Celtics Need Home Court in Playoffs

By KC Downey in Celtics, Featured, Top Story ⋅ March 7, 2009 at 11:26am ⋅ Post a comment

In the biggest game of the regular season to date, the Celtics protected their home court in beating the Cavs 105-94 to move within percentage points of first in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have one more win and one more loss (49-14) than the Cavs (48-13). The race is so close, a regular season game in early March became almost like a playoff game.

Paul Pierce scored a game-high 29 points and key reserve Leon Powe finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds as the C’s pulled away in the second half, outscoring Cleveland 60-51 in the 11-point win. It may seem surprising the Celtics won without Kevin Garnett, but since the game was played in Boston, statistics say the Celtics had no chance to lose.

With the win, the Celtics took a 2-1 edge in the season series, but have to face the Cavaliers one more time in Cleveland on April 12. That date will be important, as the Celtics and Cavs could still be neck and neck for No. 1 in the Eastern Conference and home court advantage all through the playoffs. Why does home court matter so much?

2008 Playoffs

Well, let’s just analyze the statstics. Last season, the Celtics were just 3-9 on the road in the playoffs, with a two wins in Detroit and the amazing comeback win in Los Angeles. But, the team suffered six road losses to the Hawks and Cavs in the first two rounds.

On the bright side, the Celtics were an amazing 13-1 at home during the playoffs. Their only defeat at home was against Detroit in a 103-97 loss in Game 2, which was quickly eradicated when they won their first road game of the playoffs in Game 3.

Either way, the stats speak for themselves. Great teams are nearly impossible to defeat at home in the playoffs.

“I know we’re close, and at the end of the season they’ll tell us,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Both teams are really good, and really good teams don’t lose at home. That’s why it’s really important for us to get this.”

The Cavaliers are very close to the Green. Since the acquistion of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics and Cavs have won every home game in the series, including last year’s playoffs. It’s that important.

LeBron James

Oh, and almost 400 words into my piece, I have neglected to mention one of the five best players on the planet in LeBron James. It’s a sin, I know. LeBron is really good and with him, the Cavs are definitely good enough to win in any building.

In Friday night’s showdown, LeBron finished with 21 points on a poor 5-15 shooting with six rebounds and five assists. As LeBron goes, so go the Cavaliers. Would LeBron have played so poorly in Cleveland? I highly doubt it.

Here’s a simple formula for how the Eastern Conference playoffs will go. LeBron James + home court advantage = NBA FInals appearance. That’s why it’s so important that the Celtics beat the Cavaliers any chance they get, and that they finish the regular season with the Eastern Conference’s best overall record.

About KC Downey

KC is the "head coach" of the Sports of Boston, LLC blog network. Follow him on Twitter: @kc_downey

Tags: Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen

Discussion

2 comments for “Celtics Need Home Court in Playoffs”

Celtics Need Home Court in Playoffs: In the biggest game of the regular season to date, the Celtics protected th.. http://tinyurl.com/dhluc5

Posted by Sports of Boston | March 7, 2009, 11:45 am
That was one hell of an effort by the Celtics. An amazing win despite being shorthanded and shortchanged by the officials. I suppose Cleveland would have won easily if they’d shot well from the foul line, considering that they went there 22 times more than the Celtics. How that disparity was possible, with the Celtics pounding the inside on offense, is anybody’s guess. As Tommy Heinsohn screamed over and over – “It’s criminal!”.

I suppose we should be used to it by now, but it’s damned frustrating to watch this sort of officiating on such a regular basis. Terrific play by Pierce, Powe, and Baby (before he was ejected), and despite the fact that Marbury is clearly not able to shoot well just yet, he looked good running the point and seems more than able to distribute the ball and play defense. Eventually, he should prove to be a real ace in the hole. I also like Mikki Moore’s intensity. Two good additions to the team.

Now let’s hope there’s no letdown against Orlando on Sunday.

Posted by Ken | March 7, 2009, 2:50 pm