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Cavs 07-08 Season Thread

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ABJ

Missing big man puts Cavs in big hole Without injured center Ilgauskas against Bulls, win streak ends at three
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Friday, Mar 07, 2008
CHICAGO: Zydrunas Ilgauskas wasn't even in the Windy City on Thursday night, but he certainly had an effect on the outcome.
Covered by the buzz of former teammates matching up and LeBron James' continued offensive dominance, it was easy to overlook the impact the Cavaliers felt without their ailing big man. It was driven home by the Chicago Bulls, who ended the Cavs' three-game win streak with a resounding 107-96 win.
Ever since Ilgauskas shut things down last weekend when his bad back forced him to take a sabbatical, the Cavs' interior understandably hasn't been the same. The Bulls certainly noticed and, combined with an active big man looking to prove a point in Joakim Noah, embarrassed the Cavs in the area they usually dominate.



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ABJ
Bulls 107Cavaliers 96Key s... Published on Friday, Mar 07, 2008

Bulls 107
Cavaliers 96
Key stat: The Bulls had 25 second-chance points.
Key moment: The Bulls' 19-2 run in the second quarter that changed the game.
Windhorst's three stars:

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ABJ

LeBron faces off on Knicks speculation He expects questions for next two years but right now, he's content
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Friday, Mar 07, 2008
CHICAGO: The words were barely out of LeBron James' mouth Wednesday night before members of the most aggressive media corps in the world started pressing.
After James said the standing ovation he got following his 50-point performance at Madison Square Garden was a dream of his, he was asked if part of that included playing for the New York Knicks someday. It is a question James said he expects to get regularly over the next two years before his contract ends in 2010. Though he is just in the first year of a three-year, $43 million contract, there has already been speculation that he'll depart Cleveland in two years for either the Knicks or the New Jersey Nets, who will then be playing in Brooklyn and are co-owned by friend Jay-Z.
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CPD

Cleveland Cavaliers ugly in loss to Chicago Bulls, 107-96


Friday, March 07, 2008Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter
Chicago- The Cavaliers are in first place when it comes to basketball's version of a beauty contest and coach Mike Brown does not like the look.
"Do we want to win sometimes and look pretty winning," Brown said, "or do we want to be a playoff team and compete for the championship by getting ugly sometimes, by getting stops first and figuring out how to score second?"
The Cavs had a hard time scoring in the third quarter and did not have an answer for the surging Bulls and it led to a 107-96 loss at the United Center on Thursday night.
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James, fresh off his 50-point performance Wednesday against the New York Knicks, scored 39 points - 26 in the first half. But the usually assist- and rebounding-happy James had only one assist, three rebounds and four turnovers.
Brown said the team needs more than 50-point nights from James.




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Dispatch

NBA roundup
James scores 39, but Cavs fall to Bulls

Friday, March 7, 2008 3:26 AM



ASSOCIATED PRESS
LeBron James was at it again. Then the Bulls swarmed him. Ben Gordon and Luol Deng scored 23 points each, and Chicago overcame James' 39 points to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-96 last night.
The Bulls went on a 17-point run early in the third quarter to take a 66-53 lead, and Gordon scored nine straight points during a 51-second burst late in the quarter to make it a 17-point game. That was enough to give Chicago back-to-back wins for the first time since late December and offset another strong effort by James.



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This just makes one appreciate the things Z does for this team.

Andy isn't right yet and he needs to get back to his role coming off the bench. Him and Wallace on the floor together is just about the ugliest thing you can ever watch in the NBA.

Also, how much outside stuff is going on for this team? Injuries, Babies, deaths in families... Hard to get down on West & Wally when this has to be hard on them. Having to move from one coast to the other, get use to new players, new plays and then have familiy issues (whether good or bad) just stretches your mental well being.
 
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CPD

Cleveland Cavaliers' Devin Brown shows off bodyguard skills



Saturday, March 08, 2008 Branson Wright

Plain Dealer Reporter
The NBA superstar has been protected by teammates throughout league history, from Maurice Lucas watching over Bill Walton in the 1970s to Charles Oakley protecting Vince Carter in the '90s.
But Devin Brown's safeguarding of LeBron James during a timeout in Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden was not related to Brown protecting James from another player. Brown had to deal with a fan.
Anthony Erskine, 17, ran toward the Cavs' bench to congratulate James for his 50-point performance and to say how much he admired him. Instead of a letter or e-mail, Erskine approached James and that's when Brown stepped in.
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"I was in shock because you really don't expect something like that to happen," Brown said. "But if someone needs some security, I can start a service if they need it."
Jokes aside, Brown was not sure what was going through Erskine's mind. Brown is familiar with stories of fans running onto playing fields and attacking players. Most notably when a spectator stabbed tennis player Monica Seles in the back during a match in 1993.




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CPD

Not trading for Kidd the right move, Bill Livingston says


Saturday, March 08, 2008Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist
Great NBA players seldom make great coaches.
As far as their work as general managers goes, Jerry West was a great one, Elgin Baylor a bad one, and LeBron James better not give up his regular job anytime soon.
James has a nice sense of history, saying all the right things after lighting New York up like, er, Broadway when he scored 50 points and pulled the Cavaliers past the Knicks by their jersey straps. He knew the stage was big, the crowd studded with celebrities, the arena the sport's most famous.
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Would that he had as nice a sense when it comes to evaluating talent.
Some of James' errors, such as overrating the NBA prospects of his former high school teammates, are understandable.
Some, such as overrating the acquisition of Larry Hughes through free agency, seemed correct until Hughes' fragility and poor fit with James became apparent.
Some have drawn mixed reaction, such as when he said Sasha Pavlovic could play (the grade has to be "incomplete," although Pavlovic has never been consistent) and so could Daniel Gibson (Bingo! Good call!).
But he missed when he wanted management to trade for Jason Kidd.




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Andy looked alot better today than he has lately. His trademark energy play was on display again. I think he finished with 16 pts, 16 boards, and 6 assists. The thing that is still bothering me is how we still don't look great on defense. We will have some postive possesions where we lock down, and then the next possession they get a wide open layup or an uncontested three ball. The key to us winning is still our defense, and that needs to be shorn up before the playoffs.
 
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