OT: Game 7

[StepbackCity]

With Cavs/Celtics tomorrow, what are your predictions?

I feel the Celtics are the favorites since they have home court and Love is out. For the Cavs to win, LeBron needs a legendary game while some of his vets finally find a way to translate their game to Boston. Especially Hill and Smith.

I'm wondering if the NBA and the refs will rig the game, since the general fan won't watch Celtics/Rockets.

My Prediction: Celts 95 Cavs 86

 

[methodology]

Nba will be happy with any 2 teams of the 4 left. They are all big market teams/ star power

LeBron seems to always find a way in must win games. As long as they continue to run the high screen and smart/tatum/ anyone but Morris on LeBron he will abuse them like in game 6. The 3 point shot will decide game 7 whichever team makes more will win

Cavs 101- Celts 97

 

[husky429]

Gonna be tough, but I don't bet against the King. Even if I am a huge Celts fan.

All 4 are good teams. Rockets have a massive following overseas and at home.

With all these game 7s or long series in the playoffs, I would imagine the NBA if very, very. Happy.

 

[auror]

Celtics have to figure out the Cavs help D. It's been really giving them problems in certain lineups, especially the bench unit in the 2nd Q. Too many turnovers and misses in the paint. If they have a 3-4 min scoring drought in 2nd quarter that might be the game right there with how reliably LeBron can score.

Smart and Morris can't jack any 3's. Have to be wide open in flow of the offense. I mean wide open and in rhythm. The misses leading to Cavs runouts are a killer.

The Cavs played fine with Nantz in without Love. But he doesn't stretch the floor. I expect the Celts D to help a lot more on LeBron when there is less shooting on the floor, especially if Rozier gets iso'd onto LeBron. But then the boxouts become soooo important, because both he, Thompson, and LeBron are tenacious on the boards and never get called for over the backs. I expect we'll see more Baynes in game 7.

 

[StepbackCity]

Nba will be happy with any 2 teams of the 4 left. They are all big market teams/ star power

LeBron seems to always find a way in must win games. As long as they continue to run the high screen and smart/tatum/ anyone but Morris on LeBron he will abuse them like in game 6. The 3 point shot will decide game 7 whichever team makes more will win

Cavs 101- Celts 97

It really does confuse me though how the Cavs vets can't get it going at all on the road. They have been doing this for many years but it seems they are shell shocked by the celts toughness and fans.

 

[4in16]

Neither team has shown they can win on the road this series....Celts hold serve and keep their perfect home record intact. LeBron would need a Herculean effort to win as well as the same bench production he got in game 6 which is unlikely.

 

[huskiesouth]

As a lifetime Celtics fan I would love to see them in the Finals - but a 7th game is an event like no other, and generally the team with a superstar is successful.

Lebron is an incredible force and I’m afraid his skills and ‘will’ very sadly result in the C’s waiting until next year when they have their entire roster on the floor and realistically compete for the NBA title.

 

[Purple Stein]

LeBron is great, but it’s really going to come down to the rest of the Cavs making shots. All else (including the refs) being equal, if the Cavs shoot well from 3, they win. If they don’t, Celts win.

Can’t see how either of these rosters pushes either the Rockets or the Warriors more than 5 games.

Edit: the line right now is Boston -2.5. Hate that line, but will put my fake pennies on the Cs.

 

[tzznandrew]

LeBron is great, but it’s really going to come down to the rest of the Cavs making shots. All else (including the refs) being equal, if the Cavs shoot well from 3, they win. If they don’t, Celts win.

Can’t see how either of these rosters pushes either the Rockets or the Warriors more than 5 games.

Edit: the line right now is Boston -2.5. Hate that line, but will put my fake pennies on the Cs.

If CP3 is hobbled, either of these teams--but particularly the Celtics--can beat Houston. They'd need a few more injuries to get past the Warriors.

 

[Kemba429]

I hate Lebron almost more than any other player in the planet. The Celtics in the finals is what the people deserve. Cavs will win tho.

 

[gtcam]

What ever team is playing on it's home floor in the NBA is the winner
In this case it's The Celts - Cavs minus Love
LeBron is a great player but an all-time complainer and whiner - I can't stand watching him
If the C's had Kyrie it would have been over and waiting for the west

 

[MadDogRevival]

Cavs will win tho.

Reverse Psychology.
No they won't.
I reversed it back.
No reversies.

 

[Danzz]

If the Cavs are close or leading in the 4th quarter they will win. LeBron will take over and push them over the top in his last game as a Cav. Would love to see the C's win and they could but my gut says Cavs to the finals.

Cavs: 98 C's: 92

 

[HuskyHawk]

It’s all about defense. Boston’s is great at home and the Cavs don’t bring theirs on the road.

Game under 100, Boston wins by less than ten.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Refs are in the bag for Cleveland already. Green hammered, and they call a jump ball. Somebody breathes on Jeff Green and it’s an and 1.

 

[Chief00]

LeBron was great, Tatum’s teammates took the ball out of his hands and instead we had shots from Rozier, Smart and Morris who couldn’t hit 3’s or foul shots.

 

[Horatio]

There's no way the Cavs lose this one. Expect a big game from Jeff Green.

 

[UConnNick]

There's no way the Cavs lose this one. Expect a big game from Jeff Green.

Old school Big East...those were the days!

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

LeBron just carried a bag of trash to the NBA finals.

 

[Danzz]

LeBron just carried a bag of trash to the NBA finals.

The Cavs are not one of the all time great teams for sure but the Celtics shot under 18% from 3 with Rozier 0-10. Some shots were forced but overall the shots were there and they didn't fall. If they shoot a reasonable % from 3 the Celtics win the game.

 

[tzznandrew]

The Cavs are not one of the all time great teams for sure but the Celtics shot under 18% from 3 with Rozier 0-10. Some shots were forced but overall the shots were there and they didn't fall. If they shoot a reasonable % from 3 the Celtics win the game.

Right, and as a Celtics fan he did it against a team missing 2 of its 3 best players.

LeBron is brilliant, but sweeping the Raptors was more impressive than beating a Celtics team whose second and third best players in the series were a combined 41.

 

[MadDogRevival]

If they shoot a reasonable % from 3 the Celtics win the game.

Celts shot about 18% from 3. Cavs, outside of LeBron, shot 6/27, or about 22%. I saw about 10 uncontested looks from 3 get clanked by the Cavs. They would have won by 25 if they were hitting.
It works both ways.
And, even if the C's were hitting 3s, it's an oversimplification to say they "would have won." The Cavs would have adjusted. If Rozier is stone cold from 3, yeah, sure, bait him into shooting more, which is what happened. If he had been hitting, they play D differently.
Cavs won because the had the transcendent player and the C's showed their youth.
LeBron to Philly and there's a few more years of heartbreak in store for the Celtics.

Think about LeBron - in 4 years, as his athleticism and stamina wane, he can convert his game to a Magic Johnson type game.

 

[MadDogRevival]

sweeping the Raptors was more impressive than beating a Celtics team

No it wasn't. Celts were undefated at home, great coach, very solid core of young players . . . and the entire Cavs team was clicking when they monstered the Raptors.
Beating the C's in 7 in Boston with no Love and limited help was much more impressive than beating the Raps.

 

[tzznandrew]

No it wasn't. Celts were undefated at home, great coach, very solid core of young players . . . and the entire Cavs team was clicking when they monstered the Raptors.
Beating the C's in 7 in Boston with no Love and limited help was much more impressive than beating the Raps.

We'll agree to disagree here. They should have beaten the Celtics in 5 or 6.

He played great last night, and is deservedly getting a lot of praise.

That said, he plays in a JV conference and got a Celtics team missing 40% of it's starting lineup. That Love was missing did up the difficulty, but people are going overboard on this one.

 

[HooperScooper]

Celts shot about 18% from 3. Cavs, outside of LeBron, shot 6/27, or about 22%. I saw about 10 uncontested looks from 3 get clanked by the Cavs. They would have won by 25 if they were hitting.
It works both ways.

Except that the performance from those Cavs' players has pretty much been the norm throughout the series and the Celtics shooting that bad hasn't been the norm. But that happens. Bad time for the Celtics to shoot that badly.