A few random notes about last night's Cavs-Celtics game:

• Tell me I wasn't the only one who considered flipping the channel over to the 'Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular' after watching the first minute of this game? Ugh. Two 24-second shot clock violations and a defensive 3-second call should never kick off a Game 5 of anything.

• It was nice to see the Cavs getaway from the ol' Bron-on-five offense, but must they insist on wasting the first 15 seconds of the shot clock every second or third play? Seriously. They just stand there at the top, ball attached to the hip, doing nothing. Start the offense motion sooner, Mike! You know, that way, if your first option isn't there, you can always try to run something else instead of just jackin' a challenged 20-footer.

• For fun, a mic'd up Doc Rivers at the end of the first Q: "Right there, guys. Right there. Hey, they're killing us with four seconds or less. That's where they're hurting us. Plays breaking down — uh, either LeBron is rejecting pick and rolls — we got to make sure we stay with Wally. Those are the two guys making plays."

• For whatever reason, Fratello and Stockton were much more enjoyable last night. I particularly enjoyed a comment the Czar made about KG taking a quick one-dribble bounce to help find the rhythm in his jump shot. I also did one of those "LOL things" when he poked fun at the Executive of the Year "trophy" they presented to Ainge. How embarrassingly small was that thing? I've won bigger trophies for farting.

• Does Mike Brown chew tobacco? Every time the camera cut to him in the first quarter, there he was spitting into a Gatorade cup. The Cavaliers staff better get him a spittoon before Big Z grabs the wrong cup and becomes addicted to nicotine.

• More Inside Trax with Doc, this time midway through the first: "Hey, we’re getting good shots. We just gotta keep moving the ball, all right? Defense is good. Defense could be better, but it’s good. We’re getting good shots." Hmm. Four "goods" in just 28 words. Good ratio.

• Ex-Mavs coach Avery Johnson during the TNT halftime show: "Well, right now, EJ, we're just taking it easy. We had a great run in Dallas — four years as an assistant coach under Don Nelson, and as a head coach. We just had a great run there." Um, "we?" Was anyone else confused by this? Was Avery talking about his staff? Or does he have multiple personalities? And if so, is one of them a French military and political leader who had significant impact on modern European history? Please say yes.

• Killer leather, Scal.

• A few more Doc "goods" at the half: "Offensively, guys, when we make the extra pass we’re so good. We’re so good. Make the extra pass every time. Let the ball find the open shooter. We are so good offensively, we’ll score every time down the floor."

• Those two Rajon Rondo 3-pointers near the end of the first half saved the Boston Celtics season. Not only did they help dwindle the Cavs big lead before heading into the locker room for orange slices, but they also raised the kid's confidence ten-fold. That hoop had to have looked awful big when he was dropping in those flat tear drops during the second half Celtics' run.

• Speaking of Rondo, my favorite play of his — and there are a lot ot pick from — came with a little under nine minutes to go in the fourth. Garnett rips a long rebound from LeBron's hands, and the ball finds its way back to Rondo, who quickly puts on his air traffic control vest and goes to work. He points Pierce down to the corner, and calls off a Big Baby high-screen. The kid wants room. With the 1-4 spread set to his liking, he blows by West like he's Wally Z, draws Sideshow Bob over, and drops the perfect soft-lead bounce pass to KG for the slam. Incredible poise and leadership.

• I can’t get over how exceptionally quick Big Baby Davis is. Once again, he did an excellent job at getting out way, way, way above the three-point line to contain the ball on the Cavs pick-and-roll. But keep an eye on him after the hedge — he looks lost. I think it's because he always spins around the long way trying to locate his man. It didn't burn him last night, but he'll want to address that rotation hiccup against a better team.

Related: 2008 NBA Playoffs