Author: John Blake (Page 68 of 68)

The Cavaliers got outplayed in every facet of the game during their 90-78 loss to the Detroit Pistons Sunday afternoon. Detroit, winning their 12th straight game at home, exhibited their typical smothering defense as they forced 20 Cavalier turnovers. Chauncey Billups led the Pistons with 21 points and 8 assists. Ben Wallace made his presence known in the paint, pulling down 19 rebounds and blocking 5 shots. For the Cavaliers, LeBron James finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. Cleveland had trouble all game getting into any type of offensive flow. Once again, they struggled at the line, hitting only 13 of 23 free throws.

“They did a great job taking us out of our offense,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said. “There is no way you can win on the road with 20 turnovers, especially against a team like this.”

I guess Detroit had some revenge on its mind after getting beat by us in Cleveland on New Year’s Eve. But the way we have played the last few games, did anyone really expect us to win this game? Until the Cavs show they can beat an elite team on the road, I don’t think anyone can really consider them a great team.

Oh, and in his last 47 minutes, Damon Jones has racked up a total of 3 points on 1 of 6 shooting. Fantastic.

The Cavaliers’ struggles in the second half eventually led to their demise Friday night, losing 102-94 to the Washington Wizards at the Q. The Cavs exhibited some poor free throw shooting and made some key turnovers in the final quarter. LeBron James finished with 25 points but was blanketed in the second half, scoring only 4 points on 4 of 12 from the free throw line. The Cavs’ defensive problems continued. Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler scored 26, 25, and 24 points, respectively. Some poor perimeter defense allowed the Wizards to knock down 10 three-pointers in the ballgame.

As good as LeBron is, it’s frustrating that he has such problems at the free throw line. It’s been an Achilles heel for him all season long, especially toward the end of games. However, the loss should not be placed squarely on his shoulders. Mike Brown needs to get this squad together and start emphasizing the fundamentals. The Cavaliers continue to lose games because of their lack of focus. They need to get off to better starts at the beginning of games and have to stop being careless with the basketball. The Cavs are one of the most dangerous teams in the league when they put together a solid 48 minutes, but they can never seem to do it on a consistent basis.

The Cavaliers’ three game winning streak was snapped with their 116-107 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night. LeBron James led the Cavs with 33 points and Ilgauskas had another solid night with 27 but the A.I duo of Iverson and Iguodala, along with Chris Webber, was too much for the Cavaliers down the stretch. The trio accounted for 78 of Philadelphia’s 116 points. The 76ers continue to give the Wine and Gold fits, now having won 22 of their last 26 meetings.

“They’ve given us trouble, no doubt about it,” James said. “This is the team that’s given us the most trouble thus far.”

Andre Iguodala is turning himself into quite the basketball player. First the slam dunk contest (which he should have won) and now tonight’s performance. A.I squared could develop into a pretty lethal combo. With it being the tail end of a back to back, the Cavs just didn’t have enough firepower to stay with the Sixers. They need to find a way to get back on track Friday because Sunday’s matinee in Motown could be a rude awakening.

The Cavaliers put forth a strong performance in their first game back from the break, beating the Orlando Magic 105-92 Tuesday night at the Q. The loss extends the Magic’s losing streak to seven games and 11 of 12. The Cavaliers displayed a collective effort offensively with three players scoring more than 20 points. Fresh off his spectacular MVP weekend, LeBron James led the charge with 26 points and 9 assists. Zydrunas Ilgauskas was not far behind, adding 24 points and 13 rebounds. Sasha Pavlovic, who has had some up and down games since replacing Larry Hughes in the starting lineup, finally broke out, scoring a career-high 21.

Being a big Pavlovic fan myself, it was great to see him play like he did tonight. He has the ability to shoot the three and with his size and athleticism, he can get the basket and score. While it is highly unlikely that he’ll average 20 points for the remainder of the season, hopefully this game will help build his confidence. We’re going to need him in the last 29 games to help take some of the pressure off LeBron, especially if Ferry doesn’t make a move.