Call It What It Was -- A Great Game

It's the day after, and time for Cavs fans to come down from the lofty perch that is the NBA Playoffs. The season is over for the wine and gold, and that's never an easy thing to accept. But, if the Cavs were going to go out, at least they went out in style.

Paul Pierce and LeBron James put on an impressive show Sunday, and, as expected, the Celtics defended their home court with a 97-92 win that sends them to the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit.

My general impression as these two opponents duked it out all afternoon: What a great game.

It was enjoyable to watch. It had drama, plenty of big plays, a few momentum shifts, and a compelling story line. I didn't need LeBron's postgame comments to remind me of the Larry Bird-Dominique Wilkins duel in the 1988 playoffs. I was already thinking of that memorable game by halftime of Sunday's contest. James and Pierce didn't disappoint, turning in stat lines for the ages in a classic matchup.

LeBron: 45 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists. Pierce: 41 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists. It was mano-a-mano, and it was truly enjoyable to watch.

That aside, Boston won because they're a better team. They earned the right during the regular season to have home court advantage during the playoffs, and it paid off on Sunday. They took the lead early in the game and, despite a late Cavs rally, never relinquished it. Hats off to them.

Now they move on, and the Cavs move out of the way. For Cleveland, it will be an important offseason. Many questions will be raised, questions that will have to be answered.

Is the Cavs roster acceptable as is? Probably not, but "getting help" is easier said that done -- and a topic for another day and another discussion. But it's clear that LeBron had to shoulder almost the entire load in Game 7. To think that he almost pulled off a victory show just how determined and resilient he is. Not to mention talented. (I happen to think that you could take any other MVP candidate from the past two or three years, put him on the Cavs teams of those years in place of LeBron, and get nowhere near the results. From a sheer talent standpoint, James does things that no one else in basketball does.)

But all that analysis is better left for later. For today, we're left with vivid memories of a tremendous game that featured remarkable performances by two remarkable players.

Tribe time

It looks like nothing will come easy for the Indians this year. Just as they start to ride the crest of the wave that has been their starting pitching, they go to Cincinnati and drop three in a row to the Reds. Ugh. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Reds did something no other team had been able to do this season: Beat Cliff Lee.

So it's back to reality for Cleveland, and the reality is that their offense is as bad as...well, as the Cavaliers' is, come to think of it. Team batting average of .236. Apart from Victor Martinez and new arrival Ben Francisco, the Indians couldn't hit the broad side of a glacier, which is the only thing as cold as they are.

Jhonny Peralta is hitting .225. Casey Blake, .226. Travis Hafner, .228. Franklin Gutierrez, .232. Ryan Garko looks like a stud in this lineup, at .241.

Jamey Carrol, the utility man, is hitting a mighty .194 -- and he's ahead of Asdrubal Cabrera, who is plodding along at a dismal .180 clip.

What in the name of Chico Salmon is going on?

Problem is, we're at the point of the season where the team will either have to put up or shut up. You don't alter the entire lineup and expect good results. Eric Wedge will have to ride the horses he has, and hope they start to produce.

The Indians' pitching should keep them around the top of the A.L. Central, which isn't loaded with any powerhouse teams. If the hitters don't take advantage of it and start to produce, they'll have no one to blame but themselves.