Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 06 May 2009 / Leave a comment

Cleveland's pummelling of Atlanta wasn't pretty to watch but it was certainly effective. Does Shiambouros believe the Hawks can break them down and edge their way back into the contest? Meanwhile, a big upset in Southern California makes game two a must win for Kobe and co.

The Cleveland Cavaliers thrashed the Atlanta Hawks 99-72 late on Tuesday night to draw first blood in game one of the second round in Ohio.

The Hawks made it in to the second round after beating Miami 91-78 in game seven on Sunday night. Atlanta played well up to half-time trailing by just five points but the second half turned in to a bloodbath. Cleveland really picked up the defense after the break and choked the life out of a frustrated Atlanta who could not get any good looks inside the paint.

The Cavaliers cleared the bench with over five minutes left and LeBron James sat down with a 34 point total. This was not pretty to watch but it was very effective. Based on this performance I do not see how Atlanta can break down this outstanding Cavalier team. The Cavaliers are now favourites at [2.36] to win the NBA championship and there is no argument from me.

The Los Angeles Lakers were beaten 100-92 by the Houston Rockets in a big upset at the Staples Center on Monday. Ron Artest was the hero for Houston scoring a scintillating 21 points and showed what a huge talent he is by finding the basket from just about anywhere.Yao Ming contributed a valuable 28 points with a very physical display inside the paint to give the Rockets a one game lead in this series.

The Lakers looked very rusty and Kobe Bryant could not find his range with his jump shot and Houston made him pay. It is a little early to talk about an upset but game two on Wednesday has become a must win game for the Lakers. I think they will make the necessary adjustments and bounce back so I will be backing them with the handicap. I think Phil Jackson may go for a bigger starting five to match up better with Artest and Ming inside.


Another team to lose at home on Monday was the Boston Celtics who were beaten 95-90 by the Orlando Magic in the opening game of the series.

Boston had only one day of rest after beating Miami 109-99 in game seven of a fantastic series. The Magic almost blew a 28 point lead in the second half and traded at [1.01] for plenty of money. The Celtics cut the lead to just four points but they came up short in the last two minutes. Boston left the floor looking very weary. They have to win game two on Wednesday to have a realistic chance of progressing but this game could go either way. Orlando are trading at [1.48] to win the series which is about right in my opinion.


The Denver Nuggets got off to a good start on Sunday beating the Dallas Mavericks 109-95 in their home opener in this intriguing series. The Mavericks had plenty of chances to build a winning lead but failed to put the Nuggets away. Carmelo Anthony and Nene were the heroes for Denver scoring 47 points between them. This series could easily go to six or even seven games.