Post mortem: Cavaliers didn’t look their best tonight. Luckily the 76ers weren’t especially impressive either.
After locking down on opponents in previous games, LeBron James didn’t look particularly dominating on defense against Andre Inguodala, allowing him 21 first half points. In the post game he said that Coach Mike Brown challenged hm to return to the form he’d been exhibiting the past few games against some of the league’s better forwards.
Having lost Daniel ”Boobie” Gibson to a sprained left big toe earlier this week and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas in this game, the Cavs needed someone to step up. Enter Mo Williams who tossed in 27 points and Anderson Varejao who added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Say what you will about the ugliness of this game, but last year at this is time this is one the Cavs would have rolled over and played dead in or they would rely strictly on No. 23. Not this season. Williams displayed tonight by getting a season high 27 points that he can step up and fill that void when needed.
Quotable:
From the coach’s office:
Mike Brown on the game overall:
Obviously both teamd didn’t have their best game; that happens sometimes. It’s good for us, coming off a back-to-back to come into somebody’s building knowing that we did not play our best basketball and still get a win.
From the locker room:
LeBron James on closing the 76ers out tonight:
It’s always tough in the league to come fof back-to-back, especially with a running team like this. It’s just the mindset that we have that we want to come out every night, no matter whatever it is, we just try to win. Tonight we took care of business.
Game: Cavaliers (13-3) at Philadelphia (9-13)
Broadcast: TV: ESPN
WAKR (1590 AM); WTAM (1100 AM), WHBC (1480 AM)
Starters: Cavs: LeBron James (F); Ben Wallace (F); Zydrunas Ilgauskas (C); Delonte West (G); Mo Williams (G). 76ers: Andre Iguodala (F); Elton Brand (F); Samuel Dalembert (C); Wilie Green (G); Andre Miller (G).
Streaking: The Cavaliers have won nine in a row. The Sixers lost their last game.
Three things to watch:
- Look to see how effective Elton Brand is. He returns to the line-up after. He missed games against the Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets. Hammys are notoriously difficult from which to recover and it could hinder Brand, who averages almost 17 points per game.
- Who will step up for Daniel Gibson? This is the first significant speed bump the Cavaliers have hit in the season as Gibson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a sprained left toe.
- Mo Williams vs. Andre Miller: if you recall, Williams and Mller got into a little tussle during the pre-season. Williaims stated that the bad blook goes back to his days in Milwaukee.
Quotable:
From the coach’s office:
Mike Brown on what has to happen given the loss of Gibson:
We’ve talked about having a deep team, now it’s going to have to come in play a little bit, missing one of our key guys.
In the locker room:
Delonte West on what Gibson brings to the team:
He spreads the floor. He’s capable of handling the ball also. That’s always dangerous when you have a guard that bigger (shooting) guards have to match up with who can out quick them. He can put them in plays – point guard plays…we’re definitely going to miss that aspect of our team.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
A run-of-the-mill, fairly easy road win on the second night of a back-to-back. That’s a pretty good sign, though Hubie mentioned that the schedule is going to be tougher the second quarter.
I think it’s important to note a couple things. One is that the first half was reminiscent of the Lebron/Pierce match up in the playoffs last year – both players being aggressive on offense, shooting a high percentage. But Igoudala got shut down in the second half. Another is that I think this was the first game in in a while that the Cavs attempted to match up with their opponent, instead of playing their game and trying to make the other team match up with them. For the majority of the season, when other teams have gone small, they’ve punished them inside. Not to say the Cavs haven’t gone small at times too – but they have dictated when they take that tactic. Varejao and Wallace are good enough help defenders that they have been able to leave Z out there against smaller lineups, where he kills on the boards and is impossible to defend. It will be interesting to see how it goes with the hand forced by injuries. Hickson will need to step up a little, as will Sasha. Both players could go either way for the two or three weeks I’m guessing we’ll be without Boobie and Z.
What a dead site… dead blog. Windy gutted your readership. I guess Ohio.com’s decision to censor people has officially backfired. That’s karma, I say.
I’m starting to worry about Alan Tucker. Is he dead? In a coma? Or is he in hiding because the Cavs are REALLY good and he has nothing to complain about? Combination of the 3?
Hilarious… I’m off to Cleveland.com, where readers can speak freely. Adios!
What’s “karma” is Josh can claim to not be posting here anymore, but his posts have really never stopped here. Isn’t it great to have the modern technology to be able to change screen names, Josh?
Windhorst didn’t “gut” anybody’s readership. If folks want to locate a rumor devoid of any reliable sources, if folks want to locate a sportswriter who comes pretty darn close to cheering in print for his favorite player(s) and favorite management guy(s), then folks, including myself, will be sure to pay the Plain Dealer’s beat writer a visit. In the meantime, George is plenty good enough for me.
josh is even dumber than the last time he posted here.
it’s december and the cavs are winning. not much to say right now. but you go over to cleveland.com josh. i think you’ll find the censors over there can be pretty active as well.
Ummm what censors?
If I’m not mistaken, I’m the only one who has a smite button for this blog and I haven’t pulled any posts or comments – even when they insulted me. So Josh, have fun at cleveland.com.
i think alan t called george “delusional” at some point. so yeah, i’m sure if george could censor comments (or was inclined to do so) that was one set to be stricken.
I’ll miss Josh’s indignation the most.
mike, George *was* being delusional. I’m guessing his wife had put too much LSD in his holiday sweet potato pie batter, so I really can’t blame George. You just can’t trust women. Anyway, thanks for adding your pro-censorship angle to this cerebral discussion. If there’s a point, I suppose you’re the counterpoint.