It was ugly, painful, and at times downright annoying. But the Cavaliers slogged their way through a night when they shot just 38% from the floor and still managed to get their 13th consecutive win, a 79-73 triumph (highlights) over the Pistons. In a game that Mike Fratello would be proud of, the Cavs again turned up their defensive pressure when they needed to, allowing only 29 second half points after giving up 44 before halftime.
LBJ could be eyeing Rasheed in the first round this yearThe victory gives the Cavs their 61st win of the season, and is even more meaningful when you factor in the Lakers' loss to the Bobcats. The Cavs are now firmly in the driver's seat for home court advantage throughout the playoffs with a 3-game lead over LA with just 8 games to play. Finally the Lakers' lack of road games has caught up to them as they've had to endure a 7-game East coast trip and have dropped two games when they really couldn't afford to do so. I love it. The win also ties all-time record for a division lead, with the Cavs now 25 games ahead of the second-place Pistons. Wow.
Last night's game was a good reminder why it would be entertaining, yet also annoying to be matched up with the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. I have no doubts the Cavs would win the series, likely in 5 games at the most. They are just a superior group of talent right now and they can win in a number of ways. Detroit has no answer for LeBron and when they double- and triple-team LeBron he always finds the open man. I just worry that if it does come down to these two teams in the first round, should we be concerned with how dirty things would get? Rasheed is still a ticking time bomb and the once-proud Pistons would certainly not enjoy being dominated by the Cavs. This is one team I want to avoid for that reason alone. Gimme the Bulls or the Bobcats - teams just happy to share the brief stage in the playoffs without any chip on their shoulder. Only 8 games left until we know who it will be. Go Cavs.
