Maurice Williams News: Pro Sports Daily

Cavaliers will have Anderson Varejao back tonight, but Mo Williams is out

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October 12

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Cavaliers are going to be depleted again tonight when they host Greek power Olympiakos in a preseason game at the Q. Anderson Varejao, who missed the team's win Saturday over the Charlotte Bobcats in Charleston, S.C., with back spasms, will start at power forward. But Mo Williams will not play. He's continuing to deal with a groin injury, although coach Mike Brown said holding him out was just precautionary. Delonte West is still away from the team for personal reasons and has no timetable set for his return. That means Daniel Gibson will start at point guard against Olympiakos. In addition, Jamario Moon, who had two wisdom teeth pulled on Friday, will also sit out tonight. Danny ..."

Williams guarantees victory

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May 26

Akron Beacon Journal

"It wasn't as braggadocios as Joe Namath's guarantee that his New York Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. But when point guard Mo Williams was quasi-manipulated into guaranteeing a Cavaliers' win in tonight's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, he got the attention of the assembled media. ''Yeah, we're down 1-2 but there's nobody on this team [who thinks], definitely not myself that thinks we're not going to win the series,'' Williams said Monday afternoon. ''Yeah, it's going to be tough. We know that. We get this game tomorrow and we go home, we have homecourt advantage. We don't see ourselves losing two out of three at home.'' Williams' statement can be seen as ..."

Mo Williams: Elbow was 'most definitely' a cheap shot

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May 25

Orlando Sentinel

"Cavs guard Mo Williams called the elbow to the face he took from Anthony Johnson a cheap shot, but refused to use it as an excuse for another poor shooting night. Williams has struggled for the entire Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic. In Cleveland's 99-89 loss in Game 3 on Sunday, Williams started off well but took the nasty hit late in the second quarter as he tried to defend Johnson from making a shot. He needed four stitches to close cuts above and below his left eye, and was briefly taken to the locker room for treatment. When asked whether the hit was a cheap shot, Williams replied, "Most definitely." "That was the second time -- you can recall the play when I dove out of ..."

Enough with the layoff, Mo Williams just wants to get on the court

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May 20

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Mo Williams is pent up. So pent up, in fact, that a couple of times in the last week he dunked the ball during practice. "If I'm dunking, something isn't going right around here and we're ready to play," Williams said. "Coach told me not to anymore." Williams isn't just energetic, he seems more focused that at anytime during the season. He was one of the last players off the practice floor on Tuesday, putting up a 100 or so of his floaters. The Cavs are going to need it because with the Eastern Conference Finals set to start Wednesday against the Magic, the team needs the All-Star version of Williams. That's a form he hasn't shown the entire postseason. He's has had a few excellent ..."

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams starts slow in first playoff game

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April 19

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Chauncey Billups, the point guard they used to call Mr. Big Shot, is long gone, leaving in his place a significant void in the Pistons' framework and chemistry. Allen Iverson, the one they call The Answer, is permanently sidelined with a sore back and a distracting demand to be the primary option in Detroit. For this first-round playoff series against the Pistons, guard Mo Williams was supposed to have the ball-handling spotlight all to himself. Williams - an All-Star and the Cavaliers' missing ingredient who helped the team achieve the NBA's best record in his first season in Cleveland - is an unflappable team leader. He has the clear advantage at the position in this series. But in ..."

Cavs found success with missing piece

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April 12

Boston Globe

"The highlight of the 2003 NBA draft was Cleveland selecting LeBron James No. 1 overall out of high school. Forty-six players later, Utah selected a very disappointed Alabama guard, Mo Williams. While James has more than lived up to the hype since coming to the NBA, the addition of Williams this season has taken the Cavaliers to a higher level, one they believe will lead to their first championship. "They were a great team last year," said Celtics guard Rajon Rondo. "But the addition of Mo Williams gives you another threat out there. He can go get you 40. "They had a lot of great role players last year. But Mo Williams is another star they've added to their team. And when things aren't ..."

Williams' All-Star journey started in Utah

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February 16

Salt Lake Tribune

"Cleveland guard Mo Williams has come a long way. The Jazz selected Williams in the second round of the 2003 draft and, on Sunday night, he played in his first All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Toronto's Chris Bosh . "Trust me, I'm [soaking] it all in," Williams said. "Every day, every event. It's a blessing to be here and I [took] it all in." Williams played the 2003-04 season in Utah before signing with Milwaukee, which traded him to Cleveland last summer. With the Cavaliers, Williams is the No. 2 scoring option behind mega-star LeBron James on a championship contender. "It's a perfect, ideal situation for me," he said. "I complement what the team needed and the team ..."

Williams scores 44 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Indiana Pacers

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February 12

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"It's time for the Cavaliers to take a departure from each other for a while -- they certainly have taken a departure from their style of basketball. Then again, they took a departure from their losing streak, too. Playing loose and sometimes out of control, they played right into the Phoenix Suns' comfort zone Wednesday. The thing is, the Suns just aren't very good at their game anymore, and it turned out to be a needed disparity. Entertaining the fans but looking regressive, the Cavs beat the Suns, 109-92, to end their brief two-game losing streak. It was the first time they've beaten the Suns in more than three years, which was mitigated by the fact that Steve Nash sat out the game ..."

Williams excited by addition to East All-Star roster

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February 11

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Mo Williams thought he'd been traded. Cavaliers coach Mike Brown woke him up from his nap Tuesday afternoon and told him he'd be over in five seconds. "It was literally five seconds," a grinning Williams said. Brown had planned to make Williams stew a bit, but the coach could not contain himself. Instead, he blurted out the news that Williams had been named to replace the injured Chris Bosh on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. It will be the first All-Star appearance for Williams, who will join starter LeBron James and the Cavs' coaching staff in Phoenix. "It has a beautiful ring to it," Williams said before Tuesday night's game against the Pacers. "I'm extremely excited for myself ..."

Numbers support Cavaliers' Williams, Magic's Nelson for mid-season honor

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January 28

Cleveland Plain Dealer

columnist Terry Pluto

"It's hard to believe that a strong case has to be made for Mo Williams making the All-Star team, but that appears to be the situation for the Cavaliers point guard. The coaches are voting on the All-Star reserves this week, and it appears two point guards will be named to the Eastern Conference squad to back up Allen Iverson. The real trouble spot is Iverson being voted a starter by the fans, when the veteran guard has not made the Pistons a better team and he's having one of the worst seasons of his career (17.1 points, 42 percent shooting, 29 percent on 3-pointers). Detroit was 4-0 before dealing for Iverson, and 20-19 since adding him and losing Chauncey Billups. No matter, he's on ..."

Mo Williams scores career-high 43 in win over Sacramento

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January 28

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"It's unclear when it arrived, but the events of Tuesday night left no doubt that the big picture has taken up residence in the Cavaliers' locker room. The Cavs beat the Sacramento Kings, 117-110, on Tuesday at The Q to run their win streak to four games and did so with some historic offensive numbers. Mo Williams had probably his best game as a pro and LeBron James had a triple double midway through the third quarter. Yet the Cavs (35-8) seemed to treat the game as a partial loss, finding their defense against one of the league's worst teams unacceptable, and it came from the top on down. Williams had 43 points, smashing his career high of 38 set two seasons ago with the Milwaukee ..."

Ex-Jazz players return to put hurt on Utah as Cavs' supporting cast

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January 25

The Deseret News

"LeBron James, as usual, was the clear-cut star of the game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in their 102-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena. But the Cavs' starting backcourt of Mo Williams and Sasha Pavlovic — both 2003 draft picks by the Jazz — were supporting players who really hurt their former team down the stretch. Williams, after a rough shooting first half, finished the game with 25 points including 10 in the fourth quarter. Pavlovic, meanwhile, scored seven of his 13 points in the final five minutes as the Cavs held off the jazz. Mo Williams was 2-for-9 shooting with three personal fouls in the first half thanks to the tough defensive assignment of ..."

James scores 33, Mo Williams 25 in win over Utah Jazz

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January 25

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Great point guard per formances in Utah usually come from a guy named Williams, just not this Williams. Jazz star Deron Williams had a great game Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena to be sure, but he was one-upped in the stretch run by a former Jazzman, one Maurice Williams. The Cavaliers' point guard came up with a host of big-time plays in the final three minutes and combined with another juggernaut effort from LeBron James as the Cavs closed out their Western road trip with a 3-1 record after a 102-97 victory over the Jazz. Mo Williams scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and contributed everywhere while handling the always strong Deron Williams. James finished an ..."

Another night, another clutch win: Williams shines down the stretch as Cavs top Jazz, 102-97

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January 25

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Great point guard performances usually come from the guy named Williams in Utah, just not this Williams. Jazz star Deron Williams had a great game Saturday night Energy Solutions Arena to be sure, but he was one-upped in the stretch run by a former Jazzman, one Maurice Williams. The Cavaliers' point guard came up with a host of big-time plays in the final three minutes and combined with another juggernaut effort from LeBron James as the Cavs closed out their Western road trip with a 3-1 record following a 102-97 victory over the Jazz. Mo Williams scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and contributed everywhere while handling the always deadly Deron Williams. James finished an ..."

James pleased by All-Star nod, but campaigns for Williams to join him

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January 23

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"LeBron James graciously accepted another invitation from the NBA's fans to be an All-Star starter Thursday, but is already a little worried about being lonely in Phoenix during All-Star Weekend next month. For the fifth consecutive season, James was voted to the All-Star Game and got a career-best 2,940,823 to top all forwards in the Eastern Conference. The Magic's Dwight Howard led all players with a record 3,150,181 votes. James was second overall and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was third with just over 2.8 million. The game is set for Feb. 15 at the US Airways Center. "I always look forward to is because it is for the fans," James said after Thursday's practice at the Olympic Club in ..."

Cavs seeking Mo recognition

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January 23

Akron Beacon Journal

"Thursday was election day in the NBA. The league announced the starting five for the All-Star teams Thursday night and, of course, the Cavaliers' LeBron James was selected a starter at the forward position. Reserves for each team will be selected Thursday night on TNT and right now, that's what concerns the Cavs because on a team with a 32-8 record, it could logically be assumed there's more than one player driving the Cavs to success. Cavs coach Mike Brown certainly thinks that's the case. ''I think we've had some guys step up and play extremely well,'' he said. ''Mo's (Williams) played well, he's definitely deserving of an all-star bid. Delonte [West] is a guy who should get some ..."

LeBron James, Mo Williams combine for 67 points as the Blazers can't 'get going'

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January 22

Oregonian

"At least it wasn't another last-second heartbreaker. The Trail Blazers suffered yet another discouraging defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, falling 104-98 before a sellout Rose Garden crowd of 20,632 on Wednesday night. But unlike last season's home loss, the Blazers did not have a sure victory snatched from their clutches by LeBron James and a crushing, last-second driving layup. No, this time the Blazers knifed themselves in the back from the opening tip. James had another backbreaking performance against the Blazers, finishing with 34 points, a season-high 14 assists -- one shy of his career-high -- and seven rebounds. And Mo Williams hit clutch three-pointer after clutch ..."

LeBron, Williams lead Cavs to win

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January 22

Akron Beacon Journal

"Normally after a loss, the Cavaliers come back and take their frustrations out on the next team they face. Although it's certainly more difficult to do on the road, the Cavaliers continued the trend, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 104-98 behind the scoring of LeBron James (34 points) and point guard Mo Williams (33 points). Going into the fourth quarter up 74-69, the Cavs were playing well enough defensively to take control of the game. The offense was the problem. They opened the quarter with James on the bench, and it was clear to all that when it came to scoring, they looked hesitant. After James returned, he and Williams took control to guide the Cavaliers in the right direction. ..."

Williams goes deep with James (67 points combined) for road win over Blazers

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January 22

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"In many respects, the Cavaliers were facing their stiffest test of the season in the Rose Garden on Wednesday night. The Trail Blazers might just be a young, middle-of-the-pack team in the Western Conference, but they are gangbusters on their home floor and have a deep and big roster. In came the Cavs, licking their wounds off the worst loss of the season at Los Angeles on Monday, still searching for a rhythm without two starters, and trying to avoid the first losing streak of the season. The result was an intense game, with the Cavs constructing an effort-filled performance from their stars down to their role players and piecing together perhaps the grittiest victory of the season, ..."

Guard relieved groove is back

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November 5

Akron Beacon Journal

"Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams sounded relieved after Monday night's 100-81 victory against the Dallas Mavericks. In his best display of the young season, he scored 14 points on 50 percent shooting and handed out six assists, after struggling in earlier losses against the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Hornets. He seemed to take the loss to the Hornets especially hard because he missed several shots that could have provided a much-needed lift to the Cavs. ''You just got to get back into that groove, and tonight was a great sign,'' he said following the game in Dallas on Monday. ''I put in the extra work just to get back into that groove.'' ''I had two surgeries this summer, so it was a ..."