Posted on Wednesday 29 November 2006 by John Blake @ 10:02 pm
The New York Knicks took the Cavs down to the wire and pulled out a 101-98 win at the Q. The quickness and athleticism of the Knicks put a lot of pressure on the Cavaliers’ defense for most of the night. Their D had trouble stopping the Knicks’ one on one penetration. When the Cavs sagged off the defenders to make up for that, the Knicks were able to knock down the three-pointer. The Cavs lose for just the second time at home this season. LeBron finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Cavs finally got their offense going and played solid defense in the third quarter. They closed the quarter on a 17-2 run and led by four going into the final period but weren’t able to sustain the momentum.
Down 101-98 with less than a minute remaining, the Cavs had a couple of opportunities to cut the deficit but failed to do so. A LeBron missed layup on a drive, a Damon Jones bad pass, and a Donyell Marshall missed three-pointer doomed the Cavs in their final three possessions. With just under eight seconds left and the Cavs needing a three to tie it, they executed two inbound plays very poorly, leaving Marshall with no choice but to hoist up a long three with a hand in his face at the end.
Once again, we continue to play down to the competition and are having difficulties playing a full 48 minutes of basketball.
this team really misses Larry Hughes!!!!!
Pathetic,
this team likes to continue to lose to no name schmucks! Who is the Nicks center? Yah I don’t know either, nor do I care to. They were getting chances in the paint and we weren’t. This team needs to step up the Defense when they need to or they won’t get to the Eastern finals.
How ’bout them Buckeyes. If the Cavs could give half of what the Bucks put on the floor last night against the Heels in terms of intensity and defense they might deserve to be considered a notch above the rest of the mediocre East. Despite what most who dislike the NBA think, the game is actually 48 minutes long and requires a 48 minute committment from each player. Without that committment from Lebron to Drew down to the end of the bench, Ira Newble or Daniel Gibson or Davis Wesley, the Cavs are just another NBA team with a superstar and a cast of others. By the way, how ’bout sitting Lebron when the man he’s supposed to be guarding goes off, much like the way Drew gets yanked when his man scores a hoop or two.
You don’t pull Lebron because HE’S LEBRON. I will say it agian-Danny Ferry is a abd GM. GIVING Z 12 MILL A YEAR WHEN NO ONE IS OFFERING HIM JACK,-Ny picked and rolled him all night and you can’t do anything about it. And don’t say sit him-the coach don’t have that clout-Z is getting PAID and he is Ferry’s good friend. Snow is worth 6 mill a ayear but Jalen Rose isn’t worth $800,000. Ferry had 60 mill and anyone here could’ve done what he did-SLEEP. That friendship may cost us a championship not the Crennel and Carthon.
The Cavs are playing too cocky thinking they can just show up and win. They are not an elite team when they can’t beat the lousy teams (see the losses to Atl & NY as proof). Waiting for LeBron to bail the team out is not an offensive philosophy.
We need another stud to complement LeBron, whether that is at the point or center position. Larry Hughes is, and never will be, that player.
The Cavs remind me so much of the 2006 Tribe. They are believing the media hype and underachieving. They are playing as if they can simply turn it on based on their performance from the previous season, just as the Indians did. That includes LeBron and the head coach. Until this team learns how to hit free throws, play consistent defense, and finish games, they’ll just be a contender, not a dominant team.