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LeBron better than Boston's Big 3
GAME TIME: Cavs 98, Celtics 83 Simply put, Boston's Big Three was trounced by Cleveland's Biggest One. Here are the particulars: Paul Pierce He posted LeBron early in the first quarter and wound up making a harmless out-pass — but he never took LBJ into the low post for the rest of the game. This was inexcusable, since posting LeBron is the best way to attack his defense and hopefully get him into early foul trouble. If you have a question or comment for Charley Rosen, submit it below and Charley may just respond. Subject: Comment/Question: Name:

Players get to sleep in their own beds, which by itself is an enormous advantage. A disadvantage would be having to deal with children, wives, girlfriends, relatives — plus some of the above hounding him for tickets.

Eating what, when and where a player desires is another significant comfort. As is the routine of attending the usual game-day shootaround, taking a nap, and then getting to the arena.

Once there, home team dressing rooms are always better equipped and more spacious than those provided for the visitors. A player's locker space is also personalized to exactly suit his needs — photos of loved ones (including himself), music machines, hair dryers/dome waxes, or whatever.

On the court, the hometown players are more familiar with the background lights, depth perceptions, dead spots on the floorboards, softness or hardness of the rims than are visitors.

While veterans are mostly immune to the energy, noise and support of the home fans, young players' chops can be boosted by these factors.

But the one constant, indisputable and overwhelming home-court advantage is the referees. On some instinctive level, most refs will show varying degrees of bias towards the home team. Indeed, there are some truly impartial refs whom players and coaches are absolutely overjoyed to see on the road.

So it's no accident that teams play 82 games for the privilege of having an extra home game in a playoff series.

Travels with Charley

Making motivational pregame speeches is one of a coach's lesser-appreciated duties. In addition to reviewing the usual scouting report, any personal animosities that exist between the two clubs must be emphasized. Remember the cheap shot that so-and-so delivered two weeks ago. Or how the starters played so late in that blowout loss. Or what this player or that coach told the media about us. As one of my teams was about to face an all-star player who had recently suffered an elbow to his head that necessitated a dozen stitches, I once encouraged my players to zone in on his bandages in the battle of the boards. Fortunately for all concerned, my ignoble advice was ignored.

Many coaches simply repeat their pregame raps from game to game. Jerry West, for example, used to tell his players that the game at hand was the most important game of the entire season. And he did this 82 times.

After the coach's gung-ho speech, most teams then gather for a pregame prayer led by a chaplain (at home) or a player. Coaches will usually absent themselves while this is happening to give the players a moment of privacy. Yet I must admit that I privately objected to these prayers.

I'd presumably get the players all revved up with my pregame talk. Telling them to be tough, not to back down, to knock penetrators on their keisters. Then I'd leave the room and they'd be in there talking about peace and love.

Here, however, is the most unusual pregame speech I ever came across:

When Wilt Chamberlain coached the ABA's San Diego Conquistadors in 1973-74, he was faced with a personal conflict on the night of a crucial home game. It seems that one of his 20,000 girlfriends was in town just for the night, so he opted to forgo the game. In his absence, Chamberlain recorded an inspirational audiotape that assistant coach Stan Albeck dutifully played for the team.

From all reports, however, nobody was especially inspired that evening ... except for Wilt's date.