With the series knotted 2-2, the winner of tonight’s game will take a stronghold on the series. The Celtics bounced back from an emberassing loss in Game 3 to win Game 4 behind a historic performance from Rajon Rondo. What kind of intensity will he come out with tonight? The way Paul Pierce is playing, Rondo will need to continue his superior play. LeBron was relatively quiet Sunday night as well. He never has two bad games in a row. I don’t see him scoring less than 30-35 points tonight. It should definitely be a close one. As a Boston fan, all that I ask for is that the C’s have a shot to win the game at the end of regulation. Without further adieu, here are my keys for tonights showdown:
Don’t Get Complacent: Boston came out on the attack in Game 3. They drove the ball and made smart decisions offensively. They also prevented LeBron can company from penetrating the lane and shut down his supporting cast. Shaq scored the second most points for Cleveland, with 17. He played well and the Celtics have to give him those shots. Perk is defending him well. I doubt he shoots 5-9 from the field again in the series. He was 13-29 entering Game 4. If Boston can set the tone early in the game, they will be in it at the end.
Post Up KG: The Boston big man is shooting almost 50% from the field for the series and is abusing Antawn Jamison on the blocks. He is also a great post-passer and shoots free throws well (11-11 in the series) if he gets fouled. Giving him the ball allows Ray, Paul, Rajon, and even Tony Allen to cut through the lane and score some easy points. Plus, if nothing else, it would help get Jamison in foul trouble. Antawn is a very good player, but he has is in a funk from long range (2-11 in the series). Getting two early fouls on him and keeping him out of rhythm would be very beneficial for the C’s.
Get Mo and Parker Open Looks: Mo Williams and Anthony Parker have shot the ball fairly well in the series, especially as of late. Those are the two guys that can really spread the Boston defense, and open up room for guys like LeBron and JJ Hickson to drive into. This is especially important with Jamison shooting poorly from outside in the series.
