Living to play ugly for another day
Posted May 16th, 2008 by bwindhorst
Cavs 74, Celtics 69
–This was just horrifying basketball from both sides. But that happens in the playoffs, especially with defensive teams like this. The Cavs scrapped and brought a lot of energy to the table and they were just slighty better across the board. It seems to be the home court difference.
–LeBron held this game tight. He never wanted to let go control, especially at the offensive end. He had 32 points and six assists, two that led to 3-pointers. When you add in the passes he made that led to free throws he was responsible for more than 50 of the Cavs’ 74 points. He also made some terrible offensive judgments, pulling the ball out like it was Game 5 of the Wizards series all over again. I simply have no idea why in a tight spot inside two minutes with Glen Davis having five fouls and six fewer inches than Zydrunas Ilgauskas that there was nothing done to set him up. Wally Szczerbiak hits that crazy 3-pointer from like 26 feet but it was a bad shot in that spot. LeBron also had eight turnovers. You can live with that because of his ability to make plays, but to win in Boston the Cavs are going to have to figure out a way to compose themselves on offense under pressure. Turnovers have killed them there and stagnant offense will be a loss. LeBron has to realize this, in many ways it is on him. He can make an impact by coming out and whipping the ball around. If I were him, I would not watch any of this game film and instead go back and watch Game 6 in Washington. That was his finest game of this postseason, the Cavs need that again.
–I felt the charge LeBron got on Paul Pierce with 49 seconds left was a massive play in the game. I have not seen enough angles to say for sure, but it appeared to be a bad call. LeBron said he thought the ball was out of bounds on him. He’s trying to make a play there, but it was risky to maybe put Pierce at the line up just five. He got the whistle, which really upset the Celts. In my opinion it evened out just a bit a few moments later when Wally Szczerbiak was called for a foul on Ray Allen’s breakaway. On that play, with the ball hitting the side of the backboard I believe that it was not a goaltend. But I could be wrong.
–The Cavs did a strong job on Rajon Rondo, mostly they brought a big man to him to block the paint on pick-and-rolls. Plus he was just not as aggressive getting into the paint as he was in Boston. He will make an adjustment I am sure, but keeping him under control got the Cavs stops they needed to win.
–It is fair to criticize Mike Brown for his offense, heck knows I have been doing it for years. But the guy takes so much abuse in this town. His defensive principles are responsible for the win, maybe not as much as the star power of LeBron, but these are the types of games that Mike spends so much time preparing his team for. Perhaps the weaknesses will decide the game Sunday but there are strengths and important ones. The Cavs shot 32 percent and won. Think about that for a minute.
–To answer a popular quesion: No, I do know know why Devin Brown isn’t playing. Mike has shown that he will live and die with Sasha. He thinks he is more dynamic on offensive and likes his length. Devin is a much better finisher around the rim and runs the offense better and he scraps. But considering Ray Allen isn’t making a dent on Sasha or Wally and both are doing OK in limited time on Pierce, I don’t think you’ll be seeing a chance. Then again, I didn’t understand why Damon Jones played tonight. As blog readers know, I think Damon should still have a role on the team, but it wasn’t a good idea to just throw him out there. He played tight, getting up two not so good shots in his first minute on the floor, and then he was upset on the bench because his run was so short. But he couldn’t stay with Eddie House on a pick-and-roll and that was probably all Mike needed to see.
–Kevin Garnett is playing amazing in this series, I am not sure anyone is realizing it. I suppose the Cavs will have to do something about how he’s coming off screen rolls and getting open 20-footers. This season he shot around 45 percent on jumpers, which is pretty good, but he seems quite a bit higher in this series.
–The Cavs getting 16 offensive rebounds and 17 second-chance points was key. They have not gotten those rebounds in Boston, it will be important if they are going to have a chance Sunday.
–For the next day and a half you will hear about how the Celtics are 15-3 all-time at home in Game 7s. Do you know what that means? Absolutely nothing. They are 7-0 at home in these playoffs, that is what means something. I will have to look this up, but I’ll bet there are not many of the key players in this series who have a Game 7 victory in a series on their resume. From the Cavs’ perspective, it does not matter than this is the second round. They are playing the No. 1 seed in a one-game shot. They have, in my opinion, the best player. Considering what has happened this season and the circumstances, it is a grand opportunity. I think it will be an extreme challenge, I said after Game 5 that I am not convinced the Cavs as they are currently constructed can beat this Celtics team in a playoff game in Boston. LeBron has proven people wrong for years, this is another chance.
Recap:
Pregame
Starting lineups
Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins
Cavs: Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Officials
Dick Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Joe Forte
–The loss of Daniel Gibson hurts the Cavs on offense but he’s been streaky and not in a good way this series. On defense he was often a target for Rondo to attack. I would not be surprised if LeBron spends some time on Rondo with Sasha Pavlovic and then Devin Brown getting some time as well. Brown can defend both Allen and Pierce as well as Rondo.
–The Cavs were very intense before the game, they picked it up a notch. Oh, and Ben Wallace is got the fro going.
–It will be interesting to see how much Rondo attacks, he’s been a different player on the road in this series. I expect the Cavs to jump out more on screens to try and block his path.
–The Cavs need a role player to step up to win the game. I expect the Celtics to push hard to and for all three of their All-Stars to play well.
–Z needs to be more involved in the offense. The Celtics have been reading the plays and denying him so I expect some more isos, especially when the backups are in the game.
Halftime — Cavs 42, Celtics 33
–Horrible ugly first half…which probably favors the Cavs. They took the lead with a 17-2 run to close the half, which was fueled by their defense. The shot at the end of the half by West, though, is an emotional moment. The Cavs need to carry that into the third quarter, which as everyone knows is a challenging time for them. The Celtics will make their push and probably try to do it right away.
–The Cavs are shooting just 32 percent but are ahead. How? Terrible offensive execution but combined with defense and offensive rebounding. Which should be slogan of the 2007-08 Cavs.
They really defended the basket area well, led by Z and Wallace, both of whom challenged and changed numerous shots around the rim. The Cavs have five blocks and have forced at least five more missed layups with activity. They have 10 offensive rebounds, which kept them in the game in the first quarter.
–The offense has been terrible and stagnant. Just five assists and eight turnovers, five of which belong to LeBron. It helped them the game was so junked up because the Celtics lost Z on the perimeter a few times. They are going to have to move the ball more, period. The Celtics will score more than 33 points in the second half.
–Ray Allen is getting older my the minute. He cannot stay with Szczerbiak coming off screens, he just grabs him. He tried to dunk and couldn’t make it up there and he tried to shoot over Wally and got it blocked right back in his face. This does not bode well for the Celts no matter what happens in this series.
–I didn’t think Damon Jones should play considering he hasn’t played a meaningful minute in a month and it showed in his three minutes on the floor. The Cavs and West are doing a good job on Rondo by blocking his path with a big man on drives. But the matchups may call for some tougher decisions in the second half.
–LeBron only rested 1:30 in the first half, that could come back to bite. He has worn down when playing more than 45 minutes in my judgment.
Postgame
Stars
LeBron, 32 points, 12 rebounds, six assists
KG, 25 points, eight rebounds
Quotes
Doc Rivers: “I thought the charge call on Paul was, well, you guys can take it from there. That’s a huge call in this game to make. We played hard. I’m just going to stop there.”
LeBron: “It was either win or go home, I’m not ready to go home…(Game 7) is going to be electrifying. We’ll have to give it all we got. This is really a life or death situation for both teams. You’ve got to prepare to give it all you got.”
May 16th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Who do you think has a higher IQ, Sasha or Drew Gooden? I swear to god, they are both retarded.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
17-2 run to close out the second half. Huge shot by West at the buzzer. That kind of shot can just crush the spirit of the visiting team. Hopefully it will in this case.
Cavs dominating the boards (10 offensive rebounds already) and they have attempted 18 free throws to only 5 for Boston.
That’s the difference in the game so far.
I love that Z has knocked down a few shots and is rebounding well in the early going. He’s 3 of 5 with 7 boards. If the Cavs don’t get Z going early they tend to lose him completely in the second half, as they did in Game 5. So that’s a real good sign.
Lebron has not shot well, but he’s shooting well from the line (9 of 11). That’s another thing for the Cavs that if it doesn’t go well early it tends to be a problem all night.
A good third quarter could bury Boston. C’mon Cavs!!
May 16th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I think that first quarter was easily amongst the worst of Lebron’s career. Stupid passes, forced shots, dead-end drives, little scoring and little all-around game. At least he made up for it a good 2nd, by getting aggressive.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Here we go again with awful third-quarter execution, erasing any momentum and pissing away the lead. Who is going to step up and make shots?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Why is Sasha Pavlovic shooting?? Why???
Why is he even in the game this late in the 4th quarter?
Why??
I just don’t understand Mike Brown’s loyalty to him.
Why is he getting any mintues??
Can someone explain it to me???
May 16th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
[...] BP wrote an interesting post today on Cavs-Celtics, Game 6Here’s a quick excerptCavs-Celtics, Game 6 May 16th, 2008 Pregame Starting lineups Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins Cavs: Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas Officials Dick Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Joe Forte –The loss of Daniel Gibson hurts the Cavs on offense but he’s been streaky and not in a good way this series. On defense he was often a target for Rondo to attack. I would not be surprised if LeBron spends some time on Ron [...]
May 16th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Seriously, BW can you shed some light on why Sasha is getting time and Devin Brown is nailed to the bench? I don’t think a single one of his layups have even hit the rim.
On a side note, Doris Burke is a great announcer.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Guess we didn’t need a role player to really step up tonight, eh BW?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Game 7 wow that will be good. Come on Cavs pull it off in game 7!
May 16th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Great win, tough defensive struggle again like game 1. Yeah, Sasha had a few bad drives, but he did hit a big three. I don’t know if anyone noticed, but when did the Cavs stop the Celtics big run in the 3rd period? It was when Brown put Sasha in for Wally and our defense settled down and got some big stops that allowed us to get the lead back to 9 going into the 4th. I noticed that our defense in the 4th with Sasha in there was better also. That’s why Brown kept putting him in there.
Bad sign going into game 7:
- Supporting cast shot poorly from the outside for the 2nd straight game. Wally and Delonte did hit a few big shots, though.
Good sign going into game 7:
- Lebron’s jumper started looking better in the second half.
I’m not sure how we’re going to win this next game. I guess a great swarming defense would help. The way we’re shooting from the outside, I can’t see Wally, Delonte and Sasha getting hot in game 7. Maybe what we need to do is start off trying to move the ball and run our offense. If we get balanced scoring and are making shots, keep it up. If no-one can make an open shot again, maybe the Lebron dribbling at the top would be our best option then. Have him attack, attack, attack, pull up for the occasional jumper, then maybe pass here and there for a wide open jumper or dunk. I think we’re going to need a game 5 of Pistons series performance from Lebron for us to win this one.
Oh well, it’s been a great series and I’m just going to sit back and relax and watch this next game and hope for the best.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
sasha needs to be the one nailed to the bench.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
and on a more positive note, come on cavs! gotta make it happen!
solid win, clearly a win that we got in large part due to home court, but that’s the way it goes.
lebron was finally taking jumpshots that seem makeable, rather than just jacking it up (lebron, you jackin it?) and halting the offensive flow.
great defense and rebounding, got some calls down the stretch.
i’ll take it
May 17th, 2008 at 12:18 am
A few comments on the calls at the end of the game:
1) The ball that Delonte blocked hit the blue padding on the lower side of the backboard. It did not even hit the white line surrounding the glass. Does anyone know what the rule is on this? If the padding is considered part of the glass, then we got a break and it should have been goaltending, even though the shot would have had no chance to go in since it hit the side of the padding. Or, does the ball have to hit the white line surrounding the backboard or inward to be considered “hitting the glass” and being a goaltend? After seeing the replay a few times, I wasn’t at first sure that Delonte even touched the ball, but I think he did get a little piece of it.
2) The charge call on Paul Pierce was a close call in my opinion. Yes, Lebron was moving to his right, but he had good defensive position and it looked to me that Pierce lowered his shoulder into Lebron’s chest to initiate the contact. I guess that’s why the call went against Pierce. I think Lebron was called for a similar foul in game 5 in which he went hard to the basket but lowered his shoulder into the moving defender’s chest and got the charge.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Congratulations to the Count on scoring an endorsement with Alberto VO5.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Did anyone enjoy Doc Rivers’ sweating clueless press conference?
69 points for the Celtics? I love Mike Brown!!! This is how you win in the post-season.
It’ll be a great game 7. Message to Boston: We are not the inexperienced Hawks. Hasta la vista! See you in Detroit.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:46 am
We got some calls to go our way late, it’s about time. Wally finally hits a big shot. Just enough contribution from Z, Joe Smith, Andy, Sasha, and Ben offensively, but they all played well on D. I thought Big Ben’s D was especially tenacious, the dude was everywhere. We blew a few chances to really stomp on their necks and put this game out of reach, but maybe the long slog will help us prepare for game 7 in Boston. We won this game even thought at times we couldn’t get out of our own way (turnovers, dumb fouls, etc), winning ugly I guess they call it.
Whatever happens, I think Delonte has earned a spot on the team for next year. He may not be perfect, but he is scrappy as all hell, and plays with a lot of intensity and heart. I think he is a piece of the puzzle we have been lacking, not THE piece, but A piece. I’d take him over Hughes any day.
As I’ve said before, these teams are evenly matched, we will have to play better to win in Boston. The good thing is, we have played better in Boston than they have in Cleveland, we have a chance, but a lot of bounces will have to go our way.
Let’s give it up to KG, the guy is a machine. My respect for him has elevated watching this series.
May 17th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Tim,
My exact thoughts on both comments.
The ball definately hit the padded area of the blackboard and I was screaming at the two dumb announcers. I don’t know the rule, but you know damn well no ref will call an erratic shot like that a goaltend…he got the foul call too….
The offensive charge was a 50/50 call, that’s where homecourt advantage comes in. Lebron beat Pierce to the spot, as Pierce already pulled back before he hit Lebron. Superstar call…
GO CAVS, if we get lucky and hit our jumpers game 7 we’ll win….of course after we bring some great D and inside scoring.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Note to Brian: Ben Wallace was victorious in a Game 7 two years ago against the Cavs
May 17th, 2008 at 3:52 am
I think the charge on Peirce was a fair call…clearly he had his shoulder lowered. The reason the Celts were upset is because that call is not ussually made. Peirce does it all the time though. I thought there were some horribly missed calls on moving picks in the last few minutes on several Celtic possessions in the last couple of minutes, but then they called delonte on the pick in the backcourt…
Calls were missed both ways.
May 17th, 2008 at 3:55 am
Itwould be nice if Bryan and others would put up the stat that the Cavaliers are 1-0 all-time in 7th game against the Celtics. We kicked Larry Bird into retirement with an ass kicking in game 7 in 1992 to send us to the Eastern Conference Finals. That is as relevant as putting up stats in 7th games earned by nobody on the current Celtics Roster.
May 17th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Uhh … that charging call on Pierce was plainly bogus. As far as the goaltending that wasn’t called, a grey area. A lot of refs will call it (assuming the three refs weren’t Stevie Wonderish in the first place, like the Three Blind Mice last night), but it appears it may not have had a chance to make it near the rim even if West didn’t hit it. Many refs would have promptly called it if they had seen the ball hit the backboard, which they obviously didn’t see. Who knows, who cares. The Celtics should never have put themselves in that position, anyway.
As crappy as those calls were, the Celtics should be ashamed of themselves. These Cavs are a really, really, really lousy team. And just awful to watch. It’s like somebody took Fratello’s teams, took away their top players, and then dropped James in the middle of the mess. But even that would be a high praise, because the Ferry Years have been even uglier to watch, which I didn’t think was even possible. Where James lands in two years who knows, but good God. He may shaft the peasant restaurant staffs on a regular basis, but wait ’til this guy learns how to shoot free throws over 80% and develops a consistent outside shot. I hope he doesn’t damage his legacy in 20 years by stubbing his toes in the Wizards’ and Bobcats’ front office, or something. And please, LeBron, absolutely no homoerotic underpants commercials.
Section I-A Player Shall Not:
a. Touch the ball or the basket ring when the ball is using the basket ring as its lower base.
EXCEPTION: If a player near his own basket has his hand legally in contact with the ball, it is not a violation if his contact with the ball continues after the ball enters the cylinder, or if, in such action, he touches the basket.
b. Touch the ball when it is above the basket ring and within the imaginary cylinder.
c. For goaltending to occur, the ball, in the judgment of the official, must have a chance to score.
d. During a field goal attempt, touch a ball after it has touched any part of the backboard above ring level, whether the ball is considered on its upward or downward flight.
e. During a field goal attempt, touch a ball after it has touched the backboard below the ring level and while the ball is on its upward flight.
f. Trap the ball against the face of the backboard. (To be a trapped ball, three elements must exist simultaneously. The hand, the ball and the backboard must all occur at the same time. A batted ball against the backboard is not a trapped ball.)
g. Touch any live ball from within the playing area that is on its downward flight with an opportunity to touch the basket ring. This is considered to be a “field goal attempt” or trying for a goal.
h. Touch the ball at any time with a hand which is through the basket ring.
i. Vibrate the rim or backboard so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce.
PENALTY: If the violation is at the opponent’s basket, the offended team is awarded two points, if the attempt is from the two point zone and three points if it is from the three point zone. The crediting of the score and subsequent procedure is the same as if the awarded score has resulted from the ball having gone through the basket, except that the official shall hand the ball to a player of the team entitled to the throw-in. If the violation is at a team’s own basket, no points can be scored and the ball is awarded to the offended team at the free throw line extended on either sideline. If there is a violation by both teams, play shall be resumed by a jump ball between any two opponents at the center circle.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:03 am
I think it was a beautiful game. Very intense and very toughly defended on both sides. The Cavs can grind it out and hopefully they’ll keep it close enough Sunday to finish the series. If they do, they’ll beat a Detroit team that doesn’t like to get in these kind of wars.
I’ve never seen Big Z play tougher on defense. I think Wallace has had an effect on him. I saw Ben give him a good chest thump after a tussle. That’s good to see.
I have seen Z panic with his back to the basket like he did last night. You can see it when he decides he’s going to don the blinders and force a shot no matter what. Then he takes two steps away from the rim and heaves away.
He’s a jump shooter who has to get the ball in rhythm so all this stuff about channeling more offense through him is hooey, just like it has been the last few years. It should go into the “Snow is not the problem” bin.
In addition to Z’s ‘post moves’ other comical moments were provided by Pavlovic’s out of control drives to the hoop. I’ve never seen a guy who gets munched so often.
I didn’t think the shots Damon Jones took were so bad. He’d penetrated near the key on one and took a wide open 3 pt. shot. It doesn’t bother me at all that he doesn’t play though. I’d like to see iron man minutes out of Delonte now that Gibson’s hurt. I’d also like them to split point guard duties next year. The Cavs don’t need a guard who needs to control the ball at all times.
The more I see Wallace, Delonte and Sczcerbiak, the more I like them, even when Sczcerbiak’s not canning his shots. They’re all smart players.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I am also very concerned about LeBron handling the ball too much and trying to force things on offense himself. That may work in the regular season, but here it is just causing turnovers and a lot of missed shots.
There is also the positive side in that LeBron has been able to put the Celtics in foul trouble, and that’s huge when he is shooting free-throws well.
May 17th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Like it or not Coach Brown will play the guys who have the best chance to defend Ray Allen and Pierce. Maybe he doesn’t have confidence Devin Brown has the length or athleticism to defend a a Paul Pierce?
May 17th, 2008 at 11:03 am
when everyone was sipping on that boston kool aide , i knew their “big 3″ were virtually losers in the playoffs prior to joining forces , so i was not buying them together as a whole . for them to be taken to a 7th game against this cavs team that is basically a one man operation all around(including coaching) is truly troublesome. and did i mention the one man is struggling in this series ?if boston advances to the next round , i say that is where it will end for them. and for once , i would love to hear brown say “we played well defensively tonight , but if we have that same offensive effort and out-put tonight , we will not win up in boston” .that boston crowd will be in a frenzy for game 7 on sunday , there is no way that they will only score 69 points again , and if the cavs can only muster 74 points(in another ugly game ) , it’s over for them. they scored only 74 points last night in a win , and they were AT HOME. coaches require they’re superstars to not only be great offensive players , but great defensive players . are we asking for too much for us to require coaches to be able to coach both sides of the ball , this is not football .
May 17th, 2008 at 11:18 am
It was ugly but a win is a win. Btw any thoughts on Paul Pierce predicting a blowout on Sunday? Yeah Paul Pierce of all people who had ONE good game this series is running his mouth. And can the media stop with this Big 3 crap. It might be the most undeserving nickname since people started calling Billups Mr. Big Shot. I mean Pierce and Allen disappear every time the game is on the line. I call it the big one and I mean KG. He is a monster and just goes out and plays. We got a chance tomorrow we got one more chance.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:27 am
In every game except for one in this series, KG had a much higher shooting percentage than any other player (like around 45 to 55). If he doubled his shot attempts (or at least multiplied them by 1.5), the Celtics would be owning us.
I have no idea why KG continues to play so tentatively. He is supposed to be a ferocious guy who always wants to win, but he continually clangs jumpers and disappears in second halves. He’s the master of the first three quarters, but doesn’t pull through like he should in the fourth.
I respect KG and his excellent ability to shoot, post up, and defend, but he is not on the same level on LeBron and he never will be. Maybe he will prove me wrong in game 7, but I doubt it.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Will the ESPN analysts please actually watch the game? They always show all of Lebron’s highlights and make it seem like he played another INCREDIBLE game.
Thanks to this reporter for telling it like it is.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Plus, great point about Garnett only getting jumpers. The crowd keeps whining when he’s open - but it’s from 20 feet away! The D obviously has him scared to take it inside. NO ONE can hit 50+ percent from that distance every night.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Biff- Like I said, now is no time to go into a shell. You are needed to interpret the events of last night.
That goes for you, too, Mark Price and Ben Poquette.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
The Pierce call was borderline ludicrous but we’ll take it. It didn’t decide the game anyway.
This brand of basketball is truly horrific. It’s literally painful watch. No wonder they assigned the deep voiced woman to do play by play last night. I think it’s the same chick who does the Minnesota-Indiana college football games on the Big Ten network.
The defense last night was superlative, though. Got to give the boys credit for the hustle and tenacity.
Imagine this squad without Lebron. Turnovers and over-dribbling aside, he single handedly won the game. He’s now their best defender in addition to being their only source of consistent points. This ridiculous collection of journeymen and stiffs that Boatshoes has assembled has to be the worst supporting cast a superduperstar has ever had. Maybe Jordan in the early days with Dave Corzine and Oralando Woolridge gives him a run for his money.
That shot Wally let fly at the end was a TERRIBLE decision. The shot clock had just reset after the offensive rebound and he guns from 27 feet. He has no conscience. None.
And Sasha needs a blood transfusion or something. How does a 6′7″ athletic wing guy look so anemic on drives to the hoop? He looks terrified. There’s not a worse finisher in the NBA.
Devin Brown glued to the bench makes no sense. He was a rotation guy all year long. Sasha didn’t have it. Wally sucked. Why not throw him in there to see if he can bring anything to the table? Isn’t that why you have a bench? Isn’t that what the head coach is supposed to do? Mix and match until you find something that works?
May 17th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Alan T = moron
That is all.
May 17th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
It’s too bad they won’t win on Sunday, but at the very least they (along with Atlanta) have exposed this Celtic team. Detroit will roast them.
And still, not a bad season considering all the adversity they faced. They should be better next year.
May 17th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
The offensive foul call on Pierce was obvious. I was sitting behind the basket and had a good view of it. Pierce led with his shoulder and arm which hit James BEFORE James’ body hit Pierce. A good call.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Cavs will win on Sunday…
Cavs 78
Celtics 75
Another defensive battle that will go down to the last second. Wally will hit a 3 to win it with 5 seconds left on the clock and Alan Tucker will be a very angry man.
May 17th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
alan t=dead on with the fratello comparison minus the good players and add lebron
May 17th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Something we all can agree on. Alan Tucker = idiot.
May 17th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I disagree, Alan T = idiot.
May 17th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Alias alert! Alias alert!
JoeHoops, or whoever you’re going by this hour, please tell me where this squad would finish without James. I’ll save you the time: First in the Michael Beasley Sweepstakes.
And doc, I think you meant they’re horrific and figuratively painful to watch, not horrific and literally painful to watch. But I guess pain is pain.
May 17th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
hey brian, the cavs played good defense against the spurs in the finals last year. what did they get for that?——swept. i like watching good defense and mike brown does a good job on that end. but his insistence on ignoring the offense and focus on the defense is a losing strategy. when the pistons upset the lakers they played great defense and had efficient offensive possessions. something mike brown has not been able to teach the cavs in his entire tenure with the team.
if the cavs win tomorrow—great! but they still have no chance at winning the whole deal. this team is at it’s peak performance and this is as good as it’s going to get. danny ferry and mike brown have succeeded in creating a competitive but not championship caliber team.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
winning that game means that the cavs will crush the hearts of you die heart fans(pardon the pun). the obvious is going to happen the cavs will get crush and the fans will whine and complain about the officating and mike brown, (excuse me bill dukes) coaching, any way get ready for a long summer and enjoy the indians, no wait mini camp for the browns start in july, that is when the fun begin, the next question is what the cavs will do over the summer with the little money they have to spend.
May 17th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
terje. I understand what you are saying and I agree that the roster as it is constituted will have long odds in winning a championship (although any team with LeBron will at least have a sliver of a chance).
With that said, I believe Ferry has improved this team through the trade. Don’t get me wrong, we still have lots of room for improvement, but I think we’re going in the right direction. I still say the role players we have now are better than last year’s. Do you think last year’s crew would have won a single game against the Celts with LeBron shooting so poorly from the field? Do you think they could ring up 100 points the Celts in game 3? I doubt it.
I know Alan would disagree, but I think have set themselves up nicely with tradable contracts for a team looking to dump salary. In addition to the contracts, the Cavs have a first round pick this year and a first round plus two second round picks next year if they need to sweeten the pot. Who would have guessed Gasol would be available and traded for Kwame Brown and essentially three first round draft picks? Needless to say, the heat will be on Ferry to get a deal done before the trading deadline (preferably in the off-season) to continue to improve the team given that the Cavs are already over the cap. I will be the first one to criticize him if he is unable to improve this team with the clock ticking on LeBron.
The key will be to a get a star quality player at the PF, SF, or SG position. You’ll also have to have to make a decision on West, the Cavs could sign him, but there maybe a better option out there if the Cavs are willing to offer their entire the mid-level exception.
Enough of my ramblings about the future, tomorrow, I’m rooting for the Cavs to beat the odds and Boston can go back to eating their CHOWDAR!
Go Cavs!
May 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
There’s at least one game to go before it’s time to worry about the offseason.
I think they’ll be more games. LeBron’s due for a good shooting game and so is Sczcerbiak.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Alan, you doofus. If you arent a Celtics fan, then Kendrick Perkins isnt one UGLY mu’fu’ga. Your blatant bias is almost as obvious as the national media’s. I could have sworn Rick Barry’s bastard son on the pregame show was saying “we” every time he referred to the Celtics. Stuart Scott was one more loving comment about Kevin Garnett away from coming out of the closet. I had to see it with my own eyes, but I was right. Alan is a Celtics fan.
…or is it, a fan of any team playing against Cleveland?