Fear The Sword

Antawn Jamison out tonight, Leon Powe gets the start

2010-03-12T18:58:39Z

Cavaliers F Antawn Jamison is out of tonight's game against the 76'ers after not travelling with the team. Leon Powe will get his first start at PF. The Cavaliers are still listing Jamison as Day-to-Day with left knee stiffness. Jamison had hoped to play tonight, but has stated he would be ready to go for Sunday's afternoon game against the Celtics at The Q.

If I had to play, if it were the playoffs, I could have played. The ankle wasn't that bad. ...

2010-03-12T15:17:20Z

If I had to play, if it were the playoffs, I could have played. The ankle wasn't that bad. Looking back on it, it was the right decision to give the injuries I had some rest. I needed to take some time off to help my body. It's not often you can look at the schedule and get a week off and miss only two games. We took advantage of it. I got a lot of treatment and exercise to where I can definitely close out the season. It's a blessing at this point in the season. We had only two games in a week. I took advantage of it, and Coach allowed me to do it.

LeBron James endorses Mike Brown's decision to give him some rest

Peripheral Vision - Friday's NBA games to watch

2010-03-12T14:08:47Z

Finally, the Cavaliers are back in action. Tonight we head to Philadelphia and take on a Sixers team that is either flailing or simply surrendered. Philly has lost 7 of their last 8 games, and none of those losses were even close. Meanwhile, the Cavs have won 20 of their last 24 games.

LeBron James is expected to return to action tonight....and one has to ask, if it was truly rest that James needed, then his status would not be in question, would it? No word yet on whether or not Antawn Jamison will be back, but all signs point to a Sunday start for AJ.

Aside from the obvious Cavs game to watch tonight, there's a full slate of games that will have some impact on us. Let's take a look;

Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns, 9pm EST
The Lakers needed a last-second shot to prevent a four-game losing streak in their most recent game, and they didn't look at all like the defending champs in doing so. Will they rebound properly in time to grab home court advantage from the Cavs? They're 3 games back of us....but maybe they should focus more on how to hold off the Dallas Mavericks, who are only 2.5 games back in the race for the West. Phoenix is 24-8 at home, and the Lakers have their hands full in a game they desperately need.

Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics, 730pm EST
Boston is still falling apart, and it's grown into a long-term issue. Since Christmas Day, the Celtics are 17-18. That's nearly a half-season of below-.500 basketball. At this point, they're testing the theory of a division champion NOT having home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They're in fourth place, but are only six games ahead of fifth-seed Milwaukee. Normally, that's a safe lead, but the Bucks have gained four games on Boston in the last two weeks. If both teams continue their respective levels of play, the Celtics might find themselves atop the Atlantic Division, but playing on the road the first series in the Eastern Playoffs. Meanwhile, Indiana sucks. If Boston loses at home to them.....well, you know.

Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat News, 730pm EST
The Bulls have lost 6 in a row, and their lineup is depleted. Last night, they were destroyed by Orlando and cannot be looking forward to playing again tonight. If Miami wins this game, they'll have a 2.5 game lead for that final spot in the playoffs. It could be over for Chicago if they drop this one, and the rest of the season will be about lining up the seeds.

Utah Jazz at Milwaukee Bucks, 830pm EST
This is the big test for the Bucks. They've been kicking butt for the better part of three weeks and are tightening their grip on the 5th seed (and possibly climbing). Are they for real? Utah will help us find out. The Jazz are only 4.5 games out of first place in the West and have won four straight. This might be the best game of the entire night.

Los Angeles Clippers at Charlotte Bobcats, 7pm EST
Charlotte is winning games at the right time of the season, having pulled four straight together. They are tied for 6th place in the East (a 3-way tie with Toronto and Miami) and are in position to make the postseason for the first time since who really knows. With the Clippers playing like they normally do in March, expect a fifth straight win for the Bobcats.

Peripheral Vision - Thursday's NBA Action

2010-03-11T15:37:59Z

OK, I know that the rest is good for LeBron and Antawn, but three days without Cavalier basketball is killing me!

Keeping an eye on our closest competition tonight....only two games worth noting.

Chicago at Orlando Magic, 8pm EST
Two teams headed in opposite directions. The Magic have won 6 in a row and are solidifying their #2 seed in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Chicago has dropped their last 5 games and are a full game out of the playoffs. If they don't turn it around fast, they're finished. They won't turn it around tonight. Maybe Sunday against Miami?

Atlanta at Washington, 7pm EST
Atlanta has been an afterthought all season, despite posting an excellent record. A win tonight puts them in sole possession of the 3 seed in the East. Boston's failures will be Atlanta's bonus, if they can beat the new-look Wizards.

I don't expect to see an upset in either of these games. In fact, I think Atlanta and Orlando are on a collision course for the second round of the playoffs.

Peripheral Vision - Wednesday's NBA Action

2010-03-10T17:01:06Z

There are only a small handful of games that even remotely impact the Cavaliers today. Our lead in the pertinent races are safe tonight, as no team within several fathoms of us will be playing. But there's still something to focus on, especially regarding our initial opposition in the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Memphis at Boston, 730pm EST - The Celtics are reeling and there's little hope in sight for the time being. They're coming off a hard loss in Milwaukee last night, and now they have to face a Memphis team that is battling hard for a playoff berth in the West. The Grizzlies are four games behind Portland for the 8th spot in the West, and they know every game is crucial at this point. Playing a tired and aging Boston team on the 2nd night of a back-to-back might just be helpful to them.

Charlotte at Philadelphia, 7pm EST - Charlotte's win last night boosted them up into the 7th spot in the East, but they are aware that a loss tonight might drop them right back into 9th. They have their eyes on the #5 spot and they just might get it. The Sixers have dropped six of their last seven games and appear to be running out their season...five of those 6 losses were double-digit defeats.

L.A. Clippers at Miami, 730pm EST - The Clippers lost by 26 points, then fired their head coach last night. Miami slipped into the 8th spot last night and have lost Rafer Alston for an undetermined period of time (for personal reasons). This game might come down to "who wants to win it less".

Toronto at Sacramento, 10pm EST - The Raptors used to have a firm grip on a playoff spot. 6 losses in 7 games have loosened that grip. They're falling apart and need a boost immediately. Playing the Kings might be that boost. Toronto is in the 6th slot in the East, but they're only 1.5 games ahead of 9th place Chicago. By the time their west coast road trip is over, they might find themselves on the outside in this race.

Cavs Players to Exchange Autographs for Children's Books

2010-03-10T14:06:07Z

Cavaliers players Daniel Gibson, J.J. Hickson, Leon Powe and Cavs Legend Austin Carr will sign autographs for fans who donate a new children's book to benefit the Cavs Read to Achieve program this Saturday, March 13^th at Dick's Sporting Goods in Legacy Village. Through Read to Achieve, the Cleveland Cavaliers will distribute over 5,000 donated books to schools and students in the northeast Ohio community throughout the 2009-10 school year.

There will be TWO autograph sessions located in front of the store's rock wall -

Gibson and Hickson will sign from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Powe and Carr will sign from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Dick's Sporting Goods is located at 24545 Cedar Rd., Lyndhurst, OH 44124.

Clippers dump Dunleavy, Hope for LeBron

2010-03-10T13:20:27Z

Clippers dump Dunleavy, Hope for LeBron

The Clippers, according to another source within the organization, are hoping to persuade James to come if he also can pick his coach, and possibly his general manager.

Cavaliers officially clinch playoff berth

2010-03-10T02:22:36Z

It was rarely in doubt, but at least it's now official. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to the playoffs.

The Miami Heat have just lost to Charlotte 83-78, which was the clincher for the wine and gold. Cleveland can finish no worse than 50-32, Miami can finish no better than 50-32. We hold the tiebreaker, so we're in.

Now let's get that #1 seed.

Peripheral Vision - Tuesday Night's NBA Action

2010-03-10T00:28:13Z

BIG win last night for the short-handed Cavaliers. It saves us a lot of worrying down the road, especially in the race for home-court advantage.

We here at FTS are keeping our eyes all over the league, watching the races that are important to the Cleveland Cavaliers, both in the race for top seed and to see who will earn the 8th seed and become our first-round opponent. Tonight, there's a LOT of action that will shuffle things around in our world.

First, let's look at the race for the best record in both the Eastern Conference and the NBA

TEAM	W	L	GB
Cleveland	50	15	---
Orlando	44	20	5.5
Boston	40	21	8.0
Atlanta	40	23	9.0

This race is nearly over, but anything can happen in this league, so we should take a look over our shoulder and see what's happening behind us. here's the relevant games;

L.A. Clippers at Orlando, 7pm EST - The Magic are too good to overlook the Clippers, but this game is still a trap game for them. They've managed to get through a tough stretch, and you never know if they'll relax for a lightweight. I say no, but let's watch anyway.

Boston at Milwaukee, 8pm EST - The Bucks are one of the two or three hottest teams at the moment, and the Celtics are struggling to stay relevant among the elite teams in the NBA. If the Bucks pull off the win, it will go a long way towards their confidence heading into the playoffs, which they will surely be a part of this season.

As for the NBA lead?

TEAM	W	L	GB
Cleveland	50	15	---
L.A. Lakers	46	18	3.5

The tiebreaker falling for the Cavaliers is making this race a lot more distant than it seems. L.A. is going to have to win at least 16 of their final 18 games if they want to pass us. But they should focus more on Dallas, who is sneaking up on them right now.

Toronto at L.A. Lakers, 1030pm EST - The Lake Show is reeling from 3 straight losses, and a balanced Raptors team might not be their cure. Toronto is batting for the fifth seed in the East and will not take this game lightly. they NEED the win, as do the Lakers. This might be the best game of the night.

As for our potential first-round opponents? Here's the race for the lower half of the Eastern bracket, starting with the 5th seed, working down to the 9th.

TEAM	W	L	GB
Milwaukee	33	29	15.5
Toronto	32	29	16.0
Miami	32	31	17.0
Chicago	31	31	17.5
Charlotte	30	31	18.0

2.5 games separate the 5 from the 9. There's no predicting this one, but one of the above five teams is getting left out. That should make for an exciting close to the season. Here's the important games for this evening, aside from the Toronto/LA and Milwaukee/Boston games listed above.

Miami at Charlotte, 7pm EST - If the Bobcats win, they're back in the top 8. If Miami wins, they pull a little further away from that dreaded 9th position. Playoff atmosphere, indeed!

Utah at Chicago, 8pm EST - Another killer game. Utah is smack in the middle of a race, only 5 games back of the Lakers, with several teams trailing just behind them. Chicago is trying to stay afloat, on a 4-game skid and fading fast in the race for April. If the Bulls win, they may save their season. Fall, and the lights begin to dim ever so slightly.

There it is, folks. You're all dispatched to your TV sets now. Go have fun.

Oh, and by the way. If Charlotte beats Miami tonight, there will be a little "x" next to the Cavaliers name in the standings tomorrow. We will have officially clinched a playoff berth with a Heat loss.

An Open Letter To Mo Williams

2010-03-09T14:15:34Z

We here at Fear The Sword would like to start off by congratulating you on a beautiful game against San Antonio. 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists are the numbers that everybody hoped you'd come up with, and you didn't disappoint any of us. You started off strong and you finished strong. You played like the All-Star point guard that we want you to.

But it's not enough. You have to do it again. And again.

It's no secret that a large percentage of Cavalier fans pinned the loss to Milwaukee on you. 3-for-17 from the field was indeed the blinding statistic of the night. Within hours of that loss, you did the right thing....you apologized to your fans via Twitter, and you owned that loss like a man. The apology was exactly what we needed to hear from you;

I apologize to all my fans and Cavs fans for a shitty performance to say the least. I will get past this a get better, stay with me pls

Speaking on behalf of Cavalier fans, we accept your apology under one condition;

You make yourself accountable for 28 points every game, through both scoring and assists combined.

If you want to break that up evenly and get 14 points/7 assists, that's cool. We don't care if you score 0 and have 14 assists. Have a monster night and get all 28 by yourself. It doesn't matter. Just have 28 points on that scoreboard as a result of your able hands, sir.

Against San Antonio, you were accountable for 35 points. You scored 17 points and you had 8 assists for another 18 points (two of your assists were on three-pointers). Again, thank you Mo Williams. That's how you follow up the perfect apology, by eliminating the behavior that forced the apology in the first place.

Now go do it again, please.

I guarantee you, Mo. If you give us 28 a night, there will be a championship for the city of Cleveland. We've been dreaming of that for our entire lives, and if you give it to us, you will never again have to apologize to us for anything.

Thank you, sir. Go Cavs!

Minus LeBron, Shaq and Antawn Jamison, Cavaliers defeat Spurs 97-95

2010-03-09T02:51:04Z

More photos » Ron Schwane - AP

3 days ago: Cleveland Cavaliers' Mo Williams, right, brings the ball up against San Antonio Spurs' George Hill during the first quarter in an NBA basketball game Monday, March 8, 2010, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

Browse more photos »

The Cavaliers were getting killed by Manu Ginobili all night long, but the Argentinian sharpshooter came up inches short when it counted the most, as the Cavaliers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 97-95.

With 14 seconds to play and Cleveland leading by three points, Ginobili stepped behind the three point line and buried the shot, seemingly tying the game up. However, the officiating crew called for an immediate review, and replays showed that Manu's toe was on the line. The shot was declared a two-pointer and the Cavs maintained a one-point lead. Free throws down the stretch finished the job as the Cavs won their 50th game of the season.

The Cavs won the game without their top three scorers against a veteran squad. LeBron James sat out the game, resting up. Shaquille O'Neal is still out with his thumb injury. And in the second quarter, Antawn Jamison went to the locker room with tightness in his leg and sat out the rest of the game.

Mo Williams picked up the slack that he failed to do Saturday night, as the PG atoned for his horrible game against Milwaukee. Mo apologized via Twitter after that 3-14 shooting performance, and he lived up to his apology, burying 17 points to go with his 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Five other Cavs scored double-digits, led by Jamison (17). Delonte West added 16, Jawad Williams 13, J.J. Hickson 12, and Anderson Varejao 11.

San Antonio was mostly carried by Ginobili (38 points) and George Hill, who added 23. San Antonio hit 10 3-pointers on the night, but missed their last four long-range jumpers as time ran out on them.

Cleveland now has a 5.5 game lead on Orlando for the eastern Conference lead, and a 3.5 game lead on L.A. for the NBA's best record. Home court advantage seems to be locked up at this point.

The Cavaliers needed a fast start, and it looked like they would be denied, as Manu Ginobili was on fire from the get-go. Ginobili scored 10 of the Spurs first 12 points and was virtually unguardable while he was on the floor. However, an 11-2 run sparked by Mo Williams brought the Cavs back into the game.

The Cavs used their speed and 63 percent shooting in the quarter to build a six-point lead late in the quarter, and led 28-26 after the period. A balanced attack didn't hurt either, as six different Cavaliers made it into the scoring column.

Throughout the second quarter, the game was a back-and-forth battle. Ginobili finished the half with 23 points on 7-11 shooting, including 4 of 5 from long range. Neither team led by more than six points, and halftime began with a three-point San Antonio lead, 52-49.

Mo Williams kept his strong performance going in the third quarter, and he was joined by Jawad Williams. Jawad Williams scored 8 straight points during a two-minute stretch, but they couldn't quite retake the lead. Occasional cold shooting by the Cavs allowed the Spurs to keep the game at arms' length, as San Antonio led by four at the start of the fourth quarter, 76-72

In the fourth quarter, the game had the feel as if it would maintain the back-and-forth-but-the-Spurs-stay-on-top aura to it. Mo Willaims and West's energy would have none of that. Time and time again, the duo made the plays necessary to overcome San Antonio's distance shooting.

With 52 seconds to play, West anticipated a pass to Ginobili on the right wing and cut off the passing lane for a key turnover. That play, along with the reviewed three-pointer, was the play of the night.

The Cavs have three nights off to rest the wounded, before taking on Philadelphia Friday night. LeBron is expected to start that game.

Game #65 - San Antonio Spurs at Cleveland Cavaliers Game Night Open Thread

2010-03-08T23:30:20Z

2009/2010 NBA Regular Season
	VS
36-24		49-15
March 8, 2010
Quicken Loans Arena
7:00 PM et
Radio - WTAM 1100 / FSOhio
Probable starters:
George Hill	PG	Mo Williams
Roger Mason	SG	Anthony Parker
Keith Bogans	SF	Jawad Williams
Tim Duncan	PF	Antawn Jamison
Antonio McDyess	C	J.J. Hickson

The Cavaliers are in full playoff prep mode. They sat LeBron James in Milwaukee on Saturday night to give his aching body a rest and by the sounds of Mike Brown earlier today that are likely to do it again tonight. That would give LeBron a full week's worth of rest, well deserved and much needed this time of year. James did not participate in the team's shoot-around this morning, another indication he will likely take the night off.

All that said, the Cavaliers didn't lose to Milwaukee because LeBron James was in jeans on the bench. Antawn Jamison(30 points) and Delonte West(27 points) more than made up for James' absence. It was the rest of the team combining for just 28 points that did the Cavs in. Sure, it is a lot easier with James in the lineup, but the Cavaliers have good enough players - I'm talking to you Mo Williams - to be able to win a game without him. Too bad it hasn't happened in three seasons - the Cavs are 0-7 without James the past 3 years.

3-in the Key

1. At 49-15 (.766), Cleveland owns the NBA's best record and leads the league with highest point differential at +7.2. The team is 23-7 (.767) in 2010, which is the best mark in that span. With a win versus San Antonio, the Cavaliers will become the NBA's first team to win 50 games this season.

2. With 10 of the team's remaining 18 games at The Q, the Cavaliers own the NBA's best home record at 27-4 (.871). The Cavs have won 25 of their last 27 home games and are averaging 105.7 points on .515 shooting, while holding their opponents to just 95.1 points on .439 shooting during that span. This season, Cleveland has had two streaks of double-digit home winning streaks after winning 11 straight games at The Q from Nov. 14 - Dec. 30 and Jan. 6 - Feb. 11.

3. Since the start of the 2008-09 season, the Cavaliers are 66-6 (.917) at home, which is also an NBA-best. After having the best home record last season at 39-2 (.951), the team is trying to hold the best home record in consecutive seasons for only the 14th time in NBA history and seventh time (5 teams) in the last 35 years: (Boston Celtics (twice): 1985-86 & 1986-87 & 1987-88, Utah Jazz - 1990-91 & 1991-92, Chicago Bulls - 1995-96 & 1996-97, Sacramento Kings (twice): 2000-01 & 2001-02 & 2002-03).

REPORT: Danny Ferry in line for promotion, become Cavs President

2010-03-08T18:51:59Z

A small little nugget from Peter Vecsey at the New York Post -

Sources say plans are advanced to re-sign Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry and promote him to team president. Assistant GM Chris Grant will be elevated to the top spot.

With all the LeBron James stuff, it has been easily forgotten that Ferry is in the last year of his deal. There have been rumors on and off that the Cavaliers and Ferry have been in discussions on a new deal and that some kind of promotion would be involved.

The move described by Vecsey seems like a no-brainer to me, and provides even further the stability that all successful franchises need.

If he fights me hard enough, maybe I'll let him play. But I think this is an opportune time for him...

2010-03-08T17:29:58Z

If he fights me hard enough, maybe I'll let him play. But I think this is an opportune time for him to get some rest. I think it will do him and his body well to sit.

Mike Brown talks about LeBron

Jawad Williams better be ready to play again tonight!

LeBron's status unknown, Daniel Gibson returns

2010-03-08T16:26:07Z

LeBron James is being labeled a 'Game-Time' decision by Mike Brown for tonight's matchup with the Spurs at The Q. James missed Saturday's game in Milwaukee in what was described as a "Coach's Decision', though watching LeBron try and walk on his tender right ankle every time the camera panned to him during the telecast it had to be an easy 'decision' to make.

In a bit of good news, Daniel Gibson has returned to the team after missing 4 games due to the birth of his first child. It should be a welcome sight with Mo Williams really struggling.

Since scoring 22 points at Toronto on Feb. 26, Williams has made just 13 of 46 shots (28.2 percent), including 6 of 23 3-pointers (26 percent.) The slump hit its nadir in Saturday's 92-85 loss at Milwaukee, where Williams, a former Buck, made just 3 of 17 shots, including 1 of 7 3-pointers.

Gibson has been solid all year and I hope he gets some burn tonight.

Peripheral vision - Orlando/L.A. Lakers

2010-03-07T14:32:07Z

Time to wake up, Cavalier fans. Dust yourselves off from that ugly performance last night in Milwaukee and get back to business. Games like last night won't happen very often with this team, so we just have to write it off as an abnormality.

Today, we have one game to keep our eyes on. It involves the two teams closest to us in the race for top billing in the NBA.

L.A. Lakers at Orlando, 2:30pm EST - The winner will draw a half-game closer to the Cavaliers, the loser will fall (most likely) far enough back to begin setting their sights on the #2 slot. The only question is....which team should we silently cheer for?

If Orlando wins, they'll be 5 games back of us and fired up for the stretch run. The Lakers will still be three games behind us (minus the tiebreaker to the Cavs) and will have missed a golden opportunity to gain some ground on Cleveland, as well as keep a small amount of distance between themselves and the surging Dallas Mavericks (3.5 games currently separate the Mavs from the Lake Show).

If the Lakers win, they'll shrink our lead down to two games (minus the tiebreaker), and Orlando will fall back to six games behind us. L.A. will also push their West lead to four games over Dallas, five over Denver and 6 over Utah.

By the end of the game today, one of these teams will still be in the hunt for home court advantage throughout. The other will probably be looking at too much ground to make up in an 18-game stretch.

Which one do YOU want to see draw closer, and which one should fall out?

LeBron-less Cavaliers fall to Milwaukee 92-85

2010-03-07T03:57:48Z

More photos » Jeffrey Phelps - AP

Cleveland Cavaliers' Mo Williams, middle, closes his eyes and hopes for the best. It became a running theme for him. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Browse more photos »

For several stretches during the game, it looked like the Cleveland Cavaliers might have what it takes to beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA without LeBron James. Unfortunately, poor shooting plagued the Cavs at several positions, and the Milwaukee Bucks won their 9th out of 10 games 92-85.

Five Bucks scored in double figures, led by Brandon Jennings' 25 points.

Milwaukee moved into a tie for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with the win.

Antawn Jamison led all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, but had no shot attempts in the fourth quarter as the Cavs struggled to get him the ball at any point on the court. Delonte West was the only other Cav in double figures, as he poured in 27 points of his own on 11-of-18 shooting.

As for Cavalier players not named Antawn or Delonte, it was a night to forget. The rest of the team combined to go 12-for-40 from the field (30 percent). Mo Williams earned the futility award for the night, shooting just 3-for-17 from the floor (18 percent)

Much like the previous night against Detroit, nothing went well early on for the Cavaliers. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee's 7-foot center, was having his way inside against a much smaller (and less experienced) J.J. Hickson. Bogut rattled off 7 points and four rebounds in the opening quarter, and set the tone for an opening stanza that ended with the Bucks on top 25-14.

Of course, it didn't help much that the Cavs shot just 6-for-21 (29%) from the floor in the quarter. Williams missed all five of his attempts, and Cleveland had four turnovers to go with 6 field goals and two assists.

All that turned around in the second period. Delonte West led the turn-around by scoring 10 straight points to begin a 15-0 run that gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the game at 33-31. The Cavs shot 8-9 from the floor to open the quarter, which was amplified by a 7:20 drought in which Milwaukee did not score a single field goal.

Antawn Jamison, despite a nightmarish half from the free throw stripe (1-for-5), poured in 15 points by himself in the second quarter, giving him 20 points and 6 rebounds in the first half.

Jamison and West combined for 27 straight Cavaliers points over a span of nearly 15 minutes in the half, but they were far from finished with their streak.

In the third quarter, Jamison and West combined for another 16 points, but the Cavaliers' overall effort was still lacking at times. Three straight possessions with turnovers hurt Cleveland as the Bucks burst out to another 13-point lead. The quarter ended with Milwaukee up 8 points, 69-61.

Throughout the fourth quarter, the two teams basically traded baskets. The lead swelled to 15 points for Milwaukee at one point, but it usually stayed within the 8-11 point range.

The Cavs have Sunday off before returning home for San Antonio. At this point, there is no word on whether or not James will play against the Spurs. If he decides to rest another game, it will equal a week off for the King. After San Antonio, Cleveland will not play again until they travel to Philadelphia Friday night.

LeBron James to sit out tonight against Bucks

2010-03-07T01:23:23Z

In writing my game preview in the Open Thread, I said it was about time for LeBron to get some rest, that the Cavaliers had a buffer in the standings and LeBron had been strung out playing so many minutes with the Cavaliers short handed in recent weeks at PG and now C.

I guess Mike Brown was listening.

James will get the night off, calling it a coaches decision and not related to the couple of twisted ankles he suffered last night against the Pistons.

"He has played a lot of minutes for us, and I felt it would be good for him and for the team to hold him out. This is my decision based on the minutes I think he has played and his body and all that other stuff. This is a coaches decision, so I'm holding him out. He has carried a big load, not only scoring, but the minutes he has played. He has played a high volume of minutes for us because of the injuries, because of the new guys coming in and me trying to shuffle things around. Even though at times, he may not like it, even he needs to sit down and rest and recouperate."

Jawad Williams will get the start at Small Forward tonight for the Cavaliers

Game #64 - Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks Game Night Open Thread

2010-03-07T01:00:30Z

2009/2010 NBA Regular Season
	VS
32-29		49-14
March 6, 2010
Bradley Center
8:30 PM et
Radio - WTAM 1100 / FSOhio
Probable starters:
John Salmons	PG	Mo Williams
Brandon Jennings	SG	Anthony Parker
Carlos Delfino	SF	Jawad Williams
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute	PF	Antawn Jamison
Andrew Bogut	C	J.J. Hickson

After a tough victory over the Pistons - in more ways than one - the Cavaliers head right back on the road with a trip to Wisconsin for a battle with the surprising Bucks. Despite having won 6 straight games, the Bucks are actually the hottest team in the Central Division, winners of 8 of their last 10. Over their last 7 games, the Bucks have gone 6-1 with big wins over the Knicks(17), New Orleans(20), Miami(23) and a home and home sweep of the Wizards, beating Washington on the road by 28 last night.

For the Cavaliers, they turned what looked to be a blowout into a big win last night at The Q. Looking flat and lethargic early on, the Cavaliers fell behind by 21 points in the 2nd quarter before rallying to win 99-92. Cleveland didn't lead the Pistons until Antawn Jamison his a 3 to start the 4th quarter, giving the Cavaliers a 71-70 lead. LeBron James scored 40 points on Mike Brown's 40th birthday, but was once again hobbling after rolling an ankle. At some point it might be nice for James to sit on out, now that the Cavaliers have a 6-game lead in the East, and a 3 game lead over the Lakers for best record in the NBA - and home court advantage throughout the playoffs - with 18 games to go after tonight.

3-in the Key

1. At 49-14 (.778), Cleveland owns the NBA's best record and leads the league with highest point differential at +7.5. The team is 23-6 (.793) in 2010, which is the best mark in that span, and has won six straight games for the third time this season. The Cavaliers have won 13 of its last 17 road games and at 22-10 (.688), their road record is tied with Boston for the best in the NBA. LeBron James leads the league this season in scoring on the road at 31.0 ppg.

2. The Cavaliers will face five Central Division opponents in the next eight games. Cleveland has defeated Milwaukee six consecutive times, including the last three at the Bradley Center. The team is 7-1 (.875) against their division this season and holds a commanding 16.0 game lead over Milwaukee, the largest division lead in the NBA.

3. The last time the team faced the Bucks, Delonte West scored a season-high 21 points and scored 14 points during a 29-0 first-half run for the Cavaliers. The Cavs defense forced Milwaukee to miss 12 straight shots to start the second quarter and went 11:22 without a point, which became the longest streak in the NBA that one team has kept another scoreless.

LeBron James out tonight

2010-03-07T00:18:44Z

The starting lineups for tonight's game have been posted, and LeBron James isn't on it.

He's actually on the inactive list tonight. The Cavs say it's a coaches decision, but most people aren't going to buy that one. He tweaked his ankle in each of the last two games, and the rest will do him good.

He'll return to action on Monday against San Antonio.