[horseofcourse]

A special post for the Bid...(I didn't write it...I just know how much he loves MIke Brown and thought he'd appreciate this one!)

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE GAME:

Some Love For The Guy In The Suit: Listen to (okay, read) these four numbers: 76. 89. 84. 77.

No, those aren't test grades from my high school physics class. Don't be silly; I had the foresight to buddy up with the nerdiest kid in the room. I was only too happy to play Ringo to his rest of the Beatles. Hey, when you're trying to get into a good school, everything's fair game.

Anyway, those four numbers are the Celtics' point totals for the first four games of this series. That makes an average of 81.5 points per game. (By comparison, the Celts averaged just over 99 points per game in their first-round marathon with the Hawks.)

And that means it's time to give it up for the real hero, so far, of these playoffs: Coach Mike Brown. Yes, he can frustrate the hell out of fans with his schemes on offense; but the man knows defense like few others. And when you're playing games in the spring, defense tends to be just a bit more important than in the regular season.

Coach Brown has done a terrific job of covering the Celtics' big threats - their Big Three of Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce - and basically daring the other Boston players to beat them. That's a hallmark of great coaches - they take away what the offense wants to do the most. (Speaking of Boston, some coach named Belichick has done fairly well for himself by using that approach.)

Last night's game was perhaps the Cavs' best defensive performance yet. They held the Celtics to 39% shooting from the floor (and a Hughesian 21% from three-point range). They rarely allowed the Celts to have uncontested shots; and on the few occasions when that did occur, it was always a Rondo or Sam Cassell who was getting them. (To be fair to Rondo, he did make seven of his 14 shots from the floor - approximately seven more than he had made in the previous two games combined.)

These playoffs are teaching us (or re-teaching us) a lesson, people. Glamorous, offensive-minded team like the Suns and Mavericks are watching the playoffs from home. The defensive-oriented teams, such as the Pistons and Spurs, are alive and well. The Cleveland Cavaliers are built for the postseason. And while it would be nice to win 60 games in the regular season, isn't winning in April and May (and June) really what it's all about?

[This Space Available; Corporate Sponsors, Are You Listening?] Play Of The Game: Yes, LeBron had another rough game from the floor, making only seven of his 20 shots. But he had the most significant shot of the game. With just under two minutes, and the Cavs leading 82-75, James had the ball at the top of the key (I know; try to imagine it). He dribbled to his right, drove past Pierce, got to the hole ahead of the Celts' James Posey, and threw down a thunderous dunk, with Garnett on the bottom half of the poster. That dunk, which could have reminded one of a young George McInnis, (a) effectively ended the game and (b) may have been the wakeup call that Bron has needed. (James also drained two shots from three-point range, including one that pushed the Cavs' lead to 79-73 with just over three minutes remaining.)

[We'll Whore Out This Space Too, For The Right Price] Play Of The Game: James's dunk was preceded by perhaps the most impressive defensive play of the game. Joe Smith grabbed a rebound of a missed shot in traffic, and refused to let go of the ball despite the entire city of Boston taking a swing at the ball. (Yes, we are prone to exaggeration, why do you ask?) That rebound, along with the James dunk that followed, was the dagger that ensured that the Celtics' team flight home would be a quiet one.

Hey! He Made Other Plays Too!: Do you ever watch a game, and see a player make several good plays - always seeming to be in the middle of the action - and then after the game, you look at the boxscore and see that Mr. Middle of the Action had so-so numbers? That's Joe Smith this morning. The boxscore will show that he had eight points and six rebounds in just under 25 minutes of run. Those eight points and six rebounds all came at the most important points of the game, or at least they seemed that way.

But He May Not Have Even Been The Best Big Man Off The Bench: In many ways, the 2007-08 season has been a lost year for Anderson Varejao. First there was that silly holdout, which cost him the first several weeks of the season. Once he did sign, he had to get back into game shape. He then had to battle some injury issues, with both an ankle sprain (which affected his movement) and brain tendinitis (which made him think he can put the ball on the floor) affecting him.

Last night, Varejao was the Andy of old. Twelve points, six rebounds, a lot of hassling of Garnett, and plenty of hustle. If THAT guy continues to show up ... this postseason will get even more interesting.

Nor Was He The Best Performer Of The New Cavs: Wally Szczerbiak, who like Smith came to the Cavs in the big trade last February (yes, I know that you know this; I just need to make the tie-in to the section header), really showed up last night as well. Wally was brought in for one reason: his outside shooting. Last night, he delivered, making six of 11 shots (including two from long distance) for 14 points and at least two "WALL-Y!" chants from the home crowd. If THAT guy continues to show up ... we may have more than a couple of games remaining this season.

You Asked For It....: Last night was not Zydrunas Ilgauskas's greatest career moment. He scored just nine points. He played less than half of the game.

But he's here for one play. In the third quarter, with the Cavs nursing a two-point lead (54-52), he put a hard foul on Celtics point guard Rondo. Z went for the ball - it was not a dirty play - but he knocked Rondo to the deck. And while we can't prove it is a cause and effect, Rondo did miss both of the resulting free throws.