NBA Playoffs: Magic Too Deep for Celtics
Did the Celtics beat the Cavaliers or did Cleveland simply choke against Boston? As so often is the case, more is being made about the losers of the most recently completed NBA playoff series than the winners. In the end it really wouldn't have mattered since Dwight Howard and the Magic would have taken out LeBron James and the Cavs in the next round. Game 1 is Sunday from Orlando's Amway Arena.
It’s kind of funny how it all seemed inevitable after a while. The Boston Celtics finished off the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games with Thursday’s 94-85 victory, cashing in as 1½-point home favorites, and it came as no surprise given how the series had been going.
LeBron James was not healthy for the Cavaliers, and they had no answer for point guard Rajon Rondo. Neither of those things changed in Game 6: James had nine turnovers to spoil a triple-double, and Rondo had five steals to go with 21 points and 12 assists.
The rejuvenated Celtics get full marks for eliminating the former NBA title favorites, especially at 4-2 ATS and without the benefit of home-court advantage. But it only gets harder from here.
The best team in the NBA right now, without the shadow of a doubt, is the Orlando Magic at 28-3 SU and 23-7-1 ATS since the end of February. The Magic have won all eight of their playoff contests, and they got paid in each of their last seven. They swept the Atlanta Hawks by 25.2 points per game.
Chalk, as you have gathered, has not been an issue in Orlando. The first wave of betting odds after Thursday night’s Celtics victory had the Magic pegged at -260 to win the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row. Last year, Orlando beat the Celtics in seven games at 4-3 ATS, then upset Cleveland for the Eastern crown, both without home-court advantage. This Sunday, the Magic and their upgraded roster get to start things off at Amway Arena as 6-point favorites. Boston’s series price is +230.
Rondo (19.18 PER plus great defense) is the emerging leader of the Boston Celtics and finally getting some recognition as the best player on his team, in light of the aging (however graceful) of the Big Three. But Rondo hasn’t truly been tested in these playoffs. The best point guard the Miami Heat could throw at him was Carlos Arroyo (12.38 PER), and Rondo made Mo Williams (16.18 PER) look decidedly mortal in the Eastern semis.
The free ride ends here. Jameer Nelson (15.55 PER) has fully recovered from early-season knee surgery, judging by the way he made a meal of Mike Bibby (12.77 PER) in the second round. Nelson was an All-Star last year and he’s playing like one right now with 20.5 points and 5.3 assists per game during the postseason. And being a generous 6-feet tall isn’t as much of a liability for Nelson going up against the 6-foot-1 Rondo, although Rondo does have unusually long arms.
Rondo is still the better point guard on paper, but it isn’t by leaps and bounds as it was against Miami and Atlanta. Nelson only has to slow Rondo down enough for Orlando to take advantage of its superior talent level at just about every other spot on the floor.
The Celtics were completely unable to stop Dwight Howard (24.07 PER) from grabbing every rebound in sight last year. This year, Orlando also has Vince Carter (17.11 PER) to add scoring punch alongside Rashard Lewis (14.03 PER), who shot 47.4 percent against Boston from long range during the regular season as the Magic went 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS.
The Magic also boast the deepest and most talented bench in the NBA. This was supposed to be one of Cleveland’s strengths, but players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, J.J. Hickson and Daniel Gibson were virtually invisible in the second round. Orlando has nothing but quality players up and down the roster. That’s the engine behind their giant margins of victory.
Boston's bench has gotten good results of late from Tony Allen and Rasheed Wallace, and they could presumably unleash Nate Robinson (16.41 PER) if they wanted. But they’re still a few good men short in this series.
Did the Celtics beat the Cavaliers or did Cleveland simply choke against Boston? As so often is the case, more is being made about the losers of the most recently completed NBA playoff series than the winners. In the end it really wouldn't have mattered since Dwight Howard and the Magic would have taken out LeBron James and the Cavs in the next round. Game 1 is Sunday from Orlando's Amway Arena.
It’s kind of funny how it all seemed inevitable after a while. The Boston Celtics finished off the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games with Thursday’s 94-85 victory, cashing in as 1½-point home favorites, and it came as no surprise given how the series had been going.
LeBron James was not healthy for the Cavaliers, and they had no answer for point guard Rajon Rondo. Neither of those things changed in Game 6: James had nine turnovers to spoil a triple-double, and Rondo had five steals to go with 21 points and 12 assists.
The rejuvenated Celtics get full marks for eliminating the former NBA title favorites, especially at 4-2 ATS and without the benefit of home-court advantage. But it only gets harder from here.
The best team in the NBA right now, without the shadow of a doubt, is the Orlando Magic at 28-3 SU and 23-7-1 ATS since the end of February. The Magic have won all eight of their playoff contests, and they got paid in each of their last seven. They swept the Atlanta Hawks by 25.2 points per game.
Chalk, as you have gathered, has not been an issue in Orlando. The first wave of betting odds after Thursday night’s Celtics victory had the Magic pegged at -260 to win the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row. Last year, Orlando beat the Celtics in seven games at 4-3 ATS, then upset Cleveland for the Eastern crown, both without home-court advantage. This Sunday, the Magic and their upgraded roster get to start things off at Amway Arena as 6-point favorites. Boston’s series price is +230.
Rondo (19.18 PER plus great defense) is the emerging leader of the Boston Celtics and finally getting some recognition as the best player on his team, in light of the aging (however graceful) of the Big Three. But Rondo hasn’t truly been tested in these playoffs. The best point guard the Miami Heat could throw at him was Carlos Arroyo (12.38 PER), and Rondo made Mo Williams (16.18 PER) look decidedly mortal in the Eastern semis.
The free ride ends here. Jameer Nelson (15.55 PER) has fully recovered from early-season knee surgery, judging by the way he made a meal of Mike Bibby (12.77 PER) in the second round. Nelson was an All-Star last year and he’s playing like one right now with 20.5 points and 5.3 assists per game during the postseason. And being a generous 6-feet tall isn’t as much of a liability for Nelson going up against the 6-foot-1 Rondo, although Rondo does have unusually long arms.
Rondo is still the better point guard on paper, but it isn’t by leaps and bounds as it was against Miami and Atlanta. Nelson only has to slow Rondo down enough for Orlando to take advantage of its superior talent level at just about every other spot on the floor.
The Celtics were completely unable to stop Dwight Howard (24.07 PER) from grabbing every rebound in sight last year. This year, Orlando also has Vince Carter (17.11 PER) to add scoring punch alongside Rashard Lewis (14.03 PER), who shot 47.4 percent against Boston from long range during the regular season as the Magic went 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS.
The Magic also boast the deepest and most talented bench in the NBA. This was supposed to be one of Cleveland’s strengths, but players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, J.J. Hickson and Daniel Gibson were virtually invisible in the second round. Orlando has nothing but quality players up and down the roster. That’s the engine behind their giant margins of victory.
Boston's bench has gotten good results of late from Tony Allen and Rasheed Wallace, and they could presumably unleash Nate Robinson (16.41 PER) if they wanted. But they’re still a few good men short in this series.
can we please vote this "the stupidest fukkin comment made by anyone on SBR forum" it would def. win.
