Rondo May Not Be Dirty, But His Play Was

Look, I played basketball, OK?

I don't care if it's school ball, travel ball, YMCA ball, playground ball, college ball or pro ball. When you've played, you know the difference.

In Tuesday night's NBA playoff game between Boston and Chicago, Rajon Rondo got away with a mugging. Big-time. And it changed the game, and, perhaps, the series, in Boston's favor.

With Boston leading by two, Chicago's Brad Miller took an in-bounds pass near the end of overtime and drove down a ridiculously wide-open lane toward the basket. As he rose to take the shot, Rondo swept his hand across Miller's face, altering the momentum of the 290-pounder and sending him crumbling to the floor, his shot suddenly an afterthought as it fell harmlessly to the floor.

Miller's upper lip swelled to the size of Angelina Jolie's, and he appeared dazed and in pain as he stepped to the free throw line and proceeded to miss the all-important first shot.


As the Boston faithful cheered and jeered wildly, Miller (shown at left in an AP photo, trying to stop the bleeding after Rondo's right cross) tried to miss the second shot intentionally, with the hope of Chicago grabbing the rebound and putting in the tying shot. But he missed the rim completely, resulting in a turnover, which all but sealed the win for the Celtics.

"I'm a little guy, so I had to go for the foul hard," said Rondo after the game. "I wasn't trying to go for his head, but I think he went up with his right hand and I tried to make sure he couldn't finish or get an and-one. It's as simple as that. I think I hit him in the head or something, but I went through his arm first, trying to get to the ball."

"I think I hit him in the head or something." OK, whatever. Except there was no chance for Rondo to get the ball. None. It was obvious when the foul occurred in real time, and far more evident once the replays were shown.

What the referees working the game saw from those replays, logical people will never know. Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro protested that Rondo's foul was flagrant -- which it was -- which would have given the Bulls the foul shots plus the ball. Replay after replay confirmed that Rondo whacked Miller across the face in a last-ditch, desperate attempt to prevent the easy shot.

But there's no way he went for the ball. Like I said, anybody who has ever played the game knows the difference. Doesn't take a genius.

It was the second time at that Rondo got away with robbery at a crucial point down the stretch.

At the end of regulation, as Chicago's Derrick Rose blew past him down the left side of the lane in an attempt to convert what might have been a game-winning shot, Rondo stuck his knee, ever so subtly, into Rose's thigh, sending Rose sprawling toward the end line. The ball rolled out of bounds, and the intermittently blind NBA refs ("Wait, who's the home team?") rewarded it to the Celts.

OK, that was a small thing, and Rondo pulled it off. But the clobbering that he got away with at the end of overtime never should have been allowed. His team is now up, three games to two, in this hard-fought series.

Playground players know what happened. The NBA needs officials who know it, too.

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.

An Offensive Offensive Display

You know, I'm tired of the debate.

The Celtics scored 69 points Friday night and the Cavs won. Great defense? OK, sure. Did the Cavs get "stops"? Yes. They swarmed, they hustled, they denied, they rebounded. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Then why do I have the nagging feeling it's not why they won? Why is that ALWAYS the nagging feeling in games like this?

Because their offense is so uninspired, that's why.

I'm sorry, but a physically gifted superstar going to the line 15 times is not a sound offensive strategy -- it's the advantage of playing at home. Give credit where credit is due -- LeBron made 13 of those -- but does anyone really think he'll get those opportunities in Game 7 in Boston?

The Cavs shot 32.9 percent from the field. CLANK. But they "got to the line" 25 times, and made 21. Boston was a more efficient 11-of-13 from the stripe. You think those 10 points didn't make a difference in an offensive stinker like this one?

Yes, credit the Cavs with having much to do with Boston's 39.7 shooting percentage from the field. But the fact remains, the Celtics outshot Cleveland from the field and the line, and had almost twice as many assists, and lost. That's because they were called for far more fouls, and the Cavs made enough of their free throws to win.

That's not going to happen in Boston.

So where does that leave us? With the Cavs having to make shots. And that, as anyone knows, is scary. Not because they can't shoot. But because they end up settling for so many bad shots, out of position, in an offense that seems, inevitably, to lead nowhere.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas appeared totally uncomfortable from the opening tip Friday night, going 3 for 11. Wally Szczerbiak shot 2 for 11. Ben Wallace -- well, we won't count Big Ben. Anderson Varajeo, 2 for 6. Sasha Pavlovic not only went 1 for 6, he looked awful doing it. Damon Jones got in briefly, missed the first two shots he's taken since Roosevelt was President, and came back out.

Devin Brown must be wondering what a guy has to do to get some court time, something the key contributor throughout the season hasn't had this series.

You're left scratching your head sometimes, wondering if the Cavs know what they're supposed to be doing out there other than getting out of LeBron's way, or looking to get the ball back to him as soon as they get it.

Are the Cavs good because of their defense? Because they got stops? Because of their rebounding?

Not really. They do those things well sometimes, maybe even most of the time. But they're good -- in the "championship caliber" sense of the word -- because of LeBron James. It showed again on Friday night.

It doesn't make for a good scenario for Game 7. No way LeBron gets that charge call at the end of the game in Boston. No way the Cavs get the advantage at the line they enjoyed Friday night, in a game that could -- should -- have been a runaway but ended up a squeaker.

That's not to say Game 7 isn't winnable. But it's not likely to be winnable the way Game 6 was won.

Let's Pause for Intermission...But Then Could We Keep Playing, for Crying Out Loud?

The Cavs-Celtics series continued according to script Wednesday night, with Boston holding court at home for a 96-89 win over Cleveland. A promising start for the wine-and-gold went sour after Boston coach Doc Rivers made all the right adjustments at halftime and the Celtics rode a 29-17 third quarter to cement the win.

The Cavs exhibited the same tendency throughout the regular season -- third quarter woes leaving them in a deep hole. All year, media and fans wondered, aloud and in print, what the problem was. Why did the Cavaliers seem to falter at that point in so many games? Why did they lack the intensity and focus to hold leads, or to cut in to opponents' leads, after halftime?

The burden is always on the players to perform. On paper, the Celtics have a deeper, more experienced roster than the Cavaliers, and there's no question that Boston came out with more fire in the third quarter. Doc Rivers didn't go from hack to genius in one year; the fact is, he has more talent to work with this time around.

But you have to ask why this happens so frequently under Mike Brown's watch. You're ahead at halftime, in a pivotal Game 5, needing to win in Boston at some point in order to win the series -- and your team can't get pumped up for the third quarter? How is that possible?

It was bad enough that Cleveland squandered a 15-point advantage with four minutes left in the first half, and ended up leading by only four at the intermission. But it got even worse when Boston came out of the locker room and punched the Cavs squarely in the mouth with two quick baskets, one a three-pointer, to grab a one-point lead at the start of the third. That's a 16-point turnaround in five minutes of playing time.

Bingo. Ballgame. You fumble your way through a 16-point switcheroo in a game like this, you should expect to lose.

But more to the point: What in a professional basketball player's career experience doesn't tell him to apply the knockout blow when a playoff opponent is on the ropes -- on their own floor? And what in a coach's experience doesn't tell him to call a timeout or two, stop the bleeding, and get his team focused when things start to slip away?

After Cleveland surged to that 15-point lead, Brown watched over the next two minutes as Kevin Garnett hit a jumper, the Cavs missed a shot, Rajon Rondo hit a three, Cleveland missed again, got the rebound and turned the ball over, and then Rondo hit another three, cutting the lead to seven. The Cavs committed another turnover and then a shooting foul (which would lead to two more Celtic points) before they were rescued, mercifully, by a TV timeout.

But why the wait? With Boston staggering around the ring just 90 seconds earlier, Brown and the Cavs backed off and let the Celtics clear their heads. Big mistake, and it cost them the game.

More Stockton

Disappointment in TNT's Dick Stockton continues, in this corner. After LeBron James posted his strongest stretch of play this series in the first half Wednesday, the Celtics adjusted and focused on him in the third. No surprise. But Stockton continued his mantra from the other night, droning on and on about LeBron's "struggles" throughout the third quarter. OK, James took three shots and missed -- one being a Garnett block of a layup. Quiet, maybe, but not struggling. It was more a case of Boston designing their defense to stop James, a strategy that paid off. Once James knocked down a few shots down the stretch, Stockton quieted down, much less gleeful about the whole course of events.

I'm still a Stockton admirer, but, as Jerry Seinfeld might say: "What's up with that?"

Hammer time

OK, OK, hard fouls are "a part of the game," whatever that means. Not in the rule book, but I digress.

Twice at the start of the fourth quarter on Wednesday night, Celtics forward P.J. Brown obliterated Cavs' shooters from behind to prevent layup attempts. Not block the shots, mind you -- prevent the attempts. The strategy of fouling in the act of defending to prevent an easy basket is fine. But it still seems that pro basketball has endorsed the mugging over the clean, athletic move.

Defenders get a pass if they're "going for the ball." Fine. If there's a little contact, and a message is sent in the process, OK. But when Garnett, or LeBron, or any defender, goes up to block a shot, how do they do it? With one arm extended, at the height of their jump, almost tipping the shot like on a jump ball.

That's not what Brown did. First on Varajeo, then on Szczerbiak -- both of whom beat him to the hoop with inside position -- Brown came up from behind and swung down hard, with both arms, on the shoulders and head. Going for the ball? I don't think so. He was going for them. Both went sprawling to the hardwood.

Naturally, Stockton purred about both plays being "good, smart fouls" by Brown. Whatever. It's the kind of thing that makes NBA basketball so bizarre. "You just beat me to the hoop? That's what you think. . .take that!"

Then again, why be good, when you can be brutal? Why bother to work for good defensive position when you don't have to?

Mine isn't the popular viewpoint, I know. "Hard fouls" are an accepted part of the game. But, too often, they cross the line and completely negate the effectiveness of good offensive execution. When that happens, they should carry a greater penalty.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Cavs-Celtics: On to Game 5; and a Rare Gem for the Tribe

Well, the Cavaliers stepped up Monday night and evened the series with the Celtics with an 88-77 victory. Now they head back to Boston, where they must win a game in order to win this series. As poorly as the Celtics have played on the road this postseason, all they have to do is keep winning at home and they'll be in the finals.

The playoffs have clearly been frustrating for Boston. They were a league-best 66-16 during the regular season. Sixteen losses over six months; that's two, maybe three a month. They've already lost five in the postseason alone.

The fact is, playoff series are different. Opponents have time to adjust, and coaches come up with plans designed specifically for you. A younger, faster team can give older teams (like Boston) fits. To be more specific, younger, faster superstars can give older ones problems. Think it's tough on LeBron James to play so many games a year? He's 23 and built like an ox. Think of the toll it takes on Kevin Garnett, who's 32, or Ray Allen, who's almost 33 -- or Sam Cassell, who is 38.

Even so, Boston is still in the driver's seat as long as they win at home. They're living dangerously, but they're living.

To the bench...

The Cavaliers' subs have stepped up in games three and four. Last night Cleveland's reserves outscored Boston's 36-17. Daniel Gibson tossed in 14 points, and Anderson Varajeo had his best game of the postseason with 12 points and six rebounds, actually logging more minutes than Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Joe Smith continued his sterling play off the bench.

I've commented many times in the past on Mike Brown's tendency to bury players on the bench after using them in prominent roles only days or weeks earlier. The latest Cavalier affected is Devin Brown, who was a key contributor all season, spending significant time in the starting lineup. He's been MIA this series. Damon Jones has barely moved from his seat for the last month or more. Sasha Pavlovic is getting a few minutes here and there.

The playoffs are a time when a coach has to find a rotation that works. Each series is different. And while it's not likely Jones, despite his shooting ability, will get off the pine any time soon, it's entirely possible that Brown could once again play a role should the Cavs advance to the third round.

It's all about matchups, and it's the life of an NBA reserve. You've just got to stay ready.

Look, Mom...

Had to love the scene when Paul Pierce wrapped up James on a drive to the hoop in the first half -- right in front of LeBron's mother Gloria. She jumped up to give Pierce a piece of her mind, when Garnett stepped in to calm her down. LeBron glared at her and shouted "sit your (expletive) down."

And we all had a front row seat. Pretty funny stuff. When's the last time you saw an NBA superstar in that situation? LeBron admitted after the game that he used language he shouldn't have, joking that it's a good thing it wasn't Mother's Day.

Gloria's reaction wasn't exactly a case of Minna Wilson wielding her shoe in the boxing ring -- she jumped into the middle of her son Tony's fight in 1989 and whacked his opponent, Steve McCarthy, in the head with the heel of her shoe, opening a cut that stopped the fight -- but Gloria's reaction was an honest example of how every parent feels when their sons or daughters are threatened in a sports contest.

The irony is, most of us aren't protecting kids who are 6'8" and 250 pounds. But try, she did. One can only imagine the laughs LeBron will share with Pierce and Garnett after the dust has settled on this series and season.

Meanwhile, at The Prog...

The Indians and the Blue Jays sought to underhit each other in a doubleheader last night. After Cleveland took the opener, 3-0, the Jays grabbed the nightcap by the same score.

Of course, Toronto's win came only after Cliff Lee exited. Lee hurled nine shutout innings at the baffled Blue Jays but was denied his seventh win of the season when the Jays scored three off of Rafael Betancourt in the tenth. Lee's ERA is now a microscopic 0.67.

The game also featured an unassisted triple play by second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera. It was the first by an Indian in a regular season game since Neal Ball turned the trick in 1909 -- which also happened to be the first one in baseball history. Another Indian, Bill Wambsganss, completed the only one in World Series history in 1920.

How rare is the unassisted triple play? Cabrera's was only the 14th in major league history. There have been more perfect games thrown (17) than that. That's how rarely it happens.

With all the attention Lee is getting, and deservedly so, let's not overlook Fausto Carmona. His win in the first game raised his record to 4-1 while lowering his ERA to 2.40. Cleveland will only go as far as their pitching takes them, so Carmona's consistency is every bit as important right now as Lee's.

A Tale of Two Dannys

OK, maybe that's not totally fair.

But the difference in the Cavs-Celtics series thus far, with the Celtics racing to a 2-0 lead and barely having to break a sweat to do it, has been personnel, plain and simple.

Yes, the Cavs' offense continues to elicit puzzled declarations from TV pundits, most recently ESPN's Stephen A. Smith at halftime of Thursday night's game. But the truth is, Cleveland doesn't have the horses that Boston has.

Credit Danny Ainge, the Celtics' director of basketball operations, for that. What he pulled off in personnel moves over the past year sparked one of the most dramatic turnarounds in sports history. Ray Allen...Kevin Garnett...James Posey...Glen Davis...P.J. Brown...Sam Cassell...the list of additions since June is impressive, and it's the reason the Celtics have reclaimed their former status as one of the NBA's elite teams.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have struggled all season to find the right combination. This after making it to the NBA Finals a year ago. No doubt growing increasingly anxious as players like Allen, Garnett and Pau Gasol switched uniforms and instantly made contenders out of their new teams, Cavs GM Danny Ferry pulled the trigger on that now-famous trade in February. It was a risk, and it would be hard to assert that it's paid off.

Better known for their defense than offense last season, the Cavs have struggled to find a combination that can get the job done at both ends of the floor. Delonte West has shown flashes of brilliance, but Larry Hughes did that. Wally Szczerbiak has never found a rhythm in Cleveland. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith have not proven to be an upgrade over Drew Gooden. At best, the trade has been a wash.

The team is battling, rather valiantly at times. They duked it out with Washington in the first round and were the ones standing at the end. But the truth is, they've been overmatched by the Celtics -- in talent, execution, and energy. That's what happens. Better teams win for a reason, and Boston is showing, thus far, that they're the better team.

And an update...

Tuesday I expressed my hope that Jason Michaels, designated for assignment the previous day by the Indians, would catch on elsewhere. Thursday the Tribe sent him to Pittsburgh, where his veteran presence should help the Pirates. Good for him, and happy trails.