Hawks 90, Cavs 81
–A few times every season teams on back-to-backs are going to play flat and going to get beat. A classic case happened to the Cavs in Denver earlier this season. And while it would be tempting to chalk tonight up to that, I simply cannot. This game was a reminder of the deep flaws the Cavs have. In general, they are a one-man team (obvious, I know, but this put it in bold letters). Second, they are so fragile mentally.
–LeBron James went 13-of-22, the rest of the Cavs went 19-of-66. Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson combined to go 4-of-24. But in Sasha’s defense, he missed just two shots. Of course, he didn’t make any shots, either. Every town the Cavs go into, all I hear is people just mock their guard play. How can they not?
–After the game, I asked LeBron two questions. 1. Why does the small unit move the ball so much better than the big unit on offense? 2. What is wrong in the third quarter? He started both answers with what he could do about it. That’s the thing, what more can the man do? The fixes don’t start with him, in general, I don’t think.
–Anderson Varejao looked like he got messed up bad in the fourth quarter when he jammed his left leg. After the game in the locker room he had an ugly red welt developing on top of the knee and his foot was in ice but he was happy. He said he thought he messed up his knee and his Achilles in the same play. The doctor took him back and looked at his knee and declared it fine, just a bruise. He’s a little more concerned about the Achilles, but Andy said it is not torn and he just was so relieved. He was actually happy. Which goes to just how fragile the Cavs are. Had he stayed in the game, the Cavs may have won, but that isn’t the point.
–Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ shot is totally flat right now. I went to talk to him in the locker room about it and Sasha, who was sitting next to him, said: “He has been spending too much time around me. It is getting in his head, too.” I said: “Sasha, just don’t think then.” I’m sorta serious there. Anyway, if Z can’t shoot then the Cavs are in more trouble than I thought. Z shrugged his shoulders and said he’d be working on it.
–Ignoring all the stuff that came before it, Drew Gooden’s travel with 1:30 left and the Cavs down by five really decided the game. If the Cavs score there, everything is different in the last minute. Which is why Drew often isn’t in the game in those circumstances.
Tonight’s recap:
Pregame
Starting lineups
Cavs: Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, LeBron James, Drew Gooden, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Hawks: Anthony Johnson, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Al Horford
Officials
Scott Foster, Rodney Mott, Tommy Nunez
–The Cavs were extremely loose in the locker room before the game, joking around and having fun. It’s a team on a winning streak for sure. Do they lack focus? We’ll see, but they are surely enjoying being around each other at the moment
–Joe Johnson struggled against Sasha Pavlovic last week, he made a bunch of shots at the end of the game to pad his stats, but the Cavs held him in check for the bulk of the game, we’ll see if that changes.
–Look for Mike Brown to use his small lineup a lot tonight with Damon Jones, Devin Brown and Gibson out there with LeBron and Andy Varejao. It’s a good matchup against the Hawks, who like to play small at times.
–This is a good litmus test for the Cavs. They took care of business last night, let’s see if they can again tonight. This game will decide just how long this winning streak will last.
Postgame
Stars
LeBron, 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists
Joe Johnson, 29 points, seven rebounds
Al Horford, 10 points, 15 rebounds
Quotes
Mike Brown: “Tonight was one of the worst nights we’ve had in moving the ball. We had a lack of execution.”
LeBron: “Hey, don’t wait until the fourth quarter, we have start the third quarter like we start the first quarter. I don’t know how we can do that, I don’t know if it is our effort level or our mindset but we have to do a better job because that is where were are losing ball games.”
Andy: “I thought something very bad happened because my knee and my Achilles both hurt bad. I was scared.”
Halftime — Hawks 36, Cavs 32
–Ick, that’s some nasty basketball out there. It’s not just sloppy, it’s careless. At times. Both teams are showing effort, but it’s like an executionless effort.
–Cavs may have had their worst offense half of the year with all their players. 28 percent, 32 points and they are only down four on the road in the second night of a back-to-back. So they are either in great shape or about ready to get blown out. They have been saved by 11 second-chance points but still missed a lot of close layups.
–Both teams have been playing decent defense and contesting shots, but also both are making a lot of unforced errors. LeBron is waiting for double teams tonight, which is a bad sign. He’ll need to be more aggressive but he’s going to need some help.
–Cavs are reaching a lot of defense, which also can be a downfall of theirs because they let teams get free points. Overall, they’ve done OK with rotations and given up just 40 percent shooting.
–Let’s all hope this first half gets forgotten.
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“This game will decide just how long this winning streak will last.”
This pretty much sums up ever game , no?
unless the last game was a loss.
2nd night of a back to back, on the road, nothing falling…
Isn’t this the sort of night where Lebron is supposed to decide he wants to shoot 15 free throws in the 2nd half?
wow cavaliers, wow.
the taco is speechless.
What’s up with Z? He’s looked awful the last few games. Don’t remember last he hit a jumper…
“He’ll need to be more aggressive but he’s going to need some help.”
Gee ya think Brian? Another case of James carrying the team, but even he couldn’t drag that carcass up the hill. Our starting back court is ridiculously bad right now.
I can find high school basketball players with a better shot than Sasha right now. He isn’t even close. He couldn’t throw a grape in the ocean right now. Along with Larry, the Brick Brothers, as I like to call them, are without question the worst backcourt in the NBA.
Wow, what a pitiful performance that was! Anyone else catch Gooden talking to a teammate on the baseline while Johnson swooped in for the lay-up in the last two minutes… what the hell was that???
i love it when the lose, because it should gave dgilbert a sense of urgency,then again. This team is awful and i would not be surprise if its the same team at the end of the year. we just do not have anybody that another team wants. thats how bad we are. grace and peace
What exactly does L train mean?? Come on Austin Carr that is just dumb.
Hey Cavs please show up for 4 quarters next time!!!!!!!!!!
L-Train is awesome, Gringo. Ease up on AC!
The guards are beyond bad at this point. At some point this organization needs to realize it’s not a slump, the coaches, the offense, the holdouts, the injuries, the money…
IT’S Reality!!!
I find it funny this was the NO EXCUSES organization last year against Detroit!?!
larry and pavs were playing like the studs they are tonight
L-Train means LeBron goes to the hole like a freaking freight train you idiot.
What a joke this team has become. It was bad enough we got swept in the finals but any tiny amount of respect we earned by getting there (which would be the first respect this team has gotten in its history) is completely gone. Larry Hughes 2-11? Pavolic 0-2? Z missing shot after shot. All great free agent signings but that ultimate franchise wrecker first as a player and now as a GM. Blow up this team except Lebron. This season is lost. What is Ferry afraid of? That we’ll lose our chemistry. While we are at it, get rid of Mike Brown. Lebron needs a real coach who can inspire and challenge him. I don’t live in Cleveland so can anyone tell me if Ferry is actually getting any heat in the media? What is he saying in response to this team’s dismal performance? Is there any hope he will make changes or Gilbert will fire Ferry?
It seems to me that there could be a very obvious answer to our 3rd quarter woes: we play our starters. With the exception of the very quick start tonight our points only come once our bench is in.
I’m not sure how this applies to last year but it seems pretty simple this year. The other team is warmed up ready to go and our starters come in and take us right out of the game.
can somebody please explain to me why the cavs haven’t even considered signing free agent earl boykins??? surely he could provide the sort of offensive spark they have sorely missed all season, especially in the 3rd quarters of almost every game, including tonite. he is a better point guard than anyone else already on the roster. never mind the fact that he’s only 5-foot-5. i don’t care if he’s 2-foot-5. dude can score. dude can shoot. dude can dribble. dude hits his free throws. dude penetrates the lane. dude can control the tempo. dude can run the fast break. dude is fast. dude can distribute the ball. dude can make an entry pass into the post. dude can score off the dribble. if he was 6-foot-5, they would already have him here. so what if he’s a potential post-up victim on defense almost every time on the opponents’ side of the court??? don’t forget, they still have to guard him and most teams can’t stay with him, so you look at what is the best net effect of the situation and you have to concur that he is what this team needs. are you listening danny ferry??? get with the program. you can’t just stand pat and still expect this team to make any headway in the playoffs. earl would offer a significant change of pace to help this team win games and give them an opportunity to build some momentum as they approach the 2nd half of the season and go into the playoffs. lord knows he would be a better option right now than either larry hughes or sasha pavlovic, neither one of which seems able to shoot the ball into the ocean while standing knee deep in the surf. i mean how much longer can the cavs put up with the absolute lack of production from these “thieves”??? and by “thieves” i mean how much money they are being paid as compared to the amount of effort they are putting forth on the court. if that isn’t stealing, i don’t know what else to call it??? all i know is that a change or two or three needs to be made and i’m not just talking about in the starting lineup either, although that would be nice too. i don’t think that change can come from within though. i really believe they need to bring somebody in from the outside, like a boykins, to change the dynamic of the roster. dan gilbert has always said that “money is no object”, right??? well than do something about it dammit and to hell with the luxury tax. i swear danny ferry is fast becoming just as much of an albatross as a gm as he was as a player for the cavs. so many people keep clamoring for a change in the head coach, but i don’t see what good, if any, that would do. mike brown is the all-time winningest coach in cavs’ history in terms of winning percentage. he has won back-to-back 50-win seasons and taken the cavs even farther in the playoffs than any other cavs coach ever in their history and some people want to get rid of him??? why??? so what if he’s offensively-challenged??? there aren’t many other coaches who could win with a backcourt of larry hughes and sasha pavlovic, no matter what sort of system they might run on offense. i tell you what, get earl boykins in here and bring him in off the bench early and often, especially in the 3rd quarter and people won’t be b!tching about the cavs’ offense very much longer. you can buh-lee dat.
I like the Hawks’ new primary logo, the one where the hawk is in flight and holding onto the basketball like it just found a pet poodle for lunch in somebody’s backyard. That is one badass bird. My favorite logo in the league.
Geez, how much stupidity does Larry Hughes needs to show more for MIke Brown to realize his stupidity in giving Brick Larry not just minutes but starting point guard position. He is the main reason why this team is often start on a sluggish fashion – He dribbles aimlessly for about 15 seconds and either pass it to a teammate who is no position to create much or just take stupid shots. He must have hoisted about 3-4 really, really bad shots very early and that set the tone. And this has always been a staple in the Cavs games. Neither was he the supposed defensive stopper he’s bruited to be -heck Damon Jones played better defense than him. Put Devin Brown as starting point guard position if you don’t want to lose the supposed defensive length Hughes brings to the table.
And you know what, even if HUghes plays well, he will always find a way to injure himself and disrupt the team’s rythm and continuity come play-off time. Food for thoughts -In the 2006 play-offs against Detroit, Hughes was not around in any of the three victories and was present in all 4 losses. And in the 2007 rematch, the Cavs finally upended the Pistons with Hughes cooling his butt most of the times from Game 3 to 6. Ironic that Lebron’s main support from the offensive end had to come from a shooting guard with a point guard’s body who’s distant draft pick.
Dumping Hughes is a simple case of addition by subtraction. Yeah I know the Cavs are paying him 13 millions but any businessman worth his salt knows when an investment is beyond salvation and cut his business losses immediately instead of hoping vainly for better times that might result in further losses.
Hey DK i know what it means idiot. It is just a terrible nickname. I love AC but he can do better. It could be that his sorry partner is bringing him down kinda like LeBron’s teammates. Someone please step up you are making millions to put a ball in a damn basket!!!
Well said Peter.
Earl Boykins is a ball hogging defensive liability who is a terrible fit for this team. As a matter of fact, he is a terrible fit for most teams, which is why he is not on an NBA roster this late into the season. Get over it.
Blazers > Cavs. We should have been 34-2 only if Lebron and Roy switch places.
All those Larry Hughes hater who say that he doesnt drive, dont know what u are talking about…..
he did drive this game…..
it was with 10mins to go in the third and LARRY GOT IN THE LANE…
i know, i know, i almost had a heart attack when it happened…
granted it ended up with a straight-arm shot off the rim and into a Hawks’ players hand….
but hey, thats the first drive of 2008 from Larry
baby steps, baby steps
oh, and somebody send an ambulance to Manila for Mel…he must be having a stroke or something…
Roy for LB? come on, dude
I think mel meant that the Blazers would be 34-2 with Lebron. At leats, that’s what I hope he meant.
I think any team in the NBA would be well above .500 if LeBron were on their current roster. What’s that say about the Cavs? Would they be the worst team in the NBA without him?
Worst backcourt in the league. Other guys who show up one night, disappear the next. Chairs full of really lame bench players. Who signed these guys? I don’t know, this person is a complete mystery, I’ve never read his name in any Northeast Ohio newspaper. Odd. Regardless, whoever he (or she) is, this person may require some minor fine-tuning as to how he or she assesses NBA talent. Maybe take a continuing education class at Cleveland State, or something. How to Put a Championship Team Together If You Have LeBron James 101. Perhaps if they get rid of the halftime billiards players and replace them with dogs and Frisbees, they’ll be able to free up a few dollars for the tuition and class materials.
Corporate…that’s what I was supposed to mean. I mean switch teammates.
As the game was winding down and the hawks were at the free throw line again, the camera on FSN caught LeBron talking with some fans sitting court-side. LeBron shrugged his shoulders and said, “We lost. Shit happens.”
Anyone else catch that?
As for our exquisite halftime entertainment
I personally like Blue Elvis or better yet the Bucket Boys.
They were outside the Q collecting change in a bucket
because tight ass Gilbert probably didn,t pay them one
freakin nickel for their awesome halftime performance.
Don’t tell me me this mortgage mess isn’t affecting the
Grinch type one. He is probably ready to go down on the
floor at Quicken loans and hyperventilate at anybody
who will listen to his muckety muck ISMS. I have an ISM.
Don’t overpay for an NBA team and hire a boat shoed GM
who doesn’t know the diff between Larry Hughes and a
bricklayer. CLANK!!!!!!
Atrocious. Sasha isn’t even coming close. He’s literally a foot off on most of his outside shots. Z looks exhausted. Varejao for some reason thinks he should be shooting more this year. Hughes… what more can you say? You couldn’t assemble a worse shooting group of guys if you went down to the JCC in Beachwood tonight. Lebron goes 13-22 and they basically get blown out by a team like the Hawks. I guess Boatshoes is waiting for the perfect moment before he shakes up the roster. Or maybe he thinks they just need to play better defense. You know, hold the opposition to 70 a game and they’re sure to end up in the Finals again.
I mean, unless Lebron is filling up stat lines like Oscar Robertson, this team has no chance. The roster is pure garbage. Rubbish. Trash. It can’t be that hard to get a shooter in here. JJ Redick. Juan Dixon. Someone. (Not Midget Boykins). The season isn’t lost. They defend. They rebound better than anyone in the NBA. But you have to score. Someone besides Lebron has to be able to consistently give 15-17 points a night. They’re pretty much locked into the #4 seed, so you might as well experiment the rest of the year, take a chance on some waiver wire detritus or make a minor trade to see if you can find a spark.
Why isn’t Ferry getting pummelled by the media? Is it the hypnotic allure of his gleaming bald head? Is it the striped Izods? The pale, hairy ankles peaking out above the boatshoes? Why hasn’t he been crucified? The Cavs have the best player in the league. It’s not even close. The absolute best player. This year, he’s become a better defender and a bona fide fourth quarter killer. And the squad stands at .500. Doesn’t the architect of this “team” need to be held accountable?
u guys seem to forget that we are not the only team struggling, look at the heat, they have two superstars and won title 3 or 4 years ago, what about the t-wolves they went from the playoffs every year to the team they are now and the knicks, my boy “zeke” totally screwed that team up, so if u ask me, which i know you want, hey we do not got it that bad, we are just spoiled. we really need to get a grip and see what happens.
Its going to take more then a pt guard to right this wrong, its going to be a two year plan, by the last year of lebrons new contract we will have it together, but the question is, will he want to stay and continue to be the captain of boat shoes’s ship? AND WE ALL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT:) ….GRACE AND PEACE.
“Billy” you are an apathetic loser. First, we were in the finals last year. Were the t-wolves? The Knicks? Second, we have the best player in the game in Lebron. Do you think the Knicks or Wolves would be .500 or below with Lebron. The answer is a resounding know. You suffer from a sports stockholm syndrome. Like so man in Cleveland, you have become so used to losing you will excuse it at any cost. It is time for fans of the Cavaliers to rise up and express extreme displeasure at this team so maybe Ferry will get off his well paid a$$ and do something. Or Gilbert will get rid of him. Wasn’t Gilbert supposed to be a pro-active owner in the Mark Cuban mold? Well, now is the time. Finally, how can we be spoiled as Cleveland fans. Were you a fan of this team when Geoff Huston was at point? How about when Roy Hinson was roaming the floor? James silas? The Mike Fratello years when he did more with little talent than any coach of the year. Probably not. That is the only way were are spoiled. You want to know spoiled? Look at Chicago. Look at LA. Look at San Antonio. Look even at Miami. Because to be a spoiled fan your team has to win a championship at some point. Because if not, we are just part of all the other teams that didn’t.
The Cavs have a owner, gm, and a coach who are in over their heads. I’m sure they are all nice people, but this is about winning games, not making nice. This is a what have you done lately league. That is just the way it is. Two guards shooting under 30% and are still starting, come on now! LaBron may love NY when it comes to baseball, but when his contract is up, he will be a Laker. The Lakers always have a star and a show, it’s hollywood baby. Check out their history, they always get what they want and the town offers what LaBron wants. Don’t take my word for it , just watch what happens when his contract is up.
I notice Lebron was jawing at some more fans in the front row. Right near the end of the game they showed him jawing with a couple guys in the front row and clear as day he said “We lost… shit happens man, shit happens”. I was surprised they didn’t bleep that out.
Is it me, or does Lebron use profanity a lot on the court? I see him yelling stuff out quite a bit and I’m sure he doesn’t really care what he says…although the little kids in the crowd might care.
“Shit happens.” It makes a lot more sense than “All for one and one for all.” It would sell better in the Cavs gift shop, too.
gotta say, dave is right: Boykins is better than any PG we’ve got right now. I don’t know why they haven’t done anything at point in yearsm since jeff mcginnis really. even he wasn’t that good. patheticm this doing-nothing biz
Hey JOHN BAGLEY, you used to play with roy hinson, I would rather have roy hinson, then the power forwards we have now, by the way the year they picked roy i went down to the draft party and every body wanted “rocket rod foster” from ucla the guard, and when they picked roy we all booed, but roy was not that bad, hey he bought us “big brad”, so dude i know my sports better then you think and if i am aloser, its because i live in cleveland…..GRACE AND PEACE, BILL
JOE HOOPS, kids parents cuss, so get off, watching or hearing lebron cuss is not going to make a bit of difference in a kids life, its what the kids see in their parents and immediate surroundings that make a difference, then the kid have to make his or hers own choice in life. sports stars are not role models as far a examplary behaviour only role models as far as getting the “bling bling”…..GRACE AND PEACE.. BILL