The Streak is Over

The Cavs beat the Knicks. On purpose. With overtime and everything. They won't go 0-December. *whew*

I gotta give the Cavs credit, I did not expect them to pull this game out.  Don't get me wrong, they played the Knicks tough but while they were tied every now and then, most of the game they trailed consistently by 4-6 points. I figured that the Cavs would hang around but eventually the Knicks would pull away.

But Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao had different ideas.

I can't say enough about Andy. Varejao had 14 points and 17 boards (7 offensive!) and did a great job on Amare Stoudemire (Amare finished with 23 and 11, but committed dumb fouls, missed the game winning jumper and seemed really frustrated by Andy). (I know Amare is The Man on the Knicks, but they really should've had Cav-Killer Raymond Felton take the last shot. Felton finished with 23 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds).

Mo Williams hit a game tying runner with 3 seconds left in regulation and then dominated (yes, dominated!) overtime with 6 points and 3 assists in the extra period.  Mo and Varejao are starting to run the pick and roll pretty well, my only concern is Mo will jump in the air before Andy is open.  The passes have worked out, because Varejao is always rolling to the rim (and he pass is so late, Andy is quite open) but I don't like Mo leaving his feet without really knowing what he's doing. Mo finished with 23 points, 14 assists and 5 boards.

All in all, great win by the Cavs. Not only did they stop their 10 game losing streak, but they beat a team with a winning record in the process.

The Cavs face the Jazz on Monday and then travel to Atlanta on Wednesday.  For some reason, Cleveland isn't a part of the NBA's Christmas schedule this year. Weird.

A 34 Point Loss

To a four win team.

Impressive.

Quick Cavs - Celtics thoughts

- Possible the Cavs were looking ahead to Thursday? If you can look past a 12-4 team...

- Cavs defense was terrible. No one stopped any penetration, no stood their ground and no one made the Celtics work. Rondo got inside at will (not Mo's best game, to say the least) and Boston exploited matchups and mismatches inside (note: Big Baby vs Jamison is a terrible matchup for the Cavs).

- I like that Mo is being aggressive, but he can't be forcing things (like trying a thread the needle bounce pass between the entire Boston defense).

- The Celtics are good.  They have a lot of guys who do a lot of different things well. They're filled with guys with unique builds (KG, Shaq, Rondo, Nate Robinson, Big Baby) and they can be both conventional and unconventional.

- J.J. had no room to operate inside but he seemed more than willing to settle for that jumper.

- Cleveland's small forward position is trash.

- Liked the effort I saw from Varejao.  I still think he's the Cavs' best trade asset. Stay healthy!

- The refs were fairly shitty.  Not that they caused the Cavs to lose or anything.  But they certainly made things more difficult (Varejao was getting beat up).

- In the same vein, Boston didn't win the game because of their moving screens, but Jesus Christ do they get away with a ton moving screens. KG is especially bad.

Toronto 101, Cleveland 81

Little bit of a different feel to this one.  First post-LeBron game, home opener against Boston? Cavs had a lot of effort and energy.  A simple late-October game in Toronto? The Cavs focus and energy were, um, lacking to say the least. The Cavs gave up too many easy baskets and they made things hard on themselves offensively by standing around and chucking threes. Night and day compared to Wednesday's win over Boston.

Not J.J. Hickson's finest hour.  After scoring 21 points against Boston, Hickson followed it up with a 6 point, 6 rebound performance.  Fouls limited Hickson's court time to just 15 minutes, but I wouldn't blame the refs.  J.J. commits dumb fouls and he has to find ways to limit that (like not needlessly swiping at the ball).  The Cavs aren't deep enough (especially without Andy) to be able to win many games with Hickson on the bench.

The defense was not good.  Cleveland's defensive rotations were a step slow and they gave up way too many open jumpers and easy shots inside.  The Raptors shot 47% from the floor and simply had better effort. Reggie Evans absolutely killed the Cavs on the boards (14 rebounds, 5 offensive) and always seemed to end up with the loose ball (Hickson needed to do more on the glass too).

The starters were, well, awful.  The five starters combined for 29 points on 11-37 shooting.  Ramon Session went 1-10, Jamario Moon was 1-5 and Anthony Parker went 4-11.  There was too much standing around and way too many contested jumpers.  Ryan Hollins, starting in place of Varejao, scored 7 points in the first half but finished the game with those same 7 points (however, I did like his effort).  Again, the Cavs were without both Mo and Andy, but a disappointed effort from the starting group.

The game didn't get out of hand until the third quarter.  Toronto held a 7-10 point lead for most of the second quarter and Cleveland trailed 46-38 heading into halftime.  The Toronto lead built to 13 early in the third but after some treys from Anthony Parker and Antawn Jamison, the Cavs cut it to 54-48 at the 8 minute mark.  Led by Linas Kleiza (13 points in the quarter), the Raptors finished the third on a 23-7 run and that was all she wrote (the Cavs "tried" to get back into it by lofting a ton of threes).

On the plus side, a whole quarter of garbage time! Cavs fans who stuck around through the fourth quarter got their first glimpses of Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels.  I thought both guys played well in their first NBA action.  Samuels scored 7 points on some nice post moves (as well as an alley oop from Boobie) but didn't grab a single board in his 7 minutes.  Harris scored 8 points (went 2-2 from downtown) and looked extremely fast with the basketball.  Harris looked so good that I wondered why he didn't spell Sessions earlier.

and finally...

First back-to-back of the year.  The Cavs can wash the taste of this game from their collective mouthes with a win over the Kings Saturday night in Cleveland.  I'm going to be interested to see how the Cavs respond and bounce back from this loss. With Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings aren't a team the Cavs can look past (not that this Cavs team should be looking past anyone).

Even Joel Skinner thought LeBron could've been more aggressive

Wow. That was awful. Watching the Cavs get blown out like that, in what's practically a must-win Game 5 (at home, nonetheless) was simply horrendous. It's one thing to lose, but to lose by over 30 points...

I have a few thoughts on the game as well as the situation in which the Cavs and LeBron find themselves but they're quite a mess and often contradictory.

On the surface, I'm pissed off. The entire team didn't bring their A-game (or B-game or C-game) and LeBron's effort (or lack thereof) really stood out. I'm also sad and quite disappointed that LeBron's last game in the city Cleveland was a 30 point blowout where he was outscored by four of Boston's five starters. It's one thing to lose a playoff game at home, but at least go down swinging (at the very least could you seem pissed off or concerned in your post game remarks? At least act like you're mad you lost).

However, I'm also glad. Yes, glad I say. I nearly paid $150 for a ticket to Game 5, but passed because I really couldn't afford it. *Whew* Good call, right? Man, if I would've paid $150 for the pleasure of watching them lose to the Boston Celtics by 30 points, I don't know what I would've done, but it probably would've involved some type of murderous rampage.

I heartily endorse this open letter from Brendan Bowers of Stephien Rules:

Mr. James,

After the Heat won that title, and they argued Dwayne Wade was better than you, it used to make me angry. When they said you couldn't win the big one after that team of stiffs you took to the finals got swept by the Spurs, the ignorance of that comment made me laugh at the time. When you went for 40+ in game seven at Boston, and the Cavs fell short, I looked towards the airballs hoisted by Wally Szcerbiak and asked how much more you could do on your own. And last season, after your squad won 66 regular season games only to fall to the Magic in the ECF, I argued in hindsight that Orlando was a mismatch. But now, tonight, in a game where a statement from you was paramount, you might as well have been sitting next to your agent and Coach Calapari because you didn't even show up on the floor. This one tonight LeBron - a game 5 at home you had to have where instead you allowed your team to be blown off the court by 32 - this one is totally and completely on you. You might have one of the best marketing teams in the world 'Bron 'Bron, but not even they can spin this any other way...failing to compete or provide effort in arguably the most critical playoff game of your team's franchise history is now a part of your legacy. And whether you care or not, that's something you'll be taking with you wherever it is you end up going from here on out.

(read the whole thing).

Is it overstating things to lay this loss at LeBron's feet? Maybe, I mean, it's not like any other Cavalier looked comfortable against Boston's defense. But here's LeBron's final stat line: 15 points (3-14 FG, 9-12 FT), 6 rebounds, 7 assists and a +/- of -22. LeBron's didn't make his first basket until halfway through the third period (on a leak out/cherry pick) and he finished 1-12 on jumpshots (0-4 from behind the arc). My buddy (who did spend the $150 to see them lose by 30) sent me this text at 8:35: PM "3:37 in the first LeBron has yet to shoot... Are we concerned? Yes."

Bitch about the coaching or the other Cavaliers. Fine. But no one forced LeBron to play passive and settle for jumpers. Yea, you don't always make every shot, but LeBron shouldn't have only 6 shot attempts midway through the third period. That's all heart and desire. And that's all on LeBron. (Remember this summer when LeBron worked on his post moves? Good times).

But really, no one on the Cavaliers played well. Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison each finished with 9 points and continued to get abused by their Boston counterparts (16 points, 2 boards and 7 assists for Rondo and 18 points, 6 boards from KG). Anthony Parker finished with 14 points but was forced to do too much (he should never be driving to create a shot with the shot clock running down) and Shaq finished with a very empty 21 and 5. Off the bench, Delonte had a bad game, Varejao was only mildly effective and J.J. Hickson and Jamario Moon combined for 11 minutes.

The only Cavalier who played like he gave a damn was Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Big Z (in what could've been his last game in Cleveland) came off the bench and scored 5 points (2-3 FG) to go along with 3 boards and 4 blocks. He hit his first jumper and converted a 3-point play at the end of the half to cut Boston's 9 point lead to six (50-44). In the second half, Coach Mike was grasping at straws and gave Boobie some run, hoping to find another spark but with little results.

However, at the end of the day, it still comes down to LeBron. He's the MVP, he's the Chosen One, he's the straw that stirs the drink that is the Cavaliers and he laid an egg in their biggest game of the season. Am I defending the other guys? Of course not. But as both Brian Spaeth and Bowers said, it wasn't like Michael Jordan started games looking to set up Horace Grant or tried to get Craig Hodges going. He dominated and the other guys followed suit. Even now, this series is still there for the taking but only if LeBron goes out and actually takes it.

I just don't know how badly he wants it.

(This is why I've spent the last 5 years bitching about LeBron's penchant for dagger threes, wasting the shot clock and complaining about lack of post moves. LeBron kept trying to hit that big trey to get the Cavs back into the game, but it never materialized. Hitting a step-back, fade-away trey looks badass when it goes in, but I'm pretty Doc Rivers and company will live with the results. When you wait to make your move until there's 6 seconds left in the shot clock, you've then put pressure on yourself to execute perfectly. If the ball gets tipped or you slip or whatever (not out of the question, Boston does have a good defense), you're now throwing up a bad shot to simply beat the clock (which you chose to waste). Did James ever once post up Ray Allen or Paul Pierce? Of course not).

The specter of LeBron's pending free agency hung over the entire arena like a guillotine on Tuesday night. With the Cavs heading back to Boston down 3-2, it's entirely possible that this was LeBron's last game at The Q. I've always said that I think LeBron will stay but if they bow out in the 2nd round with only two wins, all bets are off. I'm not going to say he had one foot out the door or anything like that, but I'm a little concerned that LeBron's only good game of the series came in front of Jay-Z and Beyonce in Game 3.

Maybe if the Cavs lose, LeBron is out the door. I won't say good riddance or anything like that; LeBron James is certainly the best thing to happen to the Cavaliers in their 40 year history. But I hope he's aware that Game 5 stays on his permanent record. If he bolts (effectively killing basketball in Cleveland, by the way) for a bigger market, this stink bomb will be his lasting legacy in his home town. LeBron has the skill set to be one of the all-time greats but he's not guaranteed anything, let alone multiple titles.

LeBron and the Cavaliers haven't figured out how to win as the favorite. They've played great when they've been overmatched with nothing to lose (like against Detroit in '06 and '07 and Boston in '08) but thus far have stumbled to play well with title expectations. (One of my issues with Coach Brown is that the Cavs don't have they're own style. Everyone loved Cleveland's depth because it allowed them to play any style they needed. They could go big, they could go small, they could speed up the game or slow it down. They could match up with anybody! But what's their best lineup? Why do they always have to be the ones adapting to the other team? You're the 60 win team, force opponents to play the way you want to play).

Winning is a skill that you have to learn. You can't take plays off, you can't let teams stick around and you can't give away games. LeBron and the Cavs do all these things, regularly. They gave away both Game 2 and Game 4 with bad turnovers and poor execution, but seemed unconcerned because they were only tied 2-2. At the start of Game 5, neither Paul Pierce (21 points, 11 rebounds) or Ray Allen (25 points) had played a great game. How long was that going to continue? These guys have won a title before and letting them hang around is playing with fire.

All that being said, despite the dire attitude, this series isn't over yet. Yes, the Cavs have put themselves in a horrendous position, having to win Game 6 on the road simply to force Game 7, but it's not impossible. It's entirely possible that the Cavs will win this series. I'm going to be interested to see how LeBron responds to the criticism he's going to receive over the next two days.

I wonder if Bill Simmons would say that Cleveland fans are at rock bottom:

You will have to be stripped of any and all hope, and then -- and only then -- will you see a light. That's the way these things work. When the Red Sox won those eight straight games in October '04, the beautiful thing was that streak went against everything I ever believed in. It was so improbable, and so ridiculous, that it somehow made sense.

Absolutely. If we are going to shed our baggage, it has to happen in exactly this way ... this ludicrous, preposterous way. And it's the only way.

The Cavs are down 3-2 and heading back to Boston is what could be LeBron's walk year. The Cavaliers look disinterested, Mike Brown looks lost, LeBron just mailed in a critical Game 5 all while Boston looks like they smell blood.

It's not over. They've dug themselves a pretty deep hole but they're not dead yet. LeBron still has a chance for a rebuttal.

Win-or-Go-Home. Let's see what ya got, Bron-Bron.

Game 4: Boston 97, Cleveland 87 (Series tied 2-2)

Hey, this Rajon Rondo guy is pretty good. To say that Rondo dominated this game isn't doing him justice. He recorded his fourth career playoff triple-double and it did in astounding fashion. Rondo ended up with 29 points, 18 boards (anytime you guys wanna box out, that'd be great) and 13 assists. His energy was fantastic; he beat the Cavs to loose balls, he attacked the rim (not fearing contact and getting to the line) and consistently pushed the ball down court. Rondo's offensive putback with a little over a minute to go basically sealed the game for Boston (giving them a 92-85 lead).

What happened to all that aggression and urgency? The Cavs were down 8-11 for most the game, made a run in the third (even took the lead on three free throws from West, his only contribution for the game) only to quickly get back down 8-11 during the fourth. They were consistently beat down court (by the likes of KG and Ray Allen, which is inexcusable) and after winning the rebounding battle in Game 3, they were killed on the glass by a 49-33 margin (though, that'll happen when you let a point guard get 18 boards). The Cavs routinely took a lot of time setting things up (lot's of holding the ball and surveying/probing the defense) and the Cavs didn't seem to feel any urgency until it was a 7 point game with under two minutes to play. For example, during crunch time, LeBron seemed content to waste 15 seconds only to set up Varejao for a long jumper. If you're relying on Anderson Varejao to hit a 22 footer to win a playoff game, you deserve to lose.

LeBron has to lead more (and take more shots). In the two Cleveland victories, LeBron took over 20 shots (22 and 24) and during their two losses, he took under 20 (15 and 18). If you just look at LeBron's stats (22 points, 9 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals, a block and um, 7 turnovers), you'd say he had a pretty solid game. I'm not saying he needs to do everything, but the Cavs aren't going to beat Boston if James is 7 points under his season average. I felt like LeBron wasn't attacking enough and that when he did, he didn't have a good idea of what he was going to do (though give credit to Boston's defense, they were fantastic). I don't know if his elbow was bothering him or what, but James has to look for his shot more often (especially down the stretch- I don't trust any of the other guys having to create their own shot).

For the most part, I liked what I saw from Antawn Jamison. Yes, KG has abused him in the post, but Jamison has realized that Garnett is extremely slow and doesn't have the foot speed to keep up defensively. Jamison finished with 14 points and 6 boards and routinely attacked the basket (especially when the Celtics over pursued on closeouts). Jamison shot 6-12 from the floor but missed all three of his treys and did not look comfortable down the stretch (though his one miss came after he got away with a travel and shot a 'wait, we're playing?' floater).

Let's pretend that Shaq is just a big version of J.J. Hickson, okay? Do the Cavs really need to be running plays for Shaq? Does he have to start every game by forcing a bad shot over Kendrick Perkins? When O'Neal is on the move and the Cavs are creating mismatches, he's really effective. When they simply throw it down to him and stand around watching him try to back down Perkins, he's not effective... at all (doesn't help that they just stand around watching him). Though I will say this in Shaq's defense: he gets Boston in foul trouble (O'Neal shot 11 free throws and made 7). It wasn't pretty, but Shaq finished with 17 points and 5 boards in 28 minutes.

Way to use the Cavs' athleticism to their advantage, Coach Mike. J.J. Hickson received 5 minutes and Jamario Moon got to play 3. Awesome. I know these guys didn't play perfect, but Anthony Parker is allowed to screw up all he wants (he bobbled the ball away a few times) and still get playing time, while Moon and J.J. get yanked at the first sign of trouble. A big (non-Rondo) reason that Boston won was because Tony Allen went 6-7 and gave them 15 points and 5 boards (similar to Sheed's 7-8 off the bench in Game 2). The Cavs are going to need their bench (all starters scored in double figures) and having Moon and Hickson combine for 8 minutes barely gives them a chance to make an impact.

and finally...

You can't really be surprised that we're all tied up at 2, but there are some concerns. For instance, the fact that the energy comes and goes is a bit disconcerting. Maybe the Cavs figured they won back home-court advantage in Game 3, so this game wasn't that important, but this loss means that they'd either have to clinch A) in Game 6 in Boston or B) a Game 7 (where anything can happen), rather at home in Game 5. Also, the series is tied at 2 and Paul Pierce has yet to have a good game (he's averaging 11 points on 32% shooting). I doubt he's going to go the entire series without having a big game. Game 5 is Tuesday night at The Q.

Cross-posted at LeBrownstown.com

Game 2: Boston 104, Cleveland 86 (Series tied 1-1)

Well that sure sucked. The high point of the evening came when LeBron accepted his MVP award before the game; it was all downhill from there. The Cavs didn't defend (the Celtics shot over 50%), they were outrebounded (43-32), they didn't move the ball (17 assists to Boston's 30) and they couldn't buy a bucket from the field (28-70 for 40%), from three (4-21, 19%) or from the line (26-38, 68%). There was no energy, no sense of urgency and no creativity (let's throw it down to Shaq and watch him miss a layup, again!). What's scary is the fact that the Cavs shot more free throws (38-18), had less fouls (15 to Boston's 31) and won the turnover battle (15-17) and still managed to lose by 18, at home, on the night LeBron won his second MVP. Awesome.

The Celtics are too good to for the Cavs to screw around for three quarters. I get that LeBron likes setting up his teammates early in games and that the Cavs try to establish Shaq at the start of quarters. Understandable and even commendable. But you see how the Celtics are exploiting Rondo's (13 points, 19 assists) and KG's (18 points, 10 boards) matchups constantly? There's no reason the Cavs shouldn't do that with LeBron. Now, this is on LeBron too (not just Brown); he needs to lead and be aggressive and he has to establish a tone early on that isn't "I'll just turn it on later after you guys hit some shots." You can get away with that crap against the Bulls and throughout the regular season, but it isn't gonna fly against the Celtics. The Cavs made their late run (they got it down to 10 with 4:33 left) by attacking the rim and running the floor (and the run fizzled when they started chucking threes). There's no reason they can't do that for a full 48 minutes (seriously, Boston is a good defensive team, but they're slow. Attack them!).

Shaq was, um, ineffective. O'Neal finished with 9 points on 4-10 shooting with 4 rebounds (3 offensive) in 17 minutes. It wasn't pretty. He was missing shots at point blank range and giving up offensive rebounds at will. I'm not sure what Brown can do at this point. The Cavs are going to need Shaq in the next series, so he needs reps... but they need to get to win this series and O'Neal is killing them. What's maddening is that the Cavs just stand and watch when Shaq gets the ball and the Celtics aren't doubling O'Neal (because Perkins is really good post defender). So no movement, no drawing a second defender and lot's of missed point-blank shots. Shaq had 10 shot attempts to Mo's 9 (made one) and Jamison's 11 (made six). This should not happen... ever... (and especially not when he's shooting that poorly). Shaq isn't the second option (or 2a or 2b), he's option C or D.

It's everyone's fault, there's enough blame to go around. The effort was terrible (the Cavs tried... for about 6 minutes in the fourth quarter... after they were down 23), the offense was horrible (you're allowed to run plays. It's totally legal) and the defense was perplexing (Jamison kept fronting KG, with no help over the top and it led to three layups in Boston's big third quarter). Mo Williams went 1-9, Anthony Parker shot 2-7 and Shaq was 4-10. That's three starters combining to shoot 7-26. Wow. I'm blaming Coach Mike for the sloppy offense and terrible energy but he can't control who shoots well (and I don't know what he said at halftime, but it did not work).

But I will point a finger at Coach Mike. Yes, I have some issues with his sub patterns (just 5 minutes for Jamario Moon?) and the usual complaints with the offense (boring and predicable). But the Cavs have looked unprepared at the start of halves and their body language is just beyond awful (Mo, Parker and Delonte look terrified and too deferential to James). Brown was really animated after the game (which isn't too surprising, considering how they lost) but I would've loved to see some of that passion during the game. Get a tech or do something to light a fire under these guys.

I don't understand why Anthony Parker deserves minutes. You know how you can't measure some players (like Varejao) by their box score? I feel the same way about Anthony Parker (only negatively). Parker finished with 6 points, 1 board, 1 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes. He had one turnover and two fouls. But that line doesn't do him justice. His one turnover was a terrible pass off an inbounds pass underneath their own hoop. One of his fouls was a weak push off a Ray Allen curl (and led to a three-point play). I don't like his defense (though it's not terrible) and I don't trust him at all on the offensive end (both of his field goals came in the first period and he can't create his own shot). I was completely baffled that he was allowed to play that entire third period.

Anderson Varejao is the second most valuable Cavalier. Andy has been playing with a bruised knee and it shows. His activity level is way down and to say that the Cavs miss his energy is an understatement. He's far and away their best help defender and he's also probably their best rebounder. Andy had a nice stretch the second period when worked the pick-and-roll with LeBron and got himself to the line (4-5 FT) but he ended up leaving the game early due to back spasms. The big injury story is LeBron's elbow, but Varejao's knee (and now back) may be a bigger concern.

For those clamoring for more J.J. Hickson, just so you're aware, the kid has a grand total of 3 rebounds in two games (31 minutes). Don't get me wrong, I'm all for J.J. getting more playing time, but you can't just concentrate on his scoring. And his scoring is great! He had 13 points on 4-6 shooting in just 14 minutes. He attacked the rim, he ran the floor and he got himself to the line (5-7 FT). All this is great. But he was murdered defensively (the Celts went right at him) and it's not a coincidence that Rasheed Wallace went off (17 points, 7-8 FG, 3-4 3pt) when J.J. was on the floor.

The refs were decidedly pro-Cavalier, but I'm gonna bitch anyways. The Cavs got some highly questionable calls in the fourth quarter (when they made their too-little, too-late push) and it's hard to argue with a 31-15 foul advantage and 38-18 free throw disparity. But man, Rajon Rondo is hard to guard as it is, but when you let them set illegal screens all night, it's practically impossible (seriously, they move nearly every time). Plus, Anderson Varejao was called for the first Flagrant 1 block in NBA history. Seriously, he helped baseline on Ray Allen, bodied him out of bounds and somehow earned a Flagrant 1 (Allen split the free throws and hit a trey the ensuing possession. Great).

and finally...

At the end of the day, the series is tied 1-1. Yes, they played awful but a 20 point loss counts the same as a one point buzzer beater (though getting out played/worked/coached in 3 of the 4 halves, at home, has to be a concern). They got their butts kicked and now they have to respond. They have to lose three more to get knocked out. They're OK. And it's not the worst thing in the world that series won't resume until Friday. Not only does the break give LeBron and Varejao time to heal up but the Cavs now have three days to stew and digest that crappy performance.

Random Thoughts from Game 1

Some musings from the Cavaliers' Game 1 victory over the Celtics.

The Cavs sure are hard to beat when they have a second scorer (in this case, Mo Williams and his 20 points). Williams came out aggressive after halftime, even before his dunk, and attacked the rim (he got Shaq a couple of freebies). I like the fact that the Cavs kept going to Mo once he got it going (he went on a 10-4 run over a 2-minute span in the third quarter) but I hope know that they're allowed to run curls and screens for Mo even when he doesn't make four shots in a row. They need Mo to be aggressive and I feel far too often he gets lost out there with LeBron and Shaq dominating the ball. Mo (and Delonte and Antawn Jamison) isn't nearly as effective when he's made into a glorified spot up shooter.

The previous paragraph does not excuse Mo's atrocious defense on Rondo. I don't know that anyone is really shocked that Rondo dominated Williams for the entire first half (19 points, 8 assists), but it needn't be that bad. Though I do give Rondo some credit; he was making some tough floaters and high arcing bank shots and shot an incredible (for him, anyways) 12-14 from the line. To be honest, I'm totally fine with letting Rondo be the Celtics leading scorer. If he gets his, fine. It's when he attacks and gets easy buckets for the other guys (like Perkins and especially Ray Allen) that the Celtics are really dangerous. Plus, I gotta wonder how often Rondo wants to venture in the paint; he got knocked on his ass more than once (at least three times by Shaq, including a really hard foul late in the fourth) and I doubt he'll start most games 9-9 from the stripe.

It pisses me off that people are questioning whether or not LeBron is really hurt. First of all, the guy went to the locker room during a game in Chicago to get it looked at and he's gotten multiple MRI's (nevermind he rested the last week of the season). So he's getting unnecessary MRI's and leaving games to milk this thing? Really? In Game 1, I thought it was fairly obvious he was favoring his right elbow for most of the first half. He wasn't taking any jumpers and he was finishing inside with his left. He looked more himself in the second half (I agree with Barkley, I wouldn't be surprised if he got a shot at halftime); taking more jumpers, including a couple of dagger treys, and looking for contact inside. One silver lining of the elbow injury is that LeBron is hesitant to take jumpers, so he's being forced to attack the rim and post up (and it worked. Weird). James finished with 35-7-7.

And if there's a Cavalier player that's unquestionably under the weather, it's Anderson Varejao. He just looks a step slow. He played fairly well (4 points, 6 boards and a block) in Game 1, but he didn't have that boundless (re: annoying) energy that I'm used to. It's not like he's a liability so much as it's that he can't properly exploit the slowness/oldness of Boston's bigs.

Mike Brown scares the crap out of me. I feel like he went to Z before Hickson almost as if to make sure that his classic big lineup wouldn't work (and it didn't. Z's not hitting his jumpers. And I'm not sure how he'll find his rhythm at this point, with the yo-yo minutes and pressure situations). If there's ever a team where the Cavs need to go small and push the tempo, it's against Boston. The Cavs made a nice run in the second quarter with Jamario Moon, Delonte West and J.J. Hickson getting up and down the court (you pair those guys with James and Jamison/Varejao, look out). To Brown's credit, he adjusted to Rondo in the second half and the Cavs really upped their defensive intensity. I was shocked that Brown had Shaq on the court late in the game. Yes, O'Neal did get the go-ahead layup, but I don't think you needed to go back to him the very next play (especially with no movement from the other guys). Why Boston didn't foul Shaq (who had 6 points in the fourth quarter) is beyond me.

Actual conversation during the game:

Her - I agree with you that Kendrick Perkins looks like a turtle, but not as much as Pau Gasol looks like a llama.
Me - True, but Perkins has beak-like nose and kinda has a hump back, which is his shell.
Her - Ha. right.
Me - Plus he wears green, which is the color of most turtles.

The crowd at The Q is not good (and it hasn't been for quite sometime). I don't know if it's because Cleveland's a football town (seriously, the local media obsessed with the 4-12 Browns' 3rd round draft pick than LeBron's 2nd straight MVP) or that we're guarded after the Orlando comebacks or if they were just shocked to see the Cavs trailing the Celtics, but there needs to be more noise. There has to be more noise. Maybe Gilbert needs to steal an idea from the Bucks' Andrew Bogut (and give tickets to the 100 rowdiest fans you can find) but something has to change. True, the Cavs trailed for the bulk of the first half and much of the third quarter, but the crowd was no help and was simply nonexistent. I felt strongly at the time that they should've been more animated after Mo's dunk over Paul Pierce. Ya, they cheered and were happy but the place should've been going bonkers. Though in their defense, Cleveland fans aren't used to rooting for the team that's heavily favored. We're more comfortable with the scrappy underdogs.

Reggie Miller is awful. His color commentary is just painful to listen to, nevermind that he's often times wrong (J.J. Hickson has great hands? Really? Have you watched any Cavalier game this season?). I don't even know the nicknames he was trying to give Mo Williams but they too were bad. I will say that I'm amused when he finds a that the refs made a bad call but for whatever reason (fear of Stern or TNT or what) he won't just come out and say it.

The refs weren't good (I know, you're shocked). This could just be me, but I feel like we're seeing a lot more makeup calls this year. Whenever there's a terrible call going one way, the next play there's always some moving screen or pushoff that is now suddenly worthy of whistle. There were some questionable calls that went both ways (my favorite was when Antawn Jamison was whistled for letting Perkins jump into him, lose his balance and fall over. How Jamison could've prevented that is beyond me).

I love J.J.'s offense... but man, he's gotta box out. 12 minutes, 11 points, 5-7 shooting... 2 boards. He's great around the basket and really scored well, but he gave up too many offensive boards. Athleticism is great and all, but you gotta put a body on your man to effectively rebound (see: the ending of LAL-OKC Game 6). Hickson definitely deserves minutes but he's gonna have to improve the effort on the glass.

All in all, solid effort, good win. The Cavs (and the crowd) survived Boston's early punch, weathered the storm and pulled out a tough victory. It was nice seeing Mo get hot and Shaq score some points in crunch time (though I bet he's fouled the next time Brown tries going to him late in the game). LeBron's elbow is still a little worrisome (you can't tell me he wasn't favoring it in the first half) and I'm still not totally comfortable with Coach Mike, but I love what I saw at the defensive end in the second half.

Game 4: Cleveland 121, Chicago 98 (Cavs lead 3-1)

LeBron James is a good basketball player. What else can you really say? James made sure that the Cavs came back to Cleveland up 3-1; LeBron paced the Cavs with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. His night was insanely efficient; Bron-Bron shot 11-17 overall, 6-9 from behind the arc and 9-10 from the line. The dude was feeling it. Coincidentally, LeBron's 37-12-11 occured right after Dwyane Wade went nuts and dropped 46 on the Celtics.

Cleveland started the game a little slow. The game was close for the first quarter and well into the second. The Cavs didn't seem completely engaged; they settled for too many jumpers and didn't box out nearly enough. The Cavs started the game feeding O'Neal in the post, with mixed results (Shaq finished with 6 points and 7 boards in just 17 minutes). Cleveland led just 24-21 after the first quarter and were even trailing midway through the second.

That's when James started to impose his will. Midway through the second quarter, James put the Cavs on his back and they never looked back. He scored 12 points over the last six minutes before the half and the Cavs turned a four point deficit (37-41) into a 10 point halftime lead (62-52).

The Cavs brought the hammer down after halftime. The Cavs came out of the locker room and took it directly at the Bulls; Cleveland opened with a 7-0 run that soon ballooned into a 17-6 blitzing. Jamison (12 points) and LeBron (10 points) paced the Cavs, carving up the Bulls defense with excellent passing and movement. It also helped that the Cavs defensive intensity picked up and decided to stop giving up second chance points. James even hit his first ever dagger half-court buzzer beater at the end of the third, giving the Cavs a 99-76 heading into fourth (take that D. Wade!).

LeBron, as masterful as he was, didn't do it alone. Yes, LeBron had the eye popping stats, but Antawn Jamison finished with 24 points (9-16 FG) and Mo Williams pitched in 19 (6-10 FG, 3-6 3pt). The Cavs had five players in double figures (AP had 12, J.J. had 10). They're defensive pressure was great, especially after halftime. You could tell that the Cavs actually gave a damn (playoffs!) and that they weren't going to blow a big lead and let the Bulls back in the game.

J.J. Hickson got some run, at the expense of Big Z. Hickson got his first extended minutes of the post season, scoring 10 points in 17 minutes. I liked the energy Hickson brought off the bench but he had a couple of instances where he forgot to box out. But he did go 3-4 from the field, 4-4 from the stripe and grab an offensive board. He wasn't great, but he did some nice things. It's unfortunate that he's taking Z's minutes, but I think Hickson's the better fit against the Chicago bigs.

Coach Mike was decent (or even good). Throughout Brown's tenure as Cavs coach, Cleveland hasn't always played the best third quarters. But on Sunday afternoon, the Cavs came out of halftime focused and destroyed Chicago by a count of 37-24. Then in the fourth, when the Bulls cut the 24 point deficit to 19, Brown subbed in LeBron and let King James bury the Bulls. James played five minutes in the final period and record 9 points, an assist and grabbed 3 boards. Brown let's LeBron sit and maybe the Bulls cut it down to 15 or less and make it a ballgame.

Bulls weren't terrible but their role players didn't step up. Derek Rose finished with 21 points and 5 assists, Joakim Noah netted a 20-20 (actually 21-20, with 7 offensive boards) and Luol Deng scored 16. Unfortunately for Chicago, their role players came back down to Earth. Kirk Hinrich (he of the 9-12 FG, 4-4 3pt Game 3 performance) shot 3-13. Brad Miller was ineffective, shooting just 2-8 and missing more than a few layups. The Bulls bench combined to go 7-25 from the floor. For the most part, the Bulls played hard, but they just don't have the talent to matchup with the Cavaliers (it didn't help that Derek Rose rolled his ankle either).

and finally...

End it on Tuesday. Please. Heading home to Cleveland up 3-1, the Cavs are in control of this series; the Bulls simply don't have the horses to keep up with the Cavaliers when Cleveland is hustling. The Cavs only need to look at the Lakers and the trouble they're having with Oklahoma City to realize how important it is to wrap this thing up. The way LeBron and company ended the game, I'm thinking that they'll take care of business in Game 5.

Cross-posted at LeBrownsTown.com.

Game 3: Chicago 108, Cleveland 106 (Cavs lead 2-1)

The Cavaliers put themselves in an early hole and never recovered. The Cavs came out sloppy (Mo Williams threw away a few entry passes in the first two minutes) while the Bulls came out smoking hot. Derek Rose had 15 of his 31 points in the first quarter and the Bulls jumped out an 11 point lead that the Cavs never overcame. Chicago's lead ballooned to as much 21 but the Cavs would get it back down to 11 at the end of each of the first three quarters.

They finally turned things around in the fourth quarter. The Cavs, going small with LeBron at the four (and Jamison at the five), slowly whittled away the Chicago lead, getting it down two (104-102) with 10 seconds left. The Cavs went with Mo-West-Parker-LBJ-Jamison for the bulk of the period. After Rose split a pair of free throws, the Cavs drew up a play to get a three. Unfortunately, they threw the ball to Varejao (who was going to give it back to Mo in the corner) but the Bulls quickly fouled him, putting Andy at the line for two (which he split). Talk about frustrating; the Cavs had a chance to tie the game and didn't even get a shot attempt. Ugh. The Bulls kept the Cavs in it by missing free throws and Cleveland actually had a chance at the end, but Anthony Parker's halfcourt heave barely missed.

The little things drive me nuts (also, do free throws count as little things?). Shaq missed a dunk and many Cavaliers missed some bunnies. Anthony Parker had a foot on the sideline when he received a pass. Mo threw away entry passes. Jamison lost track of Deng in the open court and committed a terrible foul in response. The Cavs just didn't seem completely focused and I thought they settled for too many threes. Sure, they were 40% from downtown but they shot a whopping 35 bombs (every starter except Shaq attempted at least six). The Cavs went just 20-31 from the stripe as a team, with Mo (2-5) and LeBron (7-13) as the worst offenders.

LeBron was great, per usual. LeBron ended up with 39 points (14-26 FG, 4-8 3PT), 10 boards, 8 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals. Damn. But he wasn't perfect. LeBron was just 7-13 from the stripe and there were times (like the end of the third quarter) where he settled for jumpers. However, there were also times where the Cavs needed a basket and simply went inside and got it. I'm not sure why he doesn't attack more, it's not like Brad Miller or Joakim Noah are major shot blockers (this goes for the whole team though. 35 threes? Really guys?).

The refs were not good (but not the reason the Cavs lost). There were some fishy calls down the stretch, the most obvious being LeBron's charge that should've been an 'and-one' with 1:17 left. James was also held on the rebound of Varejao's missed free throw and West was called for a terrible travel (on a pass!) that took away a layup for Jamison. There were some weak calls on the Cavs (Varejao had some ticky-tacks and there were more than a few moving picks) but it's not like the refs were really helping the Bulls.

Alright Mike Brown, you're starting to scare me. The refusal to go small (it worked a bit in the second quarter, why wait so long to come back to it?), coupled with the poor start and the last second play (Varejao's free throws) left a bad taste in my mouth. Luol Deng missed a free throw with 3 seconds left but the Cavs were forced into a half court heave since they were out of timeouts. I don't get why J.J. Hickson hasn't seen any time, especially this game (they needed an energy injection quite badly). Brown only played Z for 5 minutes, meaning the big rotation was just Shaq, Anderson and Jamison (none of which had a good game, though Antawn finished with 19-7) yet there was no sign of J.J. I mean, this is a kid who started all season long and he's just gonna sit the whole playoffs? I've always liked Browns game-to-game adjustments, but he worries me in the heat of the moment.

But give the Bulls credit, they played great. Derek Rose continues to light up the Cavalier defense (including LeBron), finishing with 31 points and 7 assists. He's nearly unstoppable when his jumper was falling as it did on Thursday night. Luol Deng played well, scoring 20 points and forcing LeBron to work on both ends of the floor. However, it was Kirk Hinrich who won the difference for Chicago. Every time the Cavs seemed to pull close (say 8 points), Hinrich was there to knock down a three or get an easy basket for a teammate. Hinrich finished with 27 points on 9-12 shooting (4-4 3pt), 5 boards and 5 assists (though he missed some freebies that kept the Cavs alive at the end).

and finally...

Well, at least they aren't going to sweep and get too much time off. Hopefully, this game will serve as a wakeup call. These Bulls aren't last season's Pistons; they're young and they're hungry and the Cavs are going to have to actually work to beat them. I have no doubt that the Cavs will win this series; the Bulls played about as well as they could play, while the Cavs stunk and yet Cleveland still had a chance at the end. The Cavs have to learn (you'd think) that they can't just turn on the intensity in the fourth quarter. Hopefully, the Cavs will take Game 4 and then close out the series next Tuesday in Cleveland.

Game 2: Cleveland 112, Chicago 102 (Cavs lead 2-0)

Now this felt like a playoff game. While the Cavs still ended up winning by double digits, Monday night was much more tightly contested than Game 1. The Bulls played with a lot of energy and too often the Cavs were caught flat footed. Cleveland built a double digit late in the first quarter but let the Bulls climb back in. Give Chicago credit, they played pretty well (three guys notched 20 points); the Bulls aren't easily intimidated (not after their series with the Celtics) and outworked and out-hustled the Cavaliers. However, in the end, LeBron was simply too much to handle.

LeBron was absolutely spectacular. The Chosen One did it all, finishing with 40 points, 8 boards, 8 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. To say James was on fire isn't doing him justice; his jumper was falling and he attacked the rim, going a ridiculous 16-23 from the field (69.5%). Down the stretch James was burying dagger after dagger, but some of his most jaw dropping plays came when he took it to the rim. On back-to-back possessions in the first quarter, James drove to the right side of the hope, only to change directions and spin the ball off the backboard with the 'wrong' hand (right hand on the left side) and then followed it up with possibly the most vicious dunk of his career, a right handed tomahawk over James Johnson. In the fouth, he threw in a gliding, left handed scoop layup. James was great. He rebounded, he set up his teammates (he had a nifty bounce pass to a cutting Antawn Jamison) and the dominated the fourth quarter. He's the closer.

Joakim Noah talked some shit, but he backed it up, no? Sure, the Bulls didn't win, but it was of no fault of Noah. The ugliest man alive finished with 25 points, 13 boards and 3 assists. Noah simply outworked most of the Cavalier big men. Seven of his fifteen rebounds came at the offensive end and those putbacks were a big reason why he ended up with 25 points. Defensively, he guarded Shaq a bit better, but Shaq played only 15 minutes mostly due to foul trouble (which was self induced, I might add. Shaq throws a lot of elbows 'unintentionally').

LeBron didn't win this game by himself. Sure, he has the stats and the highlight plays, but he wasn't out there alone. Jamison had 14, Mo William and Jamario Moon both scored 12, Another Parker had 9, Shaq scored 8 and both Anderson Varejao and Delonte West had 7. Multiple guys scored multiple baskets. Until the end when LeBron became dagger-happy, I thought the Cavs really shared the ball well (Williams: 6 assists to 0 turnovers, Delonte: 5 to 1). I absolutely loved seeing the Cavs start off the fourth with back-to-back plays in the post (first Jamison, then West).

I don't want to alarm you, but the Cavs shot really well from the line. Mo Williams went 8-8 from the stripe (just 2-8 overall, but I liked his aggressiveness), LeBorn shot 6-6 and even Shaq shot an astounding 4-4. As a team, the Cavs finished 22-24 (92%), with only Varejao and Z missing one.

Jamario Moon: Super Sub. Coach Mike gave Moon 20 minutes and Jamario made the most of 'em. Moon played great defense, shot 4-5 from beyond the arc and skyed for three clutch rebounds late in the game. I loved the fact that Moon wasn't afraid to shoot; whenever the ball rotated to him, he simply pulled the trigger and knocked it down (plus, he didn't take any poor shots, they were all within the flow of the offense). In fact, Moon was so effective, Brown kept him in for the entire fourth, opting for a lineup for Mo-West-Moon-LeBron-Varejao (I like this a lot).

I'm gonna need more from Z. Big Z has been playing OK, but he's not finishing plays. He's normally in the right spot (whether on a defensive rotation, a pick-and-roll or for a rebound) but he just doesn't convert. Z had missed layup and got outworked on the glass more than once. I was hoping Brown would throw J.J. Hickson out there and try to give the Cavs a spark, but not such luck. Shaq and Z combined for 11 points and 11 rebounds... meh.

and finally...

Well, that was fun, glad they'll get to do this again twice in the next six days. After having just one day off between the first two games, the Cavs and Bulls will have two days off before Thursday's Game 3 in Chicago and then another two days off before Sunday's Game 4. Lame. LeBron and the Cavs have took care of business and won both games at home. While they didn't play perfectly, the Cavs had stretches where they dominated Chicago. However, the Bulls will certainly a harder out than last year's Pistons team (the presence of Rose and Noah guarantees that) and it wouldn't surprise me if the Cavs drop a game on the road (especially if they get sloppy).

Game 1: Cleveland 96, Chicago 83 (Cavs lead 1-0)

The Cavs showed no signs of rust to start the game. The Cavaliers came out really strong and showed a lot of energy (especially at the defensive end). Offensively, they moved the ball really well and got everyone involved (overall, 27 assists for 39 field goals). The game was tied at 8 when Shaq ran out after contesting a jumper and ended up with a dunk and a free throw and the Cavaliers went on a 22-6 run. They led 32-18 after the first quarter and 56-41 at the half.

The third quarter started out a little too great. The Cavs began the half with excellent ball movement that led to two wide open threes (all initiated by LeBron passing out of the post). The opening threes sparked a quick 10-4 run and it looked like we were in for laugher. But with a 66-45 lead, the Cavs became bored and settled for more of those threes. In Cleveland's defense, these weren't terrible shots (they were wide open) but the threes weren't falling (26% for the game) and the Cavs ended up going scoreless for a good seven minutes. The Bulls trailed 73-60 heading into the fourth and got it to 82-75 with just under six minutes to play, but LeBron and the Cavs were too much. With two minutes to go, James got an and-one in transition which put the Cavs back up 12.

LeBron didn't have gaudy stats, but he dominated the game. LeBron finished with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 4 blocks and a steal. His blocks are such momentum shifters, it's ridiculous. LeBron stalks his victims, almost toying with them, letting them think the coast is clear and then WHAM. It was great to see James set up in the post on more than one occasion (though too often he uses it just to draw the double and kick the ball out). James only attempted one three (he missed) but he still could've been more aggressive, especially considering that Shaq had gotten the Chicago big men into foul trouble. Overall, James was intense (he and Brad Miller received double techs after a hard foul) and focused.

The rumors were true, Shaq is in great shape. O'Neal had 12 points, 5 boards, 4 assists and 3 blocks in just 25 minutes. He ran the floor, challenged shots, showed off some nice spin moves and generally made his presence known. Shaq is simply too much for both Joakim Noah and Brad Miller, though the refs didn't do them any favors. Shaq drew a couple of touch fouls on the Bulls bigs, including one where Miller was whistled for getting his face in the way of Shaq's elbow. He'll learn next time.

The refs were not good. At one point, Anderson Varejao was called for a foul when Noah shoved him to the ground, but it's not like the refs were biased against the Cavs. While the Bulls were whistled for a couple of questionable calls while defending Shaq, the refs made 'em up with bogus moving screens and the like. Somehow, Derek Rose was inside the paint for the bulk of the game, yet only came away with two free throw attempts.

Derek Rose is fast. Really really really fast. Rose finished 28 points, 10 assists, 7 boards, a steal and 7 turnovers. Rose was the entire Chicago offense. He routinely got in the paint, beating both Mo Williams and Delonte West (though West made him take those 8-10 foot pullups) and slicing through the defense. Too bad the Bulls can't shoot threes (1-7 from downtown). Rose can to the lane at will and when he kicks it out, Bulls like Luol Deng take long twos. Say what you will about Vinny Del Negro (hearing him mic'd up and saying things like "play defense, move the ball, play hard" is kinda hilarious) but they surrounded Rose with no bigmen of note and guards who can't shoot the three. That's rough. They're like the early Cavs; LeBron would drive and then kick it out to the likes of Larry Hughes, Eric Snow and Ira Newble. If the games ever get close, the Cavs should put LeBron on Rose to smother him.

Mo Williams had a nice start to the playoffs. I'm sure Mo has been waiting for this since Game 6 in Orlando and he came out strong (starting off 5-6 from the floor). Williams finished with 19 points, 10 assists, 4 boards and um, 5 turnovers. Mo is going to have his hands full with Rose, so he's going to have to be aggressive offensively. However, the Bulls have Kirk Hinrich on Williams while Rose is hiding/resting against Anthony Parker (awesome, to rest Rose on defense, he guards Cleveland's starting shooting guard). Mo was the only Cavalier who could find the range from three, going 3-7 from downtown (LBJ was 0-1, West 0-3, Jamison went 1-4 and Parker was 1-6).

Antawn Jamison had a nice Cavalier playoff debut. In his first playoff game as a Cavalier, Jamison had one of his typical 50% shooting (7-14 FG), double-double affairs, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 boards. Jamison ran the floor well (he got a great pass from Mo that led to a layup early in the third) and I liked his defensive effort (4 blocks!?). It's really amazing how consistent Jamison is, you don't think much of him throughout the game, then you check the box score and it's another double-double.

J.J. seems to be the odd man out in the rotation. I liked what I saw from Cleveland's bench. Varejao (8 points, 15 boards) and West (4 points, 4 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals) are the two main subs and they played well (Jamario Moon and Z rounded out the Game One rotation). West was in control, rebounded really well (he gets his nose in there and crashes the boards) and set up his teammates for easy buckets (he netted Andy a dunk and a finger roll on back-to-back possessions in the second period). Obviously it's early, but Z didn't impress me all that much (2 points, 2 boards and an assist in 9 minutes) and I wonder if J.J. should be getting those minutes instead (I think they're going to need Hickson's athleticism at some point).

This is really the first time the Cavs have been 100% all season (and we got to see some fun lineups). Shaq, Z and Jamison all suited up together for the first time. For the bulk of the fourth quarter, the Cavs had a lineup of Mo, West, James, Varejao and Shaq (Jamison subbed in for Andy at one point). I love that lineup, especially with Shaq playing so well. I also enjoyed Brown's bench lineup of West, Moon, James, Varejao and Z. The Cavs are really really deep.

and finally...

Hey, remember how the Cavs got fat against weak opponents and then got blitzed by the battle tested Magic? Uh-oh. Am I worried that they might have too many days off between series again? Sure. But I'm not sure what the Cavs should do. Should they blow a few games? Not play hard? I mean, if the Cavs are at full go for the full 48, they'll blow Chicago out. They were obviously quite bored in the second half and they let the Bulls back into the game (of course, if some of the threes fell...). So do you want them growing bored and getting into bad habits or taking care of business and getting extra rest? I'd rather have them get extra rest rather than let opponents hang around and turn blowouts into close games.

So THAT'S why LeBron goes 1-on-5 all the time

Really? An Anderson Varejao 15 footer? That's what was drawn up? And Andy, the Cavs get the offensive board and you decide to shoot another one? Seriously?

The Cavs had their chances to win (the Bulls missed four free throws in the last 30 seconds) but the failure to drawn up an offensive play bit 'em in the ass. In the possession before Andy's ill advised jumper, the Cavs called timeout and ran a play for Mo (who was having a great night). They ran a play where no one moved and Mo ends up taking a 12 foot fadeaway with Kirk Hinrich draped all over him. Then the Cavs follow it up with a Varejao pick-and-pop.

Awesome.

On one hand, none of this means anything. The Cavs have clinched home court throughout the playoffs and they sat LeBron against the Bulls (Delonte West was out as well). The Bulls had something to play for and the Cavs didn't. Who cares?

On the other hand, there's still things to work on. It was nice to see the Cavs play well without LeBron. Mo Williams had 35 points and 10 assists and Antawn Jamison had 26 and 6 (Jamison rolled his ankle late it the game) and the Cavs put up 108 points without the NBA's second leading scorer. I was glad to see Williams play well, especially down the stretch. He hit some big time threes in the fourth quarter and you can tell he had his confidence. The whole team played hard (Jamario Moon sighting!) and they gave a strong effort in a game that meant practically nothing.

But I'm not gonna lie, the lack of imagination during the final 30 seconds bothers me. Just a tad. I mean, odds are, barring injury or fouls, LeBron is on the court for these last second plays come playoffs, hopefully they won't be in this exact scenario. Watching Mo take a bad fade-away over Hinrich (while the Cavs stood and watched) only to follow it up with Andy bricking a game winner really dredges some bad playoff memories.

I was really interested to see what kind of play they would call with LeBron in street clothes (and Jamison on the bench with a bum ankle). A pick and pop with Mo and Z? Pick and roll with Mo and Hickson? Maybe something really cool that I don't even know about.

I know this game means next to nothing. No LeBron, no Shaq, no Delonte and even no Jamison at the end. I get that. If the Cavs and Bulls met in the playoffs, I doubt the Bulls would even win a game. But twice the Cavs called timeout to set up a potential game winning play and twice they failed to get a good shot. Those two timeouts yielded a play where four Cavs stood around while someone forced a bad jumper and Varejao hoisting a shot he did not want to take. So the results weren't exactly encouraging, especially considering that they got two cracks at it.

*deep breath*

This game doesn't matter. This game doesn't matter. This game doesn't matter. Three more games til playoffs. Three more games til playoffs. Three more games til playoffs.

Cleveland 113, Toronto 101

Solid win, the Cavs played with a lot of energy. In what could be a potential first round preview, the Cavs thoroughly handled the Raptors. Of course, the Raptors are easier to handle when Chris Bosh has to leave in the first quarter with a broken face (he caught an elbow from Antawn Jamison). With Bosh out, the Cavs went inside and got whatever they wanted (this is shocking, but the trio of Andrea Bargnani, Hedo Turkoglu and Amir Johnson don't protect the rim very well). The bigs moved extremely well without the ball and both LeBron (13 assists) and Mo Williams (12 assists) rewarded them for their effort.

I can't stress enough how great the passing was (80% of their field goals were assisted). The Cavs racked up a season high 38 assists (on 47 baskets) and they made it look easy (and a lot of fun). Anderson Varejao checked in late in the first quarter and immediately netted two wide open layups off of passes from LeBron. The Cavs notched an assist on every basket they made in the third period (where they took control of the game), including the five baskets Jamison scored in the first four minutes after halftime. The play of the night also came in the third; after a defensive stop, Mo threw a full court pass (football style) to a streaking LeBron, who then made a perfect bounce pass to a trailing Hickson for the slam. Just beautiful.

Nice game from Anthony Parker. I'm still not completely sold on AP, but this is the second game in a row where I've liked what I've seen. Parker was aggressive and didn't just settle for jumpers and, like Jamison, he really moved well without the ball. AP finished with 18 points (his Cavalier high), 8 boards and 6 assists. I hate when he just parks himself in the corner and waits for the pass (not saying it's his fault exactly, the Cavs have a tendency to stand around and watch LeBron). I'm not looking for him to post 18-8-6 all the time, but he needs to fill up the box score.

The Cavs had six players in double figures (which makes sense, seeing how they had 38(!) assists). Jamison led the Cavs with 20 points, LeBron had 19, Parker scored 18, Mo had 14, Jawad Williams scored 13 and both Varejao and Hickson notched 10. There were times the Cavs went to Jawad in the midpost and I came away impressed. Jawad is very deliberate when he gets someone on his back and he used a variety of jab steps and ball fakes to clear space to knock down his faceup J. I loved the energy I saw from J.J. on both ends of the floor (he's become great at filling the lane and he's a very active defender). Speaking of energy, you couldn't tell that Andy just returned from injury (he made a great bounce pass to J.J. for a weakside dunk).

The Cavs really only played 8 guys. Z, Varejao and Jawad Williams were the main contributors off the bench (Powe, Moon and Green got some garbage time minutes). We still don't quite know what the team's playoff rotation looks like, since the Cavs still aren't at full strength but Coach Mike slowly seems to be shortening his rotation (I'm assuming Jawad got Delonte's minutes, as West missed the game due to back spasms). I'm still intrigued to see what Brown does once Shaq returns (who's minutes get cut, J.J. or Z? Or will it be determined by matchups?).

It was nice seeing the Cavs take this game seriously, despite having the top seed locked up. The Cavs beat the Raptors by sticking with their offense (again, 38 assists!) and playing timely defense (they weren't super aggressive all the time). They didn't stand around and take bad jumpers, they didn't give up a ton of easy baskets (though Jarrett Jack, 23 points, 7-12 FG and Amir Johnson, 16 points, 7-8 FG, torched 'em) and they kept their focus for the full 48 minutes (they didn't need to flip a switch in the fourth). LeBron was content to set up his teammates and he didn't take much contact in his 36 minutes of court time.

and finally...

There has got to be a better nickname for Antawn Jamison. Austin Carr has dubbed Antawn "The Jumpshooter," and proceeded to hammer it home roughly 15 times over a 30 second clip... of Jamison making layups. The Jumpshooter. Makes sense for a guy like Parker or Daniel Gibosn, but notsomuch for the dude with all the crazy hook shots. But whatever. The Cavs have the top seed, why not let Austin Carr call Jamison "The Jumpshooter" a billion times over the next week or so. The Cavs are in Chicago on Thursday, face the Pacers at home on Friday, play the Magic on Sunday afternoon and end the season with Atlanta next Wednesday.

Cross-posted at LeBrownsTown.com

Boston 117, Cleveland 113

This game was simultaneously both frustrating and awesome. The first half sucked; the Cavs trailed 64-49 heading into halftime and they clearly weren't interested in playing defense. They weren't playing terrible, but Boston seemed to be getting all the loose balls and hustle plays. The Cavs stormed back in the second half and they were led by that LeBron guy. James scored 32 of his game high 42 points in the second half, seemingly willing himself to the rim, despite whatever Boston threw at him. Down by as many as 22, the Cavs fought back and even took the lead a few times in the fourth but they couldn't hold on and Boston escaped with the victory.

LeBron was the reason the Cavs were even in the game, but he still needed to be better (as weird as that seems). It's crazy to think that the guy who had 42 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, a steal and block needed to do more, but it's true. Despite going full on Video Game James to end the third and start the fourth, LeBron shot just 14-22 from the line (63%), including two big misses with under a minute to go. I loved seeing LeBron put his head down, attack and simply will himself to the rim but I hated how he settled for jumpers late in the game.

There were two jumpers that stood out. Down 115-113, Kendrick Perkins missed two free throws and LeBron grabbed the board, raced down court and shot a pull up trey over two defenders with 4 seconds to go. Yes, James could've (and maybe should've) driven on the two Celtics, forcing a foul. But he also had Antawn Jamison all alone, right in front of the rim. Had LeBron missed short or the had the ball gone off the backboard, Jamison was in perfect position for a put back (instead, the ball careened to the left and out of bounds). Personally, that shot doesn't bother me nearly as much as the jumper LeBron hoisted two minutes prior. The Cavs had the lead (104-103) and the ball with just over two minutes to play and LeBron chucked a 20 footer with 15 seconds left on the shot clock. Ugh. If you run a good play to net a bucket and extend the lead, you've put a ton of pressure on the Celtics. Instead, LeBron settled for a long two without even making them work. This was doubly frustrating since James was getting to the rim whenever he wanted.

The refs were not good. Both the Cavs and the Celtics were jawing at the referees (and each other) throughout the afternoon (not without warrant). Coach Mike was kicked out after a tirade that came on the heels of a Mo Williams tech. To their credit (kinda) the Cavs had a legit beef. Mo was blatantly held by Tony Allen (like, literally grabbing the arm) which allowed Rondo to shake free for a wide open layup (all of this occurred right in front of the Cavs bench). The Celts weren't happy with the refs either; Rasheed Wallace picked up another tech (shocking) and Rondo got a T late (after they missed him getting hit in the face). There were also BS plays, mostly some touch fouls in the post (on both sides) as well as Paul Pierce getting an absurd continuation late in the first half. Bad refs or no, the Cavs didn't exactly handle themselves well when things didn't go their way. They picked up four techs total (LeBron showed up a ref in the fourth) and ended up losing by four points. I'm not saying that the techs cost them the game, but they sure didn't help.

LeBron actually had some help. Sorta. While I wouldn't say any of the other Cavs had standout performances, all five starters were in double figures and Z pitched in 10 off the bench before fouling out. Mo Williams started out hot and went 6-6 from the floor, but just two of his 17 points came in the second half (Mo sat the entire fourth). Both Jamison and J.J. Hickson finished with double-doubles (16-10 and 14-11, respectively) and each made a big basket in final period (Jamsion hit a three to make it 101-96 while Hickson put them up 106-105 off a pick-and-roll with James). What suprised me the most was how great Anthony Parker played. His bank shot with three minutes left gave the Cavs their first lead of the game (104-103) and he hit LeBron cutting baseline with a great pass (off of an offensive board) that led to some free throws. Also, AP's defense on Rondo forced the Celtics into a 24 second violation late in the game.

Besides Ray Allen and Rondo, no other Celtic really played well. Rondo was great, scoring 16 points and dishing out 14 assists. He absolutely killed Williams (including a three to end the half, after Mo let him roll ball up, allowing the Celtics to keep the game clock at 2 seconds). Allen finished 33 points, shooting 10-17 overall, 6-9 from behind the arc and 7-7 at the stripe (including those techs). Allen always seemed to hit a three right when they needed it (including one where J.J. blocked a shot directly to Allen). Meanwhile, KG scored 19 but went 5-14 from the floor and Paul Pierce shot 4-13 on his way to 16 points. The biggest difference (besides giving a crap for 48 minutes) was the fact that Boston shot 31-38 (81%) from the charity stripe while the Cavs missed double that, going just 24-40.

and finally..

I'm strangely confident after this game. Yea, the Cavs just lost to Boston and missed a billion free throws. But Cleveland played about a poor a first half as you'll see 'em play, were down by as many as 22 and yet they still had a chance to win in the end. Plus, the Cavs were without both Anderson Varejao and Shaq. The game got quite chippy down the stretch and you can tell these guys plain just don't like each other. I can only hope and pray these teams meet in the second round.

Cleveland 93, Atlanta 88

Solid victory. I attended the game and going in, I was a bit concerned about the Cavaliers' effort Heading in, their Magic Number was just 2 (so they're pretty much locked up for best overall record) and the Hawks were looking for some payback for the loss on LeBron's birthday (the game with a the 24 second clock malfunction and Varejao's three). But the Cavs played with good energy (though the third quarter was kind of a stinker) and they kept the pressure on Atlanta.

LeBron doesn't fail to disappoint. James finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. One of his steals was just stupid; he stole a lazy Hawk pass around the halfcourt line (he was basically playing both the man with the ball and the passing lane) then drove straight for the rim and finished off an 'and one' opportunity. There were times where the offense bogged down (there were some bad possession in the third) but, except for a couple of dagger treys in the fourth, the Cavs and LeBron weren't standing around.

Last season's Mo Williams made an appearance. When Mo has a good game, the Cavs are nearly unstoppable. Williams finished with 24 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3FG) to go along with 4 boards, 2 assists and 4 blocks(!?) in a team high 40 minutes. If the Cavs are going to win in the playoffs, they're going to need Mo to have games like this. Williams needs to be aggressive and looking to score, he can't just play facilitator, that's not his game.

Antawn Jamison left the game with a shoulder injury. So there's that... Jamison played alright, he wasn't great, but he wasn't terrible either. He fumbled away a (low) pass that could've led to a wide open corner three (the Cavs a couple of plays like this, bad pass or fumbled boards) and he split his two free throws (but hell, that should raise his Cavalier average). Antawn finished with 12 points and 7 boards.

The role players played well. I loved what we saw from J.J. Hickson. J.J. finished with 8 points and 16 boards (7 offensive) in 30 minutes. He was really skying for a lot of those offensive boards and he had a couple of nice putbacks. Delonte West also played well, despite going just 3-10. I loved Delonte's defense (Jamal Crawford finished just 6-18 from the floor) and offensively, he put this fake on Mike Bibby that was absolutely gorgeous.

The coaching and subs were good, for the most part. Not gonna lie, I like the fact that West played 26 minutes to Anthony Parker's 24. Lineup I liked (you'll be shocked): Mo, West, LeBron, Jamison and Z lineup (last year's 66 win starting five plus Jamison). The lineup I didn't care for: Mo, West, Jamison, Powe and Z. Well, it's not the lineup I didn't care for, but the fact that with Jamison, West and Mo on the court, the Cavs went to Leon Powe on the block for three straight possessions.

and finally...

60 wins. Again. Kinda cool, no? Man, the Cavs are good. LeBron is playing at a level that I haven't seen before. It's just a joy to watch (I mean, even his goaltend was awesome). I'm not sure how I feel about the Cavs late season schedule. The Cavs face the Celtics on Sunday and then still have games against Orlando and Atlanta. With their Magic Number at 1, these games no longer really matter. I'll be honest, at this point, I'm just scared of injuries (Varejao's game to game, Jamison just tweaked his shoulder). It's too bad.

45 to 9

I had to work last night, so I didn't get to see any of the Cavaliers' victory over the Bucks, though I did hear the end of it. It was nice to see (well, hear from Joe Tait) that the Cavs actually ran a play at the end of a game, rather than just watch LeBron dribble and chuck a jumper.

The Cavs were down four with about 3 minutes to go and they fought back and got the victory. The Cavs nearly blew the game by missing so many free throws (Jamison and Hickson went 2-6 down the stretch) but thankfully Mo made his late and the Cavs held on. One could say the game down to free throws.

And if I were a Bucks fan, I'd be quite pissed. The Cavs missed more free throws (16) than the Bucks even attempted (9). Overall, the Cavs went 29-45 from the stripe while Milwaukee went 8-9. John Salmons went 7-7 and Andrew Bogut went 1-2 and that's it. 9 free throw attempts to 45. No other Buck was fouled while attempting a shot? The Cavs were clean besides those two?

Again, I didn't see this game. I know Milwaukee is really aggressive on defense, so it's not a big surprise they picked up a ton of fouls. And the Bucks did shoot 25 threes (to the Cavs 16) and they're not a bruising inside team, but still. 45-9? As a Cavs fan, I have a hard time defending that.

But whatever. A win is a win is a win is a win. I'll take it. Sure, it looks awful, but is the NBA really fixing a regular season game in late March between the Cavs and Bucks? Somehow, I doubt it.

Anyways. 29-45? Seriously guys? I can't imagine this poor free throw shooting not affecting them at some point in the playoffs. I hope I'm wrong (or it won't cost them a game or, god forbid, a series), but stuff like this has a way of making an appearance in the playoffs.

Zeveland (see what I did there?) 97, Sacramento 90

The score should've never been that close. The Cavs were in control for most of the game but they let the Kings hang around. The Cavs would have stretches of good play only to follow them up with dumb mistakes (for instance, the Cavs had a 10 point lead with 46 seconds left in the first half, but some poor defense and a terrible pass later, they went into halftime up only 6, 58-52). At no point did I think the game was actually in doubt, but there's no reason why LeBron need to log 39 minutes against an injury depleted Sacramento team.

LeBron loves those dagger shots late in the game. This tends to bug me. Too often down the stretch, the Cavs and LeBron settle for the three. During the last two minutes (with the Cavs only up four), LeBron had the only three Cavalier field goal attempts, all of them treys. Now, he made his first one, putting the Cavs up seven and essentially sealing the game, but it's not exactly good. It's almost like the Cavs are playing prevent defense; they sit there, running down the shot clock and then chuck a bomb. If it goes in (as it did the first time), great. If it misses, well, at least you took 24 seconds off the clock. But I'm nitting picks here; LeBron finished with 34 points, 7 boards, 8 assists and 3 steals while I'm bitching he could've done it slightly better. Heh.

Don't know if you've heard or not, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas returned to the Cavs. The Cavs and Dan Gilbert went all out (take notice, LeBron); Z was introduced separately from the starting lineup, everyone got Z posters and the Q was christened Zwicken Loans arena. Big Z played well, getting 4 points and 6 boards, including the last basket of the first quarter on a (classic) offensive board. I kept hoping they'd get him a three point attempt, but it never materialized. I thought Z played well but you can tell he's still not quite up to speed with everyone else. There were little things like miscues with some defensive rotations and passes being a little bit off or behind.

Antawn Jamison is sneaky good. Jamison scored 7 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a big three to put them up 8 (94-86) with about three and a half minutes to go. Jamison had 9 boards and 2 assists in his 41 minutes. The Cavs got him the ball in the post, especially in the first half and his scoop hook shot is an absolute delight. It's kinda funky and it's definitely something they utilize more often.

I'll be honest, I can't tell ya what happened in the third quarter. I changed the channel at halftime and I kept watching Tennesee-Michigan State (worst half court shot I've ever seen). The Cavs led 58-52 and by the time I tuned back in, the game is tied and Carl Landry is knocking down jump shots.

Cleveland's energy and focus came and went. For instance, they let Omri Casspi get behind the defense for breakaways a couple of times (Delonte West has gotten beat this way a couple times over the past week). You can tell these guys know there's only eight games left until the playoffs and they can't quite get up to face a 24-49 team that's missing their best player (having Varejao out doesn't help matters).

Predictably, the defensive intensity picked up in the fourth. The Kings scored just 14 points in the fourth quarter and the Cavs held them to just 6 points over the last seven minutes (just one field goal). However, it's not like the Cavs were much better, scoring just 19 points themselves in the final period. The offense wasn't pretty and there was some definite Le-Iso possessions. The Kings, missing Tyreke Evans, just didn't have the fire power to match baskets with the Cavs down the stretch.

I liked some of Coach Mike's lineups but I'm still missing Jamario Moon. The Cavs only played eight guys (West, Z and Powe off the bench). At one point, the Cavs had a five of Mo Williams, West, LeBron, Jamison and Z (which I like a lot) and then subbed in J.J. Hickson.... for Mo. Throwing J.J. there pushes Jamison to small forward and LeBron to shooting guard. That's a big, multi-talented offensive unit. I mean, having the 6-8 LeBron at the 2? Me gusta. However, I'm growing more and more impatient with both Mo Williams and Anthony Parker (they combined to go 1-7 from three and 5-13 overall). I'm already a proponent of having Delonte West on the floor during crunch time, but now I'm not sure who's spot he should take. It used to be Parker, but Mo let freaking Beno Udrich record a triple double on his watch (18 points, 10 boards and 15 assists. Beno Udrich!). I still don't see how Moon doesn't get time, with his size and speed, he can be extremely useful.

and finally...

Only eight games left, but the next few could be a pain in the ass. The Cavs have the Bucks and Hawks at home this week (Wednesday and Friday, respectively) and then face the Celtics in Boston on Sunday. There's not too many patsies left on the schedule, as the Cavs finish with Toronto, Chicago, Indiana, Orlando and Atlanta (all teams who could be jockeying for playoff positions).

What did Jamario Moon do?

I'll be honest, I only caught bits and parts of the Cavs loss the Spurs (oh, Ohio State...). I saw bits parts of the first three quarters and the bulk of the fourth. It was neither the Cavs' nor Coach Mike's best performance; the effort was lacking (until the last couple minutes), the offense was terrible (lot's of bad, lazy passes and even lazier shots) and they had no answer for Manu Ginobili.

True, the Cavs had won 8 in a row, so it's not like the sky is falling. But the Spurs played some playoff-esque defense (doubling LeBron early) and the Cavs weren't quite prepared. Of course, the effort wasn't quite there either, so take that as you will. It didn't help that Anderson Varejao left the game with a strained hamstring, the Cavs really missed his energy and hustle. (I can't wait for the playoffs to start, no one else get hurt).

A couple quick things:

Z's jumper isn't there yet. It'll come around, but there's gonna be an adjustment period. This is why I like him coming off the bench, I want him to have as little adjustments as possible.

The starting front court was fantastic, the starting back court stunk. LeBron, Jamison and Hickson combined to score 71 points (27, 24, 20 respectively) while the starting backcourt combined for 11. Not good.

J.J. Hickson has to drive Mike Brown insane. Hickson finished with 20 points and 8 boards, 5 of which were offensive. His energy and athleticism is something no other Cavalier big man can bring. Unfortunately, J.J. still gets lost defensively and he bowled over Ginobili for a late game charge.

More playoff rotation thoughts....

Where was Jamario Moon? Everyone on the Cavalier bench got into the game except for Moon. Why? He's an athletic wing that is a really good defender, decent rebounder and he can spread the floor (a bit, at least). The Cavs have gone away from him in recent weeks (Brown has opted to play Jawad Williams ahead of him) and I don't care for it. He's an extremely useful asset.

Right now, I'd say the Cavs nine man playoff rotation is this: Mo, AP, LBJ, Jamison, Shaq, Delonte, Andy, J.J., and Z. I'm not sure what to do with the big men, cause they all deserve minutes. But I don't see how Jamario Moon won't be useful. He gives the Cavs another wing who can run, he's always a threat for the backdoor alleyoop and he can guard big wings (and guard them well, due too his athleticism).

I love the bigs, but I'm not sure you can rotate five guys in what's essentially two spots (well, maybe you play LeBron at the 2 and 'Tawn at the 3, but LBJ is getting the bulk of the SF minutes). If you're playing all five bigs, then that means you're only playing three guards in Mo, Delonte and Parker. Is that enough? I dunno. I just think Moon can do a lot of things that other players can't and he was major reason for their Christmas Day victory over the Lakers (of course, so was Mo Williams, but that's another story). It just doesn't make sense to me that Moon was the only one to not take off his warmups.

Hopefully, they can bounce back against the Kings on Sunday afternoon.

Cleveland 105, New Orleans 92

Another efficient, methodical victory (that was never really in doubt). The Cavs had a strong first quarter, a so-so second quarter (led 52-48), took control of the game in the third period (a 20-7 run will do that) and were up by double digits for the entire fourth. The Cavs got whatever they wanted on offense, especially on the block (both Delonte and LeBron worked the post) and in the pick-and-roll (J.J. got a ton of easy buckets). The Cavs shot 57% for the game and had 26 assists to just 9 turnovers. There were a couple times they lost their focus (Delonte had a couple of brain farts) but overall, they played hard and took care of business.

LeBron had one of his 'average' spectacular nights. James led everyone with 38 points and finished with 6 boards and 9 assists, but if you watched the game, I don't think you'd come away saying he played some amzing game. LeBron wasn't dominating the ball or making crazy plays left and right, he just went about his business, scoring 38 points by shooting an efficient 15-22 from the floor and 7-8 from the stripe (Bron-Bron was just 1-5 from behind the arc, meaning he was a ridiculous 14-17 from two point range. Wow). LeBron consistently took the smaller New Orleans defenders down in the post (he really had no reason not to, as he was being guarded by Marcus Thorton and Chris Paul) and scored on a variety of moves, including a nifty lefty finger roll. I can only hope this will continue into June.

Speaking of efficiency, J.J. Hickson everybody. Hickson went 9-11 from the floor and finished with 20 points and 9 boards. The 9-11 shooting is great enough, but J.J. put up those numbers in just 26 minutes of court time. You can tell he's comfortable with LeBron in pick-and-roll situations and the Cavs exploited the New Orleans bigs with Hickson's quickness throughout the game. I know I've said this before, but Mike Brown is gonna have a tough time with his playoff rotations. Right now I'd say Hickson is their 5th big man come the playoffs (after Shaq, Jamison, Varejao, Z) and while he may not be as mentally or defensively sound as the others, J.J. has something that the other four don't: young legs. He can get a lot of easy points using his athleticism. Again, he had 20 and 9, on 9-11 shooting in just 26 minutes. Pretty nice.

Speaking of, Zydrunas Ilgauskas made his triumphant return. Not gonna lie, Big Z looked a bit rusty out there, scoring just 1 point and missing both field goals he attempted (though that's to be expected). He finished with 3 boards and 2 assists in his 17 minute return. I liked the fact that Brown brought Z off the bench; Z is going to be Shaq's backup when the going gets tough and I want him used to that role. Plus, the Cavs started the second quarter with a lineup of Mo, Delonte, Jamison, Varejao and Z. That group could be the starting five on a playoff team. Maybe not championship contenders but that's quite a good second unit.

Delonte was a monster in the second quarter (but that was about it). West scored 13 of his 15 points in the second period, often abusing the small Hornet guards on the block. As I'm sure you know by now, I love when the Cavs use the post and Delonte was an absolute beast on the block. He just takes his time, knows exactly where he wants to go and will score in a variety of ways (fade-aways, up-and-unders, step-backs, etc). West also made a few mental errors (letting Darren Collison get behind him for a layup to end the first quarter and he and Andy had a miscommunication leading to a bad pass and eventually an 8 second violation) and finished with just one assist and zero boards.

The Hornets went small and the Cavs (*gasp*) countered by going big. Me gusta. In the past, I've been critical of Brown always adapting to the other team's style (who cares if the Clippers want to run, you're better! Make them adapt to what you want to do!) but on Wednesday, he stuck to his guns. The Hornets like playing three guards (Chris Paul, Collison and Thorton) and pushing the ball but the Cavs punished them by going big (Brown went with a five of Delonte, LeBron, Jamison, Varejao and Z). By going big, the Hornets were forced to have the 6-0 Paul check the 6-8 James. Not fair. James took Paul into the office (as Austin Carr would say... constantly) and simply over powered the smaller CP3 (who doesn't look quite healthy).

Jamison had a so-so night but still manged to finish with a double-double. From watching the game, I wouldn't say Jamison played particularly well (he picked up two quick fouls to start the night) but then I check his box score and see he scored 11 points (5-10 shooting, 1-2 3PT) and grabbed 11 boards to go with 3 assists in 33 minutes. Ho hum, 11-11-3 on 50% shooting. It was definitely cool seeing Jamison share the court with Z (it's also cool that both their power forward and center can shoot the trey).

and finally...

The Cavs are 57-15, already equaling the win total of the best Price-Nance-Daugherty teams. Enjoy this team. They're really really good. And deep. And big. Their magic number to clinch home court throughout the East is at four with ten games to go. Things look pretty good. With the return of Z (adding a rotation player), I wonder how much the Cavs will rest their players down the stretch, especially LeBron (scoring title or no). Late in the first half, James landed on James Posey's foot, rolling his ankle in the process. Obviously, he wasn't too hurt but still, the Cavs have to be a little concerned that he could hurt himself in, if not a meaningless game, one that doesn't matter all too much in the long run. The Cavs face the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday and then play the Kings in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.