Cavs finish the job, up 1-0
Posted April 22nd, 2007 by Brian Windhorst
–It wasn’t pretty, but the Cavs ground it out to take the lead in the series so today is a smashing success with a 97-82 win. Yet neither team played all that well and the Cavs let the Wizards hang around for three quarters before they really turned it on. Still, this was exactly the kind of game the Cavs want to play all series long, slow and grinding. In fact, I’d give their defense a A today. Two points of emphasis were accomplished, they kept the Wizards guards out of the lane on drives and made it tough for Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson to get clean looks by denying and contesting. Let Antawn Jamison get his, Washington can’t win without help. Lots of jump shots, lots of misses for the Wizards.
–The Cavs also did a great, great, great job of limiting second-chance points (Wiz had just 2) and fastbreak points (Wiz had just 1). Once again, Washington has no chance when this happens.
–The Cavs and LeBron James played their best on offense in the first quarter. After then, LeBron was just 3-of-10 shooting. But he did get to the line a bunch of times by driving, which kept the Cavs in descent position during the game. So he had 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, a quality effort. The Cavs had 16 points in the paint in the first quarter and just 32 for the game. This, of course, must improve.
–Zydrunas Ilgauskas played very well, especially in the fourth quarter when he had 11 of his 15 points. That is very big for both the Cavs and his confidence after last year. He cannot be defended by Darius Songalia, who fouled out, and if he gets position all Etan Thomas can do is foul.
–I thought Larry Hughes was the player of the game for the Cavs, even if I didn’t love his decision-making all the time. He had a number of excellent plays on defense and led the Cavs with 27 points. Much of it came on jumpers, which as you know I think is dangerous over the long haul, but today it worked so I tip the cap.
April 22nd, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Damon Jones. Not even one single solitary second of garbage time. A strong vote of confidence for the Gigglemeister!
April 22nd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Brian
What up Cavs? I only got to watch the second half but I thought they played well. They went all defense in the fourth. What happened to Sasha and Gibson?
April 22nd, 2007 at 3:06 pm
jeff, as for sasha, he always seems to become a non-factor come the second half of the game, through a combination of his play as well as “Al Roker” Brown’s personnel decisions.
April 22nd, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Yeah I was surprised Sasha went out with that 4th foul and never came back. That was right after he poked the ball away to lead to that Hughes and-1 layup. Anyway…it is true the Cavs played good defense tonight. Washington stayed in the game because they made some tough jumpers. I’d love to watch the Cavs just impose their will on them on offense. They just can’t seem to do that to teams…
Anyway, they played a good game.
April 22nd, 2007 at 3:09 pm
oh and at the Q, do they always put the “Kay kissing cam” on the other team’s bench? That was good for a chuckle, and it looked like even Gilbert Arenas was laughing in his agent 0 suit or whatever. didn’t know if they did this every game or not. I just feared what would happen if they put scot pollard on there.
April 22nd, 2007 at 3:19 pm
that game was garbage. the wizards are a bottom feeding lottery team without butler and arenas. the cavs should have had that game won by halftime. where did the tempo of last years wizards series go? i think those were some of the worst offensive sets i’ve ever seen by a playoff team. the lake erie water has people hallucinating in cleveland if they think that kind of play could beat any of the other 14 playoff teams. at least i’ve got earvin, kenny, chuck and coach thompson backing my opinion.
April 22nd, 2007 at 8:16 pm
AK - are you suprised or shocked or what? That same team that you thought let a bottom-feeder hang around too long is the same team that beat Chicago in Chicago in a crucial gamea few weeks ago. The same team that hung around with Dallas in Dallas, and beat Utah, San Antonio, Houston, Miami, LA, Detroit, NJ, and Toronto this year.
They played well enough to win by 15. Last time I checked, of all the other playoff games that have been played, the Cavs are the only team to win by double digits. Give the Wiz some credit for playing hard. Cavs will be alright.
April 22nd, 2007 at 10:11 pm
How do you get one fastbreak point??? I’d also point put that without our top-two splayers, LBJ & Larry, or even just without LBJ, we’d be bottom-feeders too. Good game by Wash. - but how bout them Warriors??? Waaaaarrrrrrrriors.
April 22nd, 2007 at 10:27 pm
That was an awesome game by the Warriors. Anyone notice Devon Harris flails his arms and face anytime someone breaths on him?
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:12 am
Tom, how do college kids afford that stuff? It’s gotten ridiculously expensive.
Two questions:
(1) First, precisely when did this imaginary Wizards victory over the Bulls, in Chicago, supposedly happen?
(2) Second, do you have any left? Don’t bogart the bong, man.
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:38 am
Let Fat Boy Barkley and Magic keep telling
everbody how bad we are. It’s good luck for
the Cavs. Is Butler really going to play in game three?
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:34 am
- Contrary to what Brian said, I had some issues with the officiating yesterday. The officials were calling a lot of minor contact fouls, and it seemed more agregious because the Wizards were getting those calls on their jump shots. Somehow I don’t think the Wizards would get those calls if they were playing the Pistons.
- For anyone who was expecting the Cavaliers to win by 60 points, the Cavs certainly aren’t going to live up to those expectations. Yes, the Cavs had some difficulties on the offensive end of the court. What else is new? That’s not going to change during these playoffs. The Cavs are going to have to win despite their offensive deficiencies, and 15 points is about as good as it’s going to get.
- I know that the Wizards stayed close, but at no point did it seem like the Cavaliers were on the verge of losing control of the game. The game played out almost exactly like the game last week against the Bucks. Yes, the Cavs let an inferior opponent hang around, but I was never worried that they would lose this game.
- I find Barkley annoying when it comes to his evalution of the Cavaliers, but only because he’s more critical of the Cavs than he is of, say, the Spurs or the Heat. Both of those teams lost because they didn’t have a good plan going into the game, and they didn’t adjust during the game. They’ll get a pass, because it’s only one game. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers will be criticized for not beating the Wizards by 30.
Go Cavs.
Mike
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:46 am
Mike, playing the Wizards without Arenas and Butler is like playing a WNBA team with thicker back hair. Cleveland SHOULD beat Washington by 30. If the Cavs had a center, he’d put up 50 points alone. Where’s Walt Wesley when you need him?
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:07 am
hey alan, pass me tom’s bong when you are done and maybe i’ll hallucinate a cavs championship. tom, you might want to check the wiz schedule. the last time they beat a team that made this years playoffs was march 6th. without arenas and butler….well…..what alan said.
and jim, you’re absolutely right. the cavs are that close to bottom feeding themselves.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:19 am
He was talking about the Cavs beating the Bulls!!! Reading comprehension, it’s a wonderful thing.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:20 am
It was a good win and I’d rather the team methodically bore the Wizards to death than get them riled up with a true shellacking.
The national media criticize the Cavs because the Cavs haven’t developed a philosophy that fits LeBron James, and they haven’t yet acquired a single offensive player who can consistently play well. Building around the most exciting prospect to enter the league in two decades, the Cavs have constructed a boring team.
It irritates nearly everyone and the Cavs deserve the criticism.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:29 am
Solid win. It’s hard to keep up your intensity when you have to play an NBDL team in the first round of the playoffs. Look for L’Eggs Hughes to fire up a 3-13 on tuesday, just to keep things real.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:53 am
All you Hughes haters really amaze me. He
played an oustanding game on both ends of
the floor yesterday. 27 points 7 boards
countless deflections and stolen passes.
Did not allow Daniels in the lane. One of
the best defensive guards in the NBA and
all you idiot savants can say is that he
shaves his arms. Shame on you! And Alan is
very quiet today I think he misses his
offspring Billy and Hoops Jr. who must be
hanging with Coach Damona. Did you see when
it got tight yesterday the consultation provided to the GI by Coach Jones. Lebron
when right past MPH Roker to consult with
the new player coach.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:17 am
AK[dear friend] - are you[dear friend] suprised or shocked or what? That same team[the Cavs] that you[dear friend] thought let a bottom-feeder[the wizards] hang around too long is the same team[the Cavs] that beat Chicago[the Bulls] in Chicago[Chicago, Illionis] in a crucial game a few weeks ago. The same team[the Cavs] that hung around with Dallas in Dallas, and beat Utah, San Antonio, Houston, Miami, LA, Detroit, NJ, and Toronto this year[2006-2007].
They[the Cavs] played well enough to win by 15[97-82 Cavs]. Last time I[your dear Friend Tom] checked, of all the other playoff games that have been played, the Cavs are the only team to win[a playoff game] by double digits[the score being]. Give the Wiz[the wizards] some credit for playing hard. Cavs[the Team that has been the subject of almost this entire post] will be alright.
Thanks for reading guys.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:33 am
So Tuck, you cynical old bastard you, why aren’t you talking about your beloved western conference now? Instead of moaning about how the cavs “only” won by 15, let’s look at the west, who you always say shows just how awful the cavs truly are. Well we got the suns, that was great how they barely beat the lakers, one of the worst teams in the playoff field right now. Oh but what about the mavericks, with hasselhoff-loving Dirk? I mean of course you said the cavs can’t even hold a candle to them…but oh, I guess they lost to the fearsome Warriors. But the Spurs, now there is a quality team that the cavs couldn’t even dare to dream of playing with…what’s that? They lost to the Nuggets you say? It’s great how you can continue to pound the cavs for doing what they were supposed to do (win the first game of their series), but have nothing to say about your beloved fleet-footed heroes in the west.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:45 am
What’s your point? You lost me, Alias Guy. I said they’d have a real series against any team in the West, if not simply get blown away. As opposed to the East’s garbage. They’d have a real series against Golden State, they’d have a real series against Denver, they’d have a real series against Los Angeles. They’d have a real series against any of the five other West teams. As opposed to the dainty squad of Lisa Leslies they’re facing now.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:38 am
o.k. tom. they’ll be alright. i expect your next post to be when they (the cavs) win the nba championship.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:51 am
Hm..I expected YOUR NEXT POST to be something like: “Sorry Tom, I should have actually read your post before jumping on the Alan Tucker wagon and making myself look silly. In the end, I smelled some postive Cavalier banter and my emotions took over.” But obviously a little humility is just too much to ask for in the digital age.
The St. Louis Cardinals squeeked through the worst division in MLB and won the World Series - the point being you don’t always have to be pretty to win the big one - sometimes you just have to get lucky (seeding) and get hot at the right time (remains to be seen). The Cavs play well against good teams. They play down to their competition. I think they have as good a shot as any to reach the NBA championship. And after watching all the obvious flaws in teams out west, I’m not so sure a well-rested East team couldn’t beat a tired West team in a 7 game series.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:09 am
Tom. Don’t you understand this blog is not about using logic, objectivity, statistics, and facts. It’s all about insult, distortion, pessimism, and generally pulling your “facts” out of your ass to assess the Cavs. Get with the program. Go somewhere else if you want to discuss basketball objectively.
(and let me know where you found that place)
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:12 am
Uh we just played game 1 round 1 like uh
all the rest of the teams in the nba.
Take it easy fellas, even the Heat(yes
the defending champs) have a long way to
go. And Tucker won’t be happy until:
1)The Cavaliers lose
2)Damona plays
3)Hes bashing someone
4)Billy and Joe Hoops come back to the blog
5)BW gives us more metaphoric headlines
6)Doc is bashing someone
7)Reverend Pluto is sure they don’t draft
the Mighty Quinn
8)The Western superpowers establish their
superiority
9)The end of time as we know it
10) Moondog licks his face
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:12 am
Good to see Alan at it again. We should beat the Wizards by 30, otherwise we suck. YOU MORON!! THEY ARE A GODAMN NBA TEAM YOU TOOL…THEY STILL HAVE GOOD PLAYERS. FREAKIN IDIOT.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:35 am
Ah yes the reappearance of Mr. Joseph
Hoops.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:46 am
HEY JOE HOOPS, THAT IS NOT GOD’S LAST NAME, AS A MATTER OF FACT HE DOES NOT HAVE A LAST NAME, PLEASE RESTRAIN FROM USING SUCH LANGUAGE. psalms 139:20 for they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. so your profanity is an indicator that you are not right with God, and that you are acconted to be his enemy. exodus 20:7 thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain, for the lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Joe your unbridle tongue is a direct offense against God himself, the same God that gave you and your family life, you decided to curse his name. Joe matt 12:34-37 O generation of vipers, how can ye being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.Agood man out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good thins: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. but i say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. JOE HOOPS I URGE YOU TO REPENT AND PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. oh yeah, go cavs.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:59 am
hey, i’m a cavs fan by virtue of brainwash. but i also have the objectivity of a person who hasn’t had to breath cleveland air in over 10 years. if watching the cavs win a few playoff games here and there is what gets you guys off—by all means—have at it. the reality is that this year’s team would get wiped by last year’s team. yeah, i know, same guys essentially, but i’m not seeing the same fire. as long as lebron contents himself with a quick game of grab ass with the competition before tip off he won’t be wearing a ring. unfortunately most cleveland fans measure success by judging which failure was least miserable. i’ll make a friendly wager. if the cavs take it all i will come here and eat crow. if they lose in any round including the finals all the cavs zombies can line up and take turns planting lipstick on alan tucker’s rear.
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Ah yes the reappearance of Reverend Billy.
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:33 pm
If we win the championship the whole city
will grab and plant lipstick on Mr. Tuckers
rear and he will enjoy every minute of it.
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
ak, according to your logic, alan tucker and you are right about everything unless the cavs win the finals? whatever.
we don’t know yet whether the cavs will be strong in the playoffs this year. the only thing we know is that you two will be annoying for as long as they still have a shot. the series against the wizards won’t say much of anything about the cavs chances, unless there’s an injury, a very long series, or an upset. even you know that.
April 23rd, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Have to agree that the Wizards series doesn’t mean much. Whether they win by 15 or 50, as long as they keep the series short, they’ll be in a good position. And just like the wins during the regular season, there’s no way that the Cavs can win with the people complaining here. If they *had* won by 30 yesterday, people would be complaining that they were *supposed* to do that. Face it, the Cavaliers can’t do much to win over their critics during this series. There’s always something to complain about (just ask Mavericks and Spurs fans), and those that have been criticizing the Cavs all year long, right or wrong, are not about to be swayed by a win over DeShawn Stevenson and Jarvis Hayes.
Go Cavs,
Mike
PS: Eric Snow’s wife is named DeShawn.
April 23rd, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Billy, what do you mean “God doesn’t have a last name?”
I thought it was Pendergrass.
Either that or Pluto.
April 23rd, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Mike,
Great post. You are exactly right, although the same could be said for those that think the Cavs can do no wrong either. People like Tucker, no matter how well things are going always find something to complain about. If the Cavs happen to win the championship, people say it was lucky or the other team did not play well.
The analogy about the Cards was right now. It was not so much they were the best team, but they were playing the best when it counted. I hate to say it but that was like the Steelers two seasons ago. They were on a role and could not be beat, even though I do not think they were the best team.
I for one, do see flaws on this team and can get frustrated, but I will not let that dictate how I cheer for the Cavs. No matter what happens this season there are holes that need to be fixed but am confident next year we will see some improvement.
Time to go watch the Tribe take on the Twins. Watch for me on TV, I will be the one wearing blue
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Hey Tucker, the Mavs Lost… the Spurs lost. BUT OUR CAVS WON YOU FOOL! What are you going to complain about next? The 70 degree weather we are having????