Feeling the Pulse of the Series: Gut Prediction

[Prof. Clutch]

I don't think game five is a must win game.

I thought game two was and game four became one due to the game three loss ... but I don't see game five as a pivotal tie.

I think both of these teams are capable of winning game six + game seven after losing a game five. Especially given the nature of the series so far with both teams winning on each others home court.

I agree with this completely.  TP.

enough with this crap.  Give it a rest already.  Turn off the koolaid, put down the hate glasses, and just stop with this crap.  You are the reason Boston fans are hated.  No one is out to get the Celtics, the refs aren't on the Cavs side.  If the Cavs win game 7, it is because the Cavs are a better team, with the best player, and are playing at home. 

Just stop with the insanity.

Couldn't disagree with this more.  I don't think people hate Boston sports fans because we complain about refereeing.  I think people hate Boston sports fans for a combination of reasons - success in a variety of sports, intensity of our fans, how serious we take our sports, the change of the red sox from being lovable underdogs to annoying cliche, etc.

I don't believe there's a conspiracy or anything like that (although I wouldn't put that above Stern) but I do believe that refs favor superstars, and there's not a bigger one than Lebron James.  I'm not a ref blamer, don't particularly like kool-aid, and I'm certainly not insane, but this series has been clearly unfairly officiated.  The free throw disparity for the series says it all:  Cavs 142 FTA, Celts 108 FTA.

And that's just free throws.  Yes there are bad calls both ways, but the C's find themselves consistently on the bad end of them.

[celticinorlando]

it is obvious boston plays much better when they are backed into a corner..game 2 and game 4 prove this. they need to take that same mentality tuesday. i expect this one is going 7 though

[Mr October]

Whoever wins Game 5 is winning the series. 

I'm almost entirely convinced of that.

This is probably the biggest single game of the New Three era. 

I think the winner fo game 5 has a huge advantage in the series, but nothing more.

Both Boston and Cleveland are highly capable fo winning 2 in a row on either court  in game 6 and 7.

So yeah, game 5 is huge, but it is not over, not by a long shot after game 5.

Having said that, the safe prediction for game 5 is that Cleveland will win. And then the safe prediction is that Cleveland will take the series in 7 games. However these 2 teams are sooooooo evenly matched, including on each other's floor, that anything can happen.

One game at a time, baby. Even after game 5.

[twinbree]

If this alternating who wins keeps up then we have a Sunday afternoon road game 7. We're better off trying to be the first  to win 2 in a row. We need to do all we can to win game 5 - that means the coaches go into the game with an excellent game-plan and plans B-Z for every scenario and the players show up focused and play smart for 4 quarters.

Winning yesterday wasn't enough - we'd have to win the series for me to forgive that Game 3 fiasco. So I'll be optimistic and say we redeem ourselves. And since this year's Celtics have not done anything according to expectations I'll say we win in 6.