Boston @ The Black Hole Preview <font color="Green">Boston Celtics</font> (23-29) @ <font color="DarkRed">Cleveland Cavaliers</font> (19-32) Monday, Feb. 9, 7:30 pm EST Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH TV: TNT Previous Game Wizards 106 @ Cavaliers 88 Celtics 110 @ Sixers 80 Streaks Cleveland: Lost 1 Boston: Won 1 Season Series Cavaliers 0 Celtics 2 Head Coaches Paul Silas/ John Carroll Probable Starters Jeff McInnis vs Mike James LeBron James vs Paul Pierce Eric Williams vs Jiri Welsch Carlos Boozer vs Mark Blount Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs Chris Mihm 6th Men Dajuan Wagner/Ricky Davis Players To Watch LeBron James/Paul Pierce James: 20.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists 1.45 steals Pierce: 23.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists Fast Fact 1st game back to the "Black Hole" for Ricky D. Injury Lists Cleveland Cavaliers Tony Battie Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje Boston Celtics Chris Mills Raef Lafrentz <font color="blue">redscoon's Keys to the Game</font> Cavs: -Damage Control: Pierce will get his points, but make him work for it. Nothing easy. -Guard the perimeter. Don't let Welsch, McCarty, and Pierce get open looks. -Take the ball to the hoop, don't settle for outside jump shots. -Take advantage of Boston's interior defense. Get Z and Boozer the ball down low early and often.[/I] -Attack the glass. Too many offensive rebounds given up in recent games. Don't allow 2nd and 3rd chances. Celtics: -Attack Lebron on defense. Make him work hard on both ends of the floor. Play zone. Cavs have a very weak perimeter game. Make them shoot from the outside. -Get back defensively. Mcinnis, Boozer, and Lebron are strong on breaks. No easy dunks or oops. -Keep a body on Boozer. Make him get his points from shooting midrange shots. Limit easy put backs and dunks. -Don't let Z get low post position. Limit him to pick and fades and jumpshots. If you he gets in the paint, he is hard to stop. -Kick the ball out to 3 point shooters. Cavs perimeter D is weak. Slash and kick if nothing is open inside. <font color="blue">thajuiceman's Keys to the Game</font> Cavs 1. Don't get caught up in the hype of the game (LeBron). 2. Forget the last 3 games, have fun! 3. Make Paul Pierce work on defense. When he's got the ball double him, make someone else beat us. 4. Pound the ball inside, early and often! Celtics 1. Give the ball to Pierce / Ricky 2. Stand back <font color="blue"> The Infante Choice</font> Celts travel to the Black Hole on Monday after blowing out the Sixers. Look for them to stay hungry and be even more dominating for this hyped up game. Being Ricky Davis' 1st game back at Cleveland since the big trade that happend earlier this year, expect him to be booed out of the arena from our loyal Cavs fans. Even tho I hate the Cavs at the moment, I still have faith in my boys and still think we have a chance to the holy land of Post Season Gaming. Perimeter D is important and please, don't play any zone Cavs. Cavs take this hyped up game winning by 5 <font size="1">Please visit NBA.com</font>
Hey, whoever was working on the records better fix something. It says Boston (10-12) at Cleveland (6-16) BTW, Cavs by8.
Everytime I make a prediction, it's always the opposite.........so I say that Celts by 4. And Ricky davis was totally right about that black hole thing
Celtics got there 1st win under carrol, i think thats what they wanted now they'll cool off.Someone from the cavs will have a explosive game, im feelin. Im gonna say the cavs take this one by 7.
Good job Mr. Infante! I think it's pretty obvious what we're up against. Pierce and Davis. If we can stop one of them, we should win. Unless Mihm plays the game of his life and drops 30 on us, we'll win. I pray.
They still can win with Welsch and McCarty at the perimeter. God I think its going to look awful if we dont stop their outside shots.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting cArMeLo15:</div><div class="quote_post">Welsch is a very streaky shooter. Can't let him get hot.</div> Top five in the league, shooting it at around 43%.
Great preview fellas! Nice way to add some life to it. We can't lose this game, end of story. If we go down 0-4 vs. the Celts that would be inexcusable.
nice preview, i agree wth what mr.infante just said in that summery. cavs by 5, but o be different im gonna say cavs by 2 lebron hits his first cavs game winner on national telivesion in ricky d's face.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Mr_Infante:</div><div class="quote_post">^Thats just the weed talking.</div> Well it is 3:30am, what do you expect, LMAO.
Well im missing out on this game too. Yeah a good one. Mabey I should skip class to watch Ricky get booed. Well we will find out. I'll be back when I watch it on tape tonight.
Williams, Cavaliers focus on priorities <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Playoff spot in mind as Davis visits Gund Arena for first time since trade Ricky Davis has had his say. So has Eric Williams. Davis called Cleveland a ``black hole.'' Williams said his former team ``is not about winning.'' And so on and so on. Perhaps the dust from the Dec. 15 Celtics-Cavaliers swap hasn't totally settled, but so much new fodder has been blown up since then, the rhetoric hardly seems to matter anymore. The Celtics' coach, Jim O'Brien, quit last month amid controversy. The Cavaliers made another trade. And everyone seems to have moved on.</div> Full Story <font size="1">Washington Wizards' Jerry Stackhouse (42) gets inside Cleveland Cavaliers' Eric Williams (55) for a shot during the third quarter of the Wizards' 106-88 win Saturday in Cleveland.</font>
