These Cleveland Cavaliers have quite the knack for the theatrical this season, as evidenced by a 115-109 victory over the New York Knicks Friday night.
Two days after another depressing defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets, the Cavs responded with authority in the surprising upset victory.
J.J. Hickson, Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison led the charge with 74 points and 36 rebounds as a trio in the fast-paced game. Neither team could play effective defense late, as the Cavaliers survived a furious comeback for their third win in five games.
For New York and recent acquisition Carmelo Anthony, it was a shocking fall to earth after a win over Milwaukee Thursday night. Check out more notes after the jump.
- In discussing Hickson, it was a quick return Friday night from his back-and-forth doghouse appearances this year. It has been much reported all season that he has occasionally been out of favor with head coach Byron Scott, and such was the case Wednesday against Houston. He scored just four points with three rebounds in 24 minutes against the Rockets, and was often exploited on the defensive glass.
But Scott said in his post-game comments that he had a feeling it could be a bounceback performance for the athletic 22-year-old, and that was exactly the case. Against Stoudamire’s lackadaisical defense, Hickson shined en route to his solid performance of 24 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high five blocks. It’s about as good as it goods for him in just his third season, and hopefully he can continue his recent solid play throughout the second half.
- Every day, I’m reminded of how Sessions could definitely be a long-term keeper for this rebuilding Cavs team. He contributed 22 points, four assists and a season-high eight rebounds Friday, and was a huge help despite his rough fourth quarter defense. He controlled the tempo and drove to the hoop at will against New York, and although that won’t happen every game, he has shown a lot of promise for just a 24-year-old.
- A very typical game for Jamison as he needed 25 shot attempts for his 28 points and 13 rebounds. There are not many teams besides the Knicks that would permit him to grab seven offensive boards, but that’s exactly what just happened. Down the stretch, he made several of his signature off-balanced shots in the paint to keep the Cavaliers alive, and he is proving his value as a high-volume scorer on a team in desperate need for offensive creativity.
- After the game, Scott gave Anthony Parker credit again for playing within his role on offense, and not forcing anything against the Knicks. He also said Sessions’ rebounding was key late in the game, and that he saw “great energy” throughout the entire arena. Scott seemed to be in a much more jovial mood than normal, and that’s to be expected after the team’s second straight win over New York at the Q this season.
- Speaking of the Knicks, this has to be a tough pill to swallow for those fans today. How do you explain a six-point loss to the Cavs after all the optimism that spread around the area following the Carmelo acquisition? Sure, Chauncey Billups flashed his “Mr. Big Shot” style with 18 points in the final period, and sure, Anthony and Stoudamire each produced at their normal rates, but this was a very bad loss for New York.
In his post-game comments, head coach Mike D’Antoni criticized his club for permitting way too many second-chance opportunities. He said his team came out prepared in the first half, but struggled with their emotional high after the break, allowing the Cavs to take a lead they would never surrender. He was also fairly straight-forward about what he feels is next for his recently rebuilt team.
“In the meantime, we have to play harder, and we have to understand that we have to win these games,” D’Antoni said. “And there is a learning curve, and you can’t get around it. And we know that, and it’s going to take us a little while.”
Not exactly the words that Knicks fans wanted to hear immediately after the Anthony trade, but that will have to settle for now. Over in Cleveland however, this was about as fun as it gets this season, so enjoy this victory before the next game at the Q against the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers Sunday night at 5 p.m.
(Photo above via AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
