Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 19 May 2009 / Leave a comment

The NBA is down to the final four and Nick Shiambouros looks at the Conference finalists.

The Boston Celtics' season came to an end on Sunday when they lost 101-82 to a determined Orlando Magic team. The Celtics trailed for most of this deciding game 7 but were still only five points down heading in to the final quarter. Orlando showed great poise in the final period and Rafer Alston silenced the home crowd with some outstanding long range shooting. Hedo Turkolu also came up big late in the game and finished with 25 points.

Boston played their hearts out but eventually a combination of a depleted rotation and 14 gruelling play-off games finally took its toll. Coach Doc Rivers did an excellent job for the Celtics and will reflect on what might have been with a healthy starting five.

The Magic play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference final which gets underway in Ohio on Wednesday. The Cavaliers are very well rested after benefiting from winning eight straight play-off games and will be keen to strike first in this series.

Despite the odds - the Magic are [6.2] to win the Eastern Conference with the Cavs trading at [1.17] - Orlando match up very well with the Cavaliers and this will not be as easy as some experts think.

Orlando live and die with outside shooting and the addition of Alston (pictured) gives them additional firepower from three point range. Dwight Howard is a huge presence inside and is difficult to defend. Of course, Cleveland have the great LeBron James and he is simply the best player in the league. This young man has improved his jump shot beyond all recognition this year and is almost impossible to defend.

This series may go to six or even seven games but I think it will be Cleveland who will advance to the NBA finals. In the opening game I'm backing Cleveland to send a strong message to the Magic and I will be taking them with the handicap (-8.5) at [1.9].

In the Western Conference final the Los Angeles Lakers will meet the Denver Nuggets after they demolished the Houston Rockets 98-70. This deciding seventh game was over in the first quarter with Houston only scoring 12 points. I was disappointed at the lack of passion displayed by the Rockets particularly by Ron Artest who had a very poor game.

The Lakers will not find the Nuggets so easy to dominate when they start their series on Tuesday evening. I will be the first to admit that I have underestimated this team and they pose a real threat to the Lakers. Chauncy Billups and Carmelo Anthony have become a potent force and I can see this series going all the way. This Los Angeles rotation has had plenty of criticism in the press with their lack of intensity in recent games and a lot of it is justified.

If the Lakers are to advance to the NBA finals for the second year in a row they will have to raise their level of play on the defensive end of the floor. As previously reported, Pau Gasol has to start playing with more urgency and intensity. He has a habit of ball watching in critical situations and the Nuggets will make him pay dearly if he does not cover Carmelo Anthony.

I am going to have a small wager on Denver to win the series 4-3 at [10.0]. If the Nuggets can split the opening two games then I think they have a real chance of beating Los Angeles in what promises to be a great series.

Recommended wagers:

Western Conference series score back Denver to win 4-3
Wednesday night, back Cleveland with the handicap (-8.5)