May 2nd, 2011 
Russ Loede 
Posted in 
LeBron Played An Intense, Game-High 40 Minutes
“Every game is going to go like this, we look forward to the challenge.” – Dwayne Wade
After his best performance as a member of the Miami Heat, I wonder if James Jones has replaced Chris Bosh as the third wheel of the “Big 3″. With the showing he gave on Sunday, only one can wonder how long his dazzling display from downtown can overshadow Bosh’s poor play. As Jones put in a Heat postseason record of 25 points off the pine, Bosh went a dismal 3-10 for just seven points. “Someone had to step up,” Jones said. “I got some good looks. All of our playmakers got me good looks and I was able to knock them down with confidence because these guys trust me in the big moments.” Someone also didn’t step up.
How long will this last for Jones, or better yet for Bosh, how long can it last? As much as someone stepped up, it still is of concern to the someone who failed to step up. “JJ probably had the best game of anybody,” James said. Is this a good sign? Keep in mind, Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett combined to shoot a lackluster 6-19 for a total of 14 points. What does it say when the team with the home court advantage and much more to prove, wins by only single digits when the opposing team’s two most important players contribute next to nothing? Conversely, what does it reveal when the team in its first playoff run together gets its fourth scoring option from off the bench to play the best game of anybody, against a cohesive, strong-knit team that has won a championship together? Game one’s are hard to analyze and never in best interest to overanalyze.
Nonetheless, it’s obvious that Bosh, Garnett, and Rondo all have to step their games up to the next level. It’s also obvious that the trio of underachievers in Game 1 will at some point step it up. When? That’s another story. When they actually do, who will benefit the most?
To find out who will benefit the most and why Game 1 doesn’t mean much visit: Heat Gab or Celtics Gab
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[...] wasn’t as bad as it seemed. The Celtics essentially outscored the Heat by 6 in the second half, and as Russ detailed, the reason the Heat played so well in the first half is because James Jones positively went off. [...]