Auburn Hills, Mich. — So I was wrong guessing Larry Hughes was taking a handful of Advil and limping around out there for Game 5.  I asked him about the foot this morning at shootaround at the lovely Palace of Auburn Hills and he told me he’s getting injections of Cortisone and Novocaine so he can limp out there and he’s planning on doing it again tonight.

Here’s how the conversation went:

Me: Does it work?

Larry: Not really.  I’m doing more for the next day to reduce the pain then.

Me: How do you weigh doing this thinking long-term?

LH: I have been thinking about it, after tonight I’m going to have to revisit it.   I don’t want to continue to keep the injections going.

Me: Do you have to look away when they’re sticking a needle in your foot?

LH: They told me to look away but you see my body art.  I’m not afraid of needles.  I looked a little bit then held my head back.

Yikes.  Call him fragile, but don’t call him soft.

By the way, I have no idea who will win tonight because these games have been too close to call.  But I can tell you the Detroit media, which in general is passionately in love with their team, has some doubters.  Then again, some fully believe even without real reasons why.

When the Eastern Conference Finals started last week I was in the managed expectations and perspective business.  No matter what happened to the Cavs, it would benefit them, I said.  Even in a conversation I had with general manager Danny Ferry a day after Game 2 and he was still down from the near miss, I was telling him what he already knew, that the early troubles would build the foundation for success in the future.  He agreed through gritted teeth, but quickly pointed out he still felt his team could win this now.  I was not sure it would be this immediate.  What’s happening now is still benefiting them a great deal, but now it surely seems they’ve got a real good chance to win this series.

Not just because they held serve at home, winning Game 4, to make it 2-2.  But because they are continuing to take away the Pistons strengths game after game while LeBron James plays better and better.  It is well known that it only takes one game to turn a playoff series and the Pistons have an excellent chance to re-grasp control in Game 5.  But there were a lot of people, especially who reside in greater Detroit, who honestly thought this series would be a sweep.  There was a general belief in some areas, though never here, that last year what happened was the more the Pistons fault and not the Cavs success.  In other words, there wasn’t respect.  Well hear this, the Pistons are really trying and still not beating the Cavs right now.

More on the game…

–I was shocked Larry Hughes tried to play on the foot.  I’m not sure if they could give him a strong pain killer or what.  He told me he asked the Cavs doctors about a Cortisone shot but that it wouldn’t help with this kind of injury.  My guess is he had a handful of Advil and some adrenaline working.  He wasn’t able to do much and he was a total disaster after halftime, but him being out there enabled Daniel Gibson’s minute load to be kept reasonable.  Plus it was an emotional lift to his teammates.  Emotion means a lot to the Cavs.

–By the end of training camp I thought the Cavs might have something in Gibson and I’m not saying I had some special knowledge or foresight.  He’d already won over his new teammates and the coaches were very high on him by the end of October.  Still, no one could’ve foreseen the way he’s played over the last three games.  I written a lot about him this year, including the interesting story of how he ended up in Cleveland.  Here’s what I can tell you about him, he stays and works extra on his shooting after every practice and every shootaround.   He, Shannon Brown and Dwayne Jones all do it together.  You can see the new facets in his game, especially some of his moves close to the basket.

–Maybe this had nothing to do with it, but Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace seemed not to have as much energy tonight after getting just one day off in between games.  I know the less rest impacts Zydrunas Ilgauskas, so why not those fellow big guys?  Anyway, the Cavs double-teamed Wallace a lot more tonight in the post.  He did a good job of passing out of them, but he also wasn’t as active as in the previous games.

–Before I write this I’m telling you I don’t know if it is true, it is complete hearsay.  That’s why it’s in a blog and not a story.  But some PWK (people with knowledge) whispered to me tonight the Pistons are having some chemistry problems in the locker room right now.  Again, I don’t know the team and I don’t know the locker room.  I am just passing it on because it’s from a reliable source.  It is interesting, though, that Wallace got a technical foul for yelling at his own teammate tonight.

–There are people who want to know why Eric Snow and Damon Jones haven’t played more this series.  There is no problem with Mike Brown as far as I’ve been told.  With as tough on defense as the Pistons are, Mike feels he simply can’t afford to go for long stretches with Snow out there.  It makes it too easy to load up on James because Detroit doesn’t have to worry about Snow on offense.  As for Damon, while he’s played some good minutes on defense in the postseason, once he gets in the game the Pistons instantly attack him.  Tonight they did and it worked.  Same goes for Donyell Marshall.  He had some big baskets tonight, but he simply couldn’t handle Antonio McDyess.

–As I first wrote about back in March, the difference in the Cavs between this year and last year is they are actually much younger.  In the fourth quarter tonight, there was 21-year-old Gibson, 22-year-old James, and 23-year-old Sasha Pavlovic out there making plays.  While the Pistons have the experience advantage and have been together longer, you can see the Cavs core for years to come developing.  Not to mention Drew Gooden is just 26, Anderson Varejao 24 and Larry Hughes 28.  It is said in the NBA, you win with men.  The Pistons have men, but the Cavs have young guys who are turning into men.

–Brown sort of called out Drew Gooden after Game 2, saying his production was inadequate for the minutes he was logging.  Drew’s come back with two big games.  He isn’t a consistent player, but he’s learning to better control his emotions.  While he’s a descent pressure player because it doesn’t bother him much, he was also susceptible to getting down on himself when he went through rough patches.  Now he seems to weather storms better, part of growing up I guess.  Tonight was a prime example, after he got hit with the technical with eight minutes left and yelled at by the bench and his teammates, he did not go into a shell.  Instead, he played a great rest of the quarter.  I believe that pick-and-roll with James will always be open for him, just as it is usually is for Z.

No matter what happens for the rest of this conference final series, and the possibilities are endless in either direction, there were some memories made in the Cavs win in Game 3.  You can count on seeing LeBron James’ dunk over Rasheed Wallace in the fourth quarter for years, I mean years.  This was the kind of performance needed from LeBron and will be needed again and again.  Whether or not he can or will do it yet to be seen, it seemed like he and the Cavs just simply made a lot of shots.  At least he showed he can win a game at these stakes, which at this juncture in time, was the most important thing for him to do.

And another thing…

–LeBron saying it was "the biggest game of his life" before the game shows two things: 1. Despite how much we pay attention to him, he hasn’t been in that many big games yet.  2. He’s not afraid to accept all the burden that is placed on him.  I have written here before that sometimes when you talk to LeBron before games that you can tell he’s charged, it happened a handful of times this season.  The best I can remember was before the game in L.A. when he killed the Lakers.  I have also written and told many people when they ask me about what LeBron is truly like that he can be moody.  In Game 3, he was in the mood to kick tail.  It was the mood Michael Jordan permanently existed in.
–I wouldn’t exactly call the fourth quarter a lesson in execution.  The Cavs spent most of it firing up jumpers, especially early when Mike Brown used his heave-and-leave, er, "small" lineup.  Afterward, Mike said they were in "random offense," which is another way of saying LeBron blew up the play and did whatever he wanted.  When he makes shots carrying things like that, he looks like the MVP of the league.  He’s still learning how to take over these massive games but there are breakthroughs.
–Daniel Gibson’s play was big, especially considering Larry Hughes went down with a foot strain.  While it is easy to take pot shots at Hughes for the way he’s played of late, when he plays well the Cavs almost always win and he was off to a really good start in this game.  Who knows what happens now, Cavs fans know he’s not exactly a quick mender.
–Anyway, back to Gibson.  In my mind, he was just a clutch with his play in the stretch run in Game 2 when he made some big defensive plays and hit a few shots.  Tonight it was remarkable because the Pistons were going right at him — posting Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince — and he was able to more than hold his own.  Brown giving him these minutes his huge for his development and is another checkmark in what has been a pretty solid rookie season for Gibson.
–There is a lot of talk about what the Cavs are doing to Billups and he’s probably the most important Piston.  But I think Richard Hamilton struggling over the last two games has been just as key.  Go back and look, when Hamilton plays well the Pistons usually beat the Cavs.  Plus with Sasha Pavlovic on him, you’d figure he’d have a huge advantage but he’s not been able to free himself and hit shots over the last two games.  Also, the Detroit media seemed to be going with the theory tonight that once Chauncey and Rip get back on their games, it will be curtains for the Cavs.  Maybe that is true, but the Pistons’ frontcourt is performing at a very high level.  Wallace is shooting 60 percent for the series, Chris Webber played really well tonight, and Jason Maxiel and Antonio McDyess have taken turns stepping up.  What I’m saying is, make no mistake, the Pistons are still playing pretty well.
–The Eastern Finals have become a recruitment festival for the Anderson Varejao cult.  Yesterday, Mike Brown told a story about seeing teenagers around town and, after raving about LeBron, always want him to say hello to Andy.  Mike surmised that Andy is pretty popular with the teeny-boppers.  Well, let me just say this, over the last three years I’ve gotten e-mails from members of the gay community who have professed their infatuation with the mop-topped Brazilian as well.  Meanwhile, the female members of the media covering this series are all jealous of Andy’s hair and have asked him about what products he uses.  So I guess the only thing I can say about Varejao is, men want him and women want to be him.

Auburn Hills, Mich. — The difference between the Cavs and the Pistons in this series so far is very thin.  But there’s no doubt Detroit has more moxie.  They play with more poise and confidence and they are a more complete team and it shows up in the final score.  For the Cavs, they are just a very tough team to beat.  That would not have changed had the Cavs won Game 2, beating Detroit four times in seven games is just as daunting as beating them four in five in all honesty.

As I’ve said before and will say again, all this pressure and failure will only help the Cavs.  That may be hard to see if you are a fan now, and it sure is for the Cavs players I can tell you.  But last year the Cavs came here and got blown off the floor in the first two games.  The gap is closing, even if it doesn’t seem that way.

Let’s break it down…

–There is really no use talking about those calls at the end.  It did appear to me that LeBron James was fouled but he also was searching and looking for a foul there.  If Andy Varejao flopped on Rasheed Wallace, it looked convincing to me but I understand why he didn’t get the call.  Sheed still made a completely amazing shot there with LeBron right in his face.  He earned it.  Plus some calls went the Cavs way, especially the goaltending on Antonio McDyees with 2:30 left.

–Nonetheless, it was a positive for LeBron to take the shot.  He knew he had to.  It was not successful but he will learn to get a better shot.  He’s growing in front of our eyes.

–Overall, I thought LeBron played great for much of the game.  It is hard to attack the Pistons, they can so easily frustrate you.  He was effective in creating stuff for his teammates a lot of the game.  More importantly, I thought his defense was exceptional especially in the fourth quarter.  He was very active and made three or four huge plays.  He had three steals and got a bunch of other loose balls.  The two problems I had with his play were the six turnovers and that he didn’t force the issue during the Pistons third quarter run.  He took the first shot of the second half and didn’t take another one in the quarter.

–Larry Hughes’ poor offensive play is hurting the team deeply right now.  On defense, he’s done a quality job dealing with Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, but never has it been more obvious he is not a point guard.  Not only did he miss that eight-footer that might have won the game, which is probably the Cavs biggest choke of the postseason quite frankly, but when he came in the game in the fourth quarter he immediately turned the ball over twice.  He has simply been unable to aid LeBron is in dire time of need and that’s what the Cavs are paying him so much money for.

–My guess is when Mike Brown next talks to Gregg Popovich he’ll get a profanity-laced lecture about showing more poise.  He was going crazy on the sidelines in the fourth quarter, demonstratively reacting to calls and toweling himself off.   Getting the technical foul late was pointless, especially if he wasn’t going to back it up by calling out the refs in the postgame.  He’s learning a great deal, too.  He was just throwing lineups out there in the second half searching for something that would work.  Going small worked but he seemed to struggle in managing it because he doesn’t have a lot of experience deploying those guys.  Which, of course, is why it isn’t good to be inconsistent and experimenting in the postseason.  As a defender of his all season, I believe Mike has a great future ahead of him but he’s got to have these growing pains, too.  This games will benefit him down the line, even though I know that’s not what many of you want to hear.

–The third quarter problem is pretty much unacceptable at this point.  It isn’t just the coach, the players’ intensity is letting down as well.  As I wrote on ESPN, maybe they need to practice halftime.  I am only half joking, here.  This is an old school solution, take a 15-minute break in the locker room, and go practice again.  Plus I have no idea what is being said in the timeouts Mike takes in bunches in there, because very little seems to be getting done in there.

–I found out before the game that the NBA decided LeBron a flagrant foul-2 for this play in Game 1 after reviewing film.  With that ruling he could’ve been suspended for Game 2.  As is policy, the NBA didn’t make an announcement about it.  Believe it or not, LeBron might have benefited from all that talk about his pass in Game 1.  Had everyone been discussing the hit on Chris Webber, the league may have felt pressure to act considering the play sure looked like what Kobe Bryant got suspended for twice.  The NBA was probably glad it didn’t have any more suspension attention in this round.

–This guy is funny and good with photoshop.

This is a day late, my focus being on the conference finals and all, but it’s still worth pointing out.  The Cavs made out pretty fairly after the draft lottery last night in Jersey.  First off, the Bulls (via the Knicks) did not move up.  Had they landed Kevin Durant or Greg Oden, obviously, they very well may have become huge championship threats next season.  At No. 9, they are probably outside the zone where they can land an immediate impact player.  That was probably the facet of the lottery the Cavs organization was keeping the closest eye on.

In addition, both Oden and Durant will be heading West.  Not that either will make their teams instant contenders, but both are franchise players.  It does not shift the balance of power in the NBA, however. 

There will be much conversation about this in the coming weeks, but my initial thought is you take the big man No. 1.  Count the number of great centers in the NBA right now and then count the number of great wing players.  Durant may be special, but Oden is special and rare.

Auburn Hills, Mich. — The details were different, but the Cavs’ 79-76 loss Monday at the Palace has been played so many times before.  Yes, the LeBron James’ shot/pass decision on the last play will get the most attention.  It will here, too, in a moment.  But frankly, holding the Pistons to 79 points has to be enough to win.  If it’s not, then you’re not going to beat them.  The Cavs’ offense is not equipped, which has been the case for months now, and it will continue to be obvious under pressure.  The defense and rebounding can only carry so much burden.  You saw the breaking point in Game 1.

Now, the LeBron decision.  I have always generally supported James’ belief that it is prudent to make the correct basketball play when it comes to shooting and passing.  You find the open man.  Plus, on the road, even in the playoffs, often the best play is to go for the win and not the tie.  You play the percentages and work the system no matter what Charles Barkley says.  Here’s the problem with tonight, though, it wasn’t the best basketball play.

LeBron was not double-teamed when he made the pass, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince were caught by surprise when James attacked so quick and both were out of position.  But that’s not the point.  Yes, Marshall was open, but that’s not it either.  Looking at it live and then at the replays, it seems pretty certain to me that when LeBron started going down the lane he had no intention of shooting the ball.  Based on the angles I saw, I’m not sure he even looked at the rim even though he had good position to finish the play.  Marshall said after the game the play was not drawn up for him.  Mike Brown said it was James’ decision.   His decision, not his read, was to pass.  And that is the difference between this play and all the others when he passed instead of taking the last shot.  It certainly looked like he didn’t take the last shot because he didn’t want it and I’ve never before held that stance.

Combine that with his thoughts after the game which included this:  "We always want to win the ball game, but we always say if we play as hard as we did tonight for 48 minutes, we’re not satisfied, but we can look back and say we’re OK with this loss."

This is what I was talking about on my earlier post.  This sort of philosophy may be sound by the book, but it doesn’t fly in the Eastern Conference Finals.  LeBron either knows this and is just saying it or deflect blame and divert attention or he genuinely sold himself that how you play the game is more important than winning and losing.  On this level, at these stakes, it isn’t.  The NBA is a win business and on this level, it’s magnified ten fold.  You can’t say you’re a leader in one breath and then say it is OK to lose in another.

The Pistons know and this know it well, which is why they found a way to win Game 1.  Now the Cavs must learn, too.

Auburn Hills, Mich. — You need to prepare your living room.  Move the valuable glass stuff, put the remote on a short leash so it can’t hit the screen, send the dogs and cats out of the room.  If you’re a Cavs fan, the Pistons are going to make you yell and steam about your team.  Take it like an educated fan.

Let’s all be honest here, the Pistons are better than the Cavs.  They are more experienced than the Cavs.  They are tougher than the Cavs.  They should win the Eastern Conference Finals.  That doesn’t mean they will, but you can bet they will spend a lot of time making the Cavs look like a flawed contender.  It’s OK, they are a flawed contender.  But don’t make the mistake of thinking this is meaningless.

As I wrote about for the paper today, this series is all about the Cavs cutting their teeth.  As Henry Hill said in Goodfellas: "The way I see it, everyone’s gotta take a beating sometime."  This is the next step on the road the Cavs believe will lead to a championship.  For the Pistons, this very well may been their last gasp at one and the difference in the desperation will show.  Last year the Cavs finished 14 games behind the Pistons.  This year they finished three. The Pistons’ core, with the exception of Tayshaun Prince, are reaching the end of their primes and two starters are free agents.  The trend is obvious, but this is the present, not the future.

So the Cavs are going to look ugly in this series, the Pistons will make their lack of a true point guard and their offensive schematic issues a pinch point.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas will at times look weak, Drew Gooden look spacey, LeBron James look passive, Larry Hughes look way too brazen, Sasha Pavlovic look foolhardy, Anderson Varejao look like he’s never played the game before, Eric Snow look like a shot putter, and Daniel Gibson look like a rookie.  And they’ll do it with Mace cackling away on the P.A. and Rasheed Wallace skipping and doing his antics while Charles Barkley rips away at halftime.

Very few, it seems, respect the Cavs.  The media doesn’t vote for them for awards, their opponents don’t really respect them.  Trust me, last year the Washington Wizards went away convinced they were the better team and right now, to a man, the Nets think they’re better, too. Even the Pistons, no matter what they say to the media, don’t really respect the Cavs.  They blame last year on themselves, they give little credit to the opponent.

Maybe it’s because there’s a backlash at all the attention paid to James.  It’s understandable, the same things happened in high school.  Lots of people on his own state, hell, his own hometown, hated him and all he stood for…until he became a Cav and it became OK for him to have a Hummer and OK for everyone to cheer for him.

Don’t be suckered in.  The Cavs are going to be growing up in the next two weeks.  If they are slapped, it will only make them, and James, hungrier.  If they smell blood, it will only make them more dangerous.  This is the way it is in basketball on all levels, you grow, take your lumps, and grow some more.  After watching James and his teams steadily move up the ladder on each level and his dominance expand for the last eight years, I have learned one thing:  Don’t ever underestimate him because he’ll prove you wrong.

To quote another famous movie line, 30 years old this summer, from Obi Wan Kenobi: "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." 

East Rutherford, NJ — A few minutes after the game tonight, which was probably only the Cavs biggest win in 15 years, a felt a hand on my shoulder in the interview room.  It was Dan Gilbert.  He leaned down and whispered in my ear:

"I guess our tree is growing."

Indeed it is, Dan.  It was a reference to a conversation Gilbert had with reporters about a month ago now, at halftime of the last game of the season.  He said then something to the effect that his franchise was like a tree and "if it isn’t growing, it’s dying."  The point was, he wanted his team to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.  LeBron James later got a little testy the gauntlet was laid down publicly, but the way I saw it they both actually felt the same way.

To some people, the Cavs feeling good about beating the Nets is hollow.  There’s truth in that point of view.  After all, the Nets were a .500 team and the Wizards a joke with their injuries.  But the conference finals are the conference finals and the Nets were better than their record and they proved it against Toronto and in this series.

If you come here often you should know I am a realist — and I hate the jump shot, so boy that second half was fun to watch — and I’m bringing some realism.  I was in the studio about two miles from Continental Airlines Arena on that night four years ago this week when the Cavs hit the LeBron lottery.  The Nets were playing in the conference finals the same night.  The Cavs were a 17-win team with a disjointed roster and a bleak future.  That level seemed seamed like a pipe dream, it is a long way from Secaucus to the Meadowlands in May.  That night the Cavs were celebrating promise in the swamps, now they are celebrating reality.  It doesn’t matter the circumstances, it is an impressive and inspiring rise.

Now let’s talk about the game…

–The first quarter may’ve been the Cavs best quarter of the year…until the fourth.  There is reason to give the coaching staff and the starters credit here.  There was a game plan to come out attacking and they did.  Not only did they attack but they did it fast, before the Nets could set their defense.  That was key and set up by the Nets missed shots.  LeBron’s willingness to go to the basket set everything up, including those 3-pointers Donyell Marshall made later.

–Before Game 4, Donyell was upset with me because I wrote on the blog that he might want to be traded due to lack of playing.  He’s a reader.  But there’s no denying this season has been extremely upsetting for him, losing his playing time and for stretches, his shot.  But he came to the Cavs to play in games like this, the belief was that he could help spread the defense paired with LeBron.   It may not work every night, but it worked tonight.  If Donyell doesn’t make another shot in his Cavs career, this game and Game 6 in Washington last season, when he scored 28 points in spreading the defense for LeBron, should be remembered.  Considering it was his birthday and he said afterward it was the biggest moment in his career, I’d say at the moment makes all the regrets fade.  As for Damon Jones and his performance, if the opposition is going to leave spot-up shooters wide open then I’d say it is smart to have the best spot-up shooters you have on the floor.  Larry Hughes, stay seated.

–The Nets shot 3-of-16 in the fourth quarter of Game 4.  1-of-15 in fourth in Game 5.  And 2-of-16 in  the fourth of Game 6.  Yes, Lawrence Frank played his starters too hard too early, especially Jason Kidd.  The man was dead at the end.  But Mike Brown’s defensive system was superior when it absolutely means the most.  His small, shooting desperation lineup in the fourth quarter stunningly worked like a charm.  I’ve got no idea what he was saying in those three timeouts in the third quarter when he simply couldn’t get the Cavs to run an offensive play, but the man is 100-64 in the regular season and 15-8 in the playoffs.  He’s not perfect, he’s got flaws, but he’s proving that he’s a winner.  So is LeBron.

–I always try to leave you with a quip, so here it is.  Before the game, Damon Jones was being interviewed by two beautiful Italian female journalists.  The English was broken and I’m not sure all message was getting through, but Damon was engrossed and trying his best.  He must’ve felt good about his performance, because once they were gone he proclaimed: "I can talk a cat off a fish wagon with my cool lyrics."

There was supposed to be a party at the Q tonight, instead it was a funeral.  Although it is easy to say the Cavs laid an egg, the Nets were terrific.  That’s why it was a blowout, the combination.  In the second quarter it was a miracle the Cavs were within four points for most of the time the way the game was trending.  I thought it would benefit them to get through the storm, in fact it was just the opposite, the dam broke in the third when the Nets got hotter and the Cavs got worse.

All of it is part of the larger issue, which is that the roster isn’t there yet and neither is the scheme and neither is the intensity.  That sort of pesky stuff always seems to show up under pressure, eh? 

Usual drill…

–The Nets didn’t play this game any differently than any other time in the series, they just executed at a much, much higher level than the Cavs.  While not exactly the same in technique, both teams are using the same defensive principles.  The idea is to double team the star and force the ball from his hands.  Obviously with Jason Kidd the Nets ball movement will be better.  But their spacing tonight compared to the Cavs was so contrasting it was funny.  Genuine laughter.  The Nets ran pick-and-rolls with Zydrunas Ilgauskas on Mikki Moore and because of the spacing and the quickness issues.  You know what it reminded me of?   I mean the way the Cavs were playing the picks was different, but it was just like the Greeks undressing the Americans with a high pick-and-roll in last year’s World Championships in Japan.  Instead of Theodoros Papaloukas and Sofoklis Schortsanitis spinning Kirk Hinrich and Elton Brand dizzy, it was Kidd and Moore doing it to Eric Snow and Z.  Mike Brown was just as slow to make adjustments as Coach K.

–The Cavs shot 33 percent on Wednesday and they’re shooting 40 percent in the series (all roads?).  The Nets deserve credit for having a good game plan and working their tails off to get it done.  If I were Mike Brown, I think I might bring out some tapes of the Wizards series when the ball movement was good when LeBron had the ball.  Not sure where that went.

–Larry Hughes likes to shoot, he always has, he always will.  He’s never been a good shooter, never has  and never will.  This is why he’s not a point guard.  But he’s also not the guy you want taking up spot up jumpers on the back side in the best of times.  That is not his game and he knows this, so he must stop being put in a position to take those shots.  Against the Wizards, Sasha Pavlovic often set up on the backside and it ought to be him or Daniel Gibson over there.  When he takes those shots, the Nets high-five each other, even when he makes them.

–I suspect that, based on the crowd reaction, there will be some of you who were angry at the officiating.  I felt it was quite fair and balanced.  The Cavs are not going to get calls going into the paint 1-on-3, no one ought to.  The only moment that I thought was questionable was Bob Delaney calling the flagrant on Pavlovic’s foul on Moore.  He was reaching for the ball.  But the Nets should’ve gotten some calls in the fourth quarter they didn’t get.

–As for the fourth, I don’t care what the stats said, that the Nets scored six points and went 1-of-15 or whatever.  The Cavs were so bad on offense, seriously there were some completely scatterbrained possessions in there, the Net did not have to score.  Literally.  The Nets scored six points in the quarter and were only outscored by seven.  Do you realize they could’ve dribbled the ball out and taken a 24-second violation on every possessions and still won easily?  That quarter meant nothing.

–Game 6 will be a bear for the Cavs.  It seems pretty easy to determine how these games are going to go by now.  The game will be decided by how well the Nets shoot.  They move the ball to get open jumpers from guys not named Vince Carter.  If those guys make them, the Cavs are in trouble.  If not, they have a great chance to win.  What will happen Friday when Kidd gets his open looks?  Your guess is as good as mine.

–Even though it is 3:30 a.m. now, I could not stay up to watch the Jazz-Warriors series last night.  A pity.  Let me ask you this, do you suppose the NBA kept moving those Warriors games later and later was because they didn’t want any kids to be up to see how they play?

East Rutherford, NJ — In theory, the Cavs-Nets affair became a series when the Nets beat the Cavs in Game 3.  In reality, this became a playoff series tonight in the third quarter when Mikki Moore dropped Sasha Pavlovic on a drive to the basket.  It was a seminal moment, when the Cavs got angry and matched the Nets’ intensity.  It made the difference in their Game 4 victory.

–Just after the skirmish, the Cavs made five straight jumpers.  This was fate to a degree, they were bound to make some.  It was more impressive with how the emotion from Sasha and LeBron James carried over to the defensive end.  Over the last quarter and a half the Cavs had some great defensive possessions.  They even flustered Jason Kidd at times, which is saying something because they guy seems unstoppable at times.

–After Moore’s forearm to Sasha’s gut, LeBron didn’t skip a beat in squaring up with Moore.  Perhaps it was because it wasn’t against a fellow star, but that was the first time I can remember James getting right up in another guy’s face like that.  He was so engaged with Moore that when Sasha got up and came over, Moore didn’t even look at him.  Sasha had to go around his back to get in his ear.  Although when he said "I’m going to (blank) you up," he got a tech.  LeBron gets cracked, from here especially, when it appears he’s too passive.  Not in this case and there’s no denying how strongly his teammates responded.

–Speaking of LeBron, late in the game he wasn’t able to make a big hoop to finish the Nets.  But overall, his effort was remarkable.  He scored 24 points on just 11 recorded shots in the first three quarters.  Think about that.  He also two or three times got into the deep post for easy baskets, which is vital as hard as the Nets are making on him on the outside.  He promised he would come back with a good game and he did.

–The Nets seem as if they’ve had enough of Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao.  They started Game 3 running high pick-and-rolls and both Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins were slamming into Pavlovic, I mean loading up and slamming him.  It was a message, one Moore carried over in Game 4.  By the end of the game Monday, a frustrated Vince Carter was screaming in Sasha’s ear and Sasha was going right back at him.  Varejao, who drew three offensive fouls Monday, has been under Moore’s skin for days now.  All of it is contributing to the edge this series is getting.

–It may have gone unnoticed, but Drew Gooden had a big fourth quarter, getting four clutch defensive rebounds in traffic.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas also had another double-double.  The Nets are able to chase down loose balls with energy, but at the end of the game height usually shows up.  It didn’t in Game 3, it did in Game 4.

–It was just logical that Jason Kidd would have to cool off from the outside so him going 2-of-13 wasn’t shocking.  It was unexpected that Richard Jefferson would have such a bad night, even missing dunks.  But the Cavs deserve some credit for the way they are handling Carter, the double teams and contested jumpers have supremely frustrated him.  Pavlovic’s length bothers him, Snow’s strength makes it tough for him to drive, and the scheme makes it hard for him to find any space to operate.  The series isn’t over and Carter can get very hot, but so far their game plan against him has been impressive.  As for Moore, he will be permitted to get open looks.  Again, Mike Brown is playing percentages and he’s looking pretty good so far in doing so.

–This year’s playoffs have been about the lessons learned from last year.  The last time there was a closeout game at home in the conference semifinals, the Cavs let it slip through their fingers.  They may be up a couple of break points now, but expect that Game 6 loss last year to be rehashed.