Sports Betting Blog

The Cleveland Cavaliers almost did it again. They managed to close a 22-point deficit in the last 2 minutes of the game to put the Boston Celtics in a very uneasy position. At the end, and perhaps thanks to the experience of Kevin Garnett and the rest of the Celtics, Boston managed to hang on for a 93-90 win over the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Celtics were playing without All-Star point guard Rajon Rond, who missed his seventh straight game with an injured right wrist. The Celtics improved to 5-2 without him, but it sure enough wasn’t easy.

The Boston Celtics have been a very dominant team in the Eastern Conference ever since Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen got together in Boston. So far they’ve won one NBA Title, have been the title runner up once, and have been in each of the Playoffs since 2007. Every since Rajon Rondo, the multi-talented point guard, joined the Big Three, they have been a force to be reckon with all over the league. But then again, the big three are getting older and after losing to the Miami Heat on the conference finals last season, many believed that this team was over. I never really thought that Garnett, Pierce and Allen had already given the Celtics fans all they could deliver. Then again, little did I knew that the collective bargaining agreement would turn out into a very long lockout and that the fast paced and demanding schedule would take such a high toll against the veterans teams.

At 10-10 for the season, the Celtics are still a strong team in their division, but they have lacked the consistency and the momentum they usually need to really build on an important lead at this stage of the season. Just take for example the Collapse the Boston Celtics suffered on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Boston Gardens. Kyrie Irving, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft scored 23 points, including the go-ahead layup in the final seconds. The Cleveland Cavaliers scored the last 12 points of the game to snap Boston’s four-game winning streak and stun the Celtics at home. Now, it was payback time. The Celtics had to win this one out of pride. And once again, despite holding a 22-point advantage in the fourth, the Celtics almost blew this on as well.

Paul Pierce scored 20 points, Ray Allen had 12 in the third quarter and Kevin Garnett made a key jumper down the stretch for the Celtics, to hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers. So sure enough, the Celtics barely recovered and quite frankly, barely survived the Cavaliers comeback.  Anderson Verejao had 20 points, 20 rebounds and 2 assists for the Cavaliers while point guard Kyle Irving pitched in with 21 points and 6 assists, but on this one, he couldn’t pull the magic shot that gave the Cavs a win on Sunday. The Cavs will now face the Orlando Magic will the Boston Celtics shouldn’t get into too much trouble (even if playing sans Rondo) against the Toronto Raptors.

Mike Brown, the head coach who used to handle LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, is very aware that he is not there to fill nobody’s shoes. Particularly because filling Phil Jackson’s shoes is a little like fitting in a pair of Ronald McDonald’s shoes. Still, Brown is well aware that he might have the answers to get the LA Lakers back at the top after what we could consider quite a disastrous ending to a very successful run with the Lakers.

According to the reports we have gathered, the deal will be for four years and $18.25 million. The contract is a three-year deal and there is a team option on the fourth year. Should the Lakers decide to opt out of the deal, Brown is guaranteed to receive $2.5 million.

Perhaps the biggest question here is whether Brown and the Lakers franchise player, Kobe Bryant, are going to be able to get on the same page. Mike Brown has experience dealing with big egos. Let’s not forget that even LeBron James himself has said that it was Brown who made him a better defensive player on the court.

Browns’ game is very defensive oriented, and it is still uncertain whether that change will accommodate the needs of the Lakers. It is efficient. The 41-year-old coach guided Cleveland to the 2007 NBA Finals and two trips to the Eastern Conference finals in five seasons with the Cavaliers, posting a record of 272-138. That makes him the 5^th most successful coach in NBA history. But it is not showy, its not entertaining game.

Because at the end, when you are in Los Angeles, in the entertainment capital of the world, you have to realize that it is not enough to win games. When you are ahead of the Lakers you have to be able to bring forward truly entertaining basketball. And that’s where I’m still unsure if Mike Brown is the better choice.