5/4: Celtics Shocker, Del Negro, Etc.

Greetings... to the headlines..

• Celtics 104, Cavs 86 - Count me shocked by this one... Rajon Rondo was the best player on the floor last night... in a game that featured Lebron James on the other sideline... 13 points, 19 dimes, and he controlled the flow of the game throughout while holding his point guard counterpart Mo Williams to 1-9 shooting... dominant... Lebron was Lebron (24, 7 and 4) but not the force he's capable of... and even Sheed got in on the act for Boston scoring 17 points in 18 minutes on the day that Doc Rivers had openly discussed benching him for Shelden Williams... Would it shock me if Cleveland won in 5? Not at all (Boston isn't good at home, etc.)... but for one night, Boston is in this thing
• In what promises to be another classic series... Phoenix takes the 1-0 lead over the Spurs behind Steve Nash's ridiculous 33 and 10... startling efficiency (13 of 19 shooting) and really effortless control of the game... scary stuff from Nash... San Antonio needs more from George Hill, but I think the real key to last night (outside of Nash getting wherever he wanted)... Jason Richardson... another efficient 25+ point game from a guy who might be playing the best basketball of his career right now...
• Vinny Del Negro fired by Chicago.... about 3 months too late IMO... but at the same time they played hard for him down the stretch... in the end, he just seemed overmatched at times and Chicago's off-season free agent recruiting efforts could use a new face, especially after the Paxson/Del Negro fight scenario...

Baseball...

• Pitching Line of the Day - Ubaldo Jimenez... This guy has been lights-out... he's now 6-0 after going 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 13 Ks last night... (Runner-up? How bout Rich Harden's re-emergence with 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 9 K)
• Batting Line of the Day - Mike Lowell... he's still alive... 4-4, 4 RBI, 2 R
• Forgot to mention this yesterday... is anyone more unlucky than Zach Greinke? Guy throws a complete game, allows 1 earned run and loses 1-0... again... sub 3 ERA with under 1.00 WHIP... and he's 0-3 in 5 starts... that's unreal
• Early MVPs? Robinson Cano (.371, 9 HR) and Andre Ethier (.365, 9 HR, 26 RBI... and he's currently winning the NL Triple Crown)... yes it's May 4th

What to watch for...

• Hawks/Magic - 8:00 TNT - Game 1... and a big one... can the Hawks compete in Orlando? This would be the one to steal IMO... possibly rusty Magic team....
• Jazz/Lakers - 10:30 TNT - Game 2... Deron Williams needs to be 100% for Utah to have a chance...
• Braves/Nats - 7:00 SportSouth - Kawakami/Livan Hernandez... is Eric Gregg behind the plate? no? Okay, the Braves have a chance...