Living to fight another day

The Cavs accomplished part one of their three-step comeback plan last night with their 112-102 (highlights) victory in Game 5 over the Magic. LeBron put up a ridiculous triple-double line of 37/14/12 in 45 minutes. And finally he got some much-needed help from Mo, who chipped in 24 points, including 6 from deeeeeeep in the Q. Other key contributiouns came from Boobie (11 points), Z (16 points), and Andy, who put up a mind-boggling +24 on the night in just 28 minutes of action. Delonte was of course his usual versatile self with 13 points and his constant energy on defense. Of immediate concern with him is the fact that he suffered a hip pointer late in the game. Let's hope that doesn't linger for Game 6, although I have a feeling he'd be playing with a broken leg tomorrow night if he had to...

What bothers me after this game is not so much that the Cavs blew another big lead (this time a 22-point first quarter advantage), but rather the fact that no one seems to remember that they managed to shake off Orlando's comeback and close out the game the right way. A lot of teams that watch a 22-point lead evaporate and become an 8-point deficit would just pack it in, especially down 3-1 in a series. But the Cavs fought back and made this a series again and shifted the pressure back onto the shoulders of the Magic. Orlando makes runs, it's just how they play. But the important thing is having the ability to counter those runs and not panic. The Cavs were able to do that last night.

LBJ and the Cavs look to force Game 7 with a win tomorrow night

There are still some things that need to be tightened up defensively. The way the Magic were able to waltz into the paint for much of the second quarter was troubling. It certainly led to Ben Wallace's staggering -19 for the game (in just 16 minutes). And watching Z and Andy nearly foul out of every game is getting a bit old. I know that Howard is a load in the paint (swinging elbows and all), but the Cavs need to find a way to get Joe Smith on the floor for more than 3 minutes. The fouls need to be spread around among our big guys because having Andy sit for nearly half the game is a recipe for disaster in this Cavs fan's opinion. And maybe the Delonte hip injury will be a blessing in disguise in that it forces Mike Brown to keep LeBron on Turkoglu for the entire game, while switching Delonte onto Alston.

So what can we expect in Game 6? I don't know, but I do know that this is probably the biggest game in the history of this franchise. I know we went to the Finals in 2007, but did anyone realistically expect the Cavs to walk away as champs then? They have a chance to earn real redemption tomorrow night in Orlando. It is basically a must-win for Orlando and already a can't-lose for the Cavs. I expect it to come down to the wire again, I just hope my heart can still take this abuse. Come on Cavs, be ready. I expect to see you again Monday night at the Q.

The unofficial "must-win" game

So the Cavs head into tonight's pivotal Game 4 against the Magic down 2-1. Forget the woeful shooting in Game 3 that came on the heels of the Shot That Saved Cleveland. The Cavs have a chance to redeem themselves with a win tonight in Orlando. They get this one and they regain control of their own destiny. Will it be easy? Of course not. This Magic team is talented and chock full of matchup problems for the Cavs. But we already knew that.

This is the ultimate test for the wine and gold. We knew there would be adversity in the postseason and now is the time to rise above it. It seems as if a lot of Clevelanders are ready to write off a team that won 66 games this year, including 27 on the road. This is also a team that only lost consecutive games twice this entire season. Are you ready to give up on them? I'm not. I know it's in our nature to wait for the other shoe to drop in this town. But past failures have nothing to do with this current group of Cavaliers. We've come too far to have it end like this. WE WILL WIN GAME 4, somehow, some way. Go Cavs. This is your chance to become great.

Thoughts before Game 2

I purposely waited until this morning to post my thoughts in the wake of Game 1's complete and utter disappointment. I was seriously bummed walking out of the Q after that heartbreaker. It felt like I just watched my dog get hit by a car. I had the immediate sky-is-falling Cleveland fan reaction on the car ride home too. So I'm glad I didn't come on here yesterday, and instead allowed myself some time to cool off.

Heading into tonight's must-win Game 2, the Cavs are at a crossroads. And they are facing postseason adversity for the first time. They can either shrink and die under the pressure (not likely), or they can use Game 1 as a motivating factor for the remainder of the playoffs. I knew that facing Orlando would be a challenge, but Game 1 brought out fears previously pointed out by others that I chose to ignore. Now I'm just pinning my hopes on Mike Brown's defensive wizardry to come up with a better plan to stop the Magic's 3-point onslaught. I truly believe the winner of this series will be crowned NBA champs, and I'll be damned if that team is the Orlando freaking Magic.

So what changes will we see tonight? I doubt we'll see LeBron on Rafer Alston for the entire game. Ditto for Andy on Rashard Lewis. There may even be a Sasha Pavlovic sighting in place of Wally off the bench. I just hope he's ready to play if he's called upon - and I'll admit the prospect of Sasha playing in a big spot tonight completely terrifies me. But somehow, some way I think the Cavs will get it done tonight. At least that's what I hope. And hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. (It never hurts to throw in a Shawshank quote in desperate times). Go Cavs. Please even this thing up tonight. We've come too far to throw it all away now.

ECF: Cavs vs. Magic

So it is finally upon us. After what seems like a month-long layoff, the Cavaliers finally return to the court tonight to start the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Orlando Magic. It's pretty much been a forgone conclusion since the Cavs wrapped up the #1 seed in the East that they would reach this point in the postseason. So to me, this is where the playoffs truly begin for this team.

So what can we expect from this series? Orlando is a talented team, no doubt about it. But are they on the same level as the Cavs? I have my doubts. They can certainly make you pay from outside the arc if you leave them open. And Dwight Howard is a load to deal with in the paint. The Magic certainly seem to be confident after knocking off the Celtics in Game 7 in Boston.

Will Orlando have an answer for #23? We'll soon find out.

That said, they also struggled at times with the 76ers in the first round. The same Sixers team that the Cavs' bench took to overtime in a game that meant absolutely nothing to the Cavs and everything to Philly. And then when the Magic took down the Celtics I wasn't exactly bowled over. The Celtics in this postseason were a shadow of their championship team of last season. And Orlando threw away at least two games in which they had large leads. I said back in December that I thought Orlando lived by the 3-point shot way too much. And I still think that Howard is somewhat of a glorified garbage man on offense. Much of his damage comes off rebounds or plays in which he is allowed to establish position way too low in the post. Don't get me wrong, he is a freak of an athlete, but he really isn't my huge concern heading into this series. The key will be how the Cavs are able to deal with Terkoglu and Lewis, the Magic's big forwards that love playing on the perimeter.

So how do I see this series going? I think it will be a much larger challenge than the previous two series for the Cavs. But ultimately, I don't see any way that the Magic can beat us. LeBron is just playing at such a high level right now. And contrary to what the national "experts" may tell you, he has plenty of help this time around to get this team back into the Finals. I see Z being able to pull Howard away from the basket and open things up for LeBron. I also see Delonte and Mo taking on a bigger role in penetrating and being aggressive on offense. And I see the Cavs' experienced bench playing a major role in this series. And don't forget about the Cavs' advantage on the sidelines with Mike Brown vs. Stan "the Master of Panic" Van Gundy. Brown has shown the ability to make great adjustments in tough playoff series since taking over for the Cavs. I think that will be a factor in this series as well. Add it all up and I see the Cavs winning in 6 games. If they go up 2-0, I could see it ending in 5. But for now I want to stick with Mike Brown's mantra of "one game, one practice, one shootaround at a time." Just get Game 1 and then worry about Game 2. Eight down, eight to go. Go Cavs.

Finally we can get back on the court

As fans we're dying to see our Cavaliers play again. I'm sure the players feel the same way. When the Eastern Conference Finals finally get underway tomorrow night, it will have been nine days since the Cavs last played. That surely brings up some concerns about rust. But I know the atmosphere inside the Q will be electric and it should help lift the Cavs if they are sluggish to start the game - I'm sure a lot of people won't remember, but the Cavs were down 11-4 in Game 1 against the Hawks before finding their footing after a similar long layoff. And they did manage to run away with that game, which basically set the tone for that series.

I have to say I'm still a bit shocked that the Magic prevailed Sunday night over Boston. Not because Boston is some great obstacle anymore. I mean look at them - they were forced to rely on guys like Brian Scalabrine and Stephon Marbury for long stretches that series. I'm just surprised that Orlando was able to put things together for such an easy win. They looked downright awful at times in both their series against Philadelphia and Boston. But their Game 7 win has seemed to propel a lot of "experts" in the national media to predict the Magic will now win this series against us. As if somehow beating a shorthanded Boston team in seven games now gives Orlando the power to erase our complete dominance in the regular season and postseason thus far. Whatever. I'm just ready to get down to business. I'll have more of a preview tomorrow as I'm sitting at work counting down the hours until I can head over to the Q to witness it all firsthand. Go Cavs.