Humiliation at its finest

I'm at a complete loss for words to describe the level of disappointment the Cavs have supplied in their latest tank-job to the Celtics. Game 5 was beyond description. I thought walking out of the Q after Game 1 against the Magic last year was deflating. But last night had a shocking finality to it that I don't think I've ever felt in my years of rooting for any Cleveland team. Many of us just sat there stunned during the fourth quarter, trying to come to grips with what had happened in the arena where we have been so dominant.

There's not even a sadness like there was lingering after last year's ECF letdown. At least then the Cavs fought hard and just lost out to a team that executed at a higher level, victimized by some nightmare personnel matchups. But this year's team was supposed to be new and improved. Ready for anything the playoffs would throw at them. And that's what makes the mystery of what is going on now even more baffling. Where is the heart? The pride? The only evidence I saw of that last night was clad in ugly green uniforms.

There's absolutely no excuse for how flat the team was last night. It was the first loss I've witnessed in person for the Cavs in the 18 or so games I've personally attended this season. I can handle losses, but not in this fashion with this much at stake. I'd be more angry if I thought the team cared as much as I do, but judging by their words and collective demeanor afterward, they don't. Last night's humiliation should be the type of turning point that motivates a team to something greater. But does anyone out there get the sense that it will?

Game 6 will likely define LeBron James' Cavs career thus far - if there even is a career in Cleveland beyond this spring. All I know is that last night at the Q is not how this was supposed to play out. That cannot be the way it ends here for #23. Watching him and his teammates just go through the motions with a complete lack of energy and focus is not what I envisioned from this bunch. Finding a scapegoat at this point is fruitless. I'm sure there will be wholesale changes for this franchise if/when they ultimately go down in this series. But how will this team immediately respond to this level of adversity? If I were a betting man I'd say they will melt under the pressure in Boston. Prove me wrong MVP. Please.

A three game series

Well, I got my wish. I wanted the Cavs to at least get a split in Boston and they stomped their way to a 29-point win on Friday night to at worst guarantee a 2-2 tie coming home for tonight's Game 5. So why am I down on them? Because of the way Game 4 went on Sunday afternoon. After looking so focused on Friday night, the Cavs looked equally as passive and disinterested on Sunday. It's like they were satisfied to get the split and just ended up conceding the loss in Game 4.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I will defend most everything LeBron does. I don't think I've ever called him out on this site for anything he's done. But I am now. It all starts with LeBron and he was passive and tentative again on Sunday. As LeBron goes, so go the Cavs and he set the tone again on Sunday with his passive play. One play in particular stands out to me. It was a crucial possession midway through the fourth quarter when there was a Celtics miss and three Cavs standing in the paint. LeBron was the only one not boxing out and the ball squirted to Rajon Rondo for what seemed like his 200th offensive rebound, which he easily converted for a big basket to help start the finishing run that killed any hopes of a Cavs win. As the broadcast went to commercial I made a point to rewind this play and re-watch it in slow motion to single out which Cav missed his assignment. And it was just one example of a missed assignment on Sunday. I won't even begin to try to figure out how a hobbling Kevin Garnett can beat the entire Cavalier defense down the court for a long pass that ended in an easy layup...

History says that LeBron will bounce back tonight and have a big performance. I'm not doubting that. But MVP players on championship teams usually don't rely on the ability to flip the switch. They know when it's time to squeeze the life out of their opponents. My original prediction for this series was the Cavs in 6. That may still be the way it plays out. But I wouldn't have predicted such a passive/aggressive nature in the way this team has shown up at various times. It's extremely frustrating to see how well they can play, but at the same time never knowing when to expect it. Tonight would be a good time to flip the switch back to "on" and keep it there for the remainder of the season.

I get that the Celtics are a proud team and they won't roll over for anyone. That's fine. And it will probably ultimately end up being a good thing that the Cavs have been challenged in this fashion, while the Magic have been handed a free pass through the first two rounds. But it's only a good thing if the Cavs win this series. I almost get the feeling that they only have one eye on Boston and the other looking ahead to Orlando, even if no one on the team will ever admit it. There needs to be a sense of urgency (a tired but appropriate sports cliche) from here on out. This is a scary time to be a Cavs fan given everything that is at stake. I don't want to think what may happen if they don't take care of business tonight.

Win or go home

"Win or go home." That's TNT's long-running playoff slogan. I see it everywhere. On TV. On the web. It's even on two or three billboards off of I-480 along my commute to and from work. And that's exactly what the Cavaliers need to do either tonight or Sunday afternoon. Win or go home. They go down 3-1 and you can stick a fork in them.

Am I nervous? Yes. I've had four days to stew over the mess of Game 2 and I still feel no differently. I just want to see them on the floor again tonight. No more talk of injured elbows, lack of energy, defensive matchup problems, etc. Let's just play basketball. I already have that sickening dread/excitement feeling in my stomach that only a big playoff game can bring about. The game is still 7 and a half hours away. I'm gonna need some alcohol to help coax me through this one. And in nearly-desperate times, it always helps to modify the famous Shawshank quote:

I find I'm so nervous, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the anxiety only a Cleveland fan can feel... a Cleveland fan at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope Mo can get hot again. I hope to see Antawn finally make a difference. I hope LeBron's elbow injury is as irrelevant as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

Pull out your lucky shirts tonight fellow Cavs fans. Sit in your lucky spot on the couch. Yell at the TV. Do whatever you have to do to help the wine and gold pull out at least one win this weekend. Preferably tonight. Go Cavs.

Random Notes:

• Tonight's officiating crew is Bennett Salvatore, Ken Mauer, and Zach Zarba. Food for thought - the Cavs were a combined 11-0 in the regular season with either Salvatore or Mauer on the crew. Let's hope the trend continues. (Update: Thanks to camakazee at www.realcavsfans.com for the updated info - Cavs are a combined 18-1 with any of these three refs working their games this year. 15-1 in the regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs.)
  
• Not sure how to stop Rondo, but his constant waltzing through the paint needs to stop. How about a hard foul or two right from the start?
• I'm begging ESPN to throw us a bone and at least give us Hubie Brown and Mike Tirico tonight. Again, I don't ask for much.
• I remember the Eastern semis back in 1992. The Cavs were down 2-1 going into Game 4 in Boston and they pulled out a double-OT win and eventually won the series in 7 games. My heart really doesn't need that kind of stress again, but I guess I'd take it if it meant we win the series.
• My decision to attend the Pearl Jam show on Sunday night at the Q hinges on whether the Cavs can get the win tonight. C'mon Cavs, do it for Eddie Vedder.
  

The 'Game-Changer'

It happened with 5:20 left in the third quarter on Saturday night. I immediately called it a "game-changer," but it ultimately could end up proving to be a series-changer. The Cavs, looking lethargic for the better part of two and a half quarters, found themselves down 11 points at home in Game 1 to the Celtics. They were shooting terribly, giving up way too many offensive rebounds, and just lacking overall energy and heart. They looked to be on their way to a possible shocking Game 1 loss that could have been a crippling early playoff blow. Then Mo Williams stole the ball and left me and thousands of others shocked and confused. He threw down the first dunk I've ever seen from him, and it was not a cheapie.


From my vantage point in the Q, the play was confusing to me because I was expecting Mo to lay the ball up and when that didn't happen I assumed that Paul Pierce had blocked the shot. And judging by the reaction of those around me, others were as equally confused. I couldn't figure out why the crowd in the lower deck was going nuts. And it still took a few replays on Q-tube to actually confirm what I missed the first time. The video guy for the Cavs must have been as equally shocked because the replay was run at least 6 times.

And that dunk was all it took. That ignited a 21-10 run by the Cavs (including a personal 10-0 run by Mo) that turned an 11-point deficit into a 1-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The Cavs ended up winning 101-93 thanks to some late-game heroics (yet again) from LeBron and some timely baskets (finally) from Shaq. But the difference in the game was that last 5:20 of the third quarter. Without that run, the Cavs probably would have found themselves in a 1-0 hole this morning.

I said earlier that Antawn Jamison's arrival would prove to be a difference for Mo in these playoffs. And so far Mo has delivered, aside from one rough game in the Chicago series. Jamison himself only notched 7 points on just 6 shot attempts in Game 1, but judging from moments like this one, the fire is there. He did add 9 rebounds and provided some stout defense against Garnett. I don't recall Antawn ever playing in such a pressure situation so far in his career and I expect to see him more involved in tonight's offensive game plan. And that's the beauty of the Cavs. There will be different guys stepping up on different nights to help out the two-time MVP in his quest for the ultimate trophy.

There's plenty more to write about this series, but I'll save that for tomorrow when we recap Game 2. My gut still says Cavs in 6, especially considering how well the Celtics played for so long in Game 1. They are one team that won't be intimidated by the environment at the Q. But if/when the Cavs take this one tonight, the writing should be on the wall for the proud Celtics. They won't go down without a fight, but it will be fun to see them go down. Go Cavs.

Random Notes:

• How cool is it to see LeBron include his teammates in yesterday's MVP ceremony? And consider the fact that all 14 teammates showed up to see the King accept the award. I challenge you to name me another NBA team for which this would actually happen... and two years in a row now. Somehow I just can't picture Ron Artest showing up for a Kobe MVP celebration. I'm laughing just trying to picture it.
  
• It's still fun to talk trash to Celtics fans. Walking down Bolivar towards the Q on Saturday we spied two green-jersey-clad C's fans enjoying drinks outside Local Heroes. I said something to the effect of "hope you didn't pay too much for your tickets boys." There may or may not have been some profanity included. And my comments were greeted by a look of confusion/anger from both. Do you honestly expect not to be called out when you show up in that attire?
• What is up with Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine on the C's bench? I don't think both of them were sitting simultaneously at any point during the entire 48 minutes on Saturday. It was fun to see Allen finally get whistled for a technical, but not so fun when Mo missed the free throw.
• Is Usher the ultimate fair-weather Cavs fan? I've been to my fair share of Cavs games this year (at least 17 by my own unofficial count) and this is the first time I've seen him there this season. Excuse me for not getting excited to see him there.
• It would be silly of me not to mention JJ Hickson and his 11 points in 12 minutes in Game 1. The truth is obvious now for Mike Brown/Z/the Cavs organization. JJ has to be part of the rotation, and will be. Doesn't mean we don't love you Z, but we've got a title to win.
  

Bring on the Celtics

I purposely waited a while to post today in the wake of the Cavs' 4-1 opening series win over the pesky Bulls. My immediate reaction while filing out of the Q after last night's game was a combination of disgust and relief. Disgust in how the Bulls were allowed to hang around for far too long in that one. And relief that the Cavs don't have to face that team anymore this year. Somehow the Bulls managed to turn a handful of games vs. the Cavs this year into some of the ugliest slugfests I've seen since Mike Brown's early days as head coach when the team strictly relied on LeBron and gritty team defense.


Whatever it was about the Bulls, they somehow managed to find the right combination on defense to stop the Cavs from playing their normal style for long stretches of games. And to me it seemed like that style lulled the Cavs to sleep on more than one occasion this season. You can't fault the Cavs for falling into the 1 vs. 8th seed trap and leaning on the "we'll turn it on in the 4th quarter" crutch that comes with such a matchup. But that mentality nearly resulted in an unnecessarily bad Game 5 home loss at home - a game which the Cavs should have controlled from the opening tip. I never got the sense the Cavs would lose last night, but it is a little alarming to think that the Bulls were possibly a couple of Derrick Rose in-and-out misses from stealing that game.

All that said, the Cavs did what they had to do in the end and beat the Bulls in five games, as many of us predicted they would. And in the process, they got Shaq some quality minutes in a tight playoff game and found out the big fella can still produce on both ends of the floor. And he can still quickly rack up fouls on the opposition. Maybe this series is what Mike Brown's much-maligned "high-level practices" quote at the end of the regular season can really be applied to. I do know that playing some games like this against the Bulls has to go further than previous first-round cake walks at the hands of the Pistons and Wizards. The Cavs should be more prepared to face the Celtics this next round than they were in last season's ECF vs. the Magic.

And perhaps the biggest thing to take away from the Bulls series is the fact that Antawn Jamison has truly become the bona fide second option offensively for this team. He finished the series averaging 19.5 points on 50.7% shooting from the floor. And he went 16-for-20 from the line after struggling so mightily there since joining the Cavs. He seems to have reached a new level of comfort on this offense and I believe Mo Williams, in particular, will reap the most benefit from this. Even with Mo's clunker (2-of-13 from the field) last night, he still averaged 15.6 points on 41% shooting for the series. Jamison's arrival has taken much of the pressure off Mo and I'm looking forward to seeing how this affects him as the playoffs roll on.

For now, we can forget about the Joakim Noah hate (the guy was pretty much a beast against the Cavs, as was Derrick Rose). It's time to direct that hatred to where it rightfully belongs... squarely on the Boston Celtics. Possibly the most unlikeable team I've ever had the displeasure of watching in all my years of NBA fandom. Bring on the Celtics. We've been waiting for this for two years now and the time has finally come for some payback. Go Cavs.

Random notes:

• I didn't even mention LeBron in my post above. He's that good that I don't even feel the need to single him out anymore. But how about his series? He averaged 31.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. On 56.7% shooting, including 54.2% from three-point range. I've run out of things to say to describe his awesomeness. Even when it looked like he was having a tough game last night, I look up at the scoreboard at the end of the game to see he was one assist shy of yet another playoff triple-double. Sick.
• Can anyone out there verify if FSN will be broadcasting any of these 2nd round games? My fear of the national guys on TNT is slowly creeping in... my only hope is that they at least give us the tag team of Fratello and Albert. I don't ask for much.
• I hear the LeBron banner got some major airtime on TNT last night as they headed to a commercial. A true testament to the hard work of many at www.realcavsfans.com. If you're a true Cavs fan and don't at least regularly browse the forums, what is wrong with you?
• My brush with the stars last night: Before the game, on my way to Wilbert's after picking up my tickets I run into Campy Russell and got a fist bump from him. The guy is a lot bigger in person than I expected. And on the way to the car after the game I got a peace sign from Boobie Gibson as he was being hustled out of there in girlfriend Keyshia Cole's Porsche.
• Finally, last night was my first encounter after a Cavs playoff game where the team shop wasn't a complete zoo. Note to self: hit the team shop any time a playoff game ends around 11:00pm on a Tuesday night. Gotta take advantage of that 20% season ticket holder discount and you can never have too much Cavs gear.
  

State of the East

Wow... Celtics and Magic last night. A game that came down to the wire with the Magic getting an uncontested layup on their final possession as Rashard Lewis blew past a gimpy Kevin Garnett. Then things ended when Rasheed Wallace tossed up a three-point airball at the horn. Cavalier fans should be giddy about this one. The Celtics lost and the Magic looked terrible. Both teams appear to be a shell of their former selves.

We all know that the Magic made a huge mistake by letting Turkoglu and Lee go to employ the services of the one-and-only Vince Carter. Hell, I'd even argue that losing Rafer Alston in favor of Jason Williams and JJ Redick plays right into our hands. But I had no idea the Celtics looked so terrible. For a team that flaunts three All-Stars and a championship back in 2008, they look well past their prime to me. Is it a coincidence that they are just 6-9 in their last 15 games? I think not.

We've heard the excuses from the so-called experts saying things like, "they're still the best team in the East when healthy." So when are they going to be healthy? Is Kevin Garnett's knee going to magically revert back to the shape it was in two years ago? Is Rasheed Wallace gonna hit the weight room or the treadmill to lose that spare tire? Is Ray Allen suddenly going to start aging in reverse? Probably not. They face the Hawks and the Lakers in their next two. I can't wait to hear more excuses. Again, it's a good time to be a Cavalier fan.

I just want one of your 27

When it's been 16,384 days since any of your favorite teams have won a championship and you've only existed for 12,368 days, you tend to build up a lot of venom towards other franchises. There is an ebb and flow to that hatred usually based on how much success these other franchises experience, or what they have done to your teams directly. So forgive me if I don't rejoice at the thought of the Yankees collecting their 27th world championship last night. The thought of it actually makes me want to vomit.

I'm not sure why I even bothered to watch the end of the game last night - I guess because I like seeing the moment when a team reaches its ultimate goal. But watching the celebration of the Yankees and their arrogant fans - who had been expecting that moment since missing the playoffs last season... the whole seen was just nauseating. Again, I'll sit here and hope for a lockout someday when the owners get the balls to fix this sport. Until then we can hope for the little guys with the script I on their caps to overcome all odds and win it all... a scenario that seems completely unlikely in my lifetime given the way the sport is currently constructed. Ugh.


And on a night when the Cavs didn't play I was also following the scores around the NBA, hoping for a few other teams I dislike to chalk one up in the loss column. No such luck - the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic all prevailed last night. I hate sports nights like that, hoping for the failures of other teams for my own satisfaction and they all end up winning. I much prefer just watching my team win - like tonight when the Cavs hit the court at the Q again to take on the Bulls. I guess at least LeBron can happy that his Yankees won. And should we be happy for CC? I guess so, but then it reminds me of how ordinary he pitched in 2007 when we absolutely needed him. Just give me one title in my lifetime. Just one. Please.

Update: This guy gives a better view of the state of baseball than I ever could. Great read > http://www.bugsandcranks.com/davidchalk/baseball/yes-im-really-retiring/.

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.

Halfway there...

The Cavaliers just keep giving us more reasons to love them. Last night they completed their second consecutive playoff sweep with an 84-74 win (highlights) to finish off the overmatched Hawks in Atlanta. This marks the Cavs' eighth consecutive playoff win by a double-digit margin, yet another NBA record in a season full of them. And stop and think about this for a second: the Cavs have now gone 74-16 in their 90 games this season - a winning percentage of .822! As Fred McLeod pointed out on the Fox Sports Ohio postgame wrap, they would have to finish their remaining schedule at .500 or worse just to not win the NBA championship. I know there is still a lot of work left and we don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but any Cleveland fan has to be excited right about now.

The Hawks will be seeing a streaking LBJ in their nightmares for a while

Last night's game was definitely the worst the Cavs have looked in this postseason. Closeout games are always the toughest to get, especially on the road. And the Hawks weren't willing to roll over and die like Detroit. The Cavs' offense was very stagnant for long stretches. They didn't shoot particularly well. And their free-throw shooting (14-of-26 for 58.8%) was horrendous. But they again brought the one thing that will consistently help them through the inevitable tough stretches of the playoffs - their defense. Again it was suffocating last night as they held Atlanta to just 31.5% shooting from the floor (including just 2-of-13 from long range). My personal favorite moments of the night were Wally's dunk in the second quarter (is it just me, or is Wally moving a lot better lately?), Delonte's emphatic slam in the fourth quarter, and Mo's two three-point daggers in the 4th quarter. LeBron had an off-shooting night by his own high standards (9-of-22), but still finished with a near triple-double at 27/8/8. And Z had his second straight solid game going for 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Overall, this series was another extremely impressive performance by the Cavs. Yes, they were supposed to be where they are now. But the convincing manner in which they were able to achieve both sweeps has to be alarming to both Boston and Orlando. Unfortunately now the wait begins for the Eastern Conference Finals. I've read some conflicting stuff this morning, and I'm not even sure if anything is official at this point... but it looks like if the Celtics/Magic series ends in six games then ECF Game 1 at the Q would be next Monday the 18th. And if it goes seven then we are looking at a start date of Wednesday the 20th. So no matter what it will be at least another 6-day layoff. But yet another opportunity for the guys to get plenty of rest. What's maddening to us fans is actually more beneficial towards achieving the ultimate goal. And we've already waited 45 years, so what's another 6 or 8 days, right? Eight down, eight to go. Go Cavs.

Redefining PER

PER (player efficiency rating) is a rather cryptic stat for most casual NBA followers, but it has gained a lot of credibility over the last couple seasons, thanks in large part to stat geek John Hollinger of espn.com. It is a rather complex formula that levels the playing field among all NBA players and provides a measurement of their overall effectiveness on the court, relative to each other. Through seven games of these current playoffs LeBron James' PER now stands at an eye-popping 44.8. To put that into proper perspective, the next highest PER in this year's playoffs is Tony Parker's 29.2 (in just 5 games). Kobe Bryant is at 24.8. The highest playoff PER in NBA history was 38.95 by the great Hakeem Olajuwon during the 1988 playoffs. So yeah, if you didn't already know, what LeBron is doing right now is pretty special.

And speaking of efficiency, I'm not sure I've ever seen a more efficient game from a single player in an NBA playoff game than the one LBJ put down on Saturday night. His totals? 47 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists on 25 shots, including 5-of-10 from deep in Philips Arena. He singlehandedly led the Cavs to their 97-82 victory (highlights) in Game 3 in a performance that we as Cleveland fans almost take for granted at times. The Cavs now stand one win away from their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the last three years. Winning the series is a mere formality now, and I expect the Hawks to be sent packing for their summer vacations sometime around 9:30 tonight.

The Hawks can only stand and watch in awe, like the rest of us

Again in Game 3, the Hawks stuck to their defensive philosophy of not doubling LeBron, just shading their entire defense towards him. And again, he torched that plan with an array of acrobatic jump shots and twisting mid-range shots on drives to the hoop. Just look at his shot chart here. He basically scored from every long- and mid-range spot imaginable on the court. The Hawks could have sent a double-team his way every time he touched the ball, but it may have only worked if they decided to do that before the Cavs crossed halfcourt. They simply have no answers for the King. And when LeBron is shooting like that, there's just no way the Cavs are losing.

So for the Hawks, and really the remaining opponents on this Cavs playoff march, they will have to pick their poison. Will they let LeBron continue to beat them? Or will they make the Cavs' other shooters beat them? Either way, it will be a tough proposition to find a way to slow down this Cavalier train. They are now 7-0 with a double-digit margin of victory in every game played. And if you think you can outscore them, think again. They are giving up an average of just 78.7 ppg in the postseason. This is what the team has been working towards all season. They are now peaking defensively. They will certainly be looking to end things quickly tonight and capitalize on some more rest as the Celtics and Magic slug it out, tied at 2-2 now. Go Cavs. Seven down, nine to go.

1 down, 15 to go

The Cavaliers took care of playoff win #1 in dominant fashion on Saturday with a 102-84 triumph (highlights) over the Pistons at the Q. The impressive thing to me is that the Pistons played about as well as they could have and still lost by 18 points. The Cavs clamped down on defense, and had a very balanced attack on offense - aside from LeBron's ridiculous 38/8/7 line. Joe Smith was huge with 13 points off the bench. And Mo Williams had an off-day shooting (just 5-for-14) in his return to the playoffs. If I were a fan of the Pistons, I'd be more than concerned. But actually, all of their fans are already looking forward to the offseason anyway, and it will hopefully begin Sunday afternoon for them.

LBJ glides in for 2 of his 38 in Game 1

Rasheed Wallace has vowed that the Pistons will "knuckle down" for Game 2, whatever that means. We'll find out soon enough when things resume tomorrow night at the Q - god I hate these long layoffs between games. But at least the Cavs know how to take care of business at home, unlike the Celtics (lol), Magic (what a meltdown!), and Trailblazers. The next time I post here the Cavs will be up 2-0 and on their way to Detroit for a Pistons funeral. Go Cavs.

Mission Accomplished

With their three rousing victories over the long holiday weekend - a 102-92 win (highlights) over the 76ers in Philly, an immensely enjoyable 107-76 smackdown (highlights) of the Celtics at the Q, and then yesterday's 117-109 triumph (highlights) in Indiana over the Pacers - the Cavs have finally reached their goal of securing home court advantage throughout the playoffs. This is the first time in franchise history they have achieved that feat and hopefully the start of a long playoff run that will end with this city's first championship in 45 years.

The bench erupts after Wally's epic 4th quarter rejection on Sunday

I took some time off of work to enjoy the long holiday weekend and was as equally impressed with the Cavs' dominant play as I was frustrated with the Tribe's pathetic 1-6 start to the season. I guess things have to balance out in the sports world (unless you live in Boston) and I'll take a horrible Tribe season if it means a championship for the Cavs. They certainly looked ready to wear the NBA crown in their utter dismantling of the Celtics on Easter Sunday. I know the Celtics didn't have much to play for in that one, but they could have shown a little heart and pride. The Cavs absolutely thrashed them from start to finish and had some fun doing it. Just an all-around enjoyable weekend of work from this team. They will get some well-deserved rest on Wednesday in a meaningless season finale at the Q against the 76ers. My only hope is that the Sixers also have nothing to play for and the Cavs bench bunch can squeeze out one more home win to equal the all-time NBA record of 40-1 at home. It's been a magical season, but now it's time for the second season to start. Bring on the Pistons. Go Cavs.

Streaking to another record?

The Cavaliers extended their latest winning streak to 10 with a 98-87 win (highlights) over the Nets at the Q on Wednesday night. The win also gave them a franchise-best 58 wins on the year, with still 11 games yet to be played. I've been saying here for some time that the franchise record for wins was just a mere formality this season, but it is nice to officially get that record out of the way. They now hold a five-game lead over both Boston and Orlando and they have quietly crept ahead of Boston in conference record, an important tiebreaker should the wheels fall off down the stretch. Not that I think that will happen, but it seems like only a couple of weeks ago it was a foregone conclusion that we had already lost that tiebreaker to the Celtics.

LBJ flexed his muscles with a 22/8/11 line Wednesday night

Wednesday's win wasn't a thing of beauty by any stretch of the imagination. The Cavs let the Nets hang around for far too long and only finished them off with a 17-5 run in the final four minutes of the game after New Jersey actually took the lead. But I'm not really complaining - at this point of the season, wins are wins. And the Cavs need to keep piling them up because it looks like the Lakers aren't going to cooperate and lose one for us. We still hold a razor-thin one-game lead over LA for the best record in the NBA and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The good guys take the court again tonight at the Q vs. the Timberwolves and I'll be in attendance. Hopefully this one will be easy and we can look forward to setting yet another franchise record on Sunday when the Mavericks pay a visit to the Q and they notch their 12th consecutive win. Go Cavs.

No St. Patty's Day hangover...

What a night last night for the Cavaliers... I should have known it was special when I made my way towards the Q through the mass of drunken "Irish" Clevelanders amid the balmy 70-degree mid-March weather. It almost felt like playoff time even before entering the doors to the Q. And inside it really felt like the playoffs as the Cavs beat the Magic in a 97-93 thriller (highlights). Much will be made of two calls that seem to have benefited the Cavs down the stretch. The first was a 3-second call on Dwight Howard with 30 seconds remaining. But what will be conveniently left out is the fact that the Magic did miss a three-pointer on the play and the ball was rebounded by the Cavs... and Howard was camped out in the lane pretty much the entire evening.

LBJ and the Cavs came up huge on St. Patty's Day

The second call was with 8 seconds remaining when LeBron got himself "a bird" (for all us A.C. lovers) when Courtney Lee bit on his pump fake and LBJ then jumped into him. Again, it's a big call late in the game but it was a foul. LeBron calmly sank both free throws, even encouraging the raucous crowd to ramp up their "MVP, MVP, MVP!" chants, to which we gladly obliged. It was a signature win for the Cavs and a signature game (again) for LeBron with his 43/12/8 stat line. Mo also chipped in 21, including a huge 3 with 2:00 minutes remaining in the 4th. And I thought Z and Delonte provided some excellent work on the defensive end as the Magic were held to 93 points. Of course there are still some things that need to be cleaned up, but even without Big Ben there still have been major improvements on D since the guys returned home from their West coast trip.

So with their 6th straight win the Cavs move to 30-1 at the Q and 54-13 overall. And to make things even better the Celtics and Lakers decided to do us a huge favor by both losing (the Lakers did so in dramatic fashion). It was a great night all around, with the Cavs now proud owners of the NBA's best record by a full game with just 15 games left on the schedule. They also hold a 5-game lead in the loss column over both Boston and Orlando and their magic number to clinch the coveted #1 seed in the East is down to 11... but really it is smaller than that with Boston playing Orlando once more and the Cavs still with another game against each of them. It will be impossible for both Orlando and Boston to win out with their remaining schedules. But first things first, the Cavs continue their home stand tomorrow night with the young Portland Trailblazers paying a visit to the Q. Go Cavs.

With just 15 games left, I like how the overall picture looks...

Another good weekend...

The Cavaliers continued their winning ways, extending their latest winning streak to 5 games with two more wins over the weekend. The first came on Friday night at the end of their final West coast trip when they beat the Kings in Sacramento 126-123 (highlights) in OT. I'm not gonna lie and say it was pretty. It wasn't, and the Kings are a bad team. But they gave the Cavs all the could handle and it took another valiant comeback and some great defense down the stretch to win that one. Some guy named LeBron ended up with 51 points on the night on 16-of-30 from the field and 15-of-17 from the line. The win also improved the Cavs' mark to 22-4 vs. the Western conference and 7-1 on their two West coast road trips. Wow.

Just one small step on the Cavs' journey...

Then they continued their winning ways at the Q last night, having to play the dreaded trap game after a long road trip vs. the up-tempo (albeit bad) Knicks. The Cavs ground out a much-needed 98-93 win (highights) to improve to a league-best 29-1 at home and stay even with the Lakers at 53-13 overall (40 games over .500!). Coupled with the Celtics embarrassing loss in Milwaukee yesterday, the Cavs' latest win has them in great shape for the top seed in the East with them now holding a 3.5 game lead over Boston and a 4 game lead on Orlando.

And speaking of Orlando, the NBA schedule makers do us no favors this week with the Magic, Trail Blazers, and Hawks all visiting the Q between now and Saturday. With 16 games left the team is in great shape, but they can't let up with still many tough opponents remaining. And I wouldn't be a true fan without acknowledging their one small step on their way to bigger and better things... Friday night's win gave the Cavs their first Central Division crown in 33 years. It is truly a great accomplishment to lock it up so early in the season. How anyone in this town can be talking about the NFL draft and/or free agent signings right now is truly beyond me...

Scoreboard watching

I know I shouldn't be doing this to myself (yet), but I can't help it. I'm already scoreboard watching around the NBA on a nightly basis. And last night was a good one for us Cavalier fans. The Lakers were trounced in Portland and may have lost a couple players due to suspension in the midst of a tough road trip. It was their third straight road loss. And the Magic lost in Detroit. So with a win tonight our Cavs will sit tied with the Lakers for the best record in the NBA and they will be a game and a half up on Boston and a full four up on the Magic.

Obviously grabbing the #1 seed in the East is the immediate goal, but getting the #1 overall seed could come in quite handy come June, especially given our dominance at the Q. Just something extra to think about every night the Cavs don't have a game. Thankfully tonight the Cavs are back on the court to start their final big road trip of the season. I hope they aren't looking past the Clippers, as bad as they are. This team did beat Boston just a week ago in LA. I have a feeling the guys won't be taken by surprise tonight. Go Cavs.

It wasn't a total loss...

After all the build-up for the game and huge hopes Cavaliers fans had heading into Friday night's showdown with the Celtics, the 105-94 loss in Boston was a tremendous disappointment. Whether it was watching the Cavs pile up a puzzling 11 missed free throws, seeing Leon Powe destroy us in the paint, having that blubbery whale "Big Baby" Davis clothesline Andy, hearing the obnoxious Boston crowd cheering in delight, or just observing the overall shrinking of the Cavs in another big road game, everything on the night was quite disheartening. It was honestly the most frustrated and upset I've been watching a Cavs game all season. Just a huge emotional letdown.

Thankfully the team played again less than 24 hours later, taking on the Heat on Saturday night in the friendly confines of the Q. And they righted the ship nicely, sprinting out to a 28-14 lead after the first quarter on their way to a 99-89 win (highlights) over Miami. They built a 20-plus point lead at various points midway through the game before the Heat fought back to make a game of it. Mo Williams led the team in scoring for a second night in a row... and even on a night when his shot wasn't falling LBJ still found a way to contribute, piling up a 14-10-12 triple double.

Joe Smith made his return to the Q on Saturday night

Friday's loss was still burning with me yesterday until some better news arrived - the Orlando Magic waltzed into Boston and beat the Celtics. I was following the game online and after a 22-point Magic lead was trimmed to just 3 late in the fourth I was sure the Celtics would find a way to win it... but thankfully Orlando held on. So really from a Cavalier fan perspective we can almost look at it as if the Magic erased our mistake from Friday night. Granted, a 3-1 season series win over Boston would have been nice if we have to come down to a tiebreaker scenario to determine the top seed in the East. But we still have a two-game cushion on the Celtics in the loss column. And it's becoming more apparent that Orlando isn't just going to roll over and die. So in the final 20 games of the season there are still three huge games looming: 3/17 vs. Orlando, 4/3 @ Orlando, and 4/12 vs. Boston. I'm elated that two of those will be at the Q (it seems like every big game we've had has been on the road this year). But first things first - one final trip out West for a three game set beginning tomorrow night in LA. We're still in a great spot as we enter the last quarter of the regular season. Go Cavs.

Welcome back Joe!

The good news finally came last night with a confirmation from Joe Smith's agent that, "the Cavs are the best fit." Like we didn't already know that. But it's great to have Joe back in the fold and I'm really looking forward to seeing him at the Q tonight, even if he won't be suiting up just yet for the wine and gold. We should get official word sometime today of when we can expect to see Joe in uniform - hopefully by Friday night for the big showdown in Boston.

Joe Smith is pumped to be back with the wine & gold

But first things first, the Cavs need to take care of business at home again tonight versus the Bucks. It should be an easier task than their recent road trip, but I'm hoping we can do it in dominating fashion yet again and get the starters some rest in the 4th quarter before the trip to Beantown. Which reminds me, I heard during Monday night's game in Miami that LeBron has been able to sit on the bench for the entire 4th quarter in a staggering 10 games this season. That's an incredible stat and one that should have everyone else in the East just a little bit more afraid to face the us come playoff time... Go Cavs.

Another solid weekend

It was another solid weekend for our Cavaliers. On Friday they breezed to an easier-than-expected 97-86 win (highlights) over the Spurs in San Antonio. The final score really isn't indicative of just how easy it was. The Cavs were up by 23 at a couple different points early in the 4th quarter and obviously took advantage of the fact that San Antonio was missing Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili - not that we should feel bad for any team missing its starters after all of our own injury woes. It was also nice to see the team follow up Thursday night's clunker in Houston with a solid road win against a good team, with or without all its weapons.

So the team followed up Friday's win by moving along on their brutal road trip with a visit to Atlanta last night. They played a great first half, an ugly third quarter and a not-so-tidy first 3 or 4 minutes of the fourth quarter. Facing a 7-point deficit with 4:25 remaining the Cavs had to really dig deep. Anderson Varejao hit one of his patented scary "no-no-no-YES" fallaway jumpers (as only he can), then followed that up with a three-point play to cut the deficit to 2. After a few bad possessions, Delonte West nailed a long jumper to again cut the lead to 3 with 1:24 remaining. Then Mo Williams hit what I viewed as the shot of the night when he drilled a three-pointer from the corner to tie it at 87 with 47 seconds left. Then another great defensive stop set the stage for LeBron to win it. He drew a foul with 1.6 seconds remaining, hit 1-of-2 free throws, then altered a Joe Johnson jumper that clanked off the iron as time expired. Game over, Cavs win 88-87 (highlights) in one of their signature wins of this season - one they really had no business winning, but somehow they found a way to get it done.

LBJ & the Cavs escaped with a win Sunday night in Atlanta

The good news after this one? The Cavs were able to take advantage of both the Celtics and Lakers stumbling yesterday. They now hold a half-game lead for home court advantage over the Celtics with two huge games against them still looming. And only trail the Lakers by a game (now tied in the loss column) for best record in the league. The great news from yesterday? Joe Smith was bought out of his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. If all goes as planned he will be set to re-sign with his former team on Wednesday morning after he clears waivers. And the bad news from yesterday? The Cavs had some severe travel problems after the game and didn't even arrive in Miami until 6:00 this morning. So it will be a tough end to a long trip but if they can somehow pull this one off it will have been an amazing trip. Go Cavs.

It begins tonight...

On the heels of their latest win, an easy 94-79 throttling (highlights) of the Grizzlies, our beloved Cavaliers begin their toughest stretch of the season:

February	Opponent	Time	Local TV	Nat TV	Radio
Thu 26	@ Houston	8:00pm			WTAM 1100
Fri 27	@ San Antonio	9:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
March	Opponent	Time	Local TV	Nat TV	Radio
Sun 01	@ Atlanta	8:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Mon 02	@ Miami	7:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Wed 04	vs Milwaukee	7:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Fri 06	@ Boston	8:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Sat 07	vs Miami	7:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Tue 10	@ LA Clippers	10:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Thu 12	@ Phoenix	10:30pm			WTAM 1100
Fri 13	@ Sacramento	10:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100

That's 4 road games in the next 5 nights, 8 out of the next 10 on the road, and 8 of those games look to be against playoff teams. Good thing the starters have been able to sit for almost the entire 4th quarters of the last two wins. And hopefully the team isn't looking at the big picture like I am. They need to stay focused (as they always seem to be) and just look at the next game on the schedule. This 10-game stretch could make or break our chances at the #1 seed in the East and it will be important to stay healthy and win (that's not asking too much, right?). The Celtics did the Cavs a huge favor by stumbling against the hapless Clippers late last night.

Hopefully the Cavs can begin to take advantage by starting off with a win tonight in Houston, a place where they have not played well in recent memory. But this isn't the same Cavaliers team that we've seen in the first five seasons of the LeBron era. This one is 18-10 on the road this year, just four road wins shy of tying the franchise record of 22, and they are arguably the most talented Cavaliers group ever assembled. If we can continue to ease Delonte back into the lineup, keep up the outstanding defense (still #1 in the league allowing only 90.5 ppg), stay healthy, and have LeBron just be LeBron, we should be all set. The most important stretch of the regular season begins tonight and it should be fun to just sit back and watch.

Tribe Update: I can't believe it's already upon us but here's the first Tribe spring training update of the year. I "worked" from home yesterday and with our new laptop I am now afforded the ability to "work" in front of our bigscreen in the family room. So yesterday afternoon while I was "working" I was delighted to stumble upon the Tribe's Cactus League opener in beautiful crystal-clear high definition on STO-HD. I guess it shows how much I've been following things with the Tribe since I didn't even know the game would be televised (too much attention to the Cavaliers, but can you blame me?). Anyway, the game was sort of ugly, but it did feature a big three-run blast from new Tribe 3B Mark DeRosa. That was nice to see. It's still way too early for me to put a lot of energy into the Tribe, but it's nice to have them back on the radar again.

A sidenote: I was able to recently snag a bunch of tickets for the home opener on April 10 vs. the Blue Jays. If anyone out there in Internet-land is still looking for a way to attend the game, Razzles sports bar in Olmsted Township puts together a great Opening Day package every year (I attended last year and had a blast). $50 is well worth it to take advantage of this offer, assuming of course there isn't a blizzard in Cleveland on April 10th...