LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will meet the Boston Celtics in the first round of the postseason after clinching the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The game may not live up to the LeBron-Celtics showdowns we've been treated to in the past, but Brad Stevens could have some tricks up his sleeve in his first trip to the playoffs.

LeBron and the Celtics have had some epic battles in the past, including the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals where he nearly led the Cavaliers to a stunning upset of top-seeded Boston. The Celtics went 66-16 in the regular season that year and eventually won the title behind the heralded trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Now both James and the Celtics are in much different positions more than seven years ago. LeBron is the one with superstar teammates -- Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love -- while the Celtics are a young team led by an exciting up-and-coming coach in Stevens. In all likelihood, this won't live up to the magical seven-game series we watched in 2008.

Still, even if the Cavaliers are heavily favored in this series, the Celtics should not be dismissed. Since acquiring Isaiah Thomas as part of a trade deadline shake-up, the team has posted a 19-10 record and outscored opponents by three points per 100 possessions. The Cavaliers have been even better over the same time frame, posting a 18-7 record and outscoring opponents by 5.8 points per 100, but this is a meeting between two teams with some momentum.

LeBron's quest to bring a championship to Cleveland begins here. We'll see if anyone in the East can ultimately stop the Cavaliers, starting with this upstart Celtics squad.

THE MATCHUP

Cavaliers (53-29, expected 53-29) vs. Celtics (40-42, expected 42-40)

Cleveland -- Offensive efficiency: 107.7 (4th) | Defensive efficiency: 104.1 (20th)

Offensive efficiency: 107.7 (4th) | Defensive efficiency: 104.1 (20th) Boston -- Offensive efficiency: 101.7 (20th) | Defensive efficiency: 102.1 (13th)

Offensive efficiency: 101.7 (20th) | Defensive efficiency: 102.1 (13th) Season series: 2-2. The Cavaliers won the first pair of games between the two teams, but the Celtics responded by winning back-to-back games on April 10-12 while Cleveland sat many of its starters. Boston is the only team to beat the Cavs since March 27.



4 questions that'll decide this series



We asked our Cavaliers site Fear the Sword and our Celtics site Celtics Blog to give us the lowdown on these two teams.

1. What is your team's biggest advantage in this series?

Celtics Blog: Going down the lineup the Cavs probably have the edge in just about every category except maybe bench production (when you factor in Isaiah Thomas). However, the Celtics have the underdog factor in their favor. While the Cavs have enormous expectations and great pressure to perform, the Celtics will have nothing to lose and everything to gain by proving to the world what they're made of.

Fear The Sword: LeBron James. I expect Jae Crowder to put up a decent fight, and Boston will likely switch on screens when the Cavs run the pick and roll, but there are maybe two or three people in the world that can slow down James. They don't play for the Celtics.

2. What is your team's biggest disadvantage in this series?

Celtics Blog: The Celtics lack star power and it is going to take a whole lot of Ubuntu to overcome LeBron James when he's on a mission to destroy everything in his path. The Celtics also lack experience, and that includes their very talented head coach. The playoffs is a different game and Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen are not walking through that door.

Fear The Sword: Boston's bench has been fantastic. We haven't seen a ton of really consistent bench units with the Cavs because of roster moves and injuries. Iman Shumpert, James and Tristan Thompson have been great when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sit. What lineups can the Cavs roll out when James sits that will work?

3. Who is the X-Factor that needs to step up?





Celtics Blog: Isaiah Thomas should get his points and the rest of the team should execute Brad Stevens' pace-and-space system the best they can, but the X-factor in this series could be Isaiah Thomas should get his points and the rest of the team should execute Brad Stevens' pace-and-space system the best they can, but the X-factor in this series could be Evan Turner . He's one of the few guys aside from Thomas that can create his own offense. He's been feast-or-famine but he's capable of putting up a triple double and swinging a game in the Celtics' favor.

Fear The Sword: I think Cavs fans are excited to see what Kyrie Irving looks like in the playoffs. If he can reproduce what he did in the regular season in this series, the Cavs will be fine. Kevin Love will eventually have to get untracked, but it might not have to be in this series.

4. What is your prediction?

Celtics Blog: Cavs in six. As much as I'd love to predict a shock-the-world outcome, I'm not sure if this young Celtics team has enough to knock off the team that looks like the favorite to win the East. Brad Stevens might be worth one win all by himself and we might be able to steal another one if Thomas gets especially hot. However, barring an epic collapse, the Cavs should be able to advance.

Fear The Sword: Cavs in four. Maybe I'll regret this, and maybe it's hubris, but the Cavs are 29-3 when since January 15 when James, Love and Irving play. The Celtics are well coached, but young and they don't shoot the ball very well. The tests for the Cavs will come later on.

Predictions

Ziller Flannery Prada O'Donnell Celtics Blog Fear The Sword IN 5 IN 5 IN 5 IN 5 IN 6

IN 4

SCHEDULE (all times ET)

Game 1: Sunday, April 19. Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH. 3 p.m. (ABC)

Game 2: Tuesday, April 21. Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH. 7 p.m. (TNT)

Game 3: Thursday, April 23. TD Garden, Boston, MA. 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 4: Sunday, April 26. TD Garden, Boston, MA. 1 p.m. (ABC)

Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 28. Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland OH. TBA.

Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, April 30. TD Garden, Boston, MA. TBA.

Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 2. Quicken Loans Arena, Toronto ON. TBA