Well, now that we’re fully back onboard spiritually with the Cavaliers, we can begin once again speaking of each and every game as if it’s some sort of monumental event of which will never be seen again.
Yes, tonight the hottest team in the East goes to visit the hottest team in the West. The former is riding a 5-game win streak, and will face it off against the latter’s 7-game bender.
Key to the game, as we see it? Cavaliers need to slow it down – there’s no way they can run with PHX. They get far too confused and are way too susceptible to giving up 15-0 runs in normally paced games, let alone Steve Nash-led horsey-style races.
LeBron’s gonna need to get off like crazy, but they should start off pounding it in to Z. It’ll set the pace, and maybe we can nail Amare, et al with some early fouls.
“We’re capable of scoring up there in the 100s, but defensively, we have to get some stops to have a chance,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said. “I don’t look at it as a test, but mentally and physically, we are going to be challenged.”
“You have to approach it the right way. It is two of the top teams in the league and something to anticipate,” [LeBron] James said. “I think it is a good test for us and a good test for them also.”
No matter how many variations on those quotes these guys toss out there – this is indeed a test.
Here comes the part you’ve been waiting for…our prediction. First step – go back to our preview of this West Coast trip, where we said they’d win this game, then also said we’d lose this game.
Strangely, in both scenarios we had them winning the SAC game, which they did. Therefore, we’re not sure which template to follow. We’ve got a hunch they take this into the WIN column this evening. (Little mentioned fact in the course of CLE’s underachieving – they’re 7-2 against the West.)
Just an intense feeling on our part, plus this sets up the third win in LA this weekend, absolute delusion on our part, and then 4 losses in a row to close out the vacation.
Anyway…be ready. Be excited. It’s on TNT. MVP Steve vs Runner-up MVP LeBron. Coach Mike vs Coach Mike. Larry Hughes DOT NET FORWARD SLASH ANKLE INJURY IMMINENT DOT HTML vs RAJA BELL DOT COM.
SIDENOTE: Part of us is sad that Earl Boykins got traded to the Bucks. He’d have been awesome to have on CLE, although he doesn’t really feel the need of “starting point who can score”.
Wait a second…why doesn’t Daniel Gibson play anymore? Is he being punished for averaging 14 per when he started?
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This game worries me (try getting that kind of analysis somewhere else!)
The Suns are 14-1 against the east (depending on certain teams’ geographical consideration. Is Milwaukee East?).
Something to look for tonight- the mystery that is Larry Hughes. Or IS it Larry Hughes? Sometimes, Larry comes out with sporting sporty headbands that are designed for sports. At other times in the same games he comes out without the headbands. I only recently started paying attention to this, but it seems that with headband Larry Hughes is only an okay basketball player and a good-natured fella that misses a lot of shots and gets the ball ripped from him on the way to the rim often. However, WITHOUT headband he’s like a crazy animal, something fierce but wiry (like a rabid wombat or Lori Petty) who wants to fight Euro guys with bad tattoos. Does this removal of the headband bring about a total personality change- OR (as I believe)- are there TWO LARRY HUGHESES?
The batshit awesome b-ball beast no-headband Larry is the one we need tonight. I’ll call him “Shiv”. He will counter Steve Nash’s mind powers with his ripping force talons and frightening snarl. And the Cavaliers will WIN.
And, the only game that Phoenix has lost to the East was a day filled with snowbound travel, and Gilbert Arenas dropped 54. And it went to overtime. Good luck, Cavs. You’re gonna need it.
goooooo cavs…. screw the suns and their rat-like point guards
The Earl Boykins trade is sad. I mean..your giving up 15 ppg for STEVE BLAKE! and if i remember correctly, he hasnt done shit this season.
what the hell is drew gooden doing with his hair… it almost makes me want to cheer for the suns… almost
See what I’m talking about? We’ve had Headband Larry all night, and that Larry is NO GOOD. Now it’s too late, going into the 4th down by seventy billion, to bring on The Shiv.
Woops, I was at the game, and inbetween reading dumb skank in front of me’s text messages, I witnessed an all out beatdown.
21 assists for Steve.
The main thing I didn’t understand is E Snow playing (at all) – well, a lot. He can only guard guards who try to post him. Otherwise, he can’t guard anyone. It seemed like a perfect game for Gibson to get extended minutes.
Overall, the Cavs fail to realize that (for them) an open shot != (computerspeak for “does not equal”) a good shot. Great, you had an open 3, get closer to the basket. The surefire way to beat the Cavs is to just give them that shot. Maybe Jones will get hot and hit 2, but probably not and all those long rebounds jumpstart your fastbreak.
Brown also did another stellar job of not coaching, there was a stretch in the opening minutes of the second quarter which really defines Brown as a coach for me. Phoenix was starting to pull away and the Cavs weren’t playing anything resembling the good defense Brown is always citing as THE most important factor. They were chasing Nash all over the place, two and three guys were collapsing on him when he drove, allowing the other Suns to space the floor, giving Nash passing lanes and open shooters. More damningly, on offense the Cavs went through a series of one-and-done possessions (including several missed 3-point shots) as if they were trying to run with the Suns, which is exactly what Phoenix wants teams to do, which is exactly what Brown said they wouldn’t do.
Did Brown take that opportunity to call a time out and reinforce the notion that running with the Suns is the fastest way to lose or to encourage them to avoid the temptation to chase the Suns all over the floor on defense? No, of course not, he just sat there in the totally ineffective stupor that has become his hallmark.
the east sucks… i think dallas should move to the east so we can have a mavs-suns nba finals
Sadly, Choo-Choo in the caption defines what happened to the Cavs; got run over by a train. Now I’m glad I went to bed before the game was done.
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