Thread Tools

Display Modes

**Brandname** · 05-08-2007, 07:50 PM

Good game. I'm really digging our poise at the end of these first two games.

The OUTLAW · 05-08-2007, 09:24 PM

Another good win (aren't all wins good wins). This is the Cavs longest win streak of the year.

**Pioneer10** · 05-08-2007, 09:51 PM

Gooden with another good game: he's really turned it around at the end of the year after his post trade deadline day slump

**Pioneer10** · 05-08-2007, 10:08 PM

Quote:

LEVELAND - Drew Gooden has proved golden in the playoffs. He got his fourth double-double in the Cavaliers' 102-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night. Fans have lamented the Cavs' inability to find a player to complement forward LeBron James, but in Gooden, it would seem that they've found an important cog.
Gooden, who figured prominently in trade rumors earlier this season, had 10 points and 14 rebounds Tuesday night and is averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds in the playoffs.
The Cavs' power forward isn't taking anything for granted. He said the Nets were effective in boxing he and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas out during the first two games.
Rebounding difference
When the Nets' coaches look at the statistics from the game Tuesday night, they might wonder what went wrong. Despite shooting 52.3 percent, they still lost, primarily because the Cavs outrebounded them 49-32 and grabbed 19 offensive rebounds to the Nets' three.
Those offensive rebounds led to 18 second-chance points for the Cavs. James credited the Cavs' overall defense for the win that gives them a 2-0 advantage heading to Continental Airlines Arena on Saturday.
``We really believe in our defensive schemes,'' James said. ``It makes the offense so much easier... We're allowed to do what we want on offense when we play defense.''
Carter in check
The Cavs harassed Nets star Vince Carter, and it showed in the guard's stats. Carter made just 2-of-11 shots in the first half. The rest of the Nets shot 52.9 percent. Carter finished with 26 points, but that came on 10-of-26 shooting.
Punching in
James was averaging more than 45 minutes per game in the playoffs going into Game 2.
Larry Hughes followed close behind with 42 minutes, and Ilgauskas racked up 39 minutes.
The trend continued in Tuesday's Game 2.
James played close to 46 minutes and Hughes and Ilgauskas clocked in with 40 and 33 respectively.
Normally that might take a toll on each one of them, but in the playoffs, coach Mike Brown doesn't see it that way. The playoff schedule has allowed the coach some breathing room.
``It is easier to play these guys more minutes because we've got so many days off between games,'' Brown said.
Told you so
During the regular season, James rarely swayed from a positive attitude despite the Cavs' inconsistent play. During the playoffs, James has taken charge on the court. During one stretch, James calmed his teammates down after some particularly frantic play, played catch with center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, then made a 3-point shot. James said after the game that this is what he meant about taking his game up a notch. He scored 36 points on 12-of-24 shooting.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/...s/17198243.htm

**Pioneer10** · 05-08-2007, 10:09 PM

Quote:

CLEVELAND - Think about this Cavaliers fans -- your team has won 10 games in a row.
That's right, a perfect 10-for-10.
Ten games when it has meant the most, the last four of the regular season to secure the prized second playoff seed.
Then four in a row over the Washington Wizards in the first round.
Now, the Cavs are ahead 2-0 over the New Jersey Nets in this best-of-seven series after a 102-92 victory Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 20,562 at Quicken Loans Arena.
It just might be that the Cavs have saved their best basketball for last, that coach Mike Brown's demands in practice that defense carry the day has meant sensational spring nights for a team that is quietly the hottest in basketball.
Of course, it can change this weekend in New Jersey, where the next two games will be played. The Nets are an experienced, well-coached team that won't panic being behind 2-0 in this series.
The Cavs had better not shoot 61 percent from the foul line as they did Tuesday.
But if they keep crushing the Nets on the boards... . .
If they doggedly defend Vince Carter and harass Jason Kidd... . .
If LeBron James keeps driving to the basketball like a fullback with wings... . .
The Nets are in trouble.
James knew this was not a night for faint, fadeaway jumpers. He knew that his team needed him to lead. That if he kept bulling his way to the basket, time after time after time, no one could stop him.
Not without fouling him. Not without creating open shots for teammates. Not without frustrating anyone trying to defend him.
The Cavs star took hits to the head, bangs to the knees, shoves in the back and one slam to an unmentionable area that had him fall to the floor as if someone had dropped an anvil on him.
Give James a sweat-stained, black-and-blue 36 points. He was 12-of-24 from the field, 9-of-13 at the foul line and handed out 12 assists.
It was a Jordan-like performance against a team that prides itself on defense -- and often used at least two men to try to stop him. Here's James' scoring by quarters: 6-5-11-12. Give James 12 points in the final quarter, compared to 19 for the entire Nets team.
Not only did James make the Nets ache with his gallops to the basket, his drives created chaos for the defense and led to the Cavs having open lanes to grab offensive rebounds.
You have to love this statistic: The Cavs outscored the Nets 18-2 on second-chance points.
Here's another key statistic: The Cavs took 20 more shots than the Nets, which gives any team an enormous opportunity to prevail.
Drew Gooden had 14 rebounds for the second game in a row. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao had nine apiece. A real plus was seven for Larry Hughes at point guard. He also had a hand in the eight turnovers by Nets All-Star point guard Jason Kidd.
This was real belly-up, body-to-body playoff basketball. While fans stood and screamed and stomped and whirled white towels, their team was determined to keep the Nets from taking easy shots near the hoop.
Take a bow, Sasha Pavlovic.
For two games in three days, the best shooting guard was not Vince Carter.
Fans will remember Pavlovic's block of what seemed to be a sure breakaway layup for Kidd in Game 1. Pretty play, yes. Athletic and at the right time -- exactly.
But the real story is how the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Pavlovic kept his feet moving, his chest out, and consistently frustrated Carter's attempts to drive to the basket. Carter might be quicker -- or at least think that's the case -- but there's little proof in the first two games.
On defense, Carter either has little interest in covering Pavlovic or can't do it.
In the two games, Carter is shooting a dismal 35 percent (17-of-49), and that translates into 47 very ugly points. It's never good when you attempt more field goals (49) than you score points (47), as Carter has done.
Meanwhile, Pavlovic is 14-of-24 (57 percent) from the field, averaging 16 points in the two games.
For the Cavs, it was another good game -- and that makes 10 in a row.
As Nets coach Lawrence Frank said, ``Cleveland is kicking our tail on the boards.''
For the Cavs, it feels very, very good.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/...s/17198051.htm

elsaic15 · 05-08-2007, 10:37 PM

oh well...so much for that. gl against the pistons, ill be rooting for the cavs cuz i hate the pistons. if only our starting pf and c could combine for more than 4 rebounds...

The OUTLAW · 05-08-2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pioneer10

Gooden with another good game: he's really turned it around at the end of the year after his post trade deadline day slump

Don't get him worried about getting traded. He'll just fall apart just like he did this year.

**Pioneer10** · 05-09-2007, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Before tonight's, well considering I'm getting to this at 2 a.m., last night's game, I told a handful of people I thought the Nets would win Game 2. I heard some of the things the Nets said they planned to improve on -- especially their offensive ball movement -- and thought they might have a chance to get the Cavs. Actually, it was the inverse, the Nets did a lot right and still couldn't overcome the Cavs in Game 2.
Thoughts...
--The Nets' ball movement was excellent, they really beat the Cavs rotations a bunch and it got them open shots. Open shots that they made. I know everyone, especially the New York media, will make such a big deal about Vince Carter's struggles. But Carter distributed very well, he had seven assists, and his teammates were awesome at times. At one point in the third quarter, Mikki Moore, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson were a combined 16-of-18 shooting and most of those were jumpers. I mean, wow, man.
--Of course, this was totally overcome by the Cavs offensive rebounding. While I thought too much was made of the offensive rebounding differential (20-9) in Game 1 -- both teams were virtually tied in second-chance points -- it was almost doubly effective than numbers (19-3) showed the in Game 2. The Cavs got 20 more shots, which everyone will point out. However, the Cavs also took eight more free throws (shots don't count in stats when a player is fouled) and committed eight fewer turnovers. So that overall possession differential is gargantuan. In fact, it was amazing the Nets only lost by 10. It shows just how well they played. Do you know how hard it is to shoot 52 percent in an NBA game and only score 92 points? Well, it's hard.
--LeBron James was great and he's been great for almost every game in these playoffs. I'm not writing any more about it now, other than to say the chemistry in the fourth quarter on offense has been huge. The movement away from the ball has dramatically improved.
--Sasha Pavlovic's best defensive job has been when Carter has attempted to drive to the baseline. The way the Cavs play, he will always have help when Carter goes to the middle. Sasha has been just quick enough to cut Carter off numerous times, especially tonight. Which is why Carter ended up taking so many jumpers from the baseline tonight. By the way, the next 72 hours hold the potential for Sasha hitting rock star status.
--Larry Hughes is shooting 40 percent in the six playoff games. All roads...
--A few years back Buster Olney, now with ESPN but then of the New York Times, kept track of how many bats Yankees closer Mariano Rivera broke during a season. I thought that was super cool (in a nerdy beat writer sort of way), so every year I've been on the Cavs beat I tried to keep my own obscure stat. This year I tracked Anderson Varejao's charges taken (78 in the regular season, two so far in the playoffs) because it's not an official stat. If I were to cover the Nets, though, I think I would keep track of the amount of games when Carter goes to a limp. So far in this series it's 2.
--Want to know what was the Cavs' the biggest offensive rebound of the night? When Sasha tracked down his missed 3-pointer with 50 seconds left. He took that 3 with like 16 seconds on the shot clock and the Cavs up 7. Not so big for the team as for Sasha himself. Mike Brown might've ordered lashes.
--Tonight was the first night I thought the atmosphere at the Q reached last year's levels. It was very loud in the second half.
Time for bed, three off days now to digest more...

http://blogs.ohio.com/cavaliers_blog/

So Bw thought we were going to lose? Interesting

Thread Tools Display Modes

Thread Tools

Display Modes