keefe's 2009-2010 NBA Preview: Awards & Champion

Awards:

MVP: LeBron James, Cavaliers
Rookie of the Year: James Harden, Thunder
6th Man: Manu Ginobili, Spurs
D-Player: LeBron James, Cavaliers
Coach: Flip Saunders, Wizards

All-NBA 1st Team
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Dwight Howard, Magic
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Dwyane Wade, Heat

All-NBA 2nd Team
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Gilbert Arenas, Wizards
Chris Paul, Hornets

All-NBA 3rd Team
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Deron Williams, Jazz
Brandon Roy, Blazers

All-Rookie 1st Team
James Harden, Thunder
DeMar DeRozan, Raptors
Tyreke Evans, Kings
DeJuan Blair, Spurs
Brandon Jennings, Bucks

All-Rookie 2nd Team
Blake Griffin, Clippers (out min. 6 weeks)
Terrence Williams, Nets
Stephen Curry, Warriors
Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves
Chase Budinger, Rockets

East All-Stars
Starters:
LeBron James, Cavaliers
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Dwight Howard, Magic
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Gilbert Arenas, Wizards

Reserves:
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Danny Granger, Pacers
Vince Carter, Magic
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Derrick Rose, Bulls
Brook Lopez, Nets

West All-Stars
Starters:
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Chris Paul, Hornets

Reserves:
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Deron Williams, Jazz
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Richard Jefferson, Spurs
Tony Parker, Spurs
Emeka Okafor, Hornets

Playoffs:

West: Spurs over Lakers
East: Celtics over Magic

Finals: Spurs over Celtics

-Keefe

Where Will Amazing Happen This Year?

Big ups to the OC for putting this together. Enjoy.




-Keefe

FINISH HIM! (or her)

Something to pass the time... I'm sitting here watching the Lakers run away with Game 7 against the Rockets and waiting for Celtics/ Magic Game 7. Stumbled across this the other day, and I know you will all enjoy it.

Mortal Kombat Fatalities



Just some great stuff there. I was always partial to Scorpion and Sub-Zero. The damn Scorpion finisher where he takes his mask off and spits fire (53 seconds in) is just (up-up-start), seems easy enough, but it's not. You're jumping, getting frustrated then the guy you just beat falls weakly to the ground. If those weren't enough we got more below.



The Lakers just lifted off their mask and blew fire on Houston. I hope the Celtics can do the same in a few hours.

-Keefe

Ron Artest is the Man

There's more to this interview, but it's not posted on youtube yet. Artest talks about how fighting was a part of basketball when he played in high school and on the streets, but he's done with that now. He tells a story where his friend was killed during a game. Incredible. He's grown up. And he really has. I become a bigger fan of this guy the more I see him. I don't think he should have been tossed last night, and it's clear if the Rockets are going to pull this upset he is going to have to stay on the court.

I don't think there is a bigger bad ass in the NBA today. You got to love how Barkley always jokes about guys who get in each others faces during a game, and he always says, "Ernie, these guys are lovers... They can't fight." But when it comes to Ron Artest, Barkley says, "He can play with me anytime." Talk about respect.

And Artest isn't just some tough guy, he can play. He carried them to the Game 1 win and had 25 points before being wrongfully tossed last night. If he is further punished it will be a crime. The league is looking at Ron, Kobe, and Fisher heading into Game 3.

Best series in the playoffs right now, hope you're staying up and watching it.

Side note: If you were going to make a Top 10 list of NBA players you would not want to fight, would Artest be on there like 4 times? 5?

Off the top of my head...
1. Ron Artest
2. Ron Artest
3. Ron Artest
4. Ron Artest
5. Kenyon Martin
6. Dwight Howard
7. Reggie Evans
8. Kendrick Perkins
9. Nene (he's got to know jui-jitsu)
10. Udonis Haslem


-Keefe

Game 7 Strategy

Alright, after watching every second of the Celtics/ Bulls series I have come up with the following strategy that will guarentee the C's move on to face Orlando. It's only 1 simple thing. Yes it's important to defend Derrick Rose, not allow Joakim Noah to get offensive rebounds which turn into offensive celebrations, keep Perkins out of foul trouble, try to get anything and I mean anything out of the Celtics bench, and tire out Ben Gordon by making him chase Ray Allen for 48 minutes. All those things pale in comparison to my 1 very important key.

DON'T PLAY TONY ALLEN. EVER. FOR ANY REASON.

How can this be done? Well, Kevin Garnett needs to do something on the sidelines, besides drop F and MF Bombs when the camera is on, which I do love by the way. But KG is so talented that he should not be limited to that. Why not put him on Tony Allen watch. If Doc Rivers says, "Tony, get in there." KG can't allow it. Maybe something along the lines of the picture below will help illustrate how he can do that.

Hold on tight KG! Don't let Allen, Tony in the Game!

I don't care if Rondo, Ray, Pierce, Baby, Perk, Marbury, and House foul out. It could be Scal, Walker, Pruitt, and Moore out there, and I'd pray Doc Rivers turns into Norman Dale and says, "My team is on the floor."

I am nervous for Game 7, and even more nervous that Tony Allen may decide whether we're watching any more Celtics games this season.

-Keefe

NBA Awards '08-'09

The NBA season is over, and the playoffs will begin tomorrow, with or without KG. So it has become a tradition for me to unveil my NBA regular season awards, with or without KG. I'm not going to do an elaborate break down for each award, because 1. you probably wouldn't read it and 2. I'm still bummed out about Garnett. If you have questions or comments leave a... (for lack of a better word) comment at the bottom and I'll get back to you. On with the show...

MVP
1. Dwyane Wade, Heat
2. LeBron James, Cavs
3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
4. Chris Paul, Hornets
5. Paul Pierce, Celtics

Honorable Mention:
Dwight Howard, Magic
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets

Yeah I went there, D-Wade is my MVP. I know everyone in the world has LeBron, because he's the best player in the world and on arguably the best team in the world. Well, Wade has a far weaker supporting cast, and is the only player in the league to average 30+ points per game. Not many people thought the Heat would be a playoff team (I did check the archieves), and he got them to a 5 seed. In addition to finishing 1st in points, Wade was 2nd in steals, 8th in assists, and 16th in block shots. That's right 16th in the league in blocked shots.

LeBron led his team in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Only the 4th time in league history has that happened. Dave Cowens, Scottie Pippen, and Kevin Garnett are the only others to accomplish that ridiculous feat. Yeah fine, he might be the MVP.

Alright no more break down after picks.

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Dwight Howard, Magic
2. Dwyane Wade, Heat
3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cavs
5. Gerald Wallace, Bobcats

(that will also be my All-NBA Defensive Team)

6th Man of the Year
1. Jason Terry, Mavericks
2. Nate Robinson, Knicks
3. J.R. Smith, Nuggets
4. Michael Beasley, Heat
5. Travis Outlaw, Blazers

Rookie of the Year/ 1st Team All-NBA Rookie
1. Derrick Rose, Bulls
2. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
3. Russell Westbrook, Thunder
4. Brook Lopez, Nets
5. Eric Gordon, Clippers

2nd Team All-NBA Rookie
Michael Beasley, Heat
D.J. Augustin, Bobcats
Kevin Love, Timberwolves
Mario Chalmers, Heat
Rudy Fernandez, Blazers

What a deep rookie class. Those are my top 10, but I'm leaving out Marc Gasol, Jason Thompson, Anthony Morrow, Courtney Lee, and even Greg Oden.

Most Improved is a Joke, I will not even waste my time on it. It is the biggest slap in the face award in the history of awards. If you have ever won a "Most Improved Award" just know that it is a nice way of them saying that you sucked before. Moving on.

Coach of the Year
1. Rick Adelman, Rockets
2. Nate McMillan, Blazers
3. George Karl, Nuggets
4. Erik Spoelstra, Heat
5. Mike Brown, Cavs

All- NBA 1st Team
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
LeBron James, Cavs
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Dwight Howard, Magic

All-NBA 2nd Team
Chris Paul, Hornets
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Yao Ming, Rockets

All-NBA 3rd Team
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers

-Keefe