28 Dec 10 Celtics Need The Bench to Stop LeBron

Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesLet's start by stating the obvious, the Celtics are an old team by NBA standards at least.The Celtics went on a downturn at the end of the season, that had analysts and fans all accepting the end of the Celtics current run of domination. Then, the Celtics found their NBA Playoff Fountain of Youth, beating the Miami Heat in five games.Not many people thought the Celtics could make the Cavaliers series competitive. The Celtics fed those doubts Saturday night. After game 1, the Celtics let a late lead slip away. The New York Jets jersey
claims of old legs led the headlines.Last night the Celtics repeated their impressive performance, this time completing the victory and evening up the series at 1 -1 .The start of the series has everyone wondering if those old legs of the Celtics can last long enough to win the series. The key may not be the old legs, but the young ones coming off the bench.In game 1 of the series, the Celtics starters played a total of 196 of a total 240 minutes. Game 2 the story changed, with the Celtics starters only playing a total of 180 minutes. That's a difference of 16 minutes, a little more than a full quarter. The Celtics closed out the game strong, winning by 18 points.The difference doesn't stop with just the number of minutes played. The Celtics bench only put up 12 points in the first game of the series. The Oakland Raiders jersey
Cavaliers back-ups more than doubled that total with 26 points.Game 2, the benches canceled each other out with 27 points each. The benches will be crucial. By giving the 'Big Three' an opportunity to sit, the Celtics keep their ability to win down the stretch. It also puts the pressure back on the Cavaliers.Unlike many on the Celtics bench, the Cavaliers lack real playoff pressure experience. Mo Williams carried the pressure of high expectations into the post-season, after a disappointing performance against the Orlando Magic. Jamison must deal Philadelphia Eagles jersey
with real championship expectations for the first time.Now that LeBron reportedly must deal with an injured elbow, the pressure increases.Game 3 will be critical to winning the series. With a win, the Celtics would be in position to take control of the series with another game in the TD Garden. In order to accomplish that, the Celtics bench, will have to continue it's winning ways.