-
-
-
-
-
- CBB Front Page
- Scores
- Teams
-
Conferences
- Players
- Stats
- Standings
- Rankings
- Schedules
- Women's Tourney
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
Commentary, news, analysis and reader-driven discussions focusing on this year's NBA playoffs.
Good thing, otherwise his impressive 13-point, four-rebound effort in the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 91-87 Game 4 win in the Eastern Conference finals would have been as useless as the Cavs' third-quarter efforts throughout this series. But with a lot more help than most expected him to receive, James was able to pull Cleveland even with the Pistons at 2-2 with a win built on the backs of his oft-derided supporting cast. There was Daniel Gibson, scoring 21 points on a mere seven shots in providing Cleveland a more reliable scoring option than a hobbled Larry Hughes. Just as important, Gibson proved to be one of the few Cavs willing to take coach Mike Brown's plea to aggressively attack the basket to heart. You don't hit 12 of 12 from the free-throw stripe by bombing away from the perimeter. But you do by taking it into the teeth of a defense, even if it comes at the cost of a hard technical foul at the hands of Chris Webber. There was Drew Gooden, getting out to a fast start with 10 points and three rebounds in the first quarter before coming back to life with eight minutes left after he received a technical foul for wrestling with Rasheed Wallace. The Cavs followed suit, ripping off a 12-2 run to turn a 75-71 deficit into an 83-77 lead they never gave up. There was Donyell Marshall, hitting a 3-pointer and converting a nifty behind-the-back pass from James to keep Cleveland from completely falling off the cliff during an otherwise dreadful 15-point third quarter. There was even Eric Snow, who sat all night until being called on in the final two minutes, tracking down a loose ball rebound with less than 20 ticks left and hitting a free throw to keep the Pistons at bay. And there was Brown's defense, which held the Pistons to 41.3 percent shooting from the field. That defense also flustered Chauncey Billups into turning the ball over five times to two assists and Rasheed into annoyance -– and a subpar performance -- most of the night. If LeBron is able to build that kind of well-rounded construction crew on Thursday in Detroit, Cleveland has a good shot of repeating last year's Game 5 triumph. But the Cavs' lack of aggression for 12 minutes each night suggests a team that hopes more to squeak by than a team that knows it is superior. And while Detroit's rings and five straight conference finals appearances scream to that fact, the Pistons have yet to forge a lead bigger than five points in any game of this series. That suggests the gap isn't as great as most -– including the Pistons, themselves -- might have you believe, even if the difference is purely mental. Whether the Cavs believe that will tell the tale of this series.
posted by SI.com | View comments |
Comments:If Lebron can continue to get help from his teammates, they have a CHANCE to win this series - otherwise the Pistons depth and experience will eventually come through in the end as it did last year when Cleveland took a 3-2 lead.
If you look at it the Cavs could of swept the Pistons. Game 1, if Marshall had hit the 3, Game 2 if there was a foul called, Hughes makes an open 8 footer. and Game 3 and 4 are won.
BUT GO SPURS GO I think Detroit is the better team, but does anyone want to see another San Antonio Detroit series? Give me something interesting like Cleveland versus Phoenix, oh wait, David Stern stopped the Suns from winning game 5, the game that would have made the biggest impact in the series in Phoenix. I guess Tim Duncan can have another ring.
It's about time someone acknowledged how overrated the Pistons are. Their biggest lead in the series is 5 point? Oh, that's right, they aren't interested, they don't respect Cleveland, they aren't trying. Call me crazy, but maybe they just aren't as good as they - and much of the national media - think they are.
until they prove that they can win a road game, the Cavs are just entertaining. 2-2 is deceptive as Detroit still has the homecourt.
personally i am rooting for the cavs as a detroit/san antonio final is about as exciting as Dr. Phil modelling a speedo. I like to see Lebron and co win. LBJ is a classy guy and one freak of a basketball player. Shame that the baseketball we're watching is about as entertaining as paint drying....Spurs vs. Pistons - no thankyou, i'd rather watch off season curling. Thanks David Stern for knocking the Suns out
I would have loved to have seen Daniel Gibson (Junior), Lamarcus Aldridge (Junior) and P.J. Tucker (Senior) work with Kevin Durant, A.J. Abrams and D.J. Augustin at the U. of Texas this past year.
Go Cavs! What Cavs should do right now, just stay very focused and who knows? Game 4 was indeed very attractive.
As a pistons fan, what I am seeing from them is a lack of urgency, especially offensively. In the second half of game 4, they spent half the shot clock standing around, trying to get the ball into sheed or tayshaun and play one on one post up ball. The pistons are at their best when they are moving the ball, coming off screens, etc.
I dont think its a coincidence that detroit has dominated the 3rd quarter of every game. The pistons realize that they have to play well and go on a run to reestablish their presence, so they come out with a lot of energy and get the job done. Then, its almost as if they arent able to sustain the energy that got them to their 3rd quarter leads. THey resort back to their first half habits of playing one on one basketball, and attempting a lot of perimeter shots instead of attacking the paint Flip Saunders has to do a better job of making sure the movement in their offense is there on every possession. If this happens, they should be fine. Otherwise, each game will come down to the wire like the first four and the pistons will be fortunate to get by the cavs. And chauncey, for christs sakes, play better!! I agree that Detroit is probably the better team this year, but Lebron's Cavs aren't far off.
Oh, and I for one WOULD like to see another San Antonio/Detroit Finals - it was an incredible series the last time and I'm sure it will be again. To the (obvious) Suns fan who posted earlier: did you watch the '05 Finals? Tell me that 7th game wasn't incredible. The rest of the series was a joy to watch as well. Are you a basketball fan or JUST a Suns fan? I can't believe all of these comments about how a Spurs v. Pistons series is of no interest. I totally disagree. I can't think of a better series with exception to Suns v. Spurs again. We're only talking about the best two teams from each conference. Yes, I agree that watching the Suns vs. the Cavs would be entertaining, but is that what you want? Two teams sub-par teams that are entertaining. If that is the case you should stick with college basketball. The Suns v. Spurs was an awesome series but the NBA playoffs is not about behind the back passes its about grind it out basketball, a skill all the great teams have to acquire. The Suns are close but they have to get over the hump like the Pistons and Bulls did in the past. I say... "Bring on the Spurs v. Pistons series" I can't wait!
This is turning into a showdown that everyone wants to see but no one wants to admit. LeBron and company are completely equipped to dethrone and dominate the Pistons for the rest of the series. This series had come come down to a game of chess. On top of it all I'm glad I'm in Cleveland to see it all happen up close!
Is there anything better than watching Rasheed Wallace losing? This guy could have been an amazing talent, but has the maturity of a 3 year old. Go anyone other than Detroit!
Someone asked whether anyone would like to see another San Antonio Detroit series... OF COURSE!!! Would you prefer Utah - Cleveland???
Could have also been a 4-0 series if the Cavs would stop forgetting how to play basketball in the 3rd quarter. I don't think its as much as the media kissing up to Detroit, but not respecting the people that surround LBJ, they might not be big names but are still a solid team. They did have a nice winning record with Lebron this season!!!! GO CAVS/INDIANS
Its not like Cleveland plays a fascinating styel of basketball that has everyone glued to the television people. Mostly its watch LeBron then run down to the other side of the court or shoot an open jump shot. Its effective but even less enjoyable to watch than the Pistons.
Daniel Gibson must be John Stockton playing 20 years to get all of those home town calls. The refs were pretty bad last night. My question is the play where the ref called the mystery foul as Gibson drove the lane and they called the technical on Webber - It was a shooting foul somehow, so with continuation everyone has to stand there and watch? It was still a live play. I get that the whistle blew earlier that's why they called the tech. Also I think the cavs fans drugged Chauncey Billups like Foreman against Ali. What was he doing down the stretch last night?
Everyone in Cleveland knows that somehow they are going to get screwed. It is just a rite of passage in this city. The Drive against the Broncos, the choke by Jose Mesa. Cleveland has not had the oppurtunity nor the fan base to create this hype before. I hope they can break the curse of the city and bring their fans a world title but right now it seems very bleak.
P.S. When did Gund Arena become the Staples Center. Geraldo Rivera took the Jack Nicholson sunglasses trait a little to far. Wow, can the Suns fans please stop crying in every possible way.
After the game Billups' comments were so arrogant. Something along the lines of "they've brought their A-Game and we haven't. Our A-game and theirs are... different." Detroit needs to realize that maybe they aren't head and shoulders above everyone else, and maybe Cleveland's A-Game means that Detroit doesn't walk all over them. Cleveland plays tight D on them. It's a total lack of respect for their opponents that kills Detroit. The Cavs are definitely for real!
On a side note- I can't believe Suns fans are still crying. You lost. You would have lost even without the suspensions (remember, the series was 3-2 Spurs not including the "tainted" game). And if anything, the suspensions made the Suns play harder and made them more determined. Suns fans should be thanking Stern for making the Suns more competitive. Quit crying. Man up and admit you got beat by the better squad. I think it's hilarious that people on this blog are suggesting the news media overrates the Pistons. What are you watching? Detroit is notorious for getting major disrespect. Even after they won the championship a few years ago, everyone was saying how their offense is so weak they'll never do it again. Yet here they are, their fifth finals in a row, the same team (minus Big Ben), and still playing the same style of basketball. And when the media talks about how they're no match for teams like the Suns or Spurs, all I can think is, "No wonder Chauncey says things like that. I'd be pissed off, too."
Does it really matter who wins this series? Neither team can beat San Antonio. As for the Suns fans, Amare and Nash can have a front row seat at the ring presentation.
Cleveland fans need to calm down. I know its been sooo long since any of your teams have won anything, but the series is tied. All you have done is defend your homecourt. Until you knockoff the Pistons, you have accomplished nothing.
Great series now. As a T-wolves fan, I'd love to see Flip get a ring, but it's hard for me to root against a team that has never won one.
May the best team win. What a great series! These two teams are playing hard and giving the fans all they can handle. The defenses don't give much away and every basket has to be earned.
But the most exciting thing that the series has to offer is LeBron coming of age. He’s proving to be a leader and unwilling to accept anything less than a win. His hustle and desire might just be the deciding factor. My prediction is Cleveland in 6. Cleveland Rocks! Does it even matter? I'd like for the Cavs to win, but they won't go past the Spurs. Stern stole the series from the Suns, and that's why we're watching mediocre basketball that has us celebrating a 25 point performance. I haven't felt the excitement of that Suns series in many years. Now, its back to more of the same.
For the record, it was 2-2 Suns vs. Spurs, which left the Suns without 2 starters for game 5, which they eventually lost.
That series was and will forever be tainted. The suns probably could have held home court at that point... but now we'll never know. I will say this - If Cleveland can steal a game in Detroit they will win the series in 7. And if that does happen and they meet up with San Antonio in the Finals - they will beat them too. The Cavs were one of the only teams that could compete with the West this year and they are horribly underrated.
This series has gotten real interesting. The Cavs could have easily stolen one of the first two games in Detroit, but they didn't. The officials gave Detroit the calls in game 2 and gave Cleveland the calls in game 4. Let's hope they become neutral for the last 3 games, regardless of venue. LeBron's supporting cast actually stepped up last night, but they're too inconsitent to do it every night. If Boobie Gibson plays the way he did last night, the Cavs win in 6.
Why did Larry Hughes start last night? Because he sees his place being taken by the rookie. Go Daniel, go Daniel!!
If Hughes produced like Gibson the rook would be buried on the bench. thoughts, cavs fans? Being a Cleveland fan, I have to admit, I keep waiting for the inevitable choke, but this series has been interesting, if nothing else. For those that keep mentioning the Cavs taking the 3rd quarter off, you should have watched them all season. I don't know that they played 4 solid quarters all year. usually it was either the 2nd or 3rd period that they take their nap. Until lebron realizes that he must go all out for 4 solid quarters, it will be tough going for the Cavs. Lebron- learn from your teammate "Boobie" Gibson. Take the ball to the hole...PLEASE!! You would be scoring 8 - 12 more per night and this series would be over.
The Cavs in general are painful to watch. When they put it all together they can beat anyone in the league, Spurs included. They can run with the best running teams, and they can claw and fight with the bruisers like Detroit and Miami. The problem is they rarely put it all together and sustain it for a full game let alone an entire series. They just play and win ugly.
Detroit once again diplayed its lack of respect for Cleveland. They know that they can beat this team anytime they want. It's frustrating beacuse they won't beat the Spurs by showing up whenever they want to. If they were playing the Spurs in this series they would have been swept already, but they're not. They're playing the Cavs. A team whose second option is now Daniel Gibson, a rookie. Pistons will win in 6 if they want, probably in seven.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! I thought the Pistons would sweep...guess that"s why Cleveland did'nt hire me as their GM.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm really sick of everyone saying that the Cavs can't win this series. Detroit is not that much better of a team and these last two games haven't been that the Cavs beat the Pistons, it's the "Pistons aren't playing as well as they should". It's getting real old that the Cavs aren't getting credit where credit is due. This is the most hope Cleveland has had since 1997 for the city to have a sports team come close to a championship. Lay off people. Oh, and someone should tell Rasheed Wallace that his whining about everything and running his mouth makes him look just as bad as his playing in this series.
Detroit has been... well, I can't say surprisingly careless since the track record shows they don't always care, but Cleveland has been surprising.
Daniel Gibson could be for real if he starts next year like he is playing now. He could be Cleveland's Leandro Barbosa. Lebron might have finally found the player that Larry Hughes was supposed to be, capable 3 shooter, able to fill in when Lebron's resting, etc. SPURS AND PISTONS.... Zzzzzzzzz
Detoit = OVERRATED. Plain and simple. They are aging fast, and the new younger, stronger teams are passing them by. Should they pull out this series, and I stress SHOULD, all the energy spent attempting to stop Labron will simply make the Finals easier ont he western conference. The Cavs should have had the series wrapped up already. Good night detroit. The end is here.
I can't believe Piston's fans are resorting to blaming the officials. That's almost as lame as Rip's attempt to try and psych LeBron out at the free-throw line. The call people keep bringing up is how Gibson got to shoot free throws on a non shooting foul. Have you ever heard of being over the foul limit? Because at that moment in the game, Detroit was. I just don't know how so many people missed that.
Cleveland has just clearly been the better team thus far. Some people act like Detroit won 70 games. In reality they won 53, just 3 more then the Cavs did. While Detroit played well against Cleveland in the regular season, the playoffs are a whole different story. Detroit is INCREDIBLY fortunate that Cleveland has struggled not only in the 3rd quarter but finishing off games. Had they not faltered down the stretch (most of it being their own doing), they would have Detroit on ropes and almost out the door down 3-1. Cleveland just gave away game 2. Z missed a layup, Sasha travels, LeBron misses (although he was fouled several times) all of which occured in the final minute. It's now a short series......the type of situation where one player (LeBron) can completely take over. His teammates have helped him get to this point and if LeBron takes it to the next level (which could be mind boggling), Detroit is DONE. With Gibson and Pavlovic spreading the floor, Detroit has no answer for LeBron. If Cleveland continues to knock down perimeter shots, they WILL (not might) win this series. DE-TROIT BASKETBAAAAL
is overrated. Well, Seeing how this series could have gone. I think Improvement is the main focus of this Cleveland Team. They build and build, and if it isnt this year, I see more great scouting picks that will create more Gibson's and Sasha's, These guys have grown into thier own and it is due to the leadership In LBJ and Eric snow and even the man himself that has played with Jordan and Lebron James, Larry H. with that type of leadership, how can a team like the Cavs not be contenders for years to come.
I give the Cavs alot of credit. Even though Detroit is much deeper and experienced the Cavs are showing that fact that you can't have more than 5 guys on the floor at once. And they are gutting it out with the Pistons
Stop the "if the cavs ..." we could have won 4-0. A few "ifs" in games 3 & 4 could have the pistons sweeping as well. So now we are at 2-2 which is where it should be.
The best team will win this series. No flukes, no ifs, etc. Enjoy it for what it is. uh, i'm no suns fan, but they definitely got jobbed. they didn't have their squad on the floor during the most important game (5), the winner of which usually goes on to win the series. the spurs have the most notorious flopper in the game -- ginobili -- who was at it again in utah, running into fisher and then flailing his arms like he got hit by a truck. puh-leeze. that guy and those like him are ruining the game; it's terrible to watch.
How could you not want a Pistons-Spur Finals, I remember the last time, it was magical and incredilble even though the Pistons lost. A Spurs-Cleveland matchup would easily finish in a games, who wants to see a 4 game NBA Finals? And why do people think that the Cavs could have easily swept the Pistons, Marshall shouldn't be taking game-winning shots and LeBron was not fouled. I could make an argument that the Pistons shoud've won Game 4 because the officials were too lazy too sweep the florr and Billups slipped after he got a steal that could've dramatically changed the momentum of the game.
I'm a Pistons fan and I'm not one bit scared, I think Detroit will end this one in 6, and those two games were just wake-up calls, like the two with Chicago. Gooden and Variejo are two of the dirtiest players int he league. If Rasheed was grabbing other players' arms and locking them up like that, people woudl be outraged.
it's a dirty trick - and if you look at the call lebron bought earlier int he series, you will see him doing the same thing. They grab a player's arm, put their armunder his and then flail away as if they are the one being held. It cheap, dirty, and dangerous. first of all i would hate to see a series between the suns and cavs it would be a horrible series.that would be lebron versus no defense and the suns offense against a good defense.lebron would score 40 and the suns together would score 80.but to put all this cavs stuff to rest.the pistons are the better team.they have play so bad in the last 4 games and still have been within five of every game .al they need is 1 good game
go pistons Lebron is the most self centered person in the history of the game. Never once has he said this was a great team effort, and we pulled together and won. He always says I got help from MY team mates. The cavs have a winning percentage over .750 without him over the past three years. I don't think the Bulls did that well without Jordan, just a guess though
All these people saying they wanna see an interesting series and that the CLE/DET series is boring and the finals will be too cause SA plays a boring style...well, "boring" play gets you wins. Look at 3 of the final four teams - SA, CLE, and DET - all of them play great defense. That's what it takes to make it to the big dance and that's why all the high-octane offenses are sitting at home watching the rest of the playoffs. Sorry if you don't like "boring", but it's what wins titles.
A SA/CLE finals would be a 4 game sweep by SA? CLE beat SA both times in the regular season! They match up well against San Antonio. I'm not saying they'd win but I don't think it'd be a sweep! But then again you probably thought that this CLE/DET series would be a sweep also...
"David Stern stopped the Suns from winning game 5"
Jeez, Suns fans are STILL crying about that? The NBA is a star driven league and has been searching for "the next jordan" ever since he won his last championship. Casual fans want to see stars play well and win games so the NBA needs LeBron to get into the finals. The pistons and spurs are great teams but not many fans outside of detroit or san antonio will watch them play if it happens. Duncan is the only superstar out of those two teams and he is "Mr. Fundamental" so noone is going to tune in and watch that. Cavs in six against the whiny pistons and then spurs in six in the finals.
 |
Recent Posts
  |
||||
  |
|||||
Copyright © 2008 Time Inc.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.
