Center Dwight Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson will have the same look they did after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in last year's NBA Finals if the Orlando Magic are unable to figure out the Boston Celtics in this year's playoffs.

The Boston Celtics are the runaway locomotive no one in the Eastern Conference has been able to handle in this year’s playoffs.

After beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games, the Celtics take a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday at home.

Orlando is in big trouble.

The Magic got a big scoring night from Dwight Howard (30 points on 9 of 13 shooting), but he only got eight rebounds in Tuesday’s Game 2 loss, 95-92, at home.

So Boston has proven it can beat the Orlando even if Howard goes nuts offensively.

Here’s the laundry list of  problems for Orlando.

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LeBron James may have played his final game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Thursday's Game 6 loss in Boston.

It’s over.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are done for this season and if LeBron James decides to bounce and join another game, they will be done for much longer.

Just for the record, as much as I thought Cleveland had the team to win it all this season, I predicted before the season began it wouldn’t even make it to the NBA Finals.

Who did I pick: The Los Angeles Lakers to win back-to-back and beat the Orlando Magic again. They’re both still alive. Who would have thunk it?

As for the Cavaliers, they won 60-plus games in consecutive regular seasons, James won back-to-back NBA MVPs and didn’t make to the finals last season or this season.

Something is wrong with that picture?

Who is to blame?

Well, let’s start at the top. Or near the top.

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Was this LeBron James' last game Tuesday night in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena wearing a Cavalier uniform?

  The two-time MVP’s body language wasn’t good.

  And since LeBron James is their leader, the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers were just as lifeless.

  Now they’re a loss away from seeing championship aspirations expire after losing Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, 120-88, to the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena.

  If the Celtics close out the Cavaliers in Thursday’s Game 6 in Boston, the sellout crowd of 20,562 may have watched James play his last game for Cleveland in Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night.

   They didn’t see his best effort.

   In fact, it may have been the worst playoff performance of his splendid 7-year NBA career.

    James had just 15 points, shooting a woeful 3-of-14 from the field. He only attempted four shots in the first half, missed them all and the electric energy that typically radiates off him was barely pulsating.

   By the fourth quarter when James missed a free throw with 10:31 in the game, sprinkle of boos came from the stands.

   James wasn’t the only who didn’t bring it Tuesday night.

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That right elbow of LeBron James in the white sleeve there is the talk of this series.

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1) vs. (4) Boston Celtics (4-1)

Series schedule: Game 1 – Today at Cleveland 8 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 2 – Monday at Cleveland 7 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 3 – Friday at Boston 2 p.m. ET (ESPN); Game 4 –Sunday 5/9 at Boston 3:30 p.m. (ABC); Game 5 – Tuesday 5/11 *at Cleveland TBD (TNT); Game 6 – Thursday 5/13 *at Boston TBD (ESPN); Game 7 – Sunday 5/16 3:30 p.m. *at Cleveland (ABC). *If necessary.

Series keys: For Cleveland: Stop Rajon Rondo from penetrating (When he does, Boston’s offense opens up to the fullest). 2. Establish inside presence (Make Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett work defensively). 3. Speed up the pace (Test the older legs of the Celtics by scoring in transition). For Boston: 1. Test LeBron James early (If his elbow is good, find out early by going to the rim on him and guarding him tough). 2. Pick and pop (Put Shaquille O’Neal in situations where he has to stop Garnett or Rasheed Wallace from hitting jumpers. 3. Defy age (Many say the Celtics are too old. Prove them wrong.).

Series outcome: Cavaliers will win the series in six games, but if Boston splits the first two, it’s going seven.

Series stories

1. LeBron creating elbow room – Boston Globe
2. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James’ ‘elbow‘ is talking on Twitter – Cleveland Plain Dealer
3. Cavaliers, Celtics just don’t like each other – Toronto Star

The Boston Celtics will not have power forward Kevin Garnett for Tuesday's Game 2.

It’s official.

Kevin Garnett has been suspended for Game 2 for elbowing Miami forward Quentin Richardson in Boston’s Game 1 win Saturday against the Heat.

With a 1-0 first-round series lead, the Celtics will likely lose Game 2 on Tuesday, but to me, Miami doesn’t have enough to beat the Celtics in a seven-game series.

Yes, Boston is old.

Yes, their best player is a point guard in Rajon Rondo, who for all his talents, is not the guy who’s going to hit enough big shots to make his team a championship contender.

Yes, their coach,Doc Rivers, is mulling over the idea of returning next season and may not even do so because his kids are reaching a point in their lives as athletes he wants to be a part of.

With all that being said, the Celtics are still better than the Heat so yes, they’re going to win this series. 

Then the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to mash the Celtics, but that’s for another blog post.

After his elbowing incident with Quentin Richardson in Game 1 of the Eastern Confernce playoffs, Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett is under the gun heading into Game 2 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat.

You’ve got Chicago Bulls forward Joakim Noah saying he’s a “dirty player.”

Now Garnett is expected to get suspended for Game 2 on Tuesday.

On the wait to play in the playoffs: “It’s seemed pretty long, but it’s here now. I’m excited. It’s the best time of the year for basketball in this league. It’s an exciting time for myself and our team. … This is what I’ve waited for. I’ve been quoted the last few days. It’s what we play for in the regular season to prepare for this moment. It’s here.”

On finally having a full team: “It’s been a while. We’ve haven’t a full team for a while, honestly. Guys have been in and out of the line ups. Big players have been in and out of the lineup. So it’s great to finally have everybody healthy. This is the right time to have everybody healthy in the playoffs.”

On how Shaquille O’Neal looks basketball-wise: “He’s looked good. We’ve had a few practices and he’s got an opportunity to practice the last week. He looks pretty good an he’s ready to go.”

On expecting Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose to raise their level of play: “I expect everyone to raise the game. It’s the postseason. As far as raise their game, I don’t quite understand the question you’re asking, but it’s the postseason. They have no choice but to raise their game.”

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Boston 51, Cleveland 45

The Cavaliers lead by as many as 14 points in the first half only to trail by five at the break.

If I’m Cleveland, these are my concerns.

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I just came out of the visitor’s locker room, which is smaller than a telephone booth, a little while ago, but I can’t get rid of that heavy scent of  Bengay right that roared out there as I hit the door.

That’s an old team in that locker room.

Ya’ll know the Celtics got some veterans in there. KG. Sheed. Ray Ray. Might as well through Paul Pierce in there. Those guys have a combined 52 years of playing experience.

Wow. Clear the cob webs.

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These things are always entertaining.

LeBron James spoke for about 10 minutes before the game to media. Now you’ve got national media here like ESPN and of course TNT is covering the game so there’s plenty of folks to ask last season’s MVP questions.

Some of them are good. Others are weird. Some made James respond, “Ya’ll want to know every damn thing. man. Damn. I’m just saying, dang. You can’t have no secrets.”

Here’s a few examples:

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