Rondo-Nelson Matchup Should Decide the East

Filed under: Celtics, Magic, NBA Playoffs

ORLANDO -- The two smallest guys on the court -- guys built more like the patrons than the participants -- now are going to decide who reaches the NBA Finals.



It won't be the scowls and foul mouth of Boston's Kevin Garnett. It won't be the blocked shots and defensive dominance of Orlando's Dwight Howard. And it won't be the 3-point shootout between Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis -- or any other matchup -- that really swings the balance of power.



It will be the Little Big Men.



Point guards Rajon Rondo and Jameer Nelson, each still exaggerating to say they are six-feet tall, will decide who wins this best-of-seven, Eastern Conference final between the Celtics and Magic.



Both spent the regular season growing more comfortable in leadership roles, but both surprisingly -- almost stunningly -- now come into this series leading their respective teams in scoring after the first two rounds of the playoffs.



Neither are known as scorers -- both were only their team's fourth-leading scorer during the regular season -- but both became top scorers out of necessity.



Each is playing the best basketball of his respective career.

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/05/15/rondo-nelson-matchup-should-decide-the-east/