It's over baby.

I didn't get access to Atlanta's playoff series with Cleveland. I'm not quite big time like that. Not yet anyways. Here's the recap I wrote after Game 4. Enjoy.

The NBA is an open canvas right now. An entire league is waiting for an uber talented artist to take control a create a most beautiful work of art. There is no dominant force, no undeniable power. No Jordan, no Shaq (young Shaq, I'll dunk on you and you'll like it Shaq) no Olajuwon, Isaiah Thomas, Bird or Magic. Coming into this season, smart money was on Kobe and the Lakers taking the leap. Some said that the Celtics Dynasty was back and that KG would not be denied the sting of champagne a second time. The experts didn't consider this option though.

Consider exhibit A; LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The stone that the builders rejected has become chief cornerstone. Two rounds, no losses. Maybe we should have known. Lord knows I didn't have a clue. Cleveland's Game 4 victory over the Atlanta Hawks helped them advance and secure a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron played like an All Star the first three games and none of them were close in the fourth quarter. Business as usual I suppose.

Something happened in Game 4 that was a little unexpected. Atlanta came to play. Josh Smith (26 points, 8 rebounds) and Joe Johnson (18 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) set the tone for the Hawks and kept the game's outcome in question until the final minutes of the 4th quarter.

Then the inevitable began to happen. James (27 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) began to impose his will on the game. Total Player 2000 (That's what I call James, thanks R. Kelly I owe you one) started to engage himself. Watching the game you felt that if it was close at the end, the Cavaliers would find a way to win it. Delonte West (21 points, 6 assists) and Mo Williams (12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists) proved themselves capable of shining, even in spite of James' enormous glare, and made play after play when Atlanta attempted to stage a rally. In the end though it was the play of the 2009 MVP that relegated this series to a tune up for the Eastern Conference Finals.

Atlanta had no answer for LeBron's scoring in the first 3 games and no answer for his all around game in the 4th and final game.

Part of being a man (or woman) is knowing when to admit you were wrong. I surely thought this series would go farther and be more competitive. Faulty prognostication aside, I guess I wasn't a believer. At this point the Cleveland Cavaliers look the part of the prohibitive favorite, throw me on the bandwagon.


Oh what a beautiful portrait they are painting.