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Much noise is being made about the Celtics road woes thus far into the playoffs. As a Cavaliers fan, it is tempting to take some comfort in the Celtics' struggles in Atlanta and Cleveland. But realistically, the odds are still very much against the Cavaliers in this series. For all the claims of a "momentum shift", you have to remember the 2007-08 regular season- and that it was very different from the 2006-07 season that saw the Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals.

First of all, you absolutely have to give Boston credit where it is due. This season's team was a history making jugernaut that won 66 games- domintating nearly every team they played at home and abroad. True, The Cavs did fair well against the Celtics during the regular season- even stealing a game in Boston, but The Celtics have certainly proved to be a team that takes care of business- and handily- at home. The league leading 66 wins garauntees the Celtics home court advantage through out the playoffs. Road woes or no, playing Boston on their turf 4 out of 7 games has proven to be a challenge of mythical proportions.

You also have to look at Cleveland with a realistic view. This is not the same team that overcame so many obstacles last season to reach the NBA Finals. A late-season trade radically reshaped the team, and though there have been a couple of encouraging glimpses of the team Cavs GM Danny Ferry envisioned, Cleveland still has some chemistry and tactical issues to overcome... the most concerning of which is Lebron James' struggle to score. The Cavs had a great game from Ben Wallace, Wally Sczerbiak, and Delonte West Saturday in Cleveland. One can only hope that the new guys can continue this strong play. But even if they do, and if guys like Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Anderson Varajao play well, this series may ultimately hinge on the ability of Lebron James to dominate in moments when his teammates are unable to rise to James' level. The games played in Boston have been winnable for the Cavs- if Lebron was able to dominate 4th quarters like he did throughout the regular season.

 So here we are, on the cusp of game 4, after an encouraging win by the Cavs- but faced with the reality that Cleveland still has an enormous mountain to climb if they're going to win this series. The pressure is still on the Cavaliers... and one Cavalier in particular is faced with the challenge of proving his place amongst the greats. Lebron James cannot be blamed solely if Cleveland loses this series- the odds against his team are formidable- but I think everyone can agree that the Cavs best chance of winning this series is if Lebron can figure out how to overcome Boston's stifling defense and dominate like we know he can. Of course we hope his teammates will play well and make Lebron's job easier, but at the end of the day Lebron is the guy who needs to lead this team to glory. I still believe he is up to the challenge. I am as ready as anyone to be a Witness.