The 2013 NBA Playoffs begin Saturday and you can be sure that this year's tournament will have plenty to watch for.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat will look to repeat as champs while Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City will attempt to get over the top and take the franchise's first title, something they failed to do in 2012 as they fell to the Heat in the finals.
A tremendous slate of weekend games begin this Saturday when the Boston Celtics travel to New York City to battle Carmelo Anthony and the red-hot Knicks.
Here's a closer look at the match-up between these two rivals.
#2 New York Knicks vs. #7 Boston Celtics - Game 1: Saturday at 3:00pm, EDT ABC-TV
Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics (41-40) are no stranger to postseason success, winning a title in 2008. While they come in with a mediocre-at-best record of 41-40, don't sleep on the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference. With a healthy combination of Pierce and fellow future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, Boston is fully capable of holding strong against New York.
The Celtics will be without the services of star point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee back in January and was soon after ruled out for the remainder of the season. Not having their top assist man hasn't hampered the Celtics success however as Boston went 13-4 in a 17-game stretch following the injury to Rondo, propelling them up the Eastern Conference standings and leading to their 2013 postseason berth.
While Rondo's offensive capability will certainly be missed in the series against New York, Boston will surely miss his defensive firepower. Since 2006, the 27-year-old has averaged just under 2 steals per game and averaged over 2 steals in last year's playoffs.
The Knicks (54-28) haven't won a title since 1973 and enter the playoffs off back-to-back first round losses. Carmelo Anthony and company know what's at stake this season, as the Knicks are expected by many to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals where they could potentially meet the defending champion Heat.
Anthony averaged 28.7 points per game during the regular season. Shooting a touch below 45% from the floor, 2013 was undoubtedly one of the best individual campaigns Anthony has enjoyed since coming into the league in 2003. Along with guiding the Knicks to a 54-28 record this season, Anthony also won the league's scoring title.
While NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony is vital to the success of the Knicks, N.Y. must get production from J.R. Smith. Entering the postseason, Smith is averaging over 18 points per game. In a 4-1 series loss to the Heat in last season's first round, Smith shot a combined 6-of-30 from the field during games 4 and 5, something he cannot afford to duplicate against the Celtics.
New York averaged 100 points per game during the regular season and they'll be expected to continue their hot offensive play.
Consistent scoring from Anthony, Smith and the inside presence of Tyson Chandler provide the Knicks with capable parts moving forward. Outside threats from Steve Novak and Jason Kidd make New York a lethal squad entering the 2013 postseason.
Boston will rely heavily on veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce as they hope to slow down the Knicks' offense in an attempt to upset the Eastern Conference No. 2 seed.
Catch Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoff series between the No. 2 New York Knicks and No. 7 Boston Celtics Saturday afternoon at 3pm, EDT on ABC Television.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
