OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
ABJ
4/11/06
4/11/06
Cavs' James delivers
Shot wins it with half-second to go
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
<!-- begin body-content -->OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. - Just call LeBron James Mr. Clutch.
The Cavaliers superstar just keeps delivering, night after night. His latest dagger came Monday, when he drained a 22-foot jumper with half a second remaining to bury the New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets 103-101. It was his second game-winning shot in less than a month and yet another file for his Most Valuable Player resume.
It came against a team clinging to its last bit of postseason hope Monday and enjoying a raucous standing-room only crowd. They were playing a short-handed team with essentially nothing to win for.
It was the Cavs' 11th win in their last 12 tries, which of course led to a positive mood in the locker room. However, no one was more pleased with the outcome than Larry Hughes, who reached a big incentive in his contract with the Cavs' 47th overall win. It triggered a cash bonus of just under $2 million, which meant he was probably buying.
The Cavs played without Zydrunas Ilgauskas (ankle) and, even as it pained coach Mike Brown, without LeBron James during a key stretch in the fourth quarter as he tired to give him extra rest.
The Hornets, conversely, got their full starting lineup back for the first time in nearly a month as forward P.J. Brown and guard Desmond Mason both returned from injury.
From the Cavs' perspective, it was more of a night of tinkering as they begin their run toward the playoffs. In addition to giving James a few extra minutes of rest, Brown used James, Hughes and Flip Murray together on the floor for the longest stretches since Hughes returned from a finger injury.
James was his usual self, getting to the basket whenever he wanted, especially against a team like the Hornets that is devoid of any true shot-blockers. He scored 32 points, but his streak of games with 35 points or more ended at nine.
Murray continued to show his offensive talent, mostly in the second half. He scored 17 of his 25 points after halftime and continued his laser-accurate shooting. He made 9-of-15 shots and is 29-of-42 over the last four games.
Hughes wasn't awe-inspiring, scoring six points with six rebounds, but he was mostly solid at the defensive end.
That trio combined to help the Cavs outscore the Hornets 29-12 in the third quarter, as they erased an 11-point halftime deficit.
The Cavs are one of the best in the NBA at keeping their opponents off the offensive boards, giving up the second fewest in the league coming in. But the Hornets were more active from the outset when chasing just about any loose ball.
They piled up 19 offensive rebounds, the most the Cavs have given up all season, and won the overall rebounding battle 49-35. Which is a big reason why they were able to take 10 more shots and stay in the game despite the Cavs shooting 54 percent and making 10-of-16 3-pointers. Donyell Marshall made four of them for 16 points.
Likely Rookie of the Year Chris Paul led the Hornets with 22 points, and he also pulled down eight rebounds as six different Hornets scored in double figures.
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