THE CRITICS ARE SILENCED

High expectations and strong emotions are back. Its that time of the year. The NBA playoffs are here and the quest for the crown has begun. The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't the only team feeling the pressure of the post season. While the Cavaliers were an inexperienced team, the Cavaliers silenced their critics Sunday putting up a dominating performance against the Boston Celtics in game one of their first round series. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in their playoff debut were nothing short of sensational. Irving put up a stat line similar to that of his teammate, LeBron James, scoring 30 plus points. The doubt of can this team make a deep run in the playoffs has slowly become irrelevant.

  Other teams that seemed to have the pressure on them this season are the Los Angeles Clippers. While this team has flown under the radar for most of the season they are in no way the under dog. In a loaded Western Conference The Clippers have easily been over looked for most this season due to number one injury and number two their lack of production and dominance in the post season. Now they enter the post season with the best record in the league since March 17th. In their first round series, Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs the Clippers silenced all speculation of their dominance in the post season. While in the 2013-2014 post season this team was predicted to go far in the post season, they were stopped in their tracks by Kevin Durant and company. This team knew coming into the post season this season with a strong Western Conference getting to the Finals would take a lot of hard work. Even before game one Chris Paul told ESPN's Michael Wilbon "If you're not winning your losing," said Paul. "If your not first you're last." I guess that's the motto this team has taken into the post season and to this point it has worked. If this team plays the way they did in game one against their first series opponent, the San Antonio Spurs, they will be feared by all other teams in the Western Conference.