WFNY Interviews Josh Cribbs
April 26, 2010A’s 11 Indians 0: The Weekend That Wasn’t
April 26, 2010
There was definitely some doubt as to which Cavs team we might see on Sunday: would it be the team that did just enough to earn victories in Games 1 and 2, or would it be the team that sleep-walked through Thursday night’s game only to wake up when it was almost too late and see a frantic comeback fall short? Or, we hoped, would it be the team that had gotten a splash of cold water on Thursday and would finally show us the dominance that earned them the best overall record in the league?
Through the first quarter and a good chunk of the second, it was hard to tell, though there was a moment (pic to the right) in which LeBron would give us a foretaste of what was to come with a slashing drive and thunderous dunk. The Bulls were hanging around, though the Cavs were holding them to a lower shooting percentage. The Cavs’ free-throw woes were evident again early, as they were only 5-for-13 at one point in the second quarter. It looked like the Cavs were going to struggle to get anything consistent going on either end of the floor. The teams were trading punches, in a sense, as each team had a few mini-runs in it. With 5:05 left in the second quarter, Luol Deng hit a jumper to give the Bulls a 43-40 lead. It was the last time the Bulls would really have anything to be excited about on this day.
The Cavs mustered a nice 10-3 run to pull back into the lead at 50-46 with about 2:20 left in the second quarter. It was at that point that things totally changed and ended for the Bulls. As bad as the free throws started, in what would be a microcosm of this game overall, there was a turning point: Mo Williams missed the front end, and took a long, long walk back to midcourt between foul shots. From that point on, the Cavs shot 20-for-21 from the stripe the rest of the way and finished 25-for-34 from the line (73.5%). And, likewise, from the point on, the Cavs never looked back.
After Mo’s second free throw was true, the Cavs blitzed the Bulls 11-6 in those final two minutes, capped by LeBron’s shot at the buzzer (of which there would be more…) to take a 62-52 lead into the half. The Cavs actually closed the half on a 22-9 run overall, but to my eyes, it was that moment where Mo took a stroll that seemed to make everything fall into place.
It only got worse for Chicago after the half. The Cavs came out playing the kind of defense we’ve been waiting to see all series.They held the Bulls scoreless for three minutes, pushing the lead to 69-52, which included a shot-clock violation for Chicago, a swatted Joakim Noah layup, an no other shots for Chicago from inside 14 feet. It wasn’t until four minutes into the quarter that Derek Rose finally got to the rack to end Chicago’s field goal drought. By that point, the Cavs were up 74-58, and would rip off the next five points to make it 79-58 and force a Bulls timeout. After a Joakim Noah tip in on their first possession after the TO, the defensive onslaught continued as the Cavs bumped another 7-2 run to push the lead to 24 at 86-62. The damage was done. The teams traded baskets, and the score sat at 96-76 after a Brad Miller technical free throw. Hakim Warrick clanked a three pointer with 4 seconds left in the quarter, and it looked as though the margin would be 20 heading into the final frame.
That is, until Delonte West chucked the ball to LeBron.
James sprinted to the half court line, pulled up with Derek Rose in his face, and calmly drilled a bomb from half-court at the buzzer. Mike Tirico exploded. I almost fell off my treadmill. The game was over. James stood expressionless at midcourt as his teammates mobbed him, as if to say to the Bulls and their fans: this is it. I own your court. There’s nothing you can do about it.
And there wasn’t. “Seeing him do that is always fun to watch,” Mo Williams said. “It takes a lot out of a team. We’re already up 20 and he’s hitting shots like that. You just sit back like an opponent and wonder what can we do.”
LeBron was an unstoppable force, scoring 37, pulling down 12 boards, and dishing 11 assists for his fifth career playoff triple-double. Thankfully, however, he was not a one-man wrecking crew on this day, as Antawn Jamison poured in 24 points and 7 rebounds, and suddenly-comfortable-as-third-banana Mo Williams added 19 points of his own. The only Cavs starter not in double-figures was Shaquille O’Neal with 6 points, as even Anthony Parker got into the act with 12 points. And finally, in a reversal of previous playing time exploits, JJ Hickson saw 17 minutes of action and contributed 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting and 4-of-4 from the stripe. But, the difference on Sunday was the defense.
The Cavs simply refused to let Chicago get ANYTHING at the rim in this game. With the exception of Noah (who, as much as I hate him, gets the nod for having a monster game with 21 points and 20 boards), the Bulls had nothing inside. And, the Cavs made sure that all of those open jumpers that were raining in on Thursday night from outside for Chicago were contested. The Cavs held the Bulls to 34-of-91 shooting (37.4%), including just 4-for-12 from three point range. The Cavs, conversely, shot 42-for-79 (53.2%) by managing to move the ball so much better in the context of their offense. It wasn’t just the LeBron show, as part of his triple-double included 11 assists; as a team, the Cavs had 21 assists.
That’s not to say everything was perfect: the Cavs still got out-rebounded for the game 49-to-41, including a staggering margin of 17-to-5 on the offensive glass for Chicago. In addition, after sitting LeBron and Jamison to start the fourth quarter, Mike Brown watched as his offense and defense let up. Nothing major, mind you, but the Cavs didn’t score for almost the first full three minutes of the quarter and stopped checking the Bulls as much on defense. Brown didn’t hesitate, going back to his two stars at the 9:25 mark with the lead trimmed to 99-80.
And, to drive his earlier assertion of ownership home, LeBron put the accelerator right back onto the floor, getting the Cavs’ defensive effort back to full-throttle and canning a bunch of dagger jump shots. By the time Brown finally took James out for Jamario Moon at the 4:58 mark, the game was over after a 14-8 spurt for the Cavs pushed the lead back to 113-88. Last one out of the gym, turn out the lights. As LeBron said, he loves Chicago but has no plans to go back there this season. And he played like it.
We all wondered whether Thursday night’s game was indicative of a bigger problem, or whether it might be the slap to the face the Cavs needed to get going. It would appear that—for at least one day, anyway—it was the latter. The storyline early on ABC was Antawn Jamison’s statement that, on the ride over to the arena, LeBron had “a look on his face that [Antawn had] never seen before.” ABC’s sideline reporter said she asked LeBron about it before hand, and “his eyes bored through [her]”.
The table had been set, and James did not disappoint: he looked like a player who absolutely wanted to put the Bulls team away as quickly as possible. It took the Cavs the greater part of a half to get going, but once they did they never looked back. Between the 5:05-remaining mark of the second quarter and the end of the third quarter, the Cavs were on a 59-33 run. The Cavs held the Bulls to just 46 points in the second half, and took control of the game by combining for 75 points in the second and third quarters themselves. The third quarter as a whole was a thing of beauty from start to finish, as Cleveland came out and simply said: “There is no way we are losing this game to you. None.” Joakim Noah summed it up afterward: “I just think we weren’t very tough mentally today. We were playing good ball and then just collapsed. We’re a young team and have to learn from this.” The Cavs looked mentally tough for the first time in the series, whether it was from the commitment to defense that put the game out of reach or even just the work to finish strong from the free-throw line and not let that issue continue to snowball.
Of LeBron, Mike Brown had this to say: “He was extremely active all over the place. He really set the tone defensively. He was terrific for us on the weak-side. He was great for us on the ball, and he talked defense the whole game.”
And James? “I’ve done some great things in the past, I’ll do some great things in the future,” he said. “But we’re in the present now, and I’m feeling pretty good.”
Indeed, LeBron. Hopefully the present can continue for awhile. As, on this day, the Cavs finally looked like legitimate title contenders.
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Photo Credits:
Dunk: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Half-court: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
40 Comments
This was FINALLY a game that looked like 1 vs. 8 seed.
Yes, the difference was the defense.
Which is to say, the difference today was that Zydrunas Ilgauskas didn’t play.
It doesn’t matter if Hickson gets a lot of minutes…it just matters that Z doesn’t play.
We knew going into this game it would tell us something about the Cavs. Another close win would not be a good sign. They needed to play like a championship caliber squad. They did that. They still can play a little better but you can’t argue with the fact that this team is so much better than last years because of the depth and great play from Jamison. If they play defense, hit free throws and can get some solid performances out of the Shaqken we are headed back to the finals.
The biggest issue they still need to shore up against Chicago is the glass, especially the Bulls’ offensive rebounding. They got something like 24 second-chance points. Imagine if the Cavs cut even that in half what the score would have looked like.
Well, it would have looked like 121-86.
Now this was a fun game to watch. The offense in the thrid quarter was beautiful. Quick passes, guys moving without the ball, easy layups and open jumpers, everyone involved…
Lebron’s half court flip shot at the buzzer got all the attention (rightfully so) but it truly was a collective effort that put the game out of reach.
This Cavs team is scary when they play like that. Hope they continue to do so.
@#5: Am I crazy, or is that a lot of gum?
Shaq is still troubling me. He’s been collecting fouls too quickly and is still not producing in the paint against a much smaller opponent. Yesterday was a quality win but there are areas we need to continue to improve heading into round two (hopefully).
Also, it was nice to see this team FINALLY tear this team apart and not relent. Outside of the Magic the biggest obstacle for the cavs is still themselves. I’d love for the team to be able to find a way to keep that ‘effort’ switch turned on till June.
“The game was over. James stood expressionless at midcourt as his teammates mobbed him, as if to say to the Bulls and their fans: this is it. I own your court. There’s nothing you can do about it.” Great stuff!
Glad the Cavs decided to show up for this game. If they are able to keep up this intensity, there is no other team in the NBA that can beat them. IF they are able to…
I haven’t been able to watch the games as closely as I’ve wanted to so this may be a dumb question – what has happened to Andy? It seems as if he has been destroyed by Noah.
I will say this about Shaq: his offense is still not there, but his defense in the third quarter was definitely part of what helped the Cavs pull away. He got a lot of rebounds and definitely helped them seal down the paint.
@DP – It tastes a bit Lo Meiny
fun game to watch, especially Hickson’s block on Noah (yes, he was whistled for the foul, but I don’t care)… go CAVS!
Next time you’re in a gym, run over the half court line and shoot a jump shot, and see how far the ball goes. That was a jump shot. Dude is strong.
Ex Chicago deejay Steve Dahl was saying on his facebook that LeBron was seen out at a club at 3am the night before. I’m glad I haven’t read this elsewhere. (I don’t go to ybf.com from work.)The legend grows.
Was actually hoping Cavs would lose a game to Chi to snap them out of it. It’s natural that after sitting/rusting the last two weeks and not taking the Bulls too seriously, they were going to need a little wake up slap. The JJ v. Z thing should not be a huge factor against this tea. We are way, way better and deeper.
Lest we just blame Mike Brown for the laid back attitude, check out where the Lakers find themselves in the west against the #8. Whether Kobe’s hurting or not, they have way more talent than OK.
@ ToT – That explains the ‘eerie look’ and ‘focus’ that LeBron had. Whenever I try to not puke becuz of a hangover, I have to focus too.
Hickson vs. Z is always a big deal.
You can’t sustain runs when Z is on the floor. It’s an even more ridiculous invite for Rose to go rim-diving.
Z on defense right now is the equivalent of a standard step-ladder.
Yes, yes, we shall all try a piece and tell you how delicious it is.
Kind of ironic that every time I watch the Cavs I’m screaming ‘Serenity Now’ !
Where’s the chip on their shoulder ? Shouldn’t they be out for blood after their early departure last season ? I mean, besides Lebron.
@Denny I love how abc made a huge deal of Antawn’s statement…then Lebron promptly came out dribbled off his foot out of bounds and nearly handed the ball to the bulls on the next offensive possession….he finished strong though 🙂
The Cavs are done messing around. The Bulls are scrappy but the Cavs are dominant and have much better depth. The series is over tomorrow night. Bring on the Celtics!
One of my neighbors hates Lebron. A lot. But his quote for this game was, “You know why I hate Lebron? Because he makes every other guy on the court look like boys playing against 1 full grown man.” Um, to me, that’s one helluva compliment, hater. ;0)
*breathes a little sigh of relief*
I was in Nashville all weekend and have a hard time catching up on everyone’s thoughts and opinions.
But doesn’t anyone think that it’s a HUGE deal that the first game we looked dominant was the first game Z didn’t play?
Anyone? Bueller?
@Jack, please stop blaming the outcome of games on someone who’s averaging less than 10min of burn a game, while pushing your own propaganda.
@ Jack – so railing against Z’s minutes is the new “WHY ISN’T JJ PLAYING?” meme? Cool.
I can’t really fault the difference in offensive rebounding. After all, the bulls were throwing up bricks all night. Of course they had more chances to grab offensive rebounds.
Personally, I’m more concerned about shaq. He just seems to be showing a little rust.
@Swig – It’s not propaganda. I respect the opinions of most the people here and was interested in whether or not people thought this was a big deal, which it definitely is.
In the Cavs two worst games (2 & 3), Z did the following:
2: 16 minutes, 4 reb, 3 pts, 2 blks w/ two of those rebounds coming off tippy offensive rebounds.
3: he’s on the floor 5 minutes and posts a -8.
It’s not propaganda at all. Can we all stop pretending it’s how Lebron “looks” before games…like he was just coming down from Mt Sinai. Can we stop pretending that it’s just the Cavs upping their level of “focus” and “energy.”
Sure, that has something to do with it. But so does the ability to make little runs to end quarters and when LBJ isn’t on the floor. Which is the time when Z was on the floor. Which is the time Chicago would foil our attempts to establish momentum.
For comparison’s sake, in JJ’s 16-17 minute game he put up 10 points while getting to the line 4 times and not having people rub by him on defense as if he weren’t there at all.
Why does everyone think this is just a coincidence?
@Denny – Confused by the hostility (or perceived hostility). Regardless of how much we can make fun of ourselves/each other for “panic” re: JJ Hickson’s absence from the rotation in favor of a player who is not merely a neutral force but a negative one on the floor, it remains a real issue. And I don’t think we can discount the overwhelming value of no Z in the paint and an energized JJ Hickson at least getting in people’s way once in a while. I don’t think our drubbing of the Bulls in game 4 can be attributed just to increased focus. Those little chunks of minutes help keep runs alive, help establish momentum, as opposed to letting it fall back to the other team. This is happening elsewhere in the playoffs too, like the Thunder removing Kristic down the stretch, or when the Celts buried the Heat because Glen Davis, being able to move laterally and up and down the floor happened to be way more productive than KG.
Let’s face it, Z is valuable against one player, and one player only: Pau Gasol.
And I, and maybe only I for one-uno-solo-tothepointofbeingsnubbed, really want to watch Cavs playoff games and not Zydrunas on the floor.
@Jack, to quote some dude from the Flintstones: “CAN IT, FROGMOUTH.”
Thanks, Karsten!
Z is good. Can’t wait for him to get on the floor.
JJ.
@#2/#16,
Yes, yes, we get it, you dont like Z… noted. Unfortunately for you, bashing him like that just shows how little you apparently know about the game (yes, even with your NBA JAM! icon, although it almost sold me!) Z is a much needed piece to this championship puzzle, period.
Not sure if you noticed, but we didnt exactly playe great while he was out… and while some of it can be attributed to getting used to Tawn, and some an emotional letdown, the fact is, he is a valuable big who can play D and can keep teams more than honest because of how well he shoots the ball, current slump not withstanding. JJ is younger, and hes quicker-he also cant shoot as well as Z from distance, and doesnt have the veteran ‘savvy’ that Z does.
-Scott
So, keep chastising him if you want, but at the end of the day, I guarantee you Z will contribute and be a difference maker (in a POSITIVE WAY) before its all said and done. Lets not forget, each matchup is different…and just because hes not ideal for one, doesnt mean he isnt ideal for another.
And if you think Z was the root cause of our lackadaisical play as of late, or the loss we suffered, I’ve got some swamp land on the Haitian border to sell you.
To DP-Very well written and could not agree more. I have a feeling game 5’s going to be something bordering an annihilation of da Bulls.
Jack
You should have written a haiku.
Could you imagine the press it would be getting if the turnover LBJ had because of all of the bracelets he is wearing were to happen down the stretch of a close game? All that BS these guys wear, as well as the “out of the mouth” mouthguards will drive a man nuts!!!
Needless to say, powerful, series altering win the Cavs needed!
@Scott – No one is chastising Z. I respect Z. I respect what he brings to the team in terms of savvy, knowledge, experience, etc.
And I never said Z was worthless. I do, however, think that, of hte remaining playoff teams that we could face (i.e., Boston, Orlando, whoever comes out of the West), that Z is only valuable against the LA Lakers. I think that he is the best defender of Pau Gasol in the NBA (which I’ve already stated). You may disagree, and because I respect the opinions y’allz throw out there, I’d be interested to hear which ones you think Z might help with.
I don’t dislike Z at all. I just think that he hurts us more than he helps in most matchups.
I’m not sure how my suggesting that Z is a liability in this series (against a team with a super quick point guard with a rapidly improving mid-range stop-n-pop that exploits lumbering centers with no jumping and/or close-out ability more so than any other weapon could) reflects my lack of knowledge of the game. In fact, I think I have a pretty decent knowledge of the game and it’s mechanics. And I’m really not sure in which matchups you think the is a better option than Hickson.
And, for the record, Scott:
1) I wasn’t being sarcastic about hearing which matchups you think Z would help with. There is always the distinct possibility that I’m overlooking something.
2) Yes, I think that our playing bad without Z had next to nothing to do with Z’s absence because the defensive end is where is the biggest liability.
3) I do think the veteran savvy can be really overrated, especially in a league in which athleticism has reached a fever-pitch. I mean, look at what OKC is doing to the Lakers. Look at what the Celts can do with some fresher bodies. Watch Jason Kidd disappear against George Hill. Watch Stephen Jackson’s team get handled by a bunch of young bloodz. Watch rookie Brandon Jennings make Mike Bibby look silly. There are young players that are making plays all over this NBA tourney against veteran stars–Blair v. Dirk, Westbrook v. Fisher, Ibaka v Gasol, et al.
Before the Jack-hate spiral touched down, all I meant to convey was my surprise that people weren’t interested in the Z-less result since I hadn’t been following WFNY for some time, and that I felt very strongly that we had reached the point of diminishing returns on Z…so much so that the Cavs improved energy just might have something more to do with playing a guy with energy to a fault for 17 minutes than people were suggesting, which for Justin was “nothing.”
Jack, Z is basically Brad Miller. If the only assignment is one-on-one, Z and Miller can just stand 17 feet from the hoop on both ends and trade non-jumpshots since they won’t get the ball.
Of course, the assignment isn’t one-on-one in most conceivable situations. Z can be useful when Orlando goes Gortat + Howard, as we saw earlier this year, but that’s another unlikely scenario.
Jack I didn’t fully grasp what you are saying. Expand with a longer post for all of us.
@ PGP – YEA, AND WHAT’S WITH THE CRAZY SHORTS ATHLETES THESE DAYS WEAR?! #getoffmylawn
“Jack, Z is basically Brad Miller.”
Sorry, once you posted that craziness, there was really no need to read anything beyond it.
I wish Z had a Scrappy Doo tattoo :/
Scott @ 37
You had me at “hello.”
@Scott
Luckily, there was nothing worth reading beyond that. Except maybe the next sentence.
Seriously, who doesn’t want to see two 7′ unathletic white guys standing 17′ from the basket on both ends, preventing each other from…not moving?