Cleveland-Boston, Game 7 lowlights

G7 inventory--Nachos, check. Kool-aid, check. Sam Cassell's 5 Ace bandages, check. Let's do this!

I simply continue to be amazed at how awful both of these teams' benches are. After the "great hustle play" by Eddie House in the second quarter resulting in a technical foul for being an idiot, Cleveland was sitting on 25 points in 17 minutes. BronBron was 5-11, and the REST OF THE TEAM was 4-18 from the floor. Just to further illuminate how BAD both benches are--Eddie House is looking like a "great bench spark", according to Mark Jackson. You telling me that Gerry McNamara wouldn't look like a legit NBA player if he was being defended by Szezerbiak or Pavlovic? Sczerbiak getting picked by KG late in the 2nd quarter was FEEEnominal. I am going to go to a Cavs game next year just to ride him like a ten-cent mechanical horse at Meijer.

And why the F was Eddie House's kid in the halftime interview? Could you imagine if Salley's kid entered the shot in a halftime interview? Mahorn would shove him out of the way while Laimbeer clotheslined Salley for letting it happen. I'm guessing that Eddie House, being Eddie House, isn't exactly used to being involved in the halftime interview, so he takes that opportunity to tell his kid what to get him from the concession stand at halftime so Eddie has a nice warm meal waiting for him on the bench.

P.J. Brown is one misstep away from a serious knee injury. I think it's great that the Celtics are attempting to let a 53-year old man get a ring as an active member of a team, but they need to stop throwing P.J. out there. Although I am beginning to enjoy his 3 borderline-dirty fouls every game. He gave Joe Smith a really nice shot to the back of the head in the 2nd quarter as Smith was poudning a 2-handed hammer down. Here's today's fun fact--PJ Brown played on the same team AS RICK MAHORN!!! That basically means that the "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon" game could be played with PJ Brown tracing him directly to James Naismith.

Van Gundy brought up a GREAT point in the first quarter--he talked about how important it was to be physical ON DEFENSE early in the game in order to make the refs make hand-check calls early in the game; if those calls aren't made early, then they likely won't be made as the game goes along. BronBron was being massaged on virtually every halfcourt touch throughout the first half.

I can't believe how much Mark Jackson is tongue-bathing the Celtics, especially Paul Pierce. Jackson said that Pierce's 34 is a lock to be put in the rafters. Obviously Jackson didn't see the neat little stat the ABC people slapped on the screen a few times--PP has played in 51 playoff games, the most by any Celtic without a title. Pierce's "legacy" is certainly in place already--0 NBA Finals appearances, constant underachieving, and leading the Tanking 2007's. I'm not looking forward to the level of hate that Mark Jackson is going to level on the Pistons next week. And he also wanted to let everyone know that KG was the "defensive player of the year....in basketball". I want to let everyone know one season I was the defensive player of the year.....in NBA Live '97.

If the Pistons don't take apart either one of these teams in Game 1, then it's going to be a LONG series....espeically if it's the LeBrons in the Palace.

LASTLY--I can't believe how many cheap shots the Cavs have leveled in this game. I grew up with Laimbeer and Rodman dealing out some punishment, but you knew it was coming with those guys. The Cavs (along with Bowen and Horry) seem to enjoy the undercut/backpick variety of foul. Pavlovic's play on PP at the end of the half was just plain dirty--he hump-rode him from behind as Pierce was going up for a shot.