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Cavs 06-07 season thread

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crazybuckfan40;681074; said:
Agreed, just merely pointing out that this team is not playing at the level they are capable of against inferior opponents...

That lose to Houston the other nite was about as ugly as it gets...
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It sure was, but that's the second time this season that the schedule makers had them play one night in Texas, then fly to Atlanta/Charlotte to play a game the very next night.

What the heck ever happened to the Texas trip where you play Houston , San Antonio and Dallas in a 4 day span? No way should they play in the Central time zone one night, finish that game at 10:30-11:00 ET, then be expected to fly to Atlanta/Charlotte and play another game in 20 hours.

Both games they've done it this year, they played like garbage.
 
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Brutus1;681391; said:
It sure was, but that's the second time this season that the schedule makers had them play one night in Texas, then fly to Atlanta/Charlotte to play a game the very next night.

What the heck ever happened to the Texas trip where you play Houston , San Antonio and Dallas in a 4 day span? No way should they play in the Central time zone one night, finish that game at 10:30-11:00 ET, then be expected to fly to Atlanta/Charlotte and play another game in 20 hours.

Both games they've done it this year, they played like garbage.
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They had a 2 week stretch there where they played nothing but back to backs. Noted there was only 1 4 games in 5 nights deal, but it takes a lot out of any team having to play 2 nights in a row. The Cavs lost some of the first nights so it wasn't all based on the schedule.
 
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Cavs are division Champs!

Do you think Yahoo sports has a vision for things to come? Check out the screen shot of the standings from the other night. Notice anything strange there? There is already the "y" next to Cleveland, designating them division champs! Works for me. :biggrin:
 

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CPD

Cavs struggling without Hughes


Friday, December 08, 2006 Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter

The Cavaliers have lost four of their last seven games and for much of this season have struggled against subpar competition.
The Toronto Raptors, who defeated the Cavs last month, are the latest below .500 team the Cavs overlooked before being forced to kick it into gear before it was too late.
There are several theories on what is ailing the Cavs, from lack of motivation, overconfidence, too old, too slow, in need of a new offense, poor defense and even questionable moves by coach Mike Brown.
LeBron James has heard them all but for James and many of his teammates, the team's recent play is a result of missing one particular player.
"Larry Hughes," James said. "When we get Larry back, it'll be time to get back on a roll."
Hughes is questionable for Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers.
The Cavs are 5-5 since Hughes went down with a high right ankle sprain on Nov. 15 - including losses to the lowly New York Knicks, the Raptors and the Charlotte Bobcats.
Hughes' absence means the Cavs are without their best one-on-one defender and without one of their best penetrators. James said no Hughes means the Cavs are without much more.
"Just his presence out on the court," James said. "He's a guy who has averaged 20 plus points before. He's a great defender who can defend big guards and he can defend small guards. With him on the court, that gives us more confidence because we know his capabilities."
Those capabilities were on display during the season opener against the Washington Wizards. Hughes scored 27 points and held offensive dynamo Gilbert Arenas to seven points on 2-of-12 shooting. With Hughes out for the second meeting, Arenas was too much to handle, scoring 45 points to help blow the Cavs out.
"We were playing well when he was healthy and hopefully when he comes back we can pick this thing back up again," Donyell Marshall said.
But wait, all was not perfect with Hughes in the lineup. There are still some things the Cavs need to do with or without him. For starters, they need to run the floor more and maintain their intensity from start to finish.
"We need to play consistently," Damon Jones said. "We want to get to a point where we're playing close to 48 minutes with a lot of intensity and a lot of effort on both ends of the floor. And we've shown if we play that way, we can beat some of the better teams in the league and we wouldn't have problems beating teams with lesser records."
Rematch:
The Cavs host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The Pacers defeated the Cavs, 97-87, last month in Indianapolis.
"They went to the foul line 42 times and not only does that slow us up but then we have to go against a set defense," said Cavs assistant coach Mike Malone. "We got up early in that game because we were able to run out and get stops against a defense that wasn't set . . . If we can defend without fouling [on Saturday night] and get our transition game going that should open up the game for us."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4671
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TheMorningJournal

Marshall's game just the spark he needed
BOB FINNAN, Morning Journal Writer
12/08/2006


CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers forward Donyell Marshall had hit the skids.


He desperately needed something to pump some new life into his game.

He's hoping that came Wednesday night when he scored a season-high 19 points in the Cavs' 95-91 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Quicken Loans Arena.

Marshall hadn't scored in double figures in any of the previous 10 games. After working out religiously over the summer and showing up for the start of training camp in tip-top shape, the 33-year-old veteran got off to a fast start. Then he dropped off drastically right when the Cavs needed him the most, when guard Larry Hughes suffered a high ankle sprain.

Further complicating matters, Marshall's minutes started to dwindle. But he made 8-of-14 shots from the field and 3-of-6 from the 3-point arc against the Raptors.

When the Toronto defense collapsed on forward LeBron James, he kicked the ball out to wide-open teammates. The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Marshall made some big shots in the game, but none bigger than his high-arcing bomb from the top of the key with 17.9 seconds left.

The Raptors had narrowed their deficit to one point, 90-89, after Fred Jones' 3 with 39 seconds remaining. Marshall followed with a 3-pointer of his own.

''That's what we have to do,'' Marshall said. ''The only thing it is going to do is make it easier on LeBron. It's like pick your poison. Eighteen games in and we were finally able to do that. We've been up and down all year. It's only one game, but you have to start somewhere. It felt good to be able to open up the floor for him.''

Marshall, Damon Jones and Anderson Varejao have been somewhat consistent performers for the Cavs (11-7), who host Indiana on Saturday. The Cavs bench is averaging 36.3 points in its last 14 games.

''Anytime we can get some production from our bench, that's what you need to have to win,'' Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. ''(Marshall) shot the ball well, but he also rebounded and defended well and that's why he stayed on the floor.

''He's a big guy that stretches the floor. Teams have to honor him so it opens up the middle of the paint for everybody else.''

Marshall scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and also added six rebounds.

Of course, he led all NBA reserves in rebounding last year at 6.1 per game. After Wednesday's game, he was averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.

''Defensively, Donyell Marshall was good (against the Raptors),'' Brown said. ''Not only defensively was he good, but he rebounded the basketball. That's something that I talked to Donyell about, and he did a nice job of rebounding the ball tonight. Then he hit some big shots for us when they were double-teaming LeBron in pick-and-roll action.''

Noted

Hughes is listed as questionable for the Indiana game tomorrow. He has been practicing the last few days ... Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas became the Cavs' all-time leader in offensive rebounds. He surpassed John ''Hot Rod'' Williams, who had 1,620. ... The popular Anderson Varejao Wig Night will be Wednesday, Dec. 13, against Charlotte. Everyone in attendance will receive a wig. ... The Cavs will put their 8-2 record at The Q on the line at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Indiana. ... The Cavs are the seventh best rebounding team in the league. They have outrebounded their opponents in 15 of 18 games this season, including 6-2 at The Q.

[email protected]

?The Morning Journal 2006
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ABJ

Gibson starts off well as Cavs starter

LeBron among players impressed by rookie's play so far this season

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - When it comes to Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson, curb your enthusiasm.
Don't misunderstand, the Cavs are extremely high on the young rookie's potential. But collectively, they are trying not to let expectations and reality get out of whack following his first career start.
By all accounts, it was a smash-hit performance, 18 points and five rebounds in the Cavs' victory over Toronto on Wednesday -- especially considering the team had been parched for production from the starting spot Larry Hughes vacated 10 games ago.
Shortly after Hughes took part in his third full practice of the week on Thursday, the Cavs upgraded his status for Saturday's game with the Indiana Pacers to questionable.
There's a good chance Hughes will see his first playing time against the Pacers since spraining his ankle Nov. 15. But for the time being, as Hughes gets back up to full speed, Gibson might remain in the starting lineup.
The win over the Raptors was just one game, and Gibson has played in just eight games (118 minutes) in his youthful career. Though his performances have continued to earn him more opportunities, Cavs coach Mike Brown wants to keep everything in check.
``He's impressed me since training camp, just about every day,'' Brown said. ``But both `Boobie' (Gibson's nickname) and Shannon (Brown) still make rookie mistakes when they are out there, sometimes mistakes that the general public doesn't see. I think they both have a chance to be good players in this league, but they've still got a long way to go.''
There's a similar message being passed down to Gibson daily. While his ability to play, and particularly shoot, without fear has won approval from coaches and teammates, they are also concerned with keeping him focused during the early success.
``The coaches have done a great job of keeping me in it mentally,'' Gibson said. ``I feel good about the way I played and I made a couple of shots. I know I need to keep improving.''
However, some of Gibson's teammates are not containing their excitement so well. That seems especially true for LeBron James, who became enamored with Gibson earlier in the season and has been supporting him ever since. James has been a proponent of giving Gibson opportunities early on.
``I've seen the potential in his game; he was never afraid to make a mistake or afraid to come out,'' James said. ``Once I saw that in him, I sort of took him under my wing. He's been nothing but positive for us so far.''
Dribbles
Eric Snow quietly is playing very well. He had 12 points, six rebounds and six assists Wednesday. He's averaging 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists over the last five games. He has 57 assists and just 17 turnovers over the last nine games.... Sasha Pavlovic has really cooled off over the last two weeks; he's just 1-of-14 from the floor over the last four games.... Damon Jones has made at least two 3-pointers in seven of the last eight games.
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ABJ

Hughes to return against Indiana

Coach expects minutes will be limited; injury costs guard 10 games

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - Larry Hughes is back, right on schedule.
The Cavaliers guard pronounced himself ready to play after practice Friday and is expected to return to the floor when the Cavs host the Indiana Pacers tonight. In all, he's missed 10 games with the right high-ankle sprain that he suffered on Nov. 15, when Portland Trail Blazers forward Martell Webster landed on him from behind.
Though the team consistently listed him as day-to-day on its injury report, Hughes said he knew he'd probably miss this much time once the injury was diagnosed. He had a rather mild case; some high-ankle sprains keep players out for six weeks or longer. Hughes has missed three weeks.
``Once I looked at the schedule, I expected this. I was told it was a three- to four-week injury,'' Hughes said.
``It's not great, but I think it is good enough right now for me to help the team.''
Cavs coach Mike Brown was noncommittal about Hughes, which is the coach's style when dealing with the uncertainty of injuries.
But he gave the indication that Hughes will not start and will be limited in how much time he can play.
Rookie Daniel Gibson, who scored 18 points in place of Hughes in his first career start in the victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, will probably keep his place in the lineup.
Hughes ``looked pretty good in practice,'' Brown said. ``There's probably going to be a minute restriction; I'm not sure if it will be 10 or 20 or whatever.''
The Cavs went 5-5 without Hughes and struggled through some of their worst basketball of the season, especially at the offensive end. They are 6-2 with Hughes in the lineup.
Yet Brown said he and the team handled Hughes' absence better than they did last season, when he missed nearly three months because of a broken finger. Brown wasn't able to get much out of Hughes' spot in the starting lineup -- both David Wesley and Shannon Brown averaged four points and shot 33 percent while filling in.
``I don't try to forecast wins and losses,'' Mike Brown said. ``I felt we played better basketball as a team than we did last year. I know last year even I struggled without him in the lineup.''
Hughes hopes there won't be any setbacks when he steps back on the court. All along, the Cavs have vowed to be conservative in getting him back on the court with the hope that it won't turn into a lingering ankle injury.
``I think I have done everything to push it.... I have to go out and play,'' Hughes said. ``I'm not going to be great at this point.''
Homecourt advantage
The Cavs are 8-2 at home this season and have won 19 of their last 21 regular-season home games. They are also 8-1 at home against Central Division opponents over the last two seasons, including 2-0 against the Pacers, whom they welcome tonight. This season, they average nine more points and five more assists and shoot almost 5 percent better at home than on the road.
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Canton

PACERS AT CAVALIERS
Saturday, December 9, 2006


TIPOFF 7:30 tonight, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
TV FSN Ohio
RADIO WAKR-AM 1590, WTAM-AM 1100, WJER-AM 1450
FAST BREAKS The Cavaliers saw a 16-point lead wiped out by the Pacers during last month?s 97-87 loss at Indiana. LeBron James finished with 30 points and five assists, and Drew Gooden added 17 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland. Jermaine O?Neal ? who did not play Friday because of a hamstring injury ? led the Pacers with 29 points. ... Larry Hughes has been upgraded to probable for tonight. The Cavs guard has missed the last 10 games because of a high right ankle sprain. ... The Cavaliers are coming off Wednesday?s 95-91 home win over Toronto. James recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 26 points and 10 assists. Donyell Marshall had a season-best 19 points, while rookie Dan Gibson added a career-high 18 points, five rebounds and two assists in his first career start. ... Eric Snow has scored in double figures in four of his last five games. His last stretch of four double-figure games in five contests was in April 2004. ... The Pacers hosted Portland on Friday. They have lost three straight and four of their last five games in Cleveland.
UP NEXT Monday at New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. (FSN Ohio) MIKE POPOVICH
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Not sure if anyone is watching the game, but the Cavs came out to play tonite.

LBJ has been assertive and Hughes came back tonite. Gibson still in starting lineup with Wild Thing due to an injury to Drew in pregame. They said he strained his groin and will be evaluated day to day.

On a side note I can't stand these announcers and everytime that Austin Carr calls Lebron the L-Train I want to scream.

The score is 38-22 and that dunk by LBJ as I was typing was awesome...
 
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Dispatch

CAVALIERS 107 PACERS 75
Cavs cruise as Pacers feud on bench

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Tom Withers
ASSOCIATED PRESS




CLEVELAND ? Stephen Jackson didn?t last until halftime. By then, the Indiana Pacers were done anyway.
LeBron James scored 24 points ? mostly with Jackson trying to guard him ? in the first half and finished with 27 to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107-75 win over the flustered Pacers last night.
Indiana?s ugly loss was compounded by an incident in the first half involving Jackson, who was kicked off the Pacers? bench by coach Rick Carlisle.
Late in the second quarter, Jackson was pulled by Carlisle and the two had words. Carlisle then pointed for Jackson to leave the bench area, banishing the fiery guard to the locker room for the remainder of the game.
"I substituted for him. He came to the bench and an exchange ensued that I thought was inappropriate and detrimental to the team," Carlisle said. "So I made a decision to remove him from the bench.
"These games are difficult. If you don?t have everybody with a laser-like focus on one task, which is playing like a team and competing hard, it gets even more difficult."
It?s the latest controversy surrounding Jackson, who is facing charges of firing a gun during a fight outside a strip club in Indianapolis on Oct. 6. Two years ago, he went into the stands and fought fans during the Pacers? infamous brawl in Detroit.
Carlisle said he had not yet spoken with Jackson after the game and at this point no further discipline was planned.
"As of right now, this is a one-game situation," Carlisle said. "I expect this is an incident that?s isolated and will be dealt with as such."
James had seven rebounds and six assists and spent the entire fourth quarter relaxing on the bench. The Cavaliers built a 24-point lead in the first half and coasted to their most lopsided win this season.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 15 points and Donyell Marshall added a season-high 17 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who outrebounded the Pacers 57-34.
Darrell Armstrong had 13 points and Danny Granger 12 for Indiana.
Ilgauskas scored just two points on only two shots from the field when the teams met Nov. 24 ? a 10-point win by Indiana. But the 7-foot-3 center was able to maneuver inside, thanks in part to the Pacers being without forward Jermaine O?Neal, who missed his second straight game because of a strained left hamstring.
Leading by 14 at halftime, the Cavaliers outscored Indiana 28-13 to open an 84-55 lead entering the fourth quarter.
James, who went 10 of 11 from the floor in the first half, was replaced with 20 seconds to go in the third quarter and got some rare rest on the bench in the final 12 minutes.
"I?m not very good at sitting, but it was good," James said. "We did a good job jumping on a team and not letting up. It was great to finally get a blowout."
Larry Hughes, who missed Cleveland?s previous 10 games because of a sprained right ankle, scored eight points in 24 minutes. However, Hughes? return was tempered by the loss of forward Drew Gooden, who suffered a groin injury while trying to dunk during pregame warm-ups.
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Dispatch

Oddities abound in Cavs' blowout

Hughes returns on wild night on and off court

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - It was a wild Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
Larry Hughes (eight points, four assists, two rebounds in 24 minutes) was back in uniform for the Cavaliers and all their stars instantly aligned. Playing perhaps their most complete game of the season, the Cavs trounced the Indiana Pacers by an embarrassing 107-75 margin.
It was a blowout, but it was no ordinary evening. No way. There were bizarre events happening everywhere, both on the court and off. Here's a sampling:
? Before the game started, Cavs forward Drew Gooden pulled his left groin muscle as he was trying a flashly dunk in warmups. On the bench, Cavs coach Mike Brown was drawing up a play for Gooden to start the game -- perhaps as an ode to Gooden after he got just three shots in the last game -- but instead only had a few minutes to insert Anderson Varejao into the starting lineup.
``I guess I wasn't warmed up,'' Gooden said afterward.
He is scheduled to have an MRI today to determine the extent of the damage.
Varejao played well in his fifth career start, scoring 13 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
? Shortly into the game, LeBron James was given a technical foul for kicking the ball into the stands.
? When he got settled down, James decided this was the game he would exclusively attack the basket. The results were profound. He made 10 of 11 shots in the first half on his way to a 27-point, seven-rebound, six-assist night. Nine of those early baskets were layups or dunks as he found very little resistance from the weary Pacers, who were playing on a back-to-back and without injured center Jermaine O'Neal.
This apparently did not make Pacers coach Rick Carlisle happy, as he pulled Stephen Jackson, who was assigned to cover James, late in the second quarter. The two had a heated exchange on the Pacers bench, and Carlisle sent Jackson to the locker room. He did not return in the second half.
? Cavs forward Donyell Marshall started to show previously unseen dominating qualities around the basket. He had 17 rebounds and four blocked shots, both highs with the Cavs, in addition to 11 points. It helped the Cavs win the rebounding battle 57-34, their most rebounds this season. And that was without Gooden, their best rebounder. Perhaps inspired, Eric Snow decided to start blocking shots as well, swatting three. It was the most he has had in a game in four years.
? At the end of the third quarter, the loudest ovation of the night came from the soldout crowd when Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith's Heisman Trophy acceptance speech was played on the scoreboard. Then the Cavs' mascot, Moondog, led the crowd in a rendition of Hang on Sloopy.
? During the fourth quarter, the Cavs public address announcer had to sprint off the floor due to a call of nature. A fill-in took over for a matter of seconds when disaster struck, the Pacers Sarunas Jasikevicius scored a basket. The sub, unprepared to pronounce the eight-sllyable name, butchered it over the loudspeaker.
A moment later, when an official timeout was called, Jasikevicius angrily approached the scorer's table and yelled, furious about the mistake. At that moment, the Pacers were behind by 29 points.
? Later, the fans started getting antsy because the Cavs were stuck on 99 points for nearly four minutes of gametime and some booed. At 100 points, the fans get free chalupas from Taco Bell.
? Shortly before the game mercifully ended, 2-year-old LeBron James Jr. caused a stoppage in play when he pegged Pacers guard Darrell Armstrong in the leg with a rubber ball passed out to fans during a timeout from his front-row seat.
? Finally, the stat sheet showed myriad oddities such as: The Cavs reserves and the Pacers starters each combined to score 37 points. The Cavs scored 32 more points in the game, but took nine fewer shots than the Pacers. The Pacers' total points and field-goal percentage (33) were the lowest that the Cavs have allowed this season. The Cavs also tied their season-high in blocks with 11 and fast-break points with 23.
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ABJ

Cavaliers game day

LeBron wouldn't mind Iverson on team

Cavaliers not pursuing 76ers' outcast, however. `Justin's Wing' opens

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND - LeBron James made it clear he wasn't trying to start any rumors. But he sure wouldn't say no to playing with Allen Iverson.
``He's a guy you know is going to play hard every single night and give it his all,'' James said Saturday.
``I'm not trying to stir up nothing around here. But he's a Hall of Famer. Who wouldn't want to play with a Hall of Famer?''
The Philadelphia 76ers star is on the trade block after being sent home Friday. He expressed a desire to be moved earlier in the week, and the 76ers will grant the request.
Team sources said the Cavaliers are not pursuing Iverson, which isn't a shock. They already have a franchise player. But James does feel for his contemporary. He has a relationship with Iverson -- they became close during the 2004 Olympics, when both played for Team USA.
``It's tough, you play your heart out for one organization your whole career and it has to end this way,'' James said. ``You've been there... and then they tell you to stay home; it is very difficult for him to swallow.''
In the locker room
Larry Hughes and his foundation have donated a block of tickets to each Cavs game to charity in the name of his late brother, Justin. As is custom around the NBA, several Cavs have done the same, and their sections are marked with banners in the arena. Hughes has his own section and now one for his brother, dubbed ``Justin's Wing.''... Drew Gooden is the lone Cavs player who isn't wearing special orange shoes on the team's throwback jersey nights. Gooden doesn't like changing his shoes for anything. While most NBA players wear a new pair every game or few games, Gooden will often wear the same shoes for 15-20 games and also uses the same pair for practices.... Scot Pollard had been sporting the ``faux hawk'' this season, spiking his hair down the middle. He abandoned that approach Saturday, shaving his head into a Mohawk.
In the coach's office
Despite lots of pot shots being taken at the weakness of the Eastern Conference, heading into Saturday's game, four members of the Central Division were better than .500. Last season, the Central was the only division to put all its members in the playoffs. Despite the strength of the Southwest Division, with the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, Cavs coach Mike Brown thinks the Central still is on top.
``I thought last year it was the toughest division in basketball,'' Brown said. ``We all started off a little slow this year. But the teams haven't changed much; there's the same talent as last year, which in my mind translates to the toughest division in the game.''
In the news
The Cavs are selling gift cards that can be used for tickets and merchandise. They can be purchased at Quicken Loans Arena, Giant Eagle stores and on cavs.com.
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Canton

Nice view of a coast
Sunday, December 10, 2006
BY Mike Popovich REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


CLEVELAND The only thing the Cavaliers really lost Saturday was the opening tip.
After that, it wasn?t much of a contest.
Head Coach Mike Brown?s team was due for one of these games. After some close calls and a few disappointing defeats, a blowout win must have been a welcome sight.
The Cavs put together arguably their most complete game of the season in a 107-75 pounding of Indiana at The Q. Cleveland scored the first 7 points and increased the lead to double digits for good with just over three minutes left in the opening quarter.
The Cavaliers (12-7) dominated on a night when Brown was forced to make a last-minute lineup change. Drew Gooden strained his left groin on a dunk attempt during warmups and was replaced in the starting lineup by Anderson Varejao.
But LeBron James put on a display for the Cavs. He hit all but one of his 11 attempts from the field and scored 24 points in the first half alone. One of his five assists in the half came after he drove baseline, faked a scoop shot and handed off to Varejao for a dunk.
The Cavs led 56-42 at halftime. A 16-2 run to close out the third quarter increased their lead to 84-55 and finished the Pacers.
?We did a great job of jumping on a team and not letting up,? James said.
?(When) we get a team down, we can?t keep letting teams come back, especially at our house. It?s not good for teams to keep coming in here thinking they can beat us. We did a great job of proving that tonight.?
James finished with a game-high 27 points to lead five Cavaliers in double figures. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Damon Jones scored 15 points apiece, Varejao had 13 and Donyell Marshall added 11 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.
The best news for the Cavs at the start of the night was the return of Larry Hughes. The veteran guard had missed the last 10 games with a high right ankle sprain.
Hughes did not start, but he scored 8 points in just over 24 minutes off the bench. He punctuated the night with back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
?I just wanted to be out there and just get going,? Hughes said. ?I really didn?t lose any rhythm since I?ve been out. I?ve felt pretty good on that end. It?s just a matter of continuing to get my foot stronger to where I can just go out there and play.?
The Pacers (11-11) were without Jermaine O?Neal, who was out with a sore left hamstring. Then they lost Stephen Jackson for the entire second half.
Jackson was not injured. An exchange between Jackson and Indiana Head Coach Rick Carlisle led to Carlisle?s decision to remove him from the bench.
?As of right now, this is a one-game situation,? Carlisle said. ?If that changes, I?ll let you know. I expect that this is an incident that?s isolated and will de dealt with as such.?
Brown, a former Pacers assistant under Carlisle, had no such worries for the Cavs.
?For the most part, I thought we played a solid game of basketball in terms of giving effort for as close to 48 minutes as possible,? Brown said.
Reach Repository sports writer Mike Popovich at (330) 580-8341 or e-mail: [email protected]

CAVALIERS
AT HORNETS
Monday, 8 p.m.
Ford Center,
Oklahoma City TV FSN Ohio
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