CAVS, MAGIC, ROCKETS, NUGGETS, TAKE THE EDGE

 

 

Well eight of the teams in the 2009 NBA playoffs have gone home, including one or two surprise early exits. Eight teams remain, and from here on in there are certainly no easy teams, or at least there shouldn't be. Here's my guess as to how it will play out. The bottom line is, at this point the first round counts for nothing. Each team is going to have to take another first step. Some teams are well rested from having a smooth run in the first round, some teams are knackered having been taken to the wire. Game 1 of the series should be relatively straightforward but the question always is, will the home teams buckle under the pressure and let their chances of progress slide away?

In the East, the Cavs faced the Hawks in Cleveland. Well the Hawks come out strong in the first few minutes of the game and led 11-4 with 8:56 left in the first but the Cavs had still taken the lead by the first buzzer. The Hawks tried coming back midway through the second quarter but weren't able to retake the lead though things still looked tight at half time. The Cavs took a double digit lead early on in the third and from that point onwards the game was pretty much wrapped up. The Cavs extended their lead in the fourth, won the game 99-72 with LeBron leading the way with 34 points having picked up the regular season MVP award before the game.

The Celtics faced the Magic in Boston. The first two minutes of the game were completely scoreless and it was actually the Magic that opened the scoring. The Celtics took the lead at 6-4 with 7:51 left in the quarter but it was still the Magic that led at the first buzzer. By half time the Magic lead at hit double digits, not what the reigning champions had in mind. By the third quarter the gap hit twenty points, the Celtics then started to take a nibble but they were going to have to do better than that. Better came in the 4th, the defending champions were certainly able to make things interesting late on but the Magic were always able to ride out this particular storm. Magic won the game 95-90, Rashard Lewis top scoring with 18 points and the defending champions have lost homecourt advantage at the first attempt.

Out West, the Lakers faced the Rockets in LA. Well the Lakers had trouble getting into the match in the early stages and were held scoreless a lot of the time. The Rockets led at the end of one. The Lakers looked to get back into things in the second quarter and duelled for the leadbut the Rockets won that duel for the led and sped away again before half time. The Lakers tried keeping pace again in the third but never looked like turning the game round. Phil Jackson's team did take the a fourth quarter lead, leading 77-76 with 8:19 left in the game...but then they ran out of fuel. The Rockets won 100-92, taking homecourt advantage with Yao leading the way on 28 points. That's both of last year's Final's teams in trouble.

The Nuggets faced the Mavs in Denver. The Mavs certainly looked to give the home side a reality check early on and led 24-16 by the end of the first quarter. "Fine" said the Nuggets, "we'll step up a gear" and they turned the game round midway through the second quarter, and established a solid lead before half time. The Mavs managed to turn the game back in their favour in the third quarter but the Nuggets were still able to reply and led again with a quarter to go. The Nuggets then pulled away for good in the 4th quarter and won the game 109-95, Nene leading the way with 24 points. So far so good for a team that's already established itself in franchise history.

But that's just Game 1.

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