LeBron will always have this one
Posted May 27th, 2007 by Brian Windhorst
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.
May 27th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
bw, u could of kept that gay comment to your self, this is a real men sports blog, check your gay comments at the door, this was a awesome game, it is not so much as rip a chuncey being off, its more of the def. that is being played on them, we never get credit for our def. aways the piston r not playing well, thats okay we will get the last laugh when we win this series and go to the finals
May 28th, 2007 at 12:32 am
Solid, Solid, Solid….
Amazing, that after 3 games, 144 minutes of basketball, the two teams have scored the exact same amount of points — 240 — It goes to show just how close this series is, and will continue to be. Now that the Cavs have broken through, I expect the to finish the job….
If not, oh well, cuz this has been a great learning experience for not only LeBron, but Gibson as well….
FTS
http://www.fearthesword.com
May 28th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Apparently real men use a lot of commas.
May 28th, 2007 at 12:59 am
we ARE the superior team and it only took us 3 games to show it!! CAVS IN 7!
May 28th, 2007 at 1:26 am
Sweet game, still down a daunting 2-1 though. Winning this series will require either a fairly remarkable 4 game tear (starting last night), or a fairly remarkable V for game 7, in Detroit. Given the significant improbability of either of those events occuring, it’s particularly frustrating (yet strangely leaves me feeling optimistic at the same time) to know that we’re only a hair away from being up 2-1… only 2 hairs (ok, maybe one of them belongs to the notoriously hirsute Grizzly Adams) away from being up 3-0.
May 28th, 2007 at 2:07 am
Ben, I did not mean to offend you, what you do in your bed is your business, just do not talk about it on the sports board. Mike oh,yeah of little faith, the cavs will win this series and it will turn the nba upside down, but even when we do win the series, i still hopeing for a major shakeup in the off season.
May 28th, 2007 at 3:40 am
Don’t be fooled ladies. The Cavs are playing way over their heads and will come back down to earth over the next few games.
May 28th, 2007 at 4:20 am
Larry Hughes getting hurt was key for the Cavs. If Gibson is not in the game late, the cavs lose. LeBron has to have someone to pass to that is threat to bury the lng ball. Detroit has quit guarding Marshall, Hughes to focus on LeBron. With Gibson, they are going to have to keep him in check which will free up LeBron.
I just hope Mike Brown is smart enough to see his best line-up is James, Gibson, Sasha, Gooden and Z. Andy is a great sixth man.
May 28th, 2007 at 7:01 am
i was essentially going to say the same thing as the first guy
May 28th, 2007 at 7:10 am
Maestro performance. If LBJ decides to play like that all the time, we’re looking at spending the next ten years playing in the Finals.
And does where does “Andy” Varejao rank in terms of gay desirability? Is he ahead of Brady Quinn? Maybe BW will get some more “emails from members of the gay community” that will help clarify this important piece of information.
May 28th, 2007 at 8:34 am
That dunk over Rasheed was almost as good as the commentator’s remark during the replay: “Rasheed is a witness.” Priceless.
Tucker - Are you a Piston fan (not that there’s anything wrong with that)? Just trying to get my bearings with your comments today and in the past.
May 28th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Karl, that’s some nitwit posing as Tucker.
May 28th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Why does the media seem like they are on a mission to get the gay guy some love with the NBA fans? What kind of ish is that to say about Andy?? Why don’t you keep your gay friends comments in the entertainment of Lifestyles pages and leave the straight basketball fans alone. STOP BUMBARDING US WITH THIS HOMOSEXUAL MOVEMENT.
May 28th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
So thankfully it looks like we’re spared from Hughes’ panty-hosed brick jumpers for the next game and possibly beyond(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2007/news/story?id=2884926). Hopefully Roker Brown won’t decide this means extended minutes for Snow and his “intangibles.”
May 28th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Geddy, I fear you are right. Brown will probably start Gibson, but the Pistons will spend the first quarter trying to get him in foul trouble. That means plenty of Eric Snow in the forecast.
It also means D Jones and Donyell Marshall may be the only shooters left on the floor in the 4th.
It’ll be nice to take a break from watching Larry go 1 for 12 from the floor. However, he has been playing some pretty good D this series.
May 28th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
My G-d, the comment about Varejo appeared to be a compliment! SFBAF and GAWDtv, you guys live in Parma, right? I forgot that Cleveland had a significant trash/bigot population.
The Cavs actually won that game; they didn’t get lucky and benefit from a Pistons loss. Gibson will be a key cog in Cleveland’s future plans.
May 28th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Father Figure, SFBAF & GAWDtv just demonstrated their (or is it Billy’s?) close-mindedness in not even understanding BW’s comment. Just saying that some people liked Andy was “bumbarding us with the homosexual movement”? By that count, Billy has “bumbarded” us with the “Christianity movement” while Alan Tucker has bombarded us with the “LeBron is leaving town movement” plenty of times! GO CAVS–win it in 6!!
May 28th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
I’d like to take this opportunity to bombard all of you with the Witness Protection Program movement! http://wright.facebook.com/share_redirect.php?h=1fe5673628e6f944246649a141bbe331&url=http%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLwCvy8vSSl0%26mode%3Drelated%26search%3D&sid=2371858673
May 28th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Terry Pluto’s Hair is right. No one will miss Hughes jump shot but his defense is a big reason the Cavs have been able to contain the Piston’s backcourt the way they have. The good thing is that Gibson played very solid defense in Game 3 to go along with his big shots down the stretch. Hopefully Gibson will be able to keep up his inspired play and Jones/Marshall/Snow will be at least servicable when Gibson is resting.
-Nate Anthony
http://thecavsblog.blogspot.com/
May 28th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
To the despair of many, I think Brown will start Snow and keep him in for as long as he can survive it (aka until the Cavs start to look incredibly bad) to keep Gibson out of early foul trouble and to keep Billups from starting out too strong. That’s the safest route and the one that is the most defensively predictable, plus Gibson might give some scoring punch off the bench. Whether it’s the best route, I’m not so sure.
But I don’t think anyone wants to see Gibson on the bench before the first timeout with 2 fouls. That would be the worst case scenario. If Gibson could play 30-35 effective minutes, that would be ideal, but that’s asking a whole lot.
May 28th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
I think Pavlovic is going to have to play more minutes. Last game Damon Jones played a whole bunch of minutes along with Gibson and Marshall. He wasn’t looking to shoot at that time, so I didn’t understand why Mike Brown didn’t have Pavs out there. He will have to play a lot more minutes.
May 29th, 2007 at 6:12 am
Well, they “Rose Up” at home. Superstar playing like a superstar. That is what we needed to see. If they can keep it up and show the same when it goes back to Detroit like they did last year, this could get interesting.
May 29th, 2007 at 6:27 am
Forget the jabroni first poster…funny blog…I am hiping the Cavs can keep it up and go to Detroit ties…Gibson just needs to make plays and distribute the ball, Lebron needs to be like he was in Game 3, and our D needs to keep it going…
May 29th, 2007 at 8:17 am
I want to know what hair products BW uses.
Canola oil for men or Damona dippity doo.
All homo men send him your fashion
questions.
When I’m Andy, I go to Rio, De Janiero,
with BW.
Does anyone know if Tucker has ANY hair
left?
Reverend Billy you must sermonize BW NOW
for his support of Wild Thangs lifestyle.
Give us all your piss and venom now.
And pray for our team. And a pox on Rableed.
May 29th, 2007 at 10:32 am
PLEASE DRESSED SHANNON BROWN, FOR THE GAME, WILL GIVE THE CAVS SOME VERSITILTY OF THE BENCH, ALSO WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE DJ, IN THE GAMES AS WELL AS LOOKING FOR HIS SHOT, THE CAVS WILL WIN TONIGHT.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Al (chicago, il): can we rip on coaches for a minute here? mike brown, he’s the worst right? would you ever want a coach that looks confused all the time? that’s gotta be worse than doc right? please, we need to call this guy out and get lebron on a real team. we are wasting the talent here.
Bill Simmons: (2:08 PM ET ) I can’t even rip on Mike Brown because he’s so overmatched… it’s almost not funny. When Flip Saunders is working you like a speedbag, it’s time to pick another profession.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:20 am
I just thought this was funny, given the glowing rave review Reverend Pluto wrote about Lemonhead yesterday Always great to see the juxtaposition of objective national media people next to homer jesus freaks doubling as local sports columnists:
Al (chicago, il): can we rip on coaches for a minute here? mike brown, he’s the worst right? would you ever want a coach that looks confused all the time? that’s gotta be worse than doc right? please, we need to call this guy out and get lebron on a real team. we are wasting the talent here.
Bill Simmons: (2:08 PM ET ) I can’t even rip on Mike Brown because he’s so overmatched… it’s almost not funny. When Flip Saunders is working you like a speedbag, it’s time to pick another profession.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:31 am
I also found it hilarious how the Reverend lauded our “raucous” home crowd. Of course it got loud when we were up 6 and Lebron just nailed a clutch jumper to ice the game. What place wouldnt? But for the most part, the Q is a mausoleum. It’s like Dan Gilbert manufactured a bunch of automatons that only respond to emcee exhortations or jumbotron instructions. There a moment during the last game when the crowd was screaming during one of Daniel Gibson’s free throws. The announcers were laughing like we were a bunch of idiots.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:58 am
The crowd was a joke but so is Simmons. To have the Cavs playing the Pistons even up, Brown has got to be outcoaching Saunders, who’s got mismatches all over the floor to take advantage of. Brown outcoached him last year too.
May 29th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Have you seen this yet?
LeBron makes a 92 footer:
http://thecavsblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/lebron-james-92-foot-shot.html
May 29th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
TPH, you’re right, Hughes was playing some good defense. Hopefully Gibson will be able to continue to play strong on that end of the court, as I’m sure they’ll be posting billups up on him. He did well last game, but we’ll see how it goes for a whole game. Otherwise, I believe the only actual tangible Snow is supposed to have is his defense. and of course, we could always resort to our favorite jewish Cavs player–Ira Newble.
May 29th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
OK, I enjoy reading Simmions at times, but to call him unbiased is a joke. He is joe sports fan who caught fire and made a name for himself. He spits just as much truth, and has about as much insider info into any sports leagues as that drunk guy on the corner stool.
May 29th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Doc, I’m certainly no fan of coach roker (and still can’t believe he won’t admit he needs someone else to coach the offense), but how is Flip “working him like a speedbag?” I mean by squeaking out two games at home that could have gone the other way pending a player hitting an open shot or LBJ getting a foul call? maybe he will show his superior coaching as the series progresses, but until now, I just see a guy who got the T-wolves out of the first round like what, one time? And then took a pistons team to the conference finals where they had already been three years running.
Pluto is far too overzealous in his praise of Brown. Brown has shown some severe flaws, I still just don’t know the real correlation between what exactly Brown is calling and what LBJ is doing, similar to the last part of what the TrueHoops blog had today:
“Mike Brown gets a blog-trashing in a post called “Get LeBron a real coach.” Ever consider the possibility that LeBron James doesn’t want to be answering to a taskmaster on every little thing? Mike Brown knows more than any of us about basketball, and before the age of forty he is three wins from the NBA Finals with an oddball roster. Things you’re seeing on the floor that aren’t exactly as you’d like them? I’d bet he’s seeing them to, and wishing many of the same things. But remember, no NBA coaches have dictatorial control — it’s a player’s league, and the best job security comes with the endorsement of superstars — and Brown happens to coach for an organization that lives in fear of angering one particular player. Not blaming anything on LeBron James — I’m just saying in such a setting you can’t assume a coach is responsible for everything a team does on the floor.”
May 29th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Doc all you say is a crock.
Look at your watch at eleven o clock.
And duly take stock.
That another Cavaliers victory is a lock.
Then you can shut up with all of your shlock.
May 29th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Did Tucker croak? Where is that no good
road team ball boy. Sniffing Rasheeds
jock?
May 29th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Im not saying I agree with Simmons. I just thought it was amusing to see an national media member basically trash the potato head within 24 hours of a Reverend Pluto column that basically coronated him.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Doc, you’re right, that part is amusing. I also found this tidbit from Pluto’s piece on Lebron the other day amusing:
“I can’t speak to the Nike part, but I am glad that a 22-year-old James is not talking politics or social issues. I am tired of being lectured on those fronts by celebrities and athletes who usually ended up sounding ditzy.”
So if celebrities/athletes + politics/social issues = ditzy, what does that make sports writers + religion?
May 29th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ HAHAHAHAHAHA ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
May 29th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
OK, let me get this straight…. Lebron falls and hits his head on the court, gets up, and continues to play. Larry Hughes lands wrong on his foot and WILL MISS a very important playoff game.
WTF?!?!??!?!
May 29th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 29th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
2 down 2 to go, lets go cavs
May 31st, 2007 at 1:55 pm
You don’t run with your head, John.
May 31st, 2007 at 3:22 pm
It doesn’t matter if the Cavs advance to the Finals and LeBron averages 50 along the way, they are not beating the Spurs. There’s just no way. He’s currently playing with a center who can barely make it up the floor (Z), a starting point guard who is always injured and is better suited as a shooting guard expect he can’t shoot (Hughes), a back-up point guard who never met a shot he didn’t brick (E. Snow) and a foward who thinks flopping is a form of defense (Varejao). I hope they make a run at Mike Bibby this summer because this will give them someone who has played in big playoff games, and someone who can consistently knock down the open shot should the defense collapse on LeBron.
June 7th, 2007 at 8:03 am
LeBron saying it was “the biggest game of his life”. Sheesh, he just got out of High School. No college or anything like that. Yeah, this is all LeBron wants. This is what he dreamt. He was just a kid from High School, he learned the real-life game and he was taught very well. So maybe it doesn’t matter if the Cavs make it to the end. Matters is that he and his team and fans were there.