Cleveland Cavaliers - My First Dynasty

[JoshD]

nice win vs the Kings, James had a Triple Double

[Dee Rip]

Nice Smooth win homie keep at it

[Sir Robbie]

Game #7 - 29/11/05


Detroit Pistons (81) @

Cleveland Cavaliers (89)

-

CAVS SURGE IN THE 4TH TO SINK THE PISTONS

It looked like the Cavaliers had thrown it all away. They ended the first quarter with a 30-20 lead but then only took 31 points in the following two quarters, going into the third trailing 69-61. It took a clutch performance from LeBron James, who spearheaded the Cavs' to their fifth win of the season.

James had 33 points and an amazing 10 steals but his rebounds and assists were both down and he turned the ball over 6 times. Eric Snow didn't make matters any better when he fouled out at the start of the 4th after a dissapointing night. Assistance came in the form of Michael Redd who added 13 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who had 10 points and 8 boards.

The five bench players used combined for 20 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Dan Gadzuric continued to impress with 6 boards in the 2nd quarter and Anderson Varejao gave a much-improved showing.

Scoring-wise it was a typical Detroit performance with their five starters all breaking into double figures. Chauncey Billups had a team-high nineteen points and 8 assists while Ben Wallace grabbed 9 rebounds. The Pistons were also effective at drawing fouls, taking 21 fouls off of the 10 Cleveland players.

-


Detroit's Rasheed Wallace and Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgauskas prepare to battle for the rebound.


Cleveland's LeBron James powers through Detroit's Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace.


Detroit's Rasheed Wallace dunks in the 3rd.


Zydrunas Ilgauskas with the immediate response.

[Sir Robbie]

Game #8 - 30/11/05


New York Knicks (100) @

Cleveland Cavaliers (116)

-

CAVS STORM TO SIXTH WIN

Once again LeBron James grabbed the headlines. Posting his 2nd Triple-Double of the season, LeBron had 22 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in 44 minutes. It was the icing on the cake for another strong Cleveland performance.

Along with James, both Zydrunask Ilgauskas and Michael Redd had more than 20 points, the latter having the team-high 24 points. Reed had a great night of shooting with 9-13 field goals, 2-4 from behind the arch and 4-5 from the free throw line.

The other two starters - Drew Gooden and Eric Snow - both had 11 points. The seven bench players combined for 27 points, 9 of which came from Donyell Marshall.

The high-pont man for New York was Jamal Crawford with 23 points, while Stephon Marbury added 8 asists and rookie Channing Frye had 11 boards.

-


Jamal Crawford soars to the hoop over Damon Jones.


LeBron James posted his 2nd Triple-Double of the season.

[KIG1]

good game from lbjames

[23 LeBron]

nice game for james

[Sir Robbie]

NOVEMBER RECAP

GAMES
Game #1: Cleveland Cavaliers (90) @ (108) Minnesota Timberwolves (L: 0-1)
Game #2: Denver Nuggets (86) @ (88) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 1-1)
Game #3: Phoenix Suns (92) @ (100) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 2-1)
Game #4: Cleveland Cavaliers (108) @ (94) Washington Wizards (W: 3-1)
Game #5: Boston Celtics (102) @ (100) Cleveland Cavaliers (L: 3-2)
Game #6: Cleveland Cavaliers (111) @ (95) Sacramento Kings (W: 4-2)
Game #7: Detroit Pistons (81) @ (89) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 5-2)
Game #8: New York Knicks (100) @ (116) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 6-2)

-

DIVISION STANDINGS

Central Divison
1. Detroit Pistons (4-1, .800%)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-2, .750%)
3. Chicago Bulls (5-4, .556%)
4. Milwaukee Bucks (5-5, .500%)
5. Indiana Pacers (2-4, .333%)

-

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat (5-1, .833%)
2. Detroit Pistons (4-1, .800%)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (7-2, .778%)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-2, .750%)
5. Chiacgo Bulls (5-4, .556%)
6. Milwaukee Bucks (5-5, .500%)
7. Toronto Raptors (4-4, .500%)
8. New Jersey Nets (3-3, .500%)

-

PLAYER STATS

(C) Zydrunas Ilgauskas (16.4ppg, 6.6rpg, 0.8apg, 1.12spg, 2.0bpg)
(PF) Drew Gooden (11.8ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.8apg, 1.62spg, 1.0bpg)
(SF) LeBron James (24.8ppg, 7.4rpg, 8.0apg, 2.38spg, 0.88bpg)
(SG) Michael Redd (18.3ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.4apg, 1.11spg, 0.11bpg)
(PG) Eric Snow (8.8ppg, 3.0rpg, 4.8apg, 2.00spg, 0.50bpg)
---
(C) Dan Gadzuric (2.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 0.2apg, 0.33spg, 0.78bpg)
(PF) Anderson Varejao (3.8ppg, 2.2rpg, 0.2apg, 0.25spg, 0.50bpg)
(SF) Donyell Marshall (3.6ppg, 1.6rpg, 0.8apg, 0.38spg, 0.25bpg)
(SG) Aleksandar Pavlovic (2.3ppg, 0.3rpg, 0.3apg)
(PG) Damon Jones (9.6ppg, 2.5rpg, 3.4apg, 1.00spg, 0.12bpg)
(SG) Stephen Graham (2.5ppg, 0.8apg, 0.25spg)
(SF) Luke Jackson (2.0ppg)
(SF) Ira Newble (-)

-

LEAGUE LEADERS

PPG: Ray Allen - 29.4
FG %: Dale Davis - .800%
3 Point FG %: Jamal Mashburn - .778%
Free Throw %: Vince Carter - 1.000%
Off. RPG: Zach Randolph - 4.3
Def. RPG: Kevin Garnett - 10.9
RPG: Kevin Garnett - 14.3
BPG: Dwight Howard - 3.33
SPG: Stephon Marbury - 3.71
APG: Allen Iverson - 9.1
MPG: Elton Brand - 43.9

-

MVP CANDIDATES

(PF) Kevin Garnett (22.7ppg, 14.3rpg, 5.2apg, 1.90spg, 1.70bpg)
(PF) Elton Brand (21.4ppg, 12.4rpg, 4.1apg, 1.80spg, 1.60bpg)
(SF) LeBron James (24.8ppg, 7.4rpg, 8.0apg, 2.38spg, 0.88bpg)
(PG) Allen Iverson (21.1ppg, 2.8rpg, 9.1apg, 2.67spg, 0bpg)
(SF) Lamar Odom (18.0ppg, 9.6rpg, 7.2apg, 1.11spg, 1.22bpg)

-

PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
East Player: LeBron James (24.8ppg, 7.4rpg, 8.0apg, 2.38spg, 0.88bpg)
West Player: Kevin Garnett (22.7ppg, 14.3rpg, 5.2apg, 1.90spg, 1.70bpg)
East Rookie: Andrew Bogut (16.0ppg, 10.0rpg, 2.9apg, 0.62spg, 1.62bpg)
West Rookie: Rashad McCants (16.6ppg, 3.2rpg, 4.9apg, 1.22spg, 0.44bpg)

[23 LeBron]

James is going superb!!!

[Sir Robbie]

Game #9 - 05/12/05


Cleveland Cavaliers (96) @

Miami Heat (98)

-

COURAGEOUS CAVS BEAT BY HEAT

The Cavalier's night started badly as superstar LeBron James got injured during the warm up. The injury is not believed to be serious but he is doubtful for tomorrow's game at the New Jersey Nets.

But Basketball is a team game, right? The Cavs emphasised this point as they matched the Heat all night without their star man and ended up only losing by 2 points. Michael Redd filled LeBron's scoring shoes with the gamehigh 31 points, off 13-19 shooting. Zydrunas Ilgauskas also stepped up his game as he scored 23 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.

Not one of the Cavaliers could be criticsed for their performance last night, not even Drew Gooden who only managed 4 points. He battled non-stop throughout the game and was only let down by his shooting. Eric Snow had the team-high 8 assists.

The victorious Heat were led by Shaquille O'Neal who managed 21 points and 10 rebounds. Jason Williams had the team-high 6 assists and James Posey led the team with 25 points.

-


Dwayne Wade flies to the basket.


Drew Gooden had an off-night with only 4 points in 33 minutes.

[23 LeBron]

tough loss man...

[Sir Robbie]

Game #10 - 06/12/06


Cleveland Cavaliers (100) @

New Jersey Nets (83)

-

MIXED BAG CAVS BEAT THE NETS

Tonight's performance by the Cavaliers can be summed up in one word, 'inconsistent.' The Cavs took a first quarter lead of six points but stalled in the second and thrid quarters, coming into the final quarter trailing by six. LeBron James then burst to life in a great clutch performance with 20 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Unfortunately, he also had 10 turnovers in the game. He finished with the team-high 34 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and an amazing 13 steals!

The superstar forward blazed to life with the first six ponits of the game but then struggled for a while as he committed 7 of his turnovers in the first half. He sat out a lot of the third quarter but then answered his critics with a stunning final display.

Michael Redd scored 15 points in the game and was the team's main point source in the 2nd quarter, where he grabbed ten of his points. He also managed four asists in the game.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas was a slow starter as he only scored four points in first quarter, all of which came in the last minute. He was quiet offensively for the remainder of the night, and finished with a slightly dissapointing 12 points. He made up for this somewhat with five boards and five blocks.

Continuing his progress, Anderson Varejao had eight points off the bench and looked impressive in his 14 minutes.

The Nets were led by their two superstars Vince Carter and Jason Kidd. Carter grabbed 31 points and Kidd had the game-high 36 points, as well as the team-high 4 assists. Nenad Krstic grabbed a game-high 14 boards.

-


Vince Carter and Jason Kidd combined for 67 points.


LeBron James led his team to victory with 34 points and 13 steals.

[Sir Robbie]

Game #11 - 10/12/05


Cleveland Cavaliers (110) @

Chicago Bulls (89)

-

CAVS BLITZ BULLS IN 4TH

A 4th quarter surge by the Cavaliers ensured that they got the win that their play deserved. The Cavs put on one of their most consistent, well-rounded performances of the season and the icing on the cake came in the form of a third triple-double of the season for LeBron James. King James posted 20 points, 10 assists and 10 steals in what he called one of the best games of his career.

LeBron was followed by a Cleveland team that came out swinging. Drew Gooden had a season-high 18 points, while Michael Redd grabbed 15 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas managed 13 and Damon Jones put up 10.

The decision to start Jones instead of Eric Snow seemed to fire up the veteran guard, as well as the Cavaliers' bench. The six bench players combined for 34 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. They were led by the improving Anderson Varejao who had 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

The Chicago Bulls rallied through their back court as guards Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich combined for 60 points. Hinrich led the team in points (33) and assists (6), whilst Othella Harrington posted the team-high 5 rebounds.

-


LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 20 points, 10 assists and 10 steals.


Kirk Hinrich had 33 points and 6 assists.

[Sir Robbie]

Game #12 - 18/12/05


New Orleans Hornets (66) @


Cleveland Cavaliers (83)

-

CAVS WIN BUT LOSE REDD TO INJURY

The Cleveland Cavaliers posted their third straight win with a narrow victory over the New Orleans Hornets. The main news item to come out of the game was the injury suffered by Michael Redd. Midway through the third quarter, Redd went for a layup and landed badly, breaking a bone in his foot. He will miss up to 10 weeks of action.

Redd led the Cavaliers in scoring with 19 points, which went to some lengths to cover up LeBron James' poor night of shooting. Despite grabbing 13 rebounds, James shot 5-19 from the field for a miserly 14 points.

Fortunately for James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas posted good numbers with 17 points and 12 rebounds. The starting centre suffered as well with his shooting but overcame it somewhat with a six-point flurry in the 3rd quarter.

Eric Snow also put up strong numbers with 16 points and the team-high 6 assists. Snow has come under criticism lately for maybe not performing to the best of his ability but tonight's performance will at least take the pressure off him temporarily.

The New Orleans Hornets threatened for long periods of the game but when it came time to make a push they struggled to take their play to the next level. Speedy Claxton led the team with 19 points and 6 assists, with his recent strong performances reducing the minutes for rookie guard Chris Paul. PJ Brown was strong in the defence all night, 10 of his 13 rebounds were defensive ones.

Michael Redd's spot on the 12 man roster will be taken by Ira Newble. It is assummed that Alexsandar Pavlovic will take Redd's spot in the starting 5 during his absence.

-

No Pictures Available

[Sir Robbie]

Game #13 - 25/12/05


Portland Trailblazers (85) @


Cleveland Cavaliers (92)

-

LEBRON BRINGS THE FESTIVE CHEER AS CAVS GRAB 10TH WIN

The Cavs were made to fight for their 10th win of the season, as they narrowly overcame the Traiblazers on Christmas Day. The Cavaliers were inspired by the return to form of LeBron James who grabbed a massive 35 points to go with his 10 rebounds and 8 assists. The Cavs were struggling in the 4th quarter but LeBron surged with a 15-point quarter to steady the ship.

Offensively he was helped out by Zydrunas Ilgauskas who weighed in with 21 points. Ilgauskas didn't reall surge scoring-wise all night but a consistent night of shooting added up in the end. He shot 7-7 from the free throw line.

Defensively, the Cavaliers were spearheaded by Drew Gooden. As well as grabbing 14 points, Gooden managed 15 rebounds. Perhaps Gooden's biggest contribution was his 2 back-to-back blocks in the 4th to deny Darius Miles. The game was tied at 82-82 and the Cavs were starting to struggle again. After turning the ball over, Gooden raced back and blocked Miles from behind before blocking him again moments later.

Aleksandar Pavlovic struggled in his role tonight as a starting guard and managed only 3 points. He battled on but Head Coach Mike Brown saw something wrong and rested him in the fourth quarter. It was later revealed that Pavlovic had suffered a minor injury but a follow-up report stated that he wouldn't miss any game time for the Cavs.

The Traiblazers ran the Cavaliers close in each quarter and were inspired by the form of Zach Randolph. He grabbed a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds (Both team-highs) and would have gone on for more had he not fouled out in the fourth quarter. Martell Webster chipped in with 9 assists to cap-off a strong performance. The rookie also weighed in with 12 points.

-

No Pictures Available

[Sir Robbie]

DECEMBER RECAP

GAMES
Game #1: Cleveland Cavaliers (96) @ (98) Miami Heat (L: 6-3)
Game #2: Cleveland Cavaliers (100) @ (83) New Jersey Nets (W: 7-3)
Game #3: Cleveland Cavaliers (110) @ (89) Chicago Bulls (W: 8-3)
Game #4: New Orleans Hornets (66) @ (83) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 9-3)
Game #5: Portland Trailblazers (85) @ (92) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 10-3)

-

DIVISION STANDINGS

Central Divison
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-3, .769%)
2. Detroit Pistons (9-5, .643%)
3. Chicago Bulls (9-10, .474%)
4. Indiana Pacers (7-10, .412%)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (6-11, .353%)

-

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia 76ers (9-2, .818%)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-3, .769%)
3. Miami Heat (10-3, .769%)
4. Detroit Pistons (9-5, .643%)
5. New Jersey Nets (6-4, .600%)
6. Boston Celtics (8-7, .533%)
7. Washington Wizards (8-8, .500%)
8. Orlando Magic (4-4, .500%)

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PLAYER STATS

(C) Zydrunas Ilgauskas (16.7ppg, 7.2rpg, 0.8apg, 1.00spg, 2.38bpg)
(PF) Drew Gooden (11.4ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.5apg, 1.38spg, 0.92bpg)
(SF) LeBron James (25.1ppg, 7.2rpg, 7.8apg, 3.83spg, 0.92bpg)
(SG) Aleksandar Pavlovic (2.2ppg, 0.8rpg, 0.4apg, 0.18spg)
(PG) Eric Snow (9.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 4.8apg, 1.56spg, 0.44bpg)
---
(C) Dan Gadzuric (2.5ppg, 3.6rpg, 0.2apg, 0.29spg, 0.71bpg)
(PF) Anderson Varejao (4.2ppg, 2.4rpg, 0.6apg, 0.31spg, 0.54bpg)
(SF) Donyell Marshall (4.6ppg, 1.7rpg, 1.0apg, 0.46spg, 0.15bpg)
(SG) Stephen Graham (2.0ppg, 0.2ppg, 0.7apg, 0.17spg)
(PG) Damon Jones (7.8ppg, 1.6rpg, 2.4apg, 1.08spg, 0.07bpg)
(SF) Ira Newble (-)
(SF) Luke Jackson (1.0ppg, 1.0apg)
(SG) Michael Redd (18.8ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.8apg, 1.08spg, 0.15bpg) (INJURED)

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LEAGUE LEADERS

PPG: Ray Allen - 29.9
FG %: DeShawn Stevenson - .800%
3 Point FG %: Jamal Mashburn - .750%
Free Throw %: Sarunas Jasikevicius - 1.000%
Off. RPG: Dwight Howard - 4.0
Def. RPG: Kevin Garnett - 10.3
RPG: Kevin Garnett – 13.7
BPG: Ben Wallace – 2.86
SPG: LeBron James - 3.83
APG: Brevin Knight - 9.4
MPG: Elton Brand - 42.8

-

MVP CANDIDATES

(PF) Kevin Garnett (24.1ppg, 13.7rpg, 4.9apg, 2.11bpg, 1.67spg)
(PF) Elton Brand (20.7ppg, 10.7rpg, 3.8apg, 1.59bpg, 1.88spg)
(SF) Paul Pierce (25.5ppg, 8.6rpg, 4.3apg, 0.80bpg, 2.27spg)
(PG) Gilbert Arenas (23.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 5.9apg, 0.62bpg, 2.19spg)
(PF) Jermaine O’Neal (16.8ppg, 10.9rpg, 2.9apg, 1.76bpg, 1.41spg)

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PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
East Player: Gilbert Arenas (23.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 5.9apg, 0.62bpg, 2.19spg)
West Player: Kevin Garnett (24.1ppg, 13.7rpg, 4.9apg, 2.11bpg, 1.67spg)
East Rookie: Andrew Bogut (20.1ppg, 9.9rpg, 4.6apg, 1.38bpg, 0.50spg)
West Rookie: Rashad McCants (17.4ppg, 2.5rpg, 4.1apg, 0.25bpg, 1.50spg)

[Sir Robbie]

Saturday, 07/01/06

Game #14:



Cleveland Cavaliers (100)
@
Indiana Pacers (110)

---

It took an extra period but the Indiana Pacers managed to supress the Cleveland Cavaliers long enough to pick up a victory.

The Pacers established a lead in the first quarter witha combination of impressive offence and solid defence. The Cavaliers struggled to break down the Pacers' defensive wall and were forced into an early substitution when Zydrunas Ilgauskas picked up two quick fouls. He was replaced by Dan Gadzuric. The Cavs clung on however and managed to keep the gap to 3 points after the first quarter.

The second quarter was similar to the first with the Pacers strong on both offence and defence. The Cavs brought in Anderson Varejao for some extra defensive support and rotated in Damon Jones for an outside scoring threat. It seemed to work temporarily as the Cavaliers went on a 6-0 scoring run but they found themselves pegged back again when superstar LeBron James was benched for the final three minutes of the quarter. The Pacers pounced on the Cavs' newfound uncertainty and ended the quarter with a 7 point lead.

James returned in the third quarter and rallied the Cavs into tying the game, as they played with their starting five for the first time since Ilgauskas' early substitution. The Pacers chose the third quarter to give extended rests to three different starters and suffered as a result. Despite Aleksandar Pavlovic again struggling from the field (3-10), the Cavaliers managed to turn the tide and ended the third quarter with a 2 point lead.

It was clear to anyone watching that LeBron had been saving himself for the 4th quarter. Head Coach Mike Brown gave him a longer rest than normal in the second quarter, as he realised that his superstar would be needed in the final quarter. LeBron started off brighhtly and had built himself up to 14 points and 7 assists before an unfortunate collision with Jermaine O'Neal took him out of the game. The Cavaliers struggled temporarily but the combined efforts of Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden saw the travellers force over time.

Unfortunately at this point, the Cavaliers had nothing left. They found themselves outscored 21-11 in over time with the bench players failing to connect on 5 consecutive shots. This was not helped by the fact that the Pacers shot 10-12 in over time and seemed to find an extra gear.

After the game, Mike Brown refused to criticise anyone for the loss and said that the team showed true fighting spirit. On the subject of LeBron's injury, Brown said that it was not as serious as first thought and he would not miss any games. The loss gives the Cavs a record of 10-4 for the season.

---

Cleveland Cavaliers Stat Leaders:
Points: Drew Gooden (20)
Rebounds: Drew Gooden (13)
Assists: LeBron James (7)

Indiana Pacers Stat Leaders:
Points: Jamal Tinsley (30)
Rebounds: Jermaine O'Neal (11)
Assists: Jamal Tinsley (8)

[Sir Robbie]

Wednesday, 18/01/06

Game #15:



Houston Rockets (83)
@
Cleveland Cavaliers (87)

---

The Cavaliers were put to the test again but pulled through to return to winning ways. The Rockets had been second-best all night but a rally from the end of the 3rd to the start of the 4th brought them to within 3. They managed to tie the game with a minute to go but LeBron James buried a three-pointer and Zydrunas Ilgauskas split a pair of free throws to edge out the victory.

Cleveland soared out of the blocks and outscored the Rockets 31-22 in the first quarter. Houston struggled with their field goals as only Yao, T-Mac and Rafer Alston actually scored any points for them. Cleveland used this to their advantage, as they grabbed 15 boards in the opening 12 minutes. The Cavaliers shared the basketball brilliantly, with LeBron handing out five assists in the first quarter alone.

Both the second and third quarters took a dip in form. The game seemed to lack any flow and no one really excelled. Cleveland looked to James for inspiration, but he seemed unable to pick it up a gear as he slowly but surely stuffed his stat sheet. Houston looked to their two All-Stars but neither Yao or McGrady seemed up to the task. The game descended into a scoring contest with both teams lacking any sort of defence. The fact that neither teams shot above 40% in these two quarters led to the fans booing both teams.

The Houston Rockets snapped out of their funk towards the end of the third and went on an 8-0 scoring run. They continued this momentum into the fourth quarter, with Cleveland only coming to life after Head Coach Mike Brown picked up a technical for loudly criticising his team. The scoring fell largely to James and Ilgauskas although Drew Gooden (17) and Eric Snow (10) both made it into double figures. Ilgauskas grabbed a double-double in the fourth and was followed shortly after by James, who added 12 assists to his 27 points. In fact, LeBron was a rebound away from another triple-double.

The game was still there to be won in the final minute as it became a battle of the All-Stars. T-Mac hit a three pointer, but James answered with one of his own. Yao Ming then drove to the basket but was called for an offensive foul on Ilgauskas. The Rockets had no fouls left to give so Big Z went to the line. Ilgauskas missed his first but nailed the second to ensure that the Cavaliers picked up the W.

---

Houston Rockets Stat Leaders:
Points: Tracy McGrady (23)
Rebounds: Yao Ming (12)
Assists: Rafer Alston (8)

Cleveland Cavaliers Stat Leaders:
Points: LeBron James (27)
Rebounds: Zydrunas Ilgauskas (13)
Assists: LeBron James (12)

[Sir Robbie]

Friday, 20/01/06

Game #16:



Milwaukee Bucks (82)
@
Cleveland Cavaliers (86)

---

This game should have been a lot more interesting than it was. The blockbuster trade in the summer involving the two teams was brought up in the build-up to the game. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Michael Redd is still out injured and Larry Hughes had a great game. Fortunately for Cleveland, they still managed to get the victory.

The Cavaliers had a great team performance with everyone contributing in some way. LeBron James led the team with 22 points, and also managed 9 assists and 6 steals. Dan Gadzuric had the lowest points total (2), but also grabbed 5 rebounds.

The first quarter might have been the most boring quarter of the season. Both teams seemed hesitant to shoot with the Cavs taking a first quarter lead of 17-11.

The game picked up slightly in the second quarter as both teams picked up the pace. Larry Hughes was persistent in driving to the lane and had 19 points by half time. The Bucks put up a strong defensive wall, with rookie Andrew Bogut especially doing an outstanding job on Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The Cavaliers were forced to mid-range jumpers but still managed to shoot over 50%.

The Cavaliers bench did a great job in the third quarter, as at one point all five starters were benched. A particular highlight came when Anderson Varejao was fouled but still managed to make the basket. His free throw bounced off the rim and straight to Donyell Marshall who dunked over Andrew Bogut to a massive response from the home crowd.

The final quarter should have been much more competitive but was more a case of back-to-back rallies. The Bucks went on a 6-point rally; the Cavaliers responded with one of their own. The Cavaliers nailed a three-pointer, The Bucks answered in kind. Despite only winning by four points, the Cavaliers never looked like losing. The only problem for the Cavaliers in the fourth came in the form of LeBron James. He turned the ball over a staggering 5 times in the final quarter (10 times overall!) and found himself hauled off by Head Coach Mike Brown, to a mixed reaction from the Cleveland faithful. The Cavaliers now have an impressive 12-4 record.

---

Milwaukee Bucks Stat Leaders:
Points: Larry Hughes (34)
Rebounds: Andrew Bogut (6)
Assists: Maurice Williams (8)

Cleveland Cavaliers Stat Leaders:
Points: LeBron James (22)
Rebounds: Drew Gooden (7)
Assists: LeBron James (9)

[JoshD]

nice win against the Bucks.. How did Hughes score so much???

[KIG1]

this is goin good, nice dynasty so far

[Sir Robbie]

Friday, 27/01/06

Game #17:



Cleveland Cavaliers (115)
@
Memphis Grizzlies (113)

---

The Cavaliers answered back at the criticis who called them boring, but again failed establish any form of superiority over a weaker side. This game was a sprint from start to finish as both teams tried to outscore each other. Cleveland failed to take their first lead of the game until the third quarter, and right away found themselves pegged back. If it wasn't for a pair of dunks by Drew Gooden in the last minute, the Cavs would have suffered an unnecessary defeat.

The fact that this game was a rally showed in the statistics. Five Cleveland players made it into double figures, and one of them was a bench player. The Cavaliers shot over 60% from the field, but so did Memphis.

Cavaliers' Head Coach Mike Brown had publically criticised his players for failing to establish any kind of superiority in recent games. He made two changes to the starting line up with Damon Jones coming in for Eric Snow and Stephen Graham replacing the under-performing Aleksandar Pavlovic.

LeBron James had been criticised in the press for trying to do everything by himself, with his 10 turnovers against Milwaukee being used as proof that he needed to use his teammates more. King James responded to this with a ferocious performance. Until he was injured halfway through the final quarter, he had managed 27 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas had become a bit of a non-entity in recent games, despite still putting up good numbers he was accused of not stepping up his game. He responded with a 6-point flurry in the second quarter, and finished the game with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Drew Gooden had started off January with a 20 point, 13 board game. His numbers had been slowly dwindling as the months progressed. He came up with 20 points tonight (as well as 8 boards), and scored the team's final four points that ensured the victory.

The two new starters, Damon Jones and Stephen Graham, combined for 20 points. Jones book-ended his performance with two vital three-pointers, and Graham hit a shot whilst being double-teamed to tie the game in the final quarter.

The Cleveland bench combined for 32 points, and were led by the always-improving Anderson Varejao who broke double-figures for the first time this season. Recently-benched Eric Snow did his reputation good with 8 points and 6 assists in 16 minutes.

Overall, the Cavaliers seemed to find their rhythm offensively. Their defensive effort was there but did not seem effective enough. Everyone on the team grabbed at least 1 rebound, but time-and-time again the Grizzlies managed to find a way through the defensive wall, or equally as easily, find an open man for a three-pointer.

Head Coach Mike Brown complimented his team on working consistently hard all night and admitted that they were not the finished package yet. He said that he had noticed signs of the team's defence struggling but tonight it just collapsed at times as they conceeded 100+ points for the second time this month.

Despite all of this, the Cavaliers managed to grab another win and took their season record to 13-4. That record will be put to the test in the next game as the Cavaliers travel to the Dallas Mavericks.

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Cleveland Cavaliers Stat Leaders:
Points: LeBron James (27)
Rebounds: Drew Gooden (8)
Assists: LeBron James (7)

Memphis Grizzlies Stat Leaders:
Points: Damon Stoudamire (26)
Rebounds: Pau Gasol (9)
Assists: Mike Miller (8)

[KIG1]

nice win, pretty good recaps as well

[Sir Robbie]

*Actually taken from after one game in February.

JANUARY RECAP

GAMES
Game #1: Cleveland Cavaliers (100) @ (110) Indiana Pacers (OT) (L: 10-4)
Game #2: Houston Rockets (83) @ (87) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 11-4)
Game #3: Milwaukee Bucks (82) @ (86) Cleveland Cavaliers (W: 12-4)
Game #4: Cleveland Cavaliers (115) @ (113) Memphis Grizzlies (W: 13-4)

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DIVISION STANDINGS

Central Divison
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-5, .722%)
2. Detroit Pistons (14-6, .700%)
3. Indiana Pacers (10-10, .500%)
4. Chicago Bulls (10-11, .476%)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (6-15, .286%)

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CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-5, .722%)
2. Miami Heat (13-6, .684%)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (13-6, .684%)
4. Detroit Pistons (14-6, .700%)
5. Boston Celtics (10-8, .556%)
6. Indiana Pacers (10-10, .500%)
7. Toronto Raptors (9-9, .500%)
8. Chicago Bulls (10-11, .476%)

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PLAYER STATS

(C) Zydrunas Ilgauskas (17.2ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.1apg, 0.89spg, 2.33bpg)
(PF) Drew Gooden (12.9ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.7apg, 1.06spg, 0.78bpg)
(SF) Donyell Marshall (4.7ppg, 1.7rpg, 0.9apg, 0.50spg, 0.11bpg)
(SG) Aleksandar Pavlovic (3.6ppg, 1.0rpg, 0.7apg, 0.19spg, 0.06bpg)
(PG) Eric Snow (8.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 4.3apg, 1.71spg, 0.43bpg)
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(C) Dan Gadzuric (3.2ppg, 3.4rpg, 0.3apg, 0.32spg, 0.95bpg)
(PF) Anderson Varejao (4.8ppg, 2.8rpg, 0.6apg, 0.28spg, 0.44bpg)
(SF) Luke Jackson (2.0ppg, 0.2rpg, 1.0apg)
(SG) Stephen Graham (3.3ppg, 0.5ppg, 0.9apg, 0.09spg)
(PG) Damon Jones (7.5ppg, 1.5rpg, 2.2apg, 1.12spg, 0.05bpg)
(SF) Ira Newble (-)
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(SF) LeBron James (24.4ppg, 6.6rpg, 8.1apg, 3.94spg, 0.75bpg) INJURED
(SG) Michael Redd (ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.8apg, 1.08spg, 0.15bpg) (INJURED)

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LEAGUE LEADERS

PPG: Dirk Nowitzki - 30.3
FG %: Reggie Evans - .778%
3 Point FG %: Jamal Mashburn - .750%
Free Throw %: Sarunas Jasikevicius - 1.000%
Off. RPG: Zach Randolph - 3.9
Def. RPG: Kevin Garnett - 10.0
RPG: Kevin Garnett – 13.5
BPG: Ben Wallace – 2.80
SPG: LeBron James - 3.94
APG: Brevin Knight - 8.8
MPG: Rashard Lewis - 42.4

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MVP CANDIDATES

(PF) Kevin Garnett (23.9ppg, 13.5rpg, 4.9apg, 2.29bpg, 1.71spg)
(PF) Elton Brand (19.3ppg, 11.6rpg, 3.5apg, 1.77bpg, 1.86spg)
(PF) Dirk Nowitzki (30.3ppg, 9.6rpg, 2.8apg, 1.39bpg, 1.56spg)
(C) Shaquille O'Neal (26.0ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.6apg, 2.11bpg, 0.95spg)
(PG) Allen Iverson (25.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 7.9apg, 0.16bpg, 2.58spg)

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PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
East Player: Tayshaun Prince (26.9ppg, 9.2rpg, 3.4apg, 1.50bpg, 1.38spg)
West Player: Kobe Bryant (23.5ppg, 6.2rpg, 8.0apg, 0.33bpg, 2.50spg)
East Rookie: Andrew Bogut (23.4ppg, 8.0rpg, 2.2apg, 1.00bpg, 2.00spg)
West Rookie: Martell Webster (18.5ppg, 4.0rpg, 4.5apg, 0.75bpg, 0.75spg)

[Sir Robbie]

Saturday, 04/02/06

Game #18:



Cleveland Cavaliers (86)
@
Dallas Mavericks (92)

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Before the game Head Coach Mike Brown said that tonight was not about stats. Tonight was not about how the team would play without the injured LeBron James. Tonight was about teamwork. Attacking as a team. Defending as a team.

The Cavaliers managed to accomplish this to an extent. They attacked as a team, as evident by the individual points tallies. They also defended as a team, but were unable to stop one man. Dirk Nowitzki was a machine, dropping a massive 45 points on the Cavaliers as well as 14 rebounds.

The game started surprisngly well for the Cavaliers, who many thought would struggle due to the absence of two key starters. Cleveland played some excellent basketball ni the first quarter, opening up an impressive 9 point lead. Unfortunately for them, Dallas exploded in the second quarter and by half time they had a 9 point lead of their own, outscoring Cleveland by 18 in the second quarter.

The third quarter saw a resurgence from Cleveland who cut the lead to two and then took a single point lead into the final quarter after a three-point play from Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The fourth quarter was a constant battle with both teams defending well and squeezing out buckets when possible. Lady luck was not with the Cavaliers tonight however as Damon Jones missed an open three-pointer, and then watched as Nowitzki dunked, got fouled, missed the free throw and rebounded his own shot for a four-point play. This proved to be the final action of the night as both team missed subsequent shots, giving the Mavericks a hard-earned victory.

The Cavaliers showed that they can compete without their 'King,' as both Ilgauskas (21) and Drew Gooden (16) put up impressive numbers. Both Donyell Marshall and Aleksandar Pavlovic broke into double figures, while the bench was led by Dan Gadzuric (8 points, 3 blocks) and Anderson Varejao (8 points, 4 rebounds). In truth, the only Cavalier to struggle for scoring was Damon Jones, who was cold all night and went 0-5 from the field.

Worthy of a mention was the contribution of Luke Jackson. The youngster has seen limited playing time this season but in 9 minutes he put up 4 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound.

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Cleveland Cavaliers Stat Leaders:
Points: Zydrunas Ilgauskas (21)
Rebounds: Anderson Varejao (4)
Assists: Drew Gooden (4)

Dallas Mavericks Stat Leaders:
Points: Dirk Nowitzki (45)
Rebounds: Dirk Nowitzki (14)
Assists: Jason Terry (6)

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NEXT GAME: Sunday, 05/02/06 @ Philadelphia 76ers

[KIG1]

tough loss, bad that Lebron didnt play. Still, Luke Jackson played good. So did Z