Nothing tastes better than a beatdown against the Celtics, especially in Boston. It didn’t come easily until the 4th quarter, and the Cavs struggled for most of the first half. At the start of the game, LeBron was the only bright spot. Rajon Rondo dissected the Cavaliers defense at will, and no one except the King looked in-sync offensively. The Celtics outplayed and outhustled the Cavs. At the end of the quarter the Celtics led 31-21, and had clear control over the pace of the game.

The Cavaliers started the 2nd off with a sick play by Anderson Varejao. Following Shaq’s missed hook shot, Anderson had a nasty tip-slam. This was a sign of things to come, as Varejao came down the next possession, and drove backdoor for an easy lay-up. The Celtics remained hot, and took advantage of the lackluster defense on the perimeter, leading to several open 3 pointers. The Cavaliers ran the offense primarily through Shaq, and Varejao added several more baskets to keep the Cavs in the game.

Right around the 7 minute mark, Shaq took a timeout because he severely sprained his thumb on a hard block by Glen “Baby” Davis. The Diesel had to go to the locker room, and didn’t return to the game. We were down 10 points throughout most of the quarter, and the Cavaliers just couldn’t seem to get into rhythm offensively enough to cut the lead down. At the end of the half, LeBron drilled a three cutting the Celtics lead to 56-48. Leon Powe saw his first minutes as a Cavalier, and we wondered how long it would be until we saw Shaquille again.

The 3rd quarter was a turning point, and the Cavs came out with something to prove. LeBron and Jamison ended the quarter by combining to score the last 16 points, and the Cavs tied it at 74. Hickson played solid, and the Celtics didn’t look nearly as good as they did in the 1st half. At the end of the quarter, LeBron had already attempted 13 free throws. Speaking of which, does anyone realize that the Cavaliers are the 28th best free-throw shooting team in the league? That could come back to hurt us in the playoffs if we can’t hit big free throws at the end of games.

The Cavaliers stopped messing around in the 4th, and took control of the game. Mo Williams hit 3’s on back to back possessions midway through the quarter. At one point Kendrick Perkins and LeBron almost skirmished, and then Varejao stepped in. Kendrick Perkins – you are the dumbest, most uneducated piece of garbage to ever represent the NBA. Honestly, no one likes you. You always have a stupid look on your face, and you’re really the most un-intimidating scrub I’ve ever seen. Congratulations on not winning a championship this year. Somebody punch this guy in the face already.

The Celtics showed their age, and lacked the ability to hang with the Cavs late in the game. Mo Williams got real dirty, and this game turned into a blow-out, Cavalier-style. Who would have thought the Celtics would score 32 points in the 2nd half, and the Cavs would drop almost 60? Mike Brown has to be pleased with the defensive effort in the latter half.

The Celtics have serious issues, and don’t have the energy level to compete with the Cavaliers. LeBron did work as usual: 36 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. Look for the Cavs to continue the new winning streak across the border in Canada tonight, where Chris Bosh will be waiting. The Cavs seem to be getting a better grip on life with Antawn, and maybe Shaquille sitting for awhile will give other players a chance to step up. LeBron runs this show anyways. LeBron James is Underrated