This series is going to come down to one thing and one thing only. Who can close out games?

Cleveland has LeBron. LeBron is a closer. The ultimate closer was Michael, Kobe is the reigning king and LeBron is in the mix. LeBron wants the ball at the end of the game and he expects to hit the winning shot. If he's fouled on the game-winning drive to the tin, LeBron still believes he should have made the shot. The man knows his role and is comfortable with the pressure.

The Celtics don't have a closer. Paul Pierce is the closest thing the C's have to a closer and Paul Pierce ain't a closer. I've watched Pierce for years and I've never been comfortable with The Truth taking the last shot or having the game rest in his hands. A few years ago, you wanted Antoine Walker to take the last shot and that's no lie.

Kevin Garnett is not a closer. KG is an amazing player, but he's not going to be your closer. Garnett is more comfortable looking for the open man in late game situations, which should move Doc Rivers to put James Posey on the floor in crunch time, and have Perk watch the action from the bench. Posey has a shot at being Boston's version of Big Shot Bob. I would like to see KG be more aggressive offensively in the latter part of the game. He failed to do that against the Hawks during Boston's Game 6 loss.

Is Ray Allen your closer? The way Ray Allen is shooting the ball fans should wear Kevlar behind the basket. I thought at first Allen was rushing his shot, which he may be doing at times, but the simple truth is his shot isn't falling. For Game 6 in Atlanta, he had some good looks in the fourth quarter and he wasn't even close. One three from the corner he barely hit the rim. Allen is struggling and he needs to find some rhythm from behind the arc.

A Total Digression

I love guys who can shoot the rock. It's the most beautiful moment in basketball to witness rain falling from the sky. As much as the next guy, I like Dr. J soaring in from the wing to ram one home over Laker Mark Landsberger, but the deep three is a dagger in the heart - the silent assassin. 

Off the top of my head, my favorite sweet strokes (in no particular order):

1. Reggie Miller

2. Larry Bird

3. Dell Curry

4. Chris Mullin

5. Allen Houston

6. Dale Ellis

7. Dirk Nowitzki

8. Tim Legler

9. Mark Price

10. Ray Allen

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Getting back to Cavs - Celtics, how are the C's going to defend LeBron? The Celtics didn't have an answer for Atlanta's' Joe Johnson, so how are they going to deal with LeBron? If you try to double-team LeBron, LeBron can throw the ball to some pretty decent shooters, such as Wally Sczerbiak, Delonte West, Boobie Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic. Even Ilgauskas can stroke it from the outside.   

Here is the real question, which team is going to act like the veteran team? Based on each team's first round series, Cleveland responds more like a veteran team. The Celtics have some loose cannons, in the forms of Paul Pierce and Sam Cassell, who have been known to lose it on occasion. Pierce's meltdown in Game 6 reminded me why he struggles to be a leader. There was no reason for Pierce to throw his headband except he had decided he was going to let the official NBA Slick Watts headband fly. C'mon, your team is still in it. Without Pierce's technical, the Celtics would have been down by two for the game's last possession. (That final possession was brutal to watch. Rondo didn't look all that comfortable with the ball in his hands.)

I know everyone wants to pick on Rondo, but this series will come down to the play of Garnett, Allen and Pierce. The C's need Allen to ignite.  

I've been rooting for the Celtics all year, but I like the Cavs to win this in six. Remember the Cavs were 2-1 versus the Celtics this year. I know that means nada in the playoffs, but Cleveland won't be intimidated to play on the road. Can the Celtics figure out how to win a game on the road?