Unfortunate Trip Down Memory Lane: Cleveland 101, Boston 93.

Lebron James and company remembered the result of the Celtics' regular season opening trip to Cleveland - making sure the same didn't happen to open the semi-finals.  Despite James' timid play in the beginning of the game, he finished with 35 points on 12/24 shooting.

Mo Williams racked up 20 points and sparked the Cavaliers back from a double digit deficit to take Game 1.

Four minutes into the first quarter, Kendrick Perkins was escorted bleeding into the locker room after being hit in the lip by Shaq. Perkins was given 5 stitches and returned around 6 minutes later. He played the rest of the game.

Rondo had another double double with 27 points and 12 assists. Kevin Garnett also registered a double double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, these impressive performances weren't enough to keep up with the Cavaliers.

Celtics/Cavs Game 1 Live Game Chat

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Celtics Begin Series Against the LeBrons on the Road

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Boston Celtics (0-0, 4-1) at Cleveland Cavaliers (0-0, 4-1)
Saturday, May 1
Time 8:00 PM ET 
Round 2, Game 1
Game #6, Road Game #3
TV: TNT
Quicken Loans Arena
Referees:     Eddie F. Rush,  Jason Phillips,  Bill Spooner  
The Celtics now shift their attention from the Miami Wades to the Cleveland LeBrons. Both Miami and Cleveland have dominant stars who virtually are able to win games by themselves. The big difference between them, though, is that the Cavs have a much better supporting cast for LeBron and also a deeper bench than Miami had.

For the first time, the Celtics will be starting a series out on the road since they do not have home court advantage in this series. They proved that they were able to win on the road in the regular season, tying Cleveland for the second best road record in the league. The Cavs are tough to beat at home but the Celtics will need to figure out a way to get it done.

Very few people outside of die hard Celtics fans give the Celtics a chance to win this. Every ESPN analyst pics the Cavs to win in anywhere from 4 to 7 games. Even Tim Legler, who was the only one to pick the Celtics against the Lakers in 2008 picks the Cavs in 7. Dan Shaughnessy's seems to be the only one who gives the Celtics any chance of beating the Cavs.

One thing will be difficult for the Celtics will be the obvious slant toward the Cavs by the officials. We have all watched LeBron James barrel through the lane, sending bodies flying or grab a rebound and swing his elbows in both directions to clear space and very rarely get called for a foul for either. The Celtics must keep their composure and not allow the officials to take them out of their game.

There is added drama from the King of all drama queens, and that is LeBron's phantom elbow injury.   I'm not buying it and hopefully the Celtics aren't either.  Supposedly, it bothered him throughout the first round but there was no evidence that it slowed him down whatsoever.  He will be 100% for this series and the Celtics need to be ready for it.  

Perfection wears Green

You see him entering the arena much earlier than anybody else. He likes knowing where he is going to play, the spots from where he will be impossible to be stopped. He needs to silently communicate with the place he is willing to own some hours later. He inspects the lines, checks the nets, observes the little details on every court. Then he starts shooting from every corner, his technique is pure, perfect.

The previous night he went to sleep at the right time, trying to get the most sleep possible. He probably ate a healthy dinner, same as the one he had before his last Celtics win versus the Heat. It's quite likely he checked that everything was perfect with his family and friends before going to bed.

And today, he is ready to do his job with an absolute perfection. He came to the arena with a classy suit, perfectly shaved, as a businessman ready to work in some high standard company. He is extremely polite, talks like the best of the writers with diplomacy and respect. He looks at you when he is talking, he is patient with questions and never loses composure. It is part of his job and he does it without hesitation.

When he finally reaches the locker room and he gets in his Celtics uniform you can see he has no tattoos, no headband. If it wasn't for Richard Hamilton's nails in 2008 he would wear nothing on his arms either. He concentrates on every detail, but only of that which may endanger his job. This is the perfect professional, the perfect athlete, the true role model to follow.

Ray Allen is the most polished player the NBA has seen in a very long time. His skills have been exploited and managed to perfection, his shooting technique probably the best ever. He is one of the best shooting players ever, period. He can shoot from anywhere, he can score anytime. He can prepare for that shot for 47 minutes and no matter if he has had a good or a bad day, he will score the shot to win the game.