One Goal: Cavs Win and Push Series Another Game
Cleveland won Thursday night, 112-102, sending the series back down to Florida for another contest.
LeBron James and the Cavaliers built on the team effort they showed in Tuesday's loss in Orlando, posting excellent efforts by Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Daniel Gibson. Even Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 16 points to go with six rebounds before he fouled out late in the fourth.
Which was well after Dwight Howard left the game, fouling out with a lot of time left on the clock.
James controlled the offense for Cleveland in the fourth quarter, scoring or assisting on as many as 32 straight points for the wine and gold. His drives opened up the shooters for Cleveland, and they were hitting tonight. So, it looks as if the cold streak the Cavaliers suffered through in the first two games is over. Hopefully, the hot streak will run for two more games. One contest at a time, though. Tonight, Cleveland kept the series alive, bringing it to 3-2 against.
LeBron and the Cavaliers worked as a unit. It's not time to go home yet. It's time to win. It's time to attack and become the ninth team to recover from a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series. All the pressure shifts to the Magic. The question remains whether Shaquille O'Neal is right and Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy will panic or not. I know Howard is coming close to getting canned for a game; he threw at least one elbow, possibly two. One was directed at Wally Szczerbiak's face, but didn't come near connecting. If he does that down in Orlando, it's an easy call for a flagrant two, immediate ejection and possible suspension in a seventh deciding game back in Cleveland if the Cavaliers win Saturday evening.
LeBron James and the Cavaliers built on the team effort they showed in Tuesday's loss in Orlando, posting excellent efforts by Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Daniel Gibson. Even Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 16 points to go with six rebounds before he fouled out late in the fourth.
Which was well after Dwight Howard left the game, fouling out with a lot of time left on the clock.
James controlled the offense for Cleveland in the fourth quarter, scoring or assisting on as many as 32 straight points for the wine and gold. His drives opened up the shooters for Cleveland, and they were hitting tonight. So, it looks as if the cold streak the Cavaliers suffered through in the first two games is over. Hopefully, the hot streak will run for two more games. One contest at a time, though. Tonight, Cleveland kept the series alive, bringing it to 3-2 against.
LeBron and the Cavaliers worked as a unit. It's not time to go home yet. It's time to win. It's time to attack and become the ninth team to recover from a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series. All the pressure shifts to the Magic. The question remains whether Shaquille O'Neal is right and Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy will panic or not. I know Howard is coming close to getting canned for a game; he threw at least one elbow, possibly two. One was directed at Wally Szczerbiak's face, but didn't come near connecting. If he does that down in Orlando, it's an easy call for a flagrant two, immediate ejection and possible suspension in a seventh deciding game back in Cleveland if the Cavaliers win Saturday evening.