You know when you see that poor guy in the wheelchair, and you give him a boost because it's the right thing to do? That's pretty much what the Cavaliers did for the Bulls in Game 3, but Sunday afternoon was a different story. With a 2-1 series lead, LeBron was not about to allow the Bulls get another game in this series.
Game 4 of the Cavs/Bulls series followed an impressive performance from Dwayne Wade on ABC. LeBron must have seen the highlights right before the game, and wanted to show Wade how it's done. Although the 1st half started off slow, back-and-forth, and not Shaq's best outing, it was only a matter of time before The King did what needed to be done.
LeBron started off in assist-mode, taking care of the majority of the dirty work for his 5th career playoff triple-double. One of his best assists came on a entry pass to Parker in the paint, who flushed a one-handed jam. Score one for the good guys. Lebron didn't really start attacking until late in the quarter. It was with about a minute left when he decided to drive down the lane and put a two-handed hurting on the rim. His passing ability also opened up Mo Williams and Anthony Parker for some delicious 3 pointers. LeBron drills a jumper at the buzzer, and we take the lead at the end of the 1st half, 62-52. We knew it was a matter of time before this game got out of hand. And it did.
In the second half, it was the video-game-LeBron-James show. Not to mention Antawn Jamison, whose 24 points pretty much took care of the rest. The 3rd quarter was vintage Cleveland Cavalier domination, and the Bulls just couldn't get much going. As the 3rd quarter buzzer arrives, so does LeBron James. With Derrick Rose in his face, The King steps into a jump shot near half-court.. and you know what happens next. The best part about it was how he just stood there like, "Yeah, I do that."
With a comfortable 23 point lead, we didn't expect to see any of LeBron in the 4th quarter, but we were wrong. A few bad offensive possessions in, and Mike Brown calls on his superstar to slam the door shut. We were pretty pumped, because LeBron was only 1 rebound away from the elusive playoff triple-double.
What happened next was a matter of determination by the best player in the Association. After grabbing his rebound, he drills a set of disgusting 3 pointers, three in a row to be exact. The Bulls at this point were planning how they are going to spend the offseason, after they lose in Cleveland tomorrow night that is.
It was good to see Hickson get some run in this game, if only because LeBron publicly requested it. Since LeBron's the coach, assistant Brown had to pretty much oblige. Hickson provided an added level of energy that even Varejao couldn't match. Even though he racked up several fouls pretty quickly, I was happy to see him in there. Speaking of players who don't get their deserved PT, Zydrunas sat out for virtually the entire game. I'm not sure if Brown knows this, but the man is 7 foot 3" and can shoot from anywhere on the floor. If you can't find time for him, you're doing something wrong. Z was all class, and even agreed to play the last couple of garbage minutes for Brown. Pretty insulting if you ask me. Boobie Gibson even got in, scoring a running layup. He also got to dribble the clock out at the end. Pretty cool stuff.
So what do we take away from this game? Well, for one, LeBron is the man. Next, we learned that there will be no Game 6 in this series. Tuesday night will be another beatdown, and we will send Noah into offseason mode where he can seriously consider getting his gap-tooth checked out. LeBron is on a mission, and is ready to take over whenever he sees fit. 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. All in a night's work. LeBron James is underrated
On a night where the Browns drafted Joe Haden, not a whole lot went right for another team in Cleveland. The 1st quarter was pretty hard to watch; it was one of the ugliest starts to a playoff game I can ever remember. Other than a couple early layups for LeBron, the offense looked predictable and was not effective at all. We had a bunch of turnovers, and we weren't playing defense.
Mo Williams kept turning it over, really not playing his game. Chicago looked to be in a great rhythm offensively, led by a fast start from Derrick Rose. He made 6 of the 8 shots he took in the quarter, and dropped 15 points in the first 12 minutes. But Shaq was making free throws (6/6 in the series) and Lebron was drilling some shots. The score was still manageable. But the defense just never arrived.
Late in the quater, Varejao gets called for a questionable foul while LeBron was in the process of drilling a 3; it looked like the refs were out to get us. LeBron misses a jumper and the quarter ends, with the Bulls leading 32-21.
The 2nd quarter was more of the same. Chicago extends the lead to 39-23 on a Deng And-1, and it wasn't looking good. They couldn't miss. Hey Mike Brown, when you're down 11 points in a playoff game maybe this would be the time to play LeBron at the start of the quarter, instead of letting Chicago beat us down even further.
Midway through the quarter, The King gets a steal and throws down a thundering Akron Hammer dunk. His free throw that followed cut it to 41-30, and we hoped that LeBron would take over the game. Jamario picks up right where he left off from Game 2, drilling a huge 3. But Hinrich, Rose, and Deng were just making shots. Did I mention Joakim Noah is the biggest idiot I've ever seen? Anyways, Shaq misses a gimme-dunk at one point. Not good. Story of the game pretty much. Halftime comes, and we're down 56-45. We could only hope the 2nd half was better.
Too bad the Bulls came out with the same intensity in the second half. They score the first 6, and the lead gets pushed to 62-45. Shaq elbows Noah in the face, (again) and even though he's called for a foul, we weren't mad about it. Brown calls a timeout after Rose scores making it 66-47.
Later in the quarter, Noah looked like an idiot again. While LeBron was being defended right by the Chicago bench, he stood up and started screaming in admiration of the defense being played. Haven't you learned your lesson? LeBron drills a fall away 3, and stares down their bench as he walked away. Basically, you can take your seat Joakim.
Mo hits a nice 3 pointer at the 5 minute mark, and the defecit was only 10. And we thought.. it was only a matter of time before the Bulls fell apart. We headed into the 4th quarter, down 68-79.
Antawn hits a 3 of his own at the 10 minute mark cutting the lead to 71-81. And then it was time for another LeBron dunk. Driving down the middle, he threw a two-handed dunk down as Noah tried to slow him down. LeBron misses the free throw, but Delonte gets the kickout from the rebound and buries a 3. Clutch shooting from the shotgun-in-the-guitar-case guy. Delonte makes another great play grabbing the ball after an Antawn turnover to hand it off to LeBron for an easy lay-up, cutting the lead to 88-92. And again, we got our hopes up.
But the referees were set on screwing us over at the end. LeBron gets called for a charge on on of the worst slide-in defensive flops I've ever seen, and then Delonte has to foul Hinrich. But then the King comes down and hits another ridiculously deep 3. They foul Derrick rose and he misses the 1st free throw. Mo Williams hits another impossible 3 pointer, and we're only down 1. Then Brad Miller goes 1/2, and Parker grabs the rebound and tries a halfcourt shot. It winds up short to the right but still pretty close, and Chicago wins. Like I said, not what was supposed to happen here. The Cavs will make amends when they beat them down on Sunday. LeBron James is Underrated
Dear Joakim, I speak for the city of Cleveland when I say you are not welcome here. You proclaimed, "Cleveland sucks.. there's nothing to do here." Coming from the single ugliest player in the Association, we take that as a compliment. Didn't you sign a multi-million dollar contract? You have some money, so fix the gap in your teeth before you talk about my city again.
That being said, let's talk Game 2. The game started off with Shaq fouling Noah, and then Antawn committing an offensive foul. Not exactly the start we were looking for. Then Shaq comes down, draws an easy foul and makes both of his free throws, much to the delight of the best crowd in the NBA. At one point Shaq elbows Noah in the face, and Noah gets called for the foul. Karma's great.
LeBron starts off in assist-mode, hooking up Antawn for some easy buckets including a nice baseline dunk. Anthony Parker starts stroking some 3's, and we instantly feel better.
And then it happened. At the 1 minute mark, The King affirmed his dominance. He drove right on an over-aggressive James Johnson, and had one of the greatest posterizations of his career. LeBron's face said it all. Congratulations James Johnson, you officially just got Le-Dunked on, in front of millions of people. LeBron finishes the 1st quarter with 10 hard-earned points, and 5 dimes.
But Flip Murray was up to the challenge. Right at the end of the quarter, he drives down the middle of the lane for an easy lay-up, (much to the dismay of LeBron) and the 1st quarter ends with the Cavs up 28-22. Mo Williams was playing like a kid who had one too many Red Bulls. He had several turnovers, and was forcing himself into bad situations. And Flip Murray was keeping Chicago alive.
The Bulls won the battle of the 2nd quarter, outscoring the Cavaliers 28-24. Right about the 4-minute mark, LeBron emphatically denies Deng on a dunk attempt. But on the next possession, he sprints down the floor and gets his dunk; all the King could do was watch.
Shaq picks up his 3rd foul, and Mo was still being ignorant. We were allowing Chicago to stay in the game, by not playing great defense. They also had 8 offensive rebounds in the half. That's 8 too many. Joakim Noah was booed every single time he got the ball. Right before the half ends, LeBron starts getting into a groove shooting some deep jump shots. The half ends with the Cavs up 52-50, and we wondered why Chicago was in the game.
The 3rd quarter was back-and-forth almost the entire time. The Bulls just kept making shots. Rose, Hinrich, and Deng were pretty much on fire. Although I hate to admit it, Noah was outplaying Varejao. Which brings me to JJ Hickson. Why is he not in Mike Clown's playoff rotation? Clearly Noah was playing well, and our bigs weren't really stopping him. Hickson was one of catalysts during the regular season. Stop trying to prove a point Mike, and put him in the freaking game. Inserting him with a few seconds to go at the end of the quarter doesn't count. I just don't get it.
Anyways, like I said, this quarter was a well-fought battle. We take the lead at the end 78-76, after multiple lead changes and a different-looking Bulls team. If they actually knew how to use Flip Murray instead of relying on Deng and Rose every possession, they might have had a shot to win this game.
The 4th quarter starts off much like the 3rd, with both teams playing hard. And then Jamario and LeBron decided enough was enough. With roughly 9 minutes to go, Jamario hits one of his four crucial 3 pointers in the game, putting us up 85-80, but the Bulls weren't done yet.
Fast-forward to 7 minutes remaining. Noah tries a stupid little hook shot, and Moon blocks the crap out of it. 2 minutes later, Jamario hits another one of his huge 3 pointers. Deng responds with an And-1 layup with 4:45 cutting the lead to 96-93.
And then LeBron showed Skip Bayless and all his haters why they don't know what they're talking about. King James hits a deep 3 right in Noah's face, and then winks to Vinny Del Negro as he backpedals down the court. This was just the start. He comes down, hits a twisting left-handed layup, and then another deep jumper. LeBron scores 15 of his 40 points in the last 8 minutes.
Jamario's final exclamation point came with 30 seconds to go, as he hit the ultimate 3 point dagger to push the lead to 110-100. At this point, you can put this one in the books. Moral of the story: LeBron relies on his jump shot and rips 40, and Jamario to drill some clutch 3 pointers. All while Shaq and Antawn are still on the bench. Joakim is still ugly, and even though he played decently, he ends up looking like a fool. Not really hard for him to do, since he's the ugliest player in the NBA. Joakim, nobody likes you. I'm glad you don't like Cleveland, because you won't have to return when we take both games in Chicago. Enjoy your offseason, maybe get your face fixed and your teeth taken care of? LeBron knows how big of a joke this guy is. 2 wins down, 14 to go. LeBron James is Underrated
Everything is looking real good for the Cavaliers right about now. On Saturday afternoon, the Cavs dropped the Bulls in the 1st game of the 2010 NBA playoffs, winning 96-83. This score didn't do justice to the fact that we were up by 22 points early in the 2nd half.
In his valiant return from injury, Shaquille O' Neal was nothing short of dominant. The Diesel came ready to play, and his 12 points in only 24 minutes were much appreciated. He gives the Cavaliers a low-post presence this team has lacked in past years. Joakim Noah looked helpless as Shaq dominated him in the low-post.
"Noah is a valuable piece for them, and he has to go to sleep worrying about what he will do with Shaq on Monday in Game 2," said Cavs point guard Mo Williams. "When Shaq gets that basketball, he can dictate the game."
Antawn Jamison also looked solid, putting in 15 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. At one point in the 2nd quarter, he scored two layups in a matter of seconds. Antawn has to be thrilled to be on a team with championship aspirations. His effort was very important in this game.
The Bulls didn't go down without a fight, and cut the lead under double-digits in the 4th quarter. Derrick Rose led Chicago with 28 points, but the fact that he took 26 shots is not a good sign for this team. Chicago really doesn't have much of a chance in this series, and their only hope is to land a decent free-agent in the offseason. Rose needs a lot more help than he currently has.
"We can't wait to play again; I know I can't," he said. "It's going to be a fun series. This is something I live for. I think about it every day, every minute of the day, playing against the best team in the NBA and one of the best players in the NBA."
Derrick, stop and think about what you just said. You can't wait to play the Cavs again? Your team has no chance of even winning 1 game in this series. Stop talking, and start making plans for the offseason. It's going to be a fun series? You mean fun for Cleveland right?
Game 2 tips off tonight, and expect another beatdown by the best team in the NBA. Game 1 was evidence of the domination that will ensue in the playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if we swept ever team from here on out. 1 win down, 15 to go. LeBron only scored 24 in the first game, and that's quite alright with Cavs fans. His best play was an alley-oop two-handed slam that really got the crowd into the game. On this year's team, LeBron doesn't have to score 40 every night for us to win. We have too many other good players. Mo Williams is a key part of this team. Add Shaq, Antawn, and our other role players and it's all looking good. LeBron will have some more spectacular plays tonight. I guarantee it. LeBron James is Underrated
It's time. The Cavs lost the season finale to the Hawks, but the time for LeBron to rest is over with. I must say, it kind of bothers me that we're "limping" into the playoffs on a 4-game losing streak. Mike Brown decided he didn't care, since we've already locked up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Cleveland, it is time for an NBA championship. LeBron, in his 7th season, is poised to win it all. This is the best supporting cast The King has had since he's been here. There aren't any excuses that can be made this year. Shaq Diesel has had a long time to get into playoff shape, and he's vowed his mission here is "To win a ring for the King".
Well, it all starts today. Chicago beat out Toronto for the right to play the Cavs in the 1st round. They probably think they have a chance to shock the world and upset the best team in the NBA. Not happening. Chicago doesn't have the depth or skill to match up with us. Think about our bigs, there's just too many of them. Zydrunas, Shaquille, Varejao, and Hickson. Brad Miller and Joakim Noah aren't exactly on their level.
16 victories. That's all we need to bring home the trophy. This is the best chance a Cleveland professional franchise has ever had to win a championship since 1964. We are considered to be the favorite, and rightly so. A lot of people are saying the Bulls will steal at least one game in this series, but I just don't see it happening. LeBron is on a mission. Cavs sweep the Bulls, although a few games will come down to the end.
This is the best time of the year. School is winding down, and the NBA playoffs are starting. There are so many good playoff matchups in the 1st round alone. In the East you have Chicago vs. Cleveland aka Rose vs. LeBron. My next favorite matchup is Orlando vs. MJ's Charlotte Bobcats. Orlando will likely win this series, but it won't be easy. In the end, too much Dwight Howard for the Bobcats to deal with. Orlando needs 7 games to win here.
Then you have the Celtics facing Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Dwayne's a superstar in this league, but his lack of a supporting cast will equal a first-round exit. On a team with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.. Rondo is still their best player. Too much Rondo, not enough Flash. Boston wins in 5. Boston's cast of senior citizens live to fight another day.
Atlanta takes on the Bucks, who are without Andrew Bogut. Atlanta is tough this year, and without Bogut the Bucks don't stand a chance. I like Brandon Jennings, but they just don't have enough other pieces to contend this year. The Hawks rely on Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, and Josh Smith to run over the Bogut-less Bucks. Atlanta wins this series in 5 games.
In the West, things are a lot more wide-open. The Lakers are not the team they were last year. They miss Trevor Ariza. They back into the playoffs losing 7 of their last 11, including losses against the LA Clippers, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City.
There are a lot of good matchups in the 1st round, but the most intriguing is obviously Kobe vs. Durantula. Phil Jackson knows his team is on-the-brink of an early exit, which explains why he threw $35,000 down the toilet to try to get into Durant's head by saying he draws too many ticky-tack fouls. The referees won't adjust their calls; I don't see that affecting this series. As much as I'd love to see the Lakers lose this series, it's not happening. Lakers win this one in 5 games, although the games will be a lot closer than the Zen Master would like. Durant's time is next year. He needs more than Russell Westbrook to take down the Lakers.
Denver vs. Utah is an interesting series as well. Carlos Boozer will be the reason why the Jazz do NOT win this series. He thinks he's way better than he actually is. Had he stayed in Cleveland, he would have had a much better chance at coming away with a ring. Too much Carmelo Anthony, and even without George Karl on the sidelines, the Nuggets take this one in 6 games. The Nuggets are going to make a run this year. You heard it here first.
Steve Nash and the Suns take on the Trail Blazers. No Brandon Roy and no Greg Oden means no wins. I'm taking the Suns in a 4-0 sweep. The Blazers won't be able to keep up with Nash, Stoudemire, and Channing Frye. Frye can knock down 3's with the best of 'em. Sorry Blazers, better luck next time.
The Dallas Mavericks are a trendy pick to come out of the West. They've been playing great, and with the addition of Caron Butler they add another degree of toughness. Dirk Nowitzki is one of the game's pure scorers, and they look tough this year. Jason Kidd is a playoff-tested point guard. But for some reason, it takes them 7 games to barely hang on and beat the San Antonio Spurs. Greg Popovich always seems to get the best out of players during the postseason. Unfortunately, Richard Jefferson holds this team back and their defense can't hang. They do win 3 games and take a 3-2 lead in the series, but lose the next 2 and are sent home.
So, let's recap my picks here. Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, and Atlanta in the East. No surprises there. In the West, the Lakers, Nuggets, Suns, and Mavericks all make it to the 2nd round.
Playoff time is great. All of these series are going to be competitive, except for Phoenix/Portland and Atlanta/Milwaukee. If you think about it though, all of these teams are just playing for the chance to ultimately lose to LeBron and the Cavaliers. I am convinced this is our year. Too much talent and too much depth for any other team to win a series against us. LeBron's bringing the championship to Cleveland this year, the next year, the year after that, etc.. The Cavaliers are poised to become a dynasty. It all starts today. LeBron James is underrated
I feel the need to pay homage to the largest Cleveland Cavalier ever. Shaquille O' Neal is set to return from injury, although we're not sure if we'll see him in action tonight vs. the Atlanta Hawks.
It was probably tough for the Diesel to sit out most of what may be his only season with LeBron James. Since the injury though, he has been working hard to get into playoff shape. He dropped 20 pounds, and he looks to be in the best shape he's been for some time.
This video is an NBA all-star classic. Shaq, LeBron, and Dwight in a dance-off 2 years ago. What's not to love?
I knew Shaq had moves, but seriously.. this guy can dance. Not to say that LeBron doesn't have some tight moves himself. Regardless, the Big Aristotle has to be the best dancing 7 foot 3" 350 man ever. Enjoy this video, and the fact that we have this guy on our team. Shaq is a physical freak. Kind of like LeBron. LeBron James is underrated
Watching the Cavaliers without LeBron is like watching the Special Olympics. No offense, but it's hard to watch. You really want them to succeed, but you know something is missing.
Sunday afternoon, the team that bounced the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals last year showed up to Cleveland for the last regular season meeting between the two teams. Mike Brown decided to sit LeBron for the 3rd straight game, and the end result reflected this move.
Personally, like most other Cavs fans, I would have loved to see him play. I felt that we needed to send a message to the Magic that this is not their year, and the only way to do that is from a thorough beatdown right before the playoffs start. Regardless, it didn't happen. LeBron was in street clothes again, and (surprise) we lost by 6 points 98-92.
Let's give the LeBron-less Cavaliers some credit though; they started off as well as you could have imagined. At one point we took a 16 point lead, and the Magic looked like a D-league team. No LeBron and they can't do anything? Maybe they were let down because they thought The King would play, but that's not really a good excuse. Stan Van Gundy used it anyways.
"I don't know if we still would have won, but we would've played much better, much more focused had LeBron played," Van Gundy said. "The air went out of our locker room when our guys found out he wasn't playing."
Van Gundy was in a terrible mood for most of the first half, and you can't blame him. The Magic couldn't do anything offensively; they had no ball-movement and shots just weren't dropping. Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams were leading the Cavaliers to what looked like would be a blow-out.
It wasn't meant to be, and the Magic cut the defecit to only 4 points before half. Dwight Howard was a huge factor for them, and his 22 points and 13 rebounds were only a small part of his dominance. Antawn and Mo didn't see the floor in the 4th quarter, which might explain why we lost. Listen Mike Brown, I understand you want to rest your starters and we've already locked up the #1 seed overall, but have some perspective here. This is the team that knocked us out of the playoffs last year, and you're going to give them a game right before the start of the playoffs?
This reminds me of Jim Caldwell sitting Peyton Manning during the last part of their regular season finale, and the bench just couldn't hold the lead. That move allowed the Jets to win the game, ruined the Colts perfect season, and gave the Jets some confidence going into the playoffs. Sometimes coaches overthink resting their starters, and it can have a negative impact on a team. Losing 3 straight is not the way I envisioned this team heading into the last game of the regular season.
So here's what I'm saying, please get our starters back in vs. the Hawks. We need to at least get one game to get our team back on track, because losing 4 in a row can't ever be considered a good thing going into the playoffs.
Speaking of getting our starters back, there was great news for Cavaliers fans released yesterday. Shaquille O' Neal has officially been cleared to play, and maybe we'll see him tomorrow night vs. the Hawks. Shaq Diesel is going to be a huge part of our success in the playoffs this year; we need his physical presence. Sunday proved that without him, the Cavs can't handle Dwight Howard both offensively and in the rebounding battle. "The Real Superman" doesn't just sit around and let Dwight do his thing. He bodies him up and when it's necessary, sends him to the free throw line. There are reports that Shaq has lost over 20 pounds since his injury, and he looks to be in great shape. He also is sporting the clean-shaven look for the first time in awhile.
This season has flown by, and it's hard to believe there's only one regular season game left. Atlanta is another one of those teams we can't allow to gain confidence, because they have a well-put together team capable of making a run in the playoffs. My proposal: play your best players, and end this nonsensical losing streak. Mike Brown, take off your glasses for a second and stop pretending to be smarter than you are. LeBron wants to play. Don't be ignorant. LeBron James is Underrated
Breaking News: Without LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't the best team in the NBA. Mike Brown has decided to rest his superstar, and the Cavs responded by losing two games in a row.
First up was the battle with Chicago on Thursday night. Even without LeBron, this was still a pretty entertaining game to watch. Most of the fireworks came from Mo Williams, who decided he would try to be LeBron-for-a-night. Mo finished with 35 points, and late in the 4th quarter he single-handedly kept the Cavs in the game. His 3 point shooting stroke was spectacular, and LeBron showed his appreciation dancing on the sidelines as Mo went off. Mike Brown also was very impressed with Williams.
"He was terrific,' Brown said. "He did a nice, nice job of not only looking for his shot, and being aggressive, but also looking to get others involved."
The game ultimately came down to the wire, and the Bulls held on to win 109-108. It was back and forth all night, with the lead changing 20 times. Anderson Varejao missed a jumper that would have stolen this game from Chicago, who desperately needed a win to keep their playoff chances alive. This marked the first time in 31 consecutive games that the Cavs lost to a team with a losing record.
There was however, something very positive to take away from this game; there was a Sebastian Telfair sighting. In only 16 minutes on the floor, Telfair had 8 points on 4/7 shooting. Remember the Cavs acquired him in the Jamison deal. His offensive game is solid, and his passing ability is also noteworthy. I like the way Sebastian runs the offense, and he could possibly serve as a great backup for Mo in the years to come. You had to have been impressed with his ability to come in the game and make an impact.
Mike Brown basically confirmed the fact that he wants to rest his starters as much as possible, because late in the game, Antawn Jamison went down with an injured ankle. He was attacking offensively and his 23 points were huge. Hopefully he doesn't have to miss any time in the playoffs.
After the loss in Chicago, the Cavs were set to face the Indiana Pacers. This is a team that has no business competing with the Cavaliers, provided that LeBron James is in uniform. The King took the night off, and you can pretty much guess the outcome: Cavs play tough, but without LeBron they lose again.
Mo Williams also sat out this game. Telfair yet again stepped up in his absence, and impressed his Cavalier teammates as well as coach.
"For being a new guy and a young guy, you can feel the leadership qualities that he does have," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "He is extremely intelligent, he has a great feel for the game and a great change of gear, and he's worked extremely hard on his mid-range game."
Telfair came off the bench and had another solid night shooting the basketball. He finished with 21 points on 8/14 shooting. He also had 4 nice assists, which is probably my favorite part of his game. His vision and ability to sneak bounce passes in tight holes makes him a threat offensively. Combine that with his great scoring ability, and you have a potentially great Cavalier in the making.
Danny Granger finished strong with 36 points, but his quote after the game made me laugh a little bit.
"It's a great confidence builder because Cleveland is a great team," Granger said. "I don't care who is not playing for them, they're still very good. So, it's a great road win for us."
Really Danny? You're proud of beating the Cavs without LeBron, Mo, Antawn, or Shaq? That's 4 of our starters and our best talent. Congratulations, you really should be proud of yourself. Next time, don't say stupid things.
So all of this brings us to the showdown with the Magic today. LeBron will not be playing again, which I have to question. Orlando is capable of beating the Cavs, and this game sets the tone for a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup. Why not play LeBron and get him back into the flow, and then rest him in the season finale vs. Atlanta? I understand wanting to rest him, but you can't let the Magic gain more confidence if they happen to win today. Without LeBron in the lineup, that has a much better chance of happening. I think seeing Jamison go down in Chicago had a lot to do with this decision. Maybet we'll win anyways. It's all about the playoffs, which are approaching very fast. This is our year. LeBron will get his championship for the city of Cleveland. LeBron James is Underrated
The Cavaliers play the Chicago Bulls tonight on national television. Kind of odd that our last game was with the Raptors, who are currently engaged in an intense battle with the Bulls for the 8th spot in the playoffs (aka the right to lose to the Cavs.) Since Cleveland has already secured the #1 seed and homecourt throughout the playoffs, the 8th seed will have to face LeBron and company.
Currently, the 8th seed belongs to the Toronto Raptors. They are barely holding on though, and their 1/2 game lead is in serious jeopardy. Toronto has to be pretty upset about the fact that Bosh was critically injured during the last Cavs game, and they won't have him any time soon. They lost again last night, and also lost Hedo Turkoglu to injury, adding to their misery.
This is why tonight's game could have a significant impact on who the Cavs face in the first round of the playoffs. If Chicago can somehow beat Cleveland tonight, they will tie the Raptors for the 8th and final seed in the playoffs. They then play New Jersey tomorrow night, and expect to win. Toronto is off tonight; they face an always-tough Atlanta Hawks squad on Friday.
Who makes the playoffs will ultimately be decided Sunday night when the Raptors face the Bulls head-to-head. After that all-important showdown, Toronto's last two games are against Detroit and then New York. Chicago will finish up vs. the Bobcats and Charlotte.
You might be asking, does any of this really matter? The answer is obvious and was already stated; these teams are essentially fighting for the right to be swept and embarrassed by the Cavaliers in the first round. From the looks of things, it will probably be Chicago, since Toronto has to finish their season without their star and leader Chris Bosh. The matchup I'm looking forward to most is Varejao vs. Joakim Noah. Is Noah one ugly-looking scrub or is it just me?
Personally, I would much rather face the Bosh-less Raptors than Derrick Rose and the Bulls. It doesn't look likely that Toronto will hold onto their lead however. Their only hope is that the Cavs dismantle Chicago tonight and then they win the head-to-head matchup on Sunday. Again, let me reiterate, that none of this matters. If Atlanta and Milwaukee hold onto their 4th and 5th seeds, respectively, then we will have to face them in the 2nd round. After we beat the Hawks, it will likely be the winner of the Magic/Celtics 2nd round series facing the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Playoff hypotheticals are always tricky, because who can say that Orlando will beat Charlotte, or Boston will get by Miami in the 1st round. One thing is for certain; LeBron and the Cavaliers will be waiting for whomever in the Eastern Conference Finals. From there it's only a matter of time until the Cavs play for the championship. LeBron is on a mission this year, and with home-court throughout the playoffs, it doesn't look like anyone else stands a chance. LeBron will be the MVP (and finals MVP). LeBron James is Underrated
To steal a line from LL Cool J, "Momma said knock you out." That's pretty much what happened last night in Cleveland, as the Cavaliers steamrolled the Raptors winning easily 113-101. There wasn't a lot to cheer for if you were a Raptors fan, and to make matters worse Chris Bosh went down with an injury.
Early in the game, Bosh was battling hard with Antawn Jamison. Bosh was the recipient of (an unintentional) hard elbow to the face by Antawn. Bosh layed on the ground in pain, and you can't blame him. His nose started bleeding profusely, and tests showed Bosh broke his nose, and also incurred a facial fracture. Honestly, I feel pretty bad for him. That type of injury always looks excruciating; its reminiscent of Anquan Boldin's nasal fracture last season in the NFL. It's something that Bosh can possibly play with, but let's be honest; the Raptors aren't going anywhere this year anyways.
After their stud big-man went down, the Cavs stepped on the pedal. The wine-and-gold finished shooting a scorching 56 percent from the field, and a season-high 38 assists. Pretty impressive when you remember we've already clinched the best record overall, and basically have nothing to play for. You couldn't even have blamed Mike Brown had he decided to rest his stars.
Jamison led the Cavs in scoring with 20 points, but LeBron added 18 to go along with 13 assists as well. You have to appreciate the distribution of the ball, and the unselfishness of this team. All systems are go for a championship go.
"It was awesome," said Cavs star LeBron James. "To have 38 assists on 47 field goals is what we're all about. You can't have those numbers every night, but to pass like we did tonight with everyone giving each other the opportunity to score, sharing the basketball and knocking down shots was great to see."
That's what makes LeBron better than Kobe, and anyone else for that matter. If he wanted to, he could score 50 points a night and hog the ball like a certain purple-jersey wearing overrated Laker. LeBron loves to get his teammates involved, which is a huge reason why the chemistry on this team is so good. LeBron is at his best when he's hitting Mo Williams or Anthony Parker for demoralizing 3 pointers. Speaking of Parker, he loves showing Toronto why wish they still had him. His 18 points were certainly needed, and his season high 8 rebounds also had a huge impact.
You better have enjoyed watching our starters play this one, because there's really no reason to see them in action the rest of the regular season. We've earned the right to give LeBron and company some rest for the playoffs. Mike Brown certainly will take advantage of the opportunity. Even on the bench, LeBron still has a huge impact because our other players love showing the King their own set of skills. The Akron Hammer loves seeing the success of his teammates, and will likely be the number one cheerleader off the bench for the last few games of the season. That's what makes him the Most Valuable Player in the game today. LeBron James is Underrated
The first 3 quarters of this game was one of the worst defensive performances the Cavaliers have displayed this entire season. The Celtics somehow get off to a fast start, going up 8-1. Then LeBron hits a ridiculous layup, dishes a sick pass to Jamison for 2, and then comes down and hits a layup while getting fouled. Just like that, its 8-7. But the Celtics remembered the last two beatdowns the Cavs handed them, and looked determined to battle tough in the 1st quarter.
Rondo hits a jumper, Ray Allen hits a 3, and the Celtics are soon up 19-12. LeBron and Mo are taking most of the shots. LeBron missed his first several jumpers, but Mo picked up the slack by hitting some 3’s.
At the end of the quarter, the Cavs were down 22-30 and LeBron had the vision to find Jamario Moon for a spectacular alley-oop. Paul Pierce comes down and gets a garbage and-one, and the Cavs finish the quarter down 33-24. Boston clearly wanted to get off to a fast start, and they did just that.
The 2nd quarter progressed much like the 1st, and the Celtics just kept hitting shots. The Cavs look somewhat out-of-sync, and the Celtics were playing tough. Rondo and Ray Allen were playing solid. At the 5 minute mark, the Celtics were up 49-36 and we were just waiting for LeBron to escape his shooting slump. (3/11)
We weren’t getting many calls, but that wasn’t the reason why we were down double-digits. They kept getting out on fast-breaks and scored a lot of points in the paint. Hickson’s two baskets and then two free-throws cut Boston’s lead to 50-42. Hickson was a bright spot, who at this point had 8 points and 8 rebounds. Varejao’s absence didn’t help; his energy was invaluable in our last game with Boston.
Mo Williams took charge, hitting a tough running layup and then hitting his third 3 pointer (he hadn’t missed one yet.) LeBron added to the Cavs free-throw misery, bricking two with about a minute to go. The Cavs missed 14 free throws total, with LeBron having 8 of those. It’s not often LeBron goes a full quarter without scoring a point, but that was almost the case today. His only 2 points in the quarter came when he hit a deep jumper with 20 seconds remaining. The Cavs went 8/15 from the line in the half. There’s a reason why they’re called “free” throws. However, for the Cavaliers, sometimes they’re anything but “free.”
Rajon Rondo hits a deep three as the buzzer sounds, and the Celtics take a 64-49 lead at the half, their biggest lead of the game thus far. LeBron misses all 4 of his 3 point attempts, and shoots 4/13 on the half. Mo Williams was the only bright spot, with 15 points hitting all 6 shots he took. Ray Allen and Rondo both have 12 points, and it seems like every Celtic is playing their best. The Cavaliers never held a lead, and Boston looked like the championship team of 2 years ago.
Early in the 2nd half, things were looking grim. Following another episode of LeBron-swats-Rondo, the Cavs were down 53-72. Anthony Parker hits a big 3, and then LeBron finds Hickson for a nice dunk. But Ray Allen just kept hitting 3’s. It was a common theme. We cut the lead to 60-75, then Ray-Ray drills another 3, pushing the lead back to 18.
This was not the defensive effort Mike Brown was expecting. Fast-forward to the 6 minute mark, where Mike Brown effectively lost his mind. He gets double-technicaled while screaming in the face of a referee. I’m not sure what his plan was, but probably something in the “motivate the team” department. His stress factor was elevated when Mo Williams was being held by Tony Allen on a rebounding attempt. It was actually kind of refreshing to see a vintage Mike Brown freak-out. In his defense, the officiating was pretty suspect. Had he not been held back, it looked like he was ready to throw down.
So Brown gets sent to the locker room, and not a whole lot changes. Late in the quarter, there was an Antawn Jamison sighting. He had a nice offensive rebound off a LeBron-miss for an easy two, then the next possession down he hits a 3 cutting the Celtics lead to a (not-so-manageable) 87-70. Ray Allen hits another freaking 3 pointer and the lead is right back up to 20 @ 92-72. The quarter ended with the Celtics at 98 points, leading by 17, and we could only hope for a miracle in the 4th. Considering the Cavs only give up 95 a game, the fact that we gave up 98 in just 3 quarters was not a good sign.
The 4th quarter was far more entertaining for Cavaliers fans. No one scored for the first 2 minutes of the final quarter, and LeBron’s two free throws at the 9:54 mark yet again cut the lead to 15. A few possession’s later, another questionable call upset LeBron, and he received a technical foul. That really pissed the King off, and the Cavaliers started playing with a chip on their shoulder. LeBron cut the lead to 101-93 with about 6 minutes to go; there was no quit in the Cavaliers on this day. Antawn Jamison hits an unbelievable 3 pointer, and the lead is down to 5. (It’s easy to lose a big lead when you rely on Kevin Garnett, who missed a bunch of shots in the 4th)
LeBron’s smooth lefty-layup cut the lead down to 2, and then Rondo got a technical of his own on a drive. Anthony Parker hits a nasty bank-shot off the dribble, and the comeback is complete; Cavs take the lead 104-103. Honestly, in my opinion; this is one of the greatest comebacks in Cavs history. Even though we lost, the 4th quarter was so much fun to watch. The fact that we turned around a 20 point deficit to take the lead undoubtedly put a smile on the face of Cavaliers fans everywhere. This game truly showed that the Cavs don’t ever concede defeat.
Ray Allen hits another 3 with 46 seconds left, and the Celtics lead is 4 points at 112-108. Ray Allen was the reason the Celtics won this game. He hit 6/9 from deep, and his huge makes seem to come at terrible times for the Cavaliers on this occasion.
The game ultimately came down to a missed 3 pointer by LeBron. With 10 seconds to go and down 115-113, LeBron shot a 3 pointer. He was 0-9 from deep in the game, which makes you kind of wonder why he didn’t just drive to the lane and try for an easy bucket. Garnett’s two free throws sealed the deal.
This was a hard-fought game, and the tension kept growing throughout the entire contest. You gotta be proud of the Cavs though, who turned this game from a blowout into a thriller. LeBron led the charge in the 4th, and it looked like we had a chance to pull the miracle. This game definitely added to the rivalry between the two teams. Players that received technical fouls: LeBron, Rasheed, Rondo, and Mike Brown's ejection adds to 5 technicals total. The Cavaliers do not have any respect for the Celtics, and rightly so. The King finishes with 42 points, but everyone remembers the pull-up 3 that wasn't. LeBron wishes he could have had that last shot back, but he went for the win and you have to admire his overall performance. Even in defeat, LeBron James is Underrated
In the last two games, our beloved Cleveland Cavaliers won by a combined 8 total points. It's getting to be that time of year. The playoffs are on the horizon, and the Cavs have already locked up the division. Speaking of which, the next closest team in our division is 18 games behind. If that doesn't proclaim dominance, I'm not sure what does. Regardless, at this point in the season, we can't expect our starters to see their regular minutes. Mike Brown knows this team is poised for a championship-run, and he doesn't want to take chances.
Wednesday night, the scrappy Milwaukee Bucks were ready to give the Cavs their best shot. This game came down to the wire, and Mo Williams held us together to grit out a 101-98 victory. Milwaukee took advantage of our missed free throws, and lack of offensive production. LeBron's 23 points and 7 assists were solid, but we definitely played down to the competition.
"We should have won that game," said Bucks coach Scott Skiles. "We gave them that game. Nothing against Cleveland, because they won and they deserved it. But we've got to make plays."
Not so fast Scott. When you're playing the Cavaliers, you should never say, "We should have won that game." There's no justifying this blatently ignorant statement. Cleveland is just better than Milwaukee. You should have said, "We almost got really lucky and won that game against the Cavs who are clearly a better team than us."
Nice try though. Maybe instead he also should have focused on the free-throw disparity, which was awesomely one-sided. The Bucks shot 9 free throws; the Cavs shot 46. Either the Association loves to see LeBron win in Cleveland, or Milwaukee just commits a ridiculous amount of fouls. I vote the latter.
John Salmons was one who didn't overlook the statistic, and he as quoted saying, "9 to 45, that's got to be a record," Salmons said. "I don't want to lose no money, so ... I'm not going to speak about that." Now there's a guy who values the importance of the all-mighty dollar.
Milwaukee thought they should have won, but that's just not the case. Their playoff chances also took a major hit last night as Andrew Bogut was seriously injured in their victory over the Phoenix Suns. Bogut sustained a dislocated elbow, broken hand, and sprained his wrist. Obviously, Bogut won't be available for the Bucks futile playoff run. Not looking good for the brew-crew faithful.
The win over Milwaukee pushed the Cavs' win total to 59 games, one away from that sweet #60.
The Atlanta Hawks came to town, hoping to delay the Cavaliers achieving this feat back-to-back years. It wasn't meant to be. LeBron and company continued the recent trend of allowing opponents to think they have a chance, then actually start playing late in the 4th quarter. So in summation: Cavs don't take the first 3 quarters very seriously, push the "easy" button (aka giving LeBron the ball) late in the game, and win a close game 93-88.
Don't get me wrong, Atlanta has a pretty darn good team. A starting lineup with Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford is a pretty formidable squad. Their problem arises when they go to their bench, who can't hang with the depth of the Cavaliers' bench. Another problem is a common one for NBA teams: Having to go against LeBron James.
LeBron was vintage ridiculous in the 4th quarter, displaying an impressive arsenal of unstoppable drives. His shooting stroke was also dead-on, and the Hawks had no answer. LeBron finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds. There aren't too many other (in fact there are no) small-forwards in the league that have the potential to grab 13 rebounds in a night. That's part of what makes LeBron James the most dominant force in the league. His signature hammer-dunk in the 4th quarter got the crowd on their feet, and left the rim in a little bit of pain.
Also important was the continued clutch play of Mo Williams, who had 24 huge points to help the Cavs seal the deal late. Maurice Williams is one of the best point guards in the league. LeBron knows this, and always gives him opportunities to knock down much-needed 3 pointers when the game is on the line.
Let's just think take a minute, and think about how great our team is. With this win over Atlanta, the Cavaliers became the 18th team to have back-to-back 60 win seasons. The Cavaliers also clinched home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference finals, and soon to be throughout the entire playoffs. This win makes it 10 straight at home. The Cavaliers are 60-16 on the season. That means, that if you bet $100,000 on every Cavs game this year, you would have turned your $100,000 into $4.4 million. That's a pretty good return on your investment. LeBron is the run-away pick for MVP. That means he could win the scoring title, regular season MVP, and finals MVP. When your franchise goes from 17 wins, 65 losses, to 60+ wins and 16 losses, you probably drafted LeBron James.
Today, we head to Boston to embarrass the Celtics, (again) and the win total will climb to 61. The Celtics are just hoping to not get knocked out of the 1st round this year. The Cavs are expecting to win at all. All things are possible when you draft the King. LeBron James is Underrated
