Cavaliers News

"In one another we trust. That is the key to playing good defense, at least in the view of Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, whose team has become the Fort Knox of the NBA during the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Cavaliers got themselves back into the series by beating the Celtics, 108-84, Saturday night and have a chance to send the series back to Boston deadlocked at two games apiece when Game 4 is played tonight at Quicken Loans Arena."

"The fans began booing Celtics forward James Posey profusely every time he touched the ball Saturday night. Fouling Cavaliers star LeBron James hard, like Posey did in Game 3, a 108-84 Boston loss, can make people here turn on a Cleveland native quickly. more stories like this But just a mile away from Quicken Loans Arena, at an inner-city recreation center nicknamed "The Bath House," Posey is a beloved role model whose popularity eclipses that of even King James. It's there that the Celtics forward affectionately known as "Mikely" reigns supreme."

"Home away from home. It's not reality, of course. It's not even virtual reality. It's the concept of a virtual Boston Garden right here in Cleveland. It starts in the team hotel. After Saturday night's loss, Celtics brass rigged and wired the team's hotel headquarters to simulate Boston. This morning, a copy of the Globe will be set outside each player's room. If Kevin Garnett flips on his clock radio, he'll hear Glenn Ordway and friends screaming over each other on "The Big Show." If Paul Pierce clicks on his TV, he'll see Hazel Mae at the NESN sports desk. If Ray Allen orders room service, he'll get a bowl of Legal Seafoods clam chowder."

"The Celtics did such a good job guarding LeBron James in the first two games that they may have actually overperformed the task during their loss in Game 3 Saturday night. Kevin Garnett later said the Celtics were overhelping on James at the expense of Cleveland’s other scorers. KG, according to at least one teammate, knew what he was talking about. “There’s truth to it,” Ray Allen said after yesterday’s practice. “There’s a fine line. You have to know when he’s attacking and when he’s passing. “He tends to have the ball over his head when he’s looking for the others. I think the thing that got us was that he was in attack mode during the first two games of the series."

"It took all of one night for the Cleveland Cavaliers to start feeling good about themselves again. And after Saturday’s 108-84 win against the Celtics in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Cavs say they may just have the confidence and momentum to turn this into a long series. “As far as those types of things go, winning the way we did definitely helps,” Cavs forward Joe Smith said at the team’s practice facility yesterday."

"One number screamed loudest Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics for the first time in the Eastern Conference semifinals because they rediscovered their offense — and their shot. And the number 11 was the giveaway. That's the number of assists the Cavs had in the first quarter. And it's an exceptional amount indicative of a near-perfect 12 minutes. The Cavs had 13 baskets in the first quarter. Eleven — 85 percent — were set up by ball movement. This was not any kind of frenetic pace or action, either. It was simply the Cavs running their offense, moving the ball and moving themselves."

" Delonte West is not a point guard. He has never claimed to be, and no matter what the critics say, West doesn't think the Cavaliers need a true point guard to win games. "I'm just a player," West said. "Put me on the floor and I'm going to find a way to get it done." Sometimes, he finds a way to get it done by passing to open teammates. Sometimes, he finds a way to get it done by sinking the open long-distance jumper. "

" Despite LeBron James' well-documented shooting woes in the first two games of this series, he went into Game 3 on Saturday confident his shots will start to fall. "I know I'm going to make more shots," James said. "I just have to go out there and knock them down. I'm the only person that can get through this." James has gone through shooting slumps before, often coming back strong after a subpar game. And while consecutive subpar offensive games are a rarity for James, he believes it won't take much to make things right. "

" Before the Celtics left Boston, coach Doc Rivers was joking about bringing cult hero Gino with him on the road. Now he probably wishes he had. Gino, an unknown American Bandstand dancer who has become a sort of human victory cigar, appears in a video clip that plays on the Celtics scoreboard whenever they're closing in on a win. Boston apparently cannot win in the playoffs without the guy. "

" A little-known fact of life that helps open many doors is that if you simply look like you know what you're doing, you'll fit right in. Take, for example, the bold and enterprising fan who wandered down to the Cavaliers' locker room before Game 3 at The Q. The fan wore a pass that resembled the credentials that hang around the necks of media members, but the fine print included no media affiliation. No matter. The man still managed to wander into coach Mike Brown's press conference held just outside the locker room, and he not only crowded around Brown with the rest of the reporters, but also couldn't resist asking a question. "Hey, is LeBron going to score 50?" he blurted. "

" The Boston Celtics wished Wallace had taken the night off. Wallace's solid defense and the possible rebirth of the Cavaliers' offense led to a 108-84 blowout of the Celtics. The Cavs' win cut the Celtics' lead to 2-1 in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. Game 4 is Monday at The Q. The Cavs are trying to become only the 14th team to win a best-of-seven series after being down, 2-0. "

" It started as it always does, with swords blazing like a bunch of musketeers bent on arson. As smoke puffed and fireballs flared, you'd half expected someone to say, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." LeBron James, the NBA's leading scorer this season, savior of the Cavaliers' franchise, King without a crown (although everyone figures that's just matter of time) entered the third game of the Boston series making only 19 percent of his shots and averaging barely over half his 30-point average during the season. It was a lot like when the Wizard of Oz is found to be longer on style than substance. When James said, "Only I can get myself out of this," he was not being entirely truthful. "

"Luckily for the Celtics, the Cavaliers didn't make a strong push to bring James Posey home. The Cleveland native acknowledged yesterday that he had strong interest in signing with the Cavaliers as a free agent last offseason. While the reigning Eastern Conference champions contacted his agent, an offer was never made to Posey. The 6-foot-8-inch swingman eventually signed a one-year contract with the Celtics Aug. 27 and has been a key player this season. "You ask [the Cavaliers] about that and see what they tell you," said Posey at yesterday's shootaround. "Things happen for a reason. I'm happy.""

"The Cavaliers' return serve turned out to be rather fierce. As is often the case in the playoffs, and standard in this year's postseason, teams returning home get a big boost from their comfort and their crowd. Such was the case at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday, when the Cavs broke out of their teamwide slump to begin to fight back in their second round series against the Boston Celtics. Using a huge first-quarter run to expel some of the offensive demons that besieged them earlier in the week on the road, the Cavs built a massive lead and then sat on it on their way to a 108-84 Game 3 victory."

" Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak were hardly known as a dynamic duo during their time together in Boston. But in the Celtics’ 108-84 loss in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last night, it was West and Szczerbiak who did most of the damage for the Cavaliers. “Wally was huge for them to start the game, and Delonte West was huge for them all night,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “You get those guys going along with LeBron (James) and (Zydrunas) Ilgauskas, and it’s gonna be tough.”"

"It’s not like they didn’t know it was going to be like this. It’s not like the Celtics [team stats] weren’t expecting things to be different in the series once they left home. It’s not like the Celtics have won a road game this postseason. The trend continued in most decisive fashion last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers keeping the Celts at arm’s length on the way to a 108-84 decision. And while a loss was entirely possible and certainly no Shamrock shame, the way this one happened has to be a little disconcerting."

"It takes a truly tough guy to willingly become the object of jeers and obscenities in his hometown. Such was James Posey’s lot after getting called for a flagrant 1 foul on LeBron James early in the second quarter of the Celtics’ 108-84 loss to the Cavaliers last night - the same Cavs that Posey grew up rooting for as a kid. As James lay on his back, a crescendo of boos rained down upon Posey as he argued against the flagrant call, even though he clearly caught the Cleveland star by the neck with an apparent clothesline."

"This is officially a mystery. Send the Celtics on the road for a playoff game, and imposters show up on the other side. Great defenders are replaced by a ragtag bunch who look as if they learned the game from Paul Westhead. Intensity is overcome by indecision. The Celtics, presented with a chance to secure their first road win of the playoffs, instead fell from a first-quarter punch and barely got off the floor in last night’s 108-84 loss to Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena."

"But it makes a person wonder if the Cavaliers are looking at the basketball floor and saying to each other: Guess I picked the wrong week to give up shooting. Or rebounding. Or moving the ball. Or playing offense. Because that's what happened in Games 1 and 2 in Boston. The Cavs basically gave up pretty much everything related to good basketball."

"If the Cavaliers are to reclaim some ground in their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series at Quicken Loans Arena tonight, they're going to have to do it without forward Ben Wallace. Wallace left Thursday night's game against the Boston Celtics at the 8:20 mark of the first quarter after experiencing dizziness. He did not return."

" The Cavaliers' starting lineup for tonight's Game 3 might lose some veteran defensive punch, but it won't lose anything in hair volume. Forward Ben Wallace is doubtful for tonight's game against Boston after testing at the Cleveland Clinic on Friday revealed he has a viral left inner-ear infection and allergies. If Wallace does not play, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said Anderson Varejao would start in place of Wallace -- with his head of springy curls replacing Wallace's trademark 'fro. "

" At The Q, LeBron James is king of the court. But Harry Davis is prince of the concourse. As a member of the Cavs Legends, a program that links teams past and present, Davis is a professional schmoozer. He and such bigger-name Cavs Legends as Bingo Smith, Jim Chones and Elmore Smith sign autographs before games and drop in on fans in the corporate suites. "

" Though James' offense in two losses to Boston is setting records for ineffectiveness, his teammates continue to pronounce faith in his return to form, his coach is imploring him to be more aggressive in taking control, and the team hopes, in general, to find ways to break down the smothering Celtics defense - with or without its super- star. "I think LeBron is surprising himself," Cavaliers forward Wally Szczerbiak said. "I don't think he's ever had two games like this. But the poor guy's got so much on his shoulders. "

" In a fantasy he peddled on be half of Nike, LeBron James, going up for a dunk, said, "You don't want to be LeBron James." As the surf-like background noise of an unseen crowd's roar rose, he added, "You want to be better than me." Well, duh. Since he is shooting 8-for-42 (19 percent) against the Boston Celtics, who wouldn't? "

"Cavaliers starting forward Ben Wallace is doubtful for Game 3 of Cleveland's playoff series against the Boston Celtics because of allergies and a left inner ear infection. more stories like this Wallace started but played less than 4 minutes in Thursday night's game before he became dizzy and asked to come out. He staggered to the bench and had to be assisted by his teammates before the Cavs' training staff stepped in."

"The Cavaliers probably have never been so happy to see the shores of Lake Erie. With Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals set for tonight at Quicken Loans Arena, the Celtics are about to face an opponent desperate to find a comfort zone. The return home worked for the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, and the Cavs are hoping a similar turnaround is in the cards for them."

"Through the first two games of Cleveland’s Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Celtics, LeBron James has had to deal with more clogged lanes than an antsy rush-hour driver on the Southeast Expressway, more hands in his face than an overworked optometrist and a shot that is currently rivaling Dick Cheney’s for accuracy. Those struggles have been directly related to the defensive efforts of Paul Pierce and James Posey, as well as the collapsing help of Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett and others."

"Saying that LeBron James is one of the top five players in the NBA isn't exactly breaking news, but that reaffirmation on Thursday was symbolic. James was named first-team All-NBA for the second time in his career, getting 117 of a possible 127 first-team votes. Last year, James slipped to the second team after what many considered was a bit of a subpar regular season after he was the only unanimous first-team pick back in 2006."

"Safe to say that every NBA team starts its defensive game plan against the Cavaliers by saying it will try to stop LeBron James. Few do. Boston has. And the Cavs simply are not good enough to overcome a team as good as the Celtics when James is not his usual productive self."

"It is a simple basketball premise that even at the highest level is acutely true: You cannot win if you cannot score. Both the Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics believe in the matching inverse, which is to win by not letting the other guy score. Right now, the Celtics are doing it better and they are halfway to the next round of the playoffs because of it. Behind a masterful defensive performance and complementary offensive contributions from numerous players, the Celtics defeated the Cavs 89-73 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series Thursday."

"I enjoy this part of the year, playoff basketball. I understand what it takes to be successful during this part of the year. I didn't do anything major. It was just one game. There's a couple more games we got to win and go from there. It took a team effort from us. Cleveland is a tough team. They understand how to win. That's what we're trying to learn."

"Paul Pierce was right. After he and Ray Allen combined to make 2 of 18 shots in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, he said neither one of them could play any worse. In Game 2, the two went 11-of-23 to help the Boston Celtics to a decisive 89-73 victory over the Cavaliers, who now trail in the best-of-seven series, 2-0. Game 3 will be Saturday night in Quicken Loans Arena. "

"Forget the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. There's really only one guy capable of sending the fans at TD Banknorth Garden into a frenzy. Gino. When a Celtics victory is assured, an old clip from "American Bandstand" plays on the video boards, featuring the Bee Gees disco hit, "You Should Be Dancing." Although there are a couple of dozen dancers - and I use that term loosely - the guy who has captured the fans' fancy has a mop of dark hair, a beard and mustache. "

"Cavaliers forward-center Ben Wallace left the court with about eight minutes left in the first quarter of Game 2 on Thurs day night because of pain and dizzi ness. Wallace's pain was so severe that he had to lay down across several chairs on the bench for relief. It appeared he was hit in the face during the game, but Wallace said his problems were from allergies. "

"LeBron James fell to a new offensive low on Thursday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the TD Banknorth Garden. James often redeems himself after a poor shooting night like the one he had in Game 1 on Tuesday, but that was not the case this time. Poor offensive execution and another subpar offensive night from James led to an 89-73 loss to the Boston Celtics. The Cavs are down, 2-0, in this best-of-seven series, with Game 3 Saturday at The Q in Cleveland. "

"Paul Pierce and Ray Allen found their shooting touch. LeBron James can only hope he left his in Cleveland. more stories like this Pierce scored 19 points, Kevin Garnett added 13 with 12 rebounds, and Allen broke out of a seven-quarter scoring drought with 16 points to help the Boston Celtics beat the Cavaliers 89-73 on Thursday night and take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals."

"Along the lines of the emperor having no clothes, the King currently has no clue. LeBron James retains the potential to convince us of otherwise, but what the Celtics are doing to the top scorer in the NBA at the moment is nothing short of a beat down. James is missing layups and airmailing jumpers, and most every shot he takes seems to hit the rim with the weight of a tenpin bowling ball. By late last night, James was talking to himself so much that you couldn’t help but wonder if he should have been pushing an empty shopping cart."

"In the Celtics’ 89-73 Game 2 win, James again struggled, this time with 21 belabored, double-teamed points on 6-of-24 shooting. The Celtics took a 2-0 series lead behind a two-act attack - a first half fueled by the bench and a second led by 16 points from Ray Allen, who finally broke into the scoring column after six scoreless quarters in this series."

"Paul Pierce and Ray Allen found their shooting touch. LeBron James can only hope he left his in Cleveland. Pierce scored 19 points, Kevin Garnett added 13 with 12 rebounds, and Allen broke out of a seven-quarter scoring drought with 16 points to help the Boston Celtics beat the Cavaliers 89-73 on Thursday night and take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals."

"LeBron James peeled back his upper lip. ''Want me to show you?'' he said to a Cavs PR representative who had asked (at my request) where he was hit on Boston Celtics guard Sam Cassell's flagrant foul Tuesday night. James then revealed the cut that he received inside his mouth as he drove to the basket. ''People think I'm diving,'' he scoffed. ''Maybe I need to get my eye poked out for people to know I'm getting hit.'' Clearly, James hears the crowd and the comments, comments that state he overreacts and draws foul calls with Shakespearean antics. The cut was proof otherwise. James does get hit, and when he does, he reacts. The crowd doesn't like it because the game is fast and the hits are hard to see live."

"It has been seven months and 89 games, but as the Cavaliers prepared for Game 2 against the Boston Celtics, they were going back to the basics from training camp. After reviewing the game video, Cavs coach Mike Brown said some of the team's standard offensive principles of ball movement and of general rotation broke down in the 76-72 loss in Game 1. It was surprising considering that the Cavs have been running the same plays for months and, in Game 6 against the Washington Wizards, displayed some of the best movement and execution all season."

"Boston coach Doc Rivers knew he'd never win, but he was willing to make a case for James Posey as the NBA's top sixth man. "When they were asking about the Sixth Man Award, I brought up Pose," Rivers said Wednes day as the Cel tics prepared to host the Cava liers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals tonight in TD Banknorth Garden. "You could never win the argument with his numbers, but you can with his value to our basketball team." This is a basketball team that led the NBA with a 66-16 record and owns a 1-0 record in this series against the Cavs. "

"LeBron James had the worst shooting night of his career in Game 1 of the best-of-seven semifinal playoff series against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, but neither James nor coach Mike Brown is concerned. History is on James' side. "He is who he is and it's as simple as that," Brown said. "He's human and he had a tough night. He hasn't had many tough nights in a row. Usually when he has a tough night, he bounces back the next game and has a pretty good game." That has certainly been the case over the years for James. He has had a knack for coming back strong after subpar games. James does not lack confidence in that regard."

" Every NBA playoff game takes on its own character. Cavs-Celtics I was that of two dancers and four left feet. I can't remember an uglier playoff game between two good teams. Only some of the offensive malaise was born of championship defense. With Game 2 tonight, here's five reasons for each team to be concerned:"

"The Cleveland Cavaliers took pride in the fact that they held Ray Allen scoreless for the first time in 852 games dating back to 1997 and held Paul Pierce to only four points on 2-for-14 shooting in Tuesday night’s 76-72 Game 1 loss to the Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden. But they are still trying to figure out a way to stop Kevin Garnett."

"Part of what the Celtics worked on yesterday was predictably hopeless. Attempting to determine how Cleveland will change its use of LeBron James in the wake of a 2-for-18, 12-point performance is like trying to figure out where the next bomb will land. But the Celtics had to at least try heading into tonight’s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. “You can assume changes based on what they’ve done in the past, but I think we just have to focus on what we do defensively,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Only one change appears to be guaranteed: The Game 1 LeBron is assuredly gone, just as the Paul Pierce and Ray Allen of that same night have probably checked out. Shots, or more specifically makes, are back on the itinerary."

"LeBron James shook his head when asked if on Tuesday night he played as poorly as he possibly could in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ sloppy, 76-72, loss to the Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden. The 23-year-old superstar said, however, that he has no intentions of letting Celtics fans catch a glimpse of the rarely-seen nadir of his game when the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals resume tonight. “Oh, no, it’s not the worst, but at the end of the day, we still had a chance to win the ballgame,” he said. “I wasn’t satisfied with the way I played but to say it was my worst game? No.”"

"Statistically, LeBron James just finished the best regular season of his career. He led the NBA in scoring at 30 points per game and had career highs in rebounds (7.9), assists (7.2) and blocks (1.1) per game. The Cavaliers were 0-7 when he didn't play, and he carried them to numerous victories with clutch fourth-quarter play. In all, it was quite a Most Valuable Player resume."

"The Eastern Conference semifinals started Tuesday night. Unfortunately LeBron James didn't. Of the many unexpected things that happened in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, James having a downright dismal offensive night had to be the most unexpected. On a night when Ben Wallace was making a fadeaway jumper and Sasha Pavlovic was brought off the shelf, James struggled. No other way to put it. ''I missed a lot of shots that I can usually make,'' James said. And even with that, the Cavs almost won, almost stole the first game. They led by two with 1:30 to go, had the score tied with 37 seconds left. They had chances. Problem is they didn't, and now they trail 1-0."

"The game couldn't have been uglier, but it also maybe couldn't have been more winnable for the Cavaliers. In part one of what could be a slugfest series, the Cavs scrapped with the favored Boston Celtics, keeping themselves in contention to steal a road victory until the end. But for as much as they did right to put themselves there, they couldn't finish. In the end, LeBron James ended a subpar night by faltering while the Celtics' veterans made some huge plays to take a 1-0 series lead with a 76-72 victory."