The Cleveland Cavaliers, winners of 61 games in the regular season and owners of the top seed in the conference, will play host to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday, and the C's had better be ready.
Ignore the gossip about LeBron James' elbow, and ignore the doubters who say Shaquille O'Neal looks too old or too rusty. The Cavs are the Goliath of the Eastern Conference, and they will be armed and dangerous when they take the floor for Game 1.
When and Where
Celtics at Cavaliers
Saturday, May 1, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Head to Head
The Celtics earned a 2-2 split with the Cavaliers in the regular season. The C's finished the season series with a dramatic victory over the Cavs at the TD Garden on Easter Sunday, winning 117-113 despite an incredible effort from LeBron down the stretch. King James' point totals in four games against the Celtics this season: 38, 36, 30 and 42. You can expect more of the same over these next couple of weeks.
Key Matchup
Paul Pierce vs. LeBron James
The Celtics have stressed this week that defense is about the team, not the individual. And no doubt, there will be plenty of guys pitching in to help stop King James, from Kevin Garnett to Tony Allen to Marquis Daniels. But the bulk of the workload will fall to Pierce, and the challenge for the Celtics' captain is twofold. Not only will he have to work himself to death slowing down LeBron on the defensive end, but he's got to have enough energy left over to carry the Celtics on offense down the stretch. For Pierce, there's no tougher matchup than this one.
Starting Lineups
Celtics
Point guard: Rajon Rondo
Shooting guard: Ray Allen
Small forward: Paul Pierce
Power forward: Kevin Garnett
Center: Kendrick Perkins
Cavaliers
Point guard: Mo Williams
Shooting guard: Anthony Parker
Small forward: LeBron James
Power forward: Antawn Jamison
Center: Shaquille O'Neal
Stat Sheet
Celtics
- The Celtics are 30-22 in postseason games under coach Doc Rivers.
- Rajon Rondo averaged 14.8 points, 10.2 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game in the Celtics' first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat.
- Kevin Garnett has averaged 21.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game in the playoffs in his career.
Cavaliers
- The Cavaliers are 74-8 at Quicken Loans Arena over the last two years.
- LeBron James averaged 31.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game in the Cavs' first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls.
- Shaquille O'Neal has averaged 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in the playoffs in his career.
Black and Blue
Celtics
Rajon Rondo has battled the flu for the past two weeks, but it hasn't kept him off the floor.
Cavaliers
LeBron James will play despite a strained right elbow and bone bruise.
Outlook
No one player can stop LeBron James — it's got to be a team effort. And while we're at it, the Celtics need a team effort to do a lot of other things, too. Match the Cavs' energy. Contest their 3-point shots. Score points against a physical, athletic Cleveland defense that's given good teams fits all year. It all starts with Game 1 and the C's have to put their best foot forward.
