The Cavs continued their winning ways over the weekend, first on Saturday afternoon with a 102-96 win (highlights) over the Hawks at the Q. Then they extended their latest winning streak to 9 as they knocked off the Nets 96-88 (highlights) last night in New Jersey. In the process the team also set some nice records over the weekend. Yesterday's win brought their season total to 57, equaling the franchise's record set twice before during the 1988-89 and 1991-92 seasons. By my own unofficial count, their current total of 25 road wins also easily sets a franchise record. It's safe to say that both of those win totals will balloon even further with 12 total games, including 4 on the road, still on the schedule.
Zydrunas Ilguaskas also had a nice weekend of milestones. In the game against the Hawks, he became the fourth Cavalier to join the illustrious 10,000-point club for the franchise (with the lone members being LeBron James, Austin Carr, and Brad Daugherty). Then yesterday he collected four blocked shots and passed John "Hot Rod" Williams for the Cavs all-time record. These all are just small records on the way to what hopefully culminates in an NBA championship for the team and its fans... but you can't help but feel happy for Big Z. He has been through so much physical pain and agonizingly bad basketball over the years. I was happy to hear that he got yesterday's game ball to put in his personal trophy case. We can only hope that he gets to look up in the rafters of the Q some day and see his retired number 11 jersey hanging up there (a pretty safe bet) alongside a 2008-09 NBA Champions banner (please, please, please let this happen).
Big Z had himself a nice weekendThankfully the Cavs can enjoy a couple days of rest here after what seems to have been a marathon of basketball over the last three weeks. As we catch a breather, consider that the team is now enjoying its third streak of at least nine wins this season. They are also an amazing 17-2 since the All-Star break and an even more astonishing 15-2 on the second night of back-to-backs this season. I could go on and on about how we are now 57-13 (the only team in the league with an .800 winning percentage) or how we now have the inside track for the #1 seed in the East (the magic number is down to just 8), but you know that already. Now is the time to fine-tune things and stay healthy. Go Cavs.
