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.
  

65 Down, 17 to Go

Wow, a lot has happened since my last post. 12+ inches of snow has melted in Cleveland... the Tribe is off to a meaningless 5-0 start in the Cactus League... Derek Anderson was cut, then blasted the fans, then half-heartedly apologized. But my thoughts are still squarely with the Cavaliers. Here's sort of my "state of the Cavaliers" address with 5 weeks left in the regular season (this is cross-posted from my other blogging grounds - www.numbersdont.com):

So here we are in the midst of the Cavs' longest non-All-Star-break break since November. The beautiful weather in Cleveland (for early March) has been a welcome thing. And aside from a ton of dog poop in my yard, the warm weather has also revealed a stroke of genius on the part of the Cavaliers. Their wise decision to sit LeBron against the Bucks and Spurs has allowed the King a rare chance to recharge his batteries before a final regular season push. The selfish Cavs fan in me really wanted LBJ to play on Monday night. But when it was over I walked out of the Q with an even bigger sense of satisfaction after seeing the wine and gold outlast the Spurs in a tough-fought win minus LeBron, Shaq, Z, and Jamison (for nearly the entire 2nd half).

As this current rest period nears an end, the Cavs have 17 games left to get everything ironed out for the playoffs. Their current three-game lead (really 4 with the tiebreaker) on the Lakers for the top overall seed has afforded them this opportunity to rest key players. Over the final 17 games the Cavs only face 8 opponents currently above .500. Just to put things in perspective, if the team completely tanks and goes something like 10-7 over that stretch, the Lakers would need to go 14-3 to surpass the Cavs. Does anyone think that will happen given how the Lakers have performed in their last four games? Or how the Cavs have performed all year? I didn't think so.

Of greater importance is getting all the key players on track so the team will be peaking in May and June. The #1 seed may seem like a mere formality at this point, but there's still plenty of work to be done. The laundry list includes a lot of moving parts:

1) Dealing with Antawn Jamison's creaky knee: This was a known issue when the Cavs dealt for Jamison and something that will just have to be coaxed along with proper rest. He will likely miss tomorrow night's game in Philadelphia but says he'll be ready for Sunday's showdown at the Q against the Celtics. Such will probably be the formula for Jamison over the next few weeks.

2) Getting Mo Williams back into the flow on both ends of the court: Mo arguably hit rock bottom with his 3-for-17 shooting performance in Milwaukee on Saturday night. He looked lost on both ends of the court as Brandon Jennings had his way on offense. It was encouraging to see Mo come back and hit some big shots Monday night against the Spurs and begin to play tougher defense in the 2nd half of that game. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little concerned with the way he seemed to be flexing his previously-injured shoulder before hitting two late free throws to ice the game. We'll have to keep an eye on that one. But I'd rather see Mo get a chance to play his way out of this funk than having to rest that shoulder yet again.

3) Figuring out how to integrate Z back into the rotation: March 22nd is only 11 days away now and that's the date Z has given to "begin negotiations" again with the Cavs. That's a polite way of saying he won't re-sign until a roster spot opens up. Darnell Jackson is likely the odd man out in this situation. Once the final playoff roster is ironed out, Mike Brown has the unenviable task of sorting out the rotation and figuring out who goes back to the bench. Things will be a little easier for the time being since Shaq is still out of action.

4) Incorporating Shaq back into the flow: This one is important to me because we saw how uncomfortable Shaq and the Cavs looked figuring out his role in the beginning of the season. It should be easier this time around now that both know what to expect of each other. But I'm hoping that the big man gets to test that thumb a bit late in the regular season before the playoff grind starts.

5) Getting back to their defensive roots: It's no secret that the Cavs' defense has been lacking for the better part of a month now. In my view, it began to slip in the game against the Knicks on February 6th, a 113-106 win in which they nearly coughed up a 30+ point lead. Aside from the 108-88 win in Boston on February 25th, the defense hasn't really been up to par since. I would be hammering this point home to the team over the next five weeks if I were in Mike Brown's shoes.

The to-do list for the coaching staff is a big one, but all parts are manageable. The Cavs know what they need to do and they have been in this position before. They were the first to 50 wins this year for a reason and we all know what has transpired over the last two seasons with the team that is first to 50. These final 17 games may afford the Cavs a chance to repeat that trend and give this city its first championship in 46 years. No pressure, right?

Stuck without a center, but the timing is right

Last night came the news that many of us expected/feared... the Shaq thumb injury is indeed a serious one and surgery will be required. The big man will be shelved for the next 6-8 weeks, effectively ending his regular season. On the heels of losing Z in order to obtain Antawn Jamison, the Cavs are now stuck without a true center on their roster. And given the current slim one-game lead over the Lakers for overall homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, this is probably a good time to panic, right? Maybe not...

As far as the schedule goes, this actually happened at a decent place. Not that I'm thrilled about losing Shaq or the prospect of him being out of action for so long, but the Cavs have reached a point in their schedule where they can afford an injury or two. After the extremely tough stretch of Denver/@Charlotte/@Orlando/New Orleans/@Boston/@Toronto (that's 6 games in 9 days, all against playoff-caliber teams), things lighten up a bit now over the next month. March (can you believe it's already March???) features 15 games, only 6 of which are against teams currently at or above .500.

Now is the time when Danny Ferry's construction of such a deep roster may truly pay off. Anderson Varejao obviously slides into the starting center role for the time being (at least until Z returns on or around March 22). Until then we can expect a big-man rotation of Andy, Jamison, Hickson, and Powe. And depending on matchups, LeBron will surely be playing some minutes at the 4 spot. A week ago I would have been shocked to think that Leon Powe would actually be playing meaningful minutes at this point, but I'm encouraged by what I've seen so far in his limited minutes. And it's nice to see JJ will not be buried on the bench again - his performance in Boston should have all but guaranteed that. Funny that no too long ago I heard some fans complaining about us having too many big men on the roster... I'm not hearing those same complaints now.

Injuries are a part of life in the NBA and we should all be thankful we have a GM that has constructed a team that is built to withstand them. We saw it earlier when Mo and Delonte were down for a while and Boobie stepped up. Now is the time for others to make it tougher on Mike Brown to decide on his playoff rotation. And remember, Shaq was obtained to outmuscle Dwight Howard and the Laker big men deep in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference Finals are still roughly 11 weeks away. Take your time big fella... just stay away from the buffet.

Not a time to panic

So the Cavs have lost three in a row on the heels of their franchise record-tying 13-game winning streak. Now the sky is falling, Mo can't hit a shot, and the annual call for Mike Brown's head has begun. We are certainly spoiled by this team's winning ways. Were the last three losses fun to watch? Of course not. The team has drifted from its defensive principles and just coasted for long stretches. But closer look at each loss might leave us all feeling a little better...

Last Thursday: 118-116 OT loss to Denver. Your classic "giveaway" game by the Cavaliers. They've been skating on thin ice for a while now at the free throw line and this time it finally bit them. 23-for-40 from the stripe just isn't gonna win many games, regardless of the competition. The fact that they still had a chance to win this one until LeBron's shot at the buzzer rimmed out is actually quite baffling. Denver is a solid team, the Cavs were coming off a long All-Star break, Z was just traded, Antawn was still unavailable, and the Nuggets were surely rallying around George Karl's announcement that he's once again battling cancer. Not surprisingly, the 118 points is the most the Cavs have surrendered so far this season. What makes this loss doubly frustrating is the fact that the Cavs also gave one away earlier in the season to the Camelo-less Nuggets in Denver.

Last Friday: 110-93 loss in Charlotte. This was a scheduling nightmare. A long, late national TV game at home the previous night followed by the 7:00pm start against the much-improved Bobcats. The Cavs had a bad shooting night (39%), played bad defense (55% shooting for Chalotte), and really were embarrassed by a hungrier Bobcats team. Now the chatter is that this would be a horrific matchup should these teams meet in the first round of the playoffs. I'm not ready to think that far ahead just yet, but let's try to not blow this loss out of proportion. It was Antawn Jamison's first game in a Cavs uniform and he clearly was nervous, as his 0-for-12 shooting night should illustrate. The Bobcats are truly a perplexing team... they follow this one up with a loss to the Bucks, then a loss to the Clippers. Go figure.

Sunday: 101-95 loss in Orlando. We knew this one would be tough going into it. The Cavs had beaten Orlando twice already this season. The Shaq/Dwight Howard war-of-words was escalating. Orlando would be ready for this national TV matchup. Their hot-shooting 4th quarter is what did the Cavs in as they outscored Cleveland 27-20 in the final 12 minutes. Encouraging things to take away from this one were Antawn's first solid performance as a Cavalier - 19 points and 8 rebounds, before fouling out on some terrible calls - and Shaq's nice offensive performance (20 points on 9-for-10 shooting). Foul trouble ultimately killed the Cavs as Shaq was also strapped with 5 fouls. It still kills me that Howard seems to get away with most everything, yet Shaq is whistled for any sort of contact. This will likely be the matchup again in the Eastern Conference Finals, so it was nice to get a preview of how things now look with the new line-up for the Cavs. We play this guys one more time in April at the Q and I'll be looking forward to that one as things should be more stable by then.

Also, keep in mind the Cavs had not had a practice with a healthy Mo in a month. And Z is gone from the locker room and the rotation (at least for the next 25 days or so, wink, wink). And the Cavs are now trying to shuffle their lineup with Mo and Antawn in the mix and Leon Powe soon to follow. My point is that Mike Brown is juggling a lot of moving parts right now. And the goal is not to be peaking in February, but in April and beyond. The Cavs have 25 games left to get things running smoothly and soon this 3-game skid will be forgotten. Enjoy the rest of this season and try to keep the big picture in mind. The team will look to get things back on track tonight at the Q vs. the Hornets. I don't expect to be writing about a 4th consecutive loss here tomorrow. But even if I have to, remember to take a deep breath and relax fellow Cavs fans. It's a long season, and titles aren't won in February.

Cavs vs. Magic

So the streak has reached 12 after a couple of not-so-pretty wins over the lowly Knicks and Nets on Saturday and Tuesday. I'd like to attribute the sloppy play to boredom (we were up by 24 over NY and 17 over NJ) in the midst of a long winning streak, but the defensive lapses are a cause for concern. The Cavs pride themselves in owning the best defensive field goal percentage in the league and had held the opposition to sub-50% shooting in all but 3 of their 51 games prior to these last two. And oddly enough, all 5 of those +50% shooting nights for the opponent have led to wins for the Cavs. I guess when you're good enough, you can even overcome a hot shooting night from the other guys. And I've said all along that this Cavaliers team can win in a variety of ways.

Which leads us to tonight's game - a showdown against the team that caused all kinds of matchup fits for the Cavs in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic have played much better of late, winning 10 of their last 12 and surging into the 2nd spot in the East. They are currently six games behind the Cavs for the top spot in the conference and would like nothing more than to come into the Q in the last game before the All-Star break and avenge their November loss to the wine and gold.

Of course the Cavs are still shorthanded without Mo, but will possibly have Delonte back in uniform for tonight's matchup. Personally, I'd rather see Redz just sit out one more game and then enjoy the 7 days off before next Tuesday's game against Denver. But if he does return to the court tonight it will be nice to have his defense out there against Orlando's perimeter guys. I will be at the Q for this one and will be looking forward to scouting the Magic with Vince Carter. I've maintained all-along that going VC instead of Turkoglu was a huge mistake for them and I'm looking forward to watching Carter off the ball... something you just can't do when watching on TV.

Hopefully we can run this streak to 13, slip into the All-Star break and grab some much-needed rest, and most importantly - get healthy. And with the trade deadline now just a week away, we should have some more interesting things to talk about besides water fountains at the Q. Sometimes I shake my head at what actually becomes a newsworthy story. Go Cavs.

Thoughts on the Cavs

OK, I'll admit it - it's been way too long since I've posted here. But my late New Year's resolution is to bring this blog back with full force in 2010. I've been spending some time lately focusing on www.numbersdont.com - the official blog of RealCavsFans. I put together a piece yesterday on the Amare Stoudemire rumors popping up again which can be read here: http://numbersdont.com/?p=964

If you are a big Cavs fan like me, be sure and bookmark that site. There is a new piece just about every day and some very talented minds are involved. You will find a unique perspective on things Cavalier-related and we are excited about where that blog is headed. (end of plug)

Some thoughts on the state of the Cavs as they have completed their toughest stretch of games for a while:

• The Mo injury had me super-bummed at the time it happened. I was prepared for the worst but figured Delonte would hopefully pick up the slack in Mo's absence.
• Then the Delonte injury - of course a freak occurrence right at the end of the win over the Lakers. Initial whispers had him out a month and had me standing on a ledge (not really, it's just a metaphor for how I was feeling).
• So the PG duties now fall into the still-SG hands of Boobie Gibson, and to a lesser extent Anthony Parker. Anyone who watched last night's win in Miami has to be terrified every time AP brings the ball up the court while facing any type of pressure. As always, thank the sports gods that LeBron is still able to handle the ball the majority of the time. Even if it sometimes leads to LeIso, it's way better than the alternative.
• Shaq has really made his presence felt over the last three games without Mo. He's averaging 18 points, shooting 68.7% from the floor (22-for-32), and getting to the free throw line 23 times, which is causing foul trouble for the opposing team's big men. And he is playing intimidating defense in the paint. Even when he is picking up fouls, he's making them count by making the opposition pay for entering his domain.
• What more can you say about LeBron that hasn't already been said? The way he dominated Kobe in the win over the Lakers... the way he won the game with his defense on Kevin Durant against the Thunder... then the way he went toe-to-toe with Dwyane Wade and won last night's game over the Heat with his defense and clutch FT's. Just give him his 2nd straight MVP trophy right now. It's not even a competition anymore.
• So the Cavs have finally reached a much-needed soft spot in their schedule. After playing 26 of 46 games on the road (going 18-8 in the process and 35-11 overall) they now have 7-of-8 in the friendly confines of the Q. Four of those games will be against sub-.500 teams. Time to work Jamario back into the rotation and hopefully get Mo and Delonte back healthy soon.
• Final thought - if you have the means, I highly encourage you to make the road trip to Indianapolis Friday night to watch the Cavs play the Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. You really need to watch the Cavs play on the road at some point... it's relatively close... and the arena is beautiful. I promise that you won't be disappointed.
  

He's Still BOO-zer to Me

(cross-posted from my new gig on www.numbersdont.com)

All seems to be righting itself nicely in Cavalier land after a trip through Florida that saw the Wine and Gold beat the Magic and Heat in a tough back-to-back set. We found out that Shaq can be effective in neutralizing the dominance of Dwight Howard in the paint. We found out that Delonte West still cannot be counted on to be part of the rotation, but that other guys (Jamario Moon) can step up when needed. We were reminded of how entertaining the LeBron vs. Wade matchups always seem to be. We witnessed how much better the offense looks when Mo is aggressive and hitting shots. And we saw that this JJ Hickson kid can play when Mike Brown's leash is lengthened a bit. The two solid Florida wins have the Cavs now sitting at 6-3 and a strong 4-1 away from the Q.

The team will return home to face the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. And as we ponder things here on this Friday the 13th I'm reminded of a form of evil that will be visiting along the Jazz this weekend. Of course I'm referring to the one and only Carlos Boozer, and for some reason my hate for him is like Jason Voorhees. No matter what, it just won't seem to die. Old wounds never really heal for us in Cleveland and I'd like to think that Boozer will never truly be forgiven for what he did to this franchise, short of a far-fetched scenario like him rejoining that Cavs and helping to win a title.

I know it's childish and petty to still hold such a grudge more than five years after the man took the money and ran to Utah. I know the Cavs have moved on and had great success without Boozer here. But I can't help thinking what could have been had Boozer decided to stay here. He was loved by fans for his blue collar work ethic he displayed as a second-round pick. He was pretty much the lone bright spot in the pre-LeBron season of 2002-03 when the Cavs mustered just 17 wins (yes, I'm denying that the Ricky Davis era ever happened). Then we saw a resurgence and a reason for hope again the next season when the team climbed to 35 wins and it looked like LeBron and Boozer could be the NBA's next great young star pairing. But Boozer wouldn't let that happen.

I hope those of you that will also be in attendance tomorrow night at the Q will join me in giving Boozer a warm Cleveland welcome. Don't let him forget what he did to this frachise. He stabbed a blind guy in the back. He turned his back on a city that embraced him and a chance to team up with a once-in-a-lifetime star. All for some more money and a mountain view. To that I say "BOOOOOOOOO" and I will say it loud and often, every time time he puts his money-grubbing hands on the ball tomorrow night. This is Cleveland and we hold grudges. Besides, it makes an otherwise ho-hum November game in a long 82-game season a little more fun, right?

Quality win

The first quarter of Tuesday night's game vs. the Wizards was not a thing of beauty. The Cavs found themselves down 31-17, missing 10 of their last 11 shots in the opening period. Washington was running all over the place, putting on an offensive clinic against a team that prides itself on playing defense first. Good thing a basketball game is not decided by just one quarter alone.

The Cavaliers decided to show up for the final three quarters and easily dusted off their wanna-be rivals from the nation's capital 102-90 (highlights) for their third straight win. They erased what had balloned to an18-point deficit early in the 2nd quarter by outscoring the Wiz 85-59 down the stretch. And they finally did it with the big man heavily involved. Shaq ended up with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from the line. This was the Shaq I'd been waiting to see - taking advantage of his size and not rushing his shots. He was consistent on both ends of the floor and punished the Wizards front court from the 2nd quarter on. The Cavs also shot 11-of-26 from beyond the arc, led by Mo (3/4) and Boobie (4/5).

Shaq was too much for the Wiz on Tuesday night

Aside from overcoming the early large deficit, the thing that impressed me most about this win was the fact that the Wizards went to the line 14 more times than the Cavs (41 attempts to 27) and outrebounded the Cavs (48 to 42), yet the wine and gold still seemed to cruise to victory. The team is still not firing on all cylinders, but Tuesday night's final three quarters were by far the best they've looked thus far in this young season. Things are starting to finally click and that could mean the victories will start piling up, much like after last year's slow start. And after the remaining games this week (CHI and @NY) the schedule gets a little more dicey (@ORL, @MIA, UTA). Let's hope what we saw after yesterday's first quarter jump starts this team to a nice long stretch of dominant play.

Delonte Update: Apparently the DA assigned to Delonte's case is going for additional weapons charges. This may end up getting even worse then we originally thought. I consider myself an anti-gun person and even I hope they take into consideration Delonte's mental state at the time this all went down. And that's not the Cavs fan in me talking, that's the human side of me that has experience dealing with someone with bipolar disorder. Someone in a manic state, likely where Delonte's head was when this occurred, just can't think clearly or rationally. He deserves to be punished for his dangerous actions, but jail time will not help at all. Just my two cents.

One week in

OK, so it's been nearly a week since the Cavs started their season. It's been sort of a roller coaster with the opening losses to the Celtics and Raptors, the ensuing panic from everyone in northeast Ohio, and then the nice bounce back wins against the Timberwolves and Bobcats. The team now sits at 2-2, the identical record of last year's squad through the season's first four games.

While there were some alarming things that took place in the first two games (complete defensive collapses at times, suspect shot selection, turnovers, tentative play), I'm willing to chalk that up to early season kinks due to a lack of preseason preparation. The good news is that LeBron is still LeBron, Mo seems to be back on track offensively (20 and 24 points his last two games), Anthony Parker appears to be settling into his role, and Andy hasn't let the contract get to his head and still exhibits all-out hustle. Oh, and DELONTE IS BACK!!! I can't express how great it was to see him return to the floor on Saturday night and put together a very solid game on both ends of the floor. The Cavs are just an entirely different team with Red in the mix. Who knows how long things can last with him in such a fragile mental state, but here's to hoping for the best.

Delonte returned to the court on Halloween night

I'm still anxious to see how Shaq and Z are going to mesh. It's been mildly shocking to see how willing Mike Brown has been to play the plodding twin towers on the court together at the same time. He's apparently still tinkering with his big man rotation, brought on by the fact that JJ Hickson still cannot be counted on for big minutes. Shaq definitely brings a defensive presence that the team has never had with Z. But I prefer Z's spot up shots from mid-range as opposed to Shaq's backboard-rattling shots from six feet that have almost no chance of going in. Hopefully it's just a case of Shaq trying to do too much for his new team and rushing things a bit. But I've been a little put off by his close-range misses when he has great position under the basket, where he is almost unguardable. And of course his free throw shooting will be a concern as long as he is still playing in the NBA.

Overall there is no reason to panic after the slow start. We as Cavs fans need to remember that this is still very much a work in progress. And we need to look for this team to peak in March/April/May/June, not October/November. Another tricky week lies ahead with the Wizards and the Bulls visiting the Q on Tuesday and Thursday, followed by the media circus event of LeBron and the Cavs visiting NYC on Friday night. I'm taking everything one game at a time.

Random Browns Note: This is seriously worse than 1999. How has it gotten this bad? Now we have Randy Lerner finally showing some emotion? Whether his frustration is genuine or PR-related, the fact remains that Lerner has allowed all this to come to pass. This is exactly why I refused to pony up for season tix again this season. There will surely be many more once-loyal fans that will give up on financing this mess going into next season. Hopefully all the empty orange seats will finally send a message that we are tired of this. This bye week couldn't have come fast enough. It almost makes me wonder why I wanted the Browns back in the league so badly when we didn't have them around. Is this what we were waiting for?

I'm back baby

In the words of the immortal Frank Costanza, "I'm back babyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" But what could rouse me from my self-imposed Cleveland sports silence? Summer '09 has been somewhat like a purgatory for me... major happenings like Eric Wedge getting the axe, Braylon Edwards heading to NYC, Brady Quinn putting his house up for sale, Delonte West going all Desperado on us... even the LeBron corn maze... none of them could bring me to post here. I was in a waiting period. Stuck between the sickeningly empty feeling of letdown in June and filling the time watching (or trying not to watch) the mess that is/was this year's version of the Browns and Indians. Just waiting for the NBA season to start and our beloved Cavaliers to get their revenge on the Magic and the rest of the league. And finally the wait is almost over. Only 12 more days until Game #1 and there's an excitement in the air.

So did anyone else out there catch last night's preseason game vs. the Wizards? To my delight, I was able to watch it even though it wasn't on FSN. NBAHD (recently added to my cable lineup) had the game in crystal clear HD.... only problem was that it was the Comcast Washington broadcast. So instead of my favorite Cavaliers homers calling the game I was stuck with the Wizards' awful version - Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier. Words cannot describe how awful this duo is. Buckhantz acted like it was a playoff game and neglected to point out that in the 2nd half the Wizards starters were mostly going against a lineup of which 80% won't even make the final Cavs roster (I'm talking about you Andre Barrett, Russell Robinson, Rob Kurz, and Luke Nevill). And at one point Chenier actually said that we gave up a lot of vital pieces to obtain Shaq. He uttered something about us now missing Sasha, Big Ben, Lorenzen Wright, and Joe Smith, all of whom were starters and huge contributors(???). Wow. And these guys are paid to do this.

All I can say is that the regular season can't get here fast enough. Watching DeShawn Stevenson do the ridiculous hand wave in front of his face got me fired up and ready to blog again. Watching Gilbert Arenas hobble around on one leg has me already excited for another first round sweep. And watching Brendan Haywood injured on the Wizards' bench just made me feel good. The Wiz are to the Cavs what the Browns probably are to the Steelers. An annoying "rival" that makes a meaningless mid-season beatdown seem a little more fun because of the endless yapping from them, despite the utter domination you have over them. Can't wait to play these guys again on November 3rd. I only wish I had the Comcast Washington feed for that one.

My impressions from the bit I saw of the Cavs regular rotational players:

• Shaq looks really good. Having a true low-post big man is such a sight for sore eyes. He will put up the same solid numbers and strong play that he did for Phoenix, but for us as Cavs fans it will seem like so much more because we haven't seen it in so long.
• And forget about this popular notion that seems to be coming from everywhere that Shaq will "clog the lane" for LeBron. Not sure where that started but all Shaq will do is command a double-team and open things up a little for LeBron and a lot for our perimeter shooters.
• Andy is going to get a lot of easy baskets this year, even more so than in the past. Shaq will find him cutting under the hoop for many easy hoops. You can etch that one in stone.
• Anthony Parker is a player. We're gonna love watching this guy shoot that corner three this year. And I like how he approaches things on the defensive side. He's not afraid to body anyone up.
  
• Jamario Moon is a streaky shooter but can hit from the outside. I just don't want him falling in love with that shot, because he will get a lot of easy looks inside - especially in transition - when playing with LBJ.
• Z is Z. I'm so happy for him that he's finally a father. And I'm happy he is accepting his role off the bench. He should be fresher this season and will be his same consistent self. He and Shaq will both provide each other with lots of rest. Forget all the talk about them both being older players... both will be consistent major contributors.
  
• Boobie still looks like Boobie to me... an uncomfortable 2-guard being forced to play point guard in Mo and Delonte's absence. I'm starting to really agree with Brian Windhorst's uneasy feelings about our point guard depth. Although that won't really derail anything during the regular season, if unresolved it could present some problems come playoff-time.
  
• J.J. Hickson still seems wildly inconsistent to me. Maybe I just caught him on a bad night, but he looked out of control when he was in there. Not that it isn't to be expected given his age and lack of experience... but I think a lot of people have outrageously high hopes for him this year. I'm curbing my enthusiasm a bit.
• Finally, Jawad Williams will definitely make the team. His 21 points last night sealed the deal. And I'm secretly pulling for Coby Karl to get that final spot, unless a veteran PG is signed. And these guys will get some playing time this year because I'm anticipating a lot of lopsided Cavalier wins. More to come as we get closer to 10/27... in the meantime, try not to look directly at the carnage on Sunday when the Browns pay a visit to Pittsburgh. It probably won't be pretty.
  

Free agency is about to begin

Here we stand, about 13 hours before NBA free agency is set to begin. This could turn out to be one of the most important nights in Cavalier history, if they decide to go all in right now. The first big development came yesterday when the Bucks declined to give Charlie Villanueva a qualifying offer. So he now becomes an unrestricted free agent, which means he's free to sign wherever he wants. According to Brian Windhorst, he's now firmly in the Cavs' sights.

But Villanueva isn't the only option out there. With the news yesterday about Yao Ming's cloudy future in the NBA (he honestly may never play again, and it certainly looks like he'll miss the entire upcoming season at the very least), Ron Artest may also be available. We already know about Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. Joe Smith is floating out there. And Portland's Channing Frye also just became an unrestricted free agent. And I'm still hoping for some development with Josh Childress's situation.

It should be a long night following the action tonight, but hopefully a memorable one. Looking forward to updating this space tomorrow with a glowing report of the next piece(s) to our championship puzzle. Go Danny Ferry. Go Dan Gilbert. Go Mo Williams, with your recruiting on Twitter. And go Cavs!

Christmas in July

July 1st is officially the start of something big in Cleveland sports. No, not the annual fire sale at Progressive Field... it's the start of the summer free agent signing period in the NBA. And the Cavaliers will be looking to round out their roster with the hopes that the upcoming season will finally put an end to the championship drought in this city. With the mid-level exception (around $5.6 million), the bi-annual exception (around $2 million), and trades still a possibility, expect the Cavs to be active around midnight Tuesday.

First, they will need to decide what to do with restricted free agent Anderson Varejao. I fully expect him to remain a Cavalier, and he has indicated as much in the past saying that he would love to remain on this team. But his agent is Dan Fegan, and if the price gets too high a sign-and-trade could always be a possibility here.

Another pressing need is a power forward that can score. This would allow the Cavs to send Andy (if he is re-signed) back to his natural role of bringing energy off the bench. There may be some intriguing opportunities out there to fill this spot, but I already have my heart set on Charlie Villanueva of the Bucks. He's young (25), has great size (6' 11"), is athletic, and can stretch the floor with his ability to shoot from the perimeter. And he may already be my favorite Twittering (or is it Tweeting?) athlete out there. The Bucks have till Wednesday to extend him the qualifying offer or else he becomes a restricted free agent, and he can sign anywhere he prefers. Please stay cheap Milwaukee. If CV doesn't become available, other options at the 4 include Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, and Joe Smith.

The Cavs will also look to secure a bigger, more athletic wing player to lessen the impact of some of the matchup problems that arise with the currently undersized back court of Mo and Delonte. My top choices here are Matt Barnes and Anthony Parker, in that order. Both can probably be had for relatively cheap and both would fill a need. Barnes is a lot younger and certainly has more in the tank. But Parker is still a quality role player and would also do well in that sport for this team. I'm still dreaming of a chance at restricted free agent Josh Childress, but I'm not sure how much of a possibility he will really be.

Tomorrow will be an interesting and probably late night as we follow the proceedings. But it will certainly be more entertaining to watch the off-season exploits of the Cavs than it would be to torture yourself with the daily happenings of the Indians or the annual false hope offered by the guys from Berea. Only about 120 more days until Cavs basketball...

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.

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.

A top 10 list of Cavs victories

As we are waiting for our next victim to emerge from the Orlando/Boston series, I thought now would be a good time to recap some of the memorable Cavs victories this year. So here's my personal top 10 list of regular season victories, along with a brief recap and a link to the highlights.

#10 - 11/3/08 @ Dallas, Cavs 100 Mavericks 81 (highlights)
This was the first blowout of the season, and a big road win (the Cavs were 1-2 at the time if you can believe it).

#9 - 3/13/09 @ Sacramento, Cavs 126 Kings 123 (highlights)
This one was special because it clinched the Cavs' first Central Division crown in 33 years. The Kings put up a massive fight, the Cavs forgot to play defense for a few games, but it was an entertaining, high-scoring affair in which the Cavs came from behind again. It ended their second straight successful West Coast trip and earned bonus points for Fred McLeod tearing up in the postgame.

#8 - 1/21/09 @ Portland, Cavs 104 Blazers 98 (highlights)
A huge road win for the Cavs against a very good young Blazers team. This one came one the second game of their first West Coast trip after they were embarrassed by the Lakers in LA. It continued the trend of this Cavs team being able to bounce back after tough losses.

#7 - 12/19/08 @ Denver, Cavs 105 Denver 88 (highlights)
I enjoyed this one for personal reasons. My wife and I had just arrived in our hotel in Times Square in NYC. I was scrambling for updates on my phone to see if Z was gonna return from his ankle sprain. We were tired from a long day, my wife decided to take a nap and I was able to catch pretty much the entire game on the hotel TV. The Cavs blew out a very good Nuggets team in their own building (possible Finals preview?) with Z going off for 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

#6 - 2/4/09 @ New York, Cavs 107 Knicks 102 (highlights)
LeBron's ridiculous 52/10/11 triple-double game in Madison Square Garden that was later downgraded by the league for mystifying reasons. One of the greatest individual all-around games in the history of the NBA... and one of those games where you sit back and think how important it is to watch everytime this kid steps onto the court.

#5 - 1/9/09 The Q, Cavs 98 Celtics 83 (highlights)
The Cavs' first blowout win over the Celtics this season. The Cavs had this one circled on their calendars for a long time and delivered with a huge win to stake their first claim as leaders in the East. Bonus points because I was able to enjoy the game from the Hyland suite at the Q thanks to my buddy Nicko. God I love beating Boston.

#4 - 2/20/09 @ Milwaukee, Cavs 111 Bucks 103 (highlights)
LeBron's white hot shooting night... you know, the one where scored 16 points in less than 3 minutes (probably my favorite sequence of the season) on his way to his season-high 55 points. Just an incredible performance. And bonus points because I watched it from Cleats in Strongsville and the atmosphere inside the bar was electric. It was also the first time I got to hang with my friends since my accident. A great night.

#3 - 4/12/09 The Q, Cavs 107 Celtics 106 (highlights)
A 31-point beatdown of the Celtics on Easter Sunday... 5 Cavs in double figures... the Celtics getting Rickrolled in the Q on national TV... them complaining about 'being disrespected' afterward. Just a great game all around. Can't wait to do it again in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bastards.

#2 - 1/23/09 @ Golden State, Cavs 106 Warriors 105 (highlights)
LeBron's amazing buzzer-beater... Fred and AC's reaction as it happened... my wife and I jumping around like crazy in our family room... another improbable road victory by the Cavs, typical of their never-say-die attitude this season.

#1 - 3/10/09 @ Los Angeles, Cavs 87 Clippers 83 (highlights)
Speaking of that never-say-die attitude, you might be wondering how a game vs. the lowly Clippers could top the list of my favorite Cavs victories this season. Then again, remember this was the Cavaliers on the road on a Tuesday night in the middle of March. I had to work the next day and the Cavs were facing a 69-52 deficit entering the fourth quarter. I contemplated turning off the TV and just going to bed, as the team looked absolutely lifeless. But I thought the better of it and stuck it out and was rewarded handsomely. The Cavs closed the game by outscoring the Clippers 35-14 over the final 12 minutes, including an amazing performance by both LeBron and Mo. The most unlikely comeback of the year, even if it was against the Clippers.

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.

Should it be this easy?

I had the good fortune of attending Game 2 last night, yet another playoff beatdown served up by the wine and gold. This one was a 105-85 mauling (highlights) of the visiting Hawks, putting the Cavs up 2-0 as the series now shifts down to Atlanta. And the game wasn't even that close. The Cavs were up by 36 at one point in the third quarter - reminiscent of many of their regular season romps this year in terms of lack of pressure and relative ease in which they were able to do completely destroy their opponent. This one was never in doubt.

The MVP and his teammates are making quick work of the Hawks

The Hawks stubbornly stuck to their game plan of playing LeBron straight up on defense and he torched them yet again, this time going for 27/5/3 in just 31 minutes of work. The highlight of the playoffs so far for me was his insane step-back three from 36 feet just before the halftime buzzer. Mo and Delonte also combined for 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting, with Mo putting up a ridiculous +30 in the box score. And Wally came off the bench for 17 points, great hustle, his usual high-fives and ass-slaps all around. It earned him another "Wally, Wally, Wally" chant from the Q crowd. Again, it was just another fun drubbing of an opponent at home. Nothing has seemingly changed from the regular season to these playoffs as the guys rattled off their 6th straight double-digit win.

So as we head into Game 3 tomorrow night, the Hawks have to be searching for answers. How will they be able to keep it close? Will they be missing three starters now that Joe Johnson has a severely sprained ankle? And would it even matter if they were healthy? If the Cavs win on Saturday night I don't see any way that Atlanta avoids a sweep come Monday. And I have tickets for home game E, which I'm really hoping is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Come on Boston, we're waiting for you. Six down, ten to go. Go Cavs.

Thank you

Thank you Cavaliers for finally returning to the court. I'm not sure I could have gone much longer without seeing you play, especially given the depressing way the Tribe has stumbled out of the gates (yet again). And before I get into last night's Game 1, I can't help but thank the powers-that-be for allowing us the incredible good fortune of landing the King back in 2003. I still remember the LeBron Lottery night like it was yesterday. It was the night that things changed in Cleveland... and the night I became a Cavs season ticket holder on a drunken whim, which ultimately ended up being one of the better decisions I've made in the last few years. Fast forward 6 years to last night, seeing LBJ hold up that MVP trophy. Some people are saying that LeBron should have singled out the fans of Cleveland to thank them in his speech given at SVSM on Monday afternoon. I can't fault him for maybe forgetting that during his impromptu speech... and I really think maybe it should be the other way around - we the fans thanking him. So thank you LeBron for exceeding our lofty expectations. And we all know there's still more work to be done.

LBJ hoisted the first of his many likely MVP trophies Tuesday night at the Q

Game 1 against the Hawks went about as well as any of us could have expected. The Cavs shook off some rust in the first half and then sped away to a 99-72 win (highlights) at the Q to take a 1-0 lead in the series. LeBron led the way with 34 points (16 in the 1st quarter), 10 rebounds, and 4 steals in just 34 minutes of work. Mo also chipped in 21 - his fifth consecutive game of 20+ points vs. the Hawks. Also encouraging was Ben Wallace's 15 minutes of energy off the bench. He looks to have really benefited from the long layoff. And Sasha rose from the dead with 7 points in 12 minutes. He will be needed at some point in time over the next 5 or 6 weeks, so it was important to get him some confidence.

Now the Cavs will enjoy just one day of rest before moving on to Game 2 tomorrow night. Five down, eleven to go. Go Cavs.