This is how sure I was of the likely outcome of yesterday’s Cavs game – I didn’t even bother to watch it. I watched a movie instead (Incidentally, it was the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie which was on TV – what a piece of crap. Talk about wrecking a good thing). I like watching the NBA playoffs, and I think this series is fascinating, but I was sure of how it was going to turn out. I mean, think about it – the Cavs had lost just twice at home all year, they were looking all but invincible in the playoffs, they were well rested and prepared while the Magic were coming off a tough, long series, and they have the best player on the planet. I thought that the Magic could keep the series interesting, but I gave them almost no chance in this first game. Neither did the oddsmakers, apparently – the Cavs were favored by a healthy 8.5 points.
The first and only time I did check in on the game was at half time. The Cavs were up by 15. That confirmed my opinion coming in, and it killed any lasting curiosity in the game. You can imagine my shock, then, when checked in on the final score just before I went to bed. Shock isn’t a strong enough word. Cleveland blew a lead at home and lost. In the playoffs. While LeBron scored 49. That’s too bizarre for words.
This outcome tells me one thing for certain – these Magic are tough. We keep seeing proof of that. They lose their point guard, and they keep winning. Their star gets suspended, and they close out a playoff series. No one gives them much of a chance against Boston, so they close they series out on the parquet floor. And now this. I’m still quite convinced that Cleveland will win the series, but if you haven’t been impressed by what Orlando has done, and by extension what they are building, then you just haven’t been paying attention.
Another thing came to mind – the stakes for the city of Cleveland. This is about so much more than just winning a series and making the finals. This is really about the future of the team. LeBron would find it very hard to leave if he won a title here – what would be the incentive. A win would also make it easier for the team to attract the players that would beget more wins. If the Cavs were upset in this series, though, then there would be a huge amount of frustration for the King – perhaps enough to send him looking for greener pastures. In a real sense, then, this series means everything for the city of Cleveland from a sporting perspective.
That’s great drama, and it makes an already compelling series pretty much unmissable – no matter what movie they are showing on another channel. I can’t wait to see how both teams respond to the unlikely events of game one.
