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Cavs-Pistons Second Round Playoff Series

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"Both teams played hard." :lol:
 
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ABJ

5/16/06

Cavs tie Pistons in knots

Cleveland fans witness 74-72 rally past Detroit

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Apparently, a Guaran-'Sheed is no match for a Gilbert-tee.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert doesn't go public, even when he's 100 percent certain of his team's victory, unlike Detroit Pistons' star Rasheed Wallace, who assured all listeners his team would not lose again to the lowly Cavs.
When that's happened over the last few years in the playoffs, the Pistons have won. But today it's the owner's winning percentage that's still perfect.
The Cavs defied Wallace's proclamation and beat the Pistons 74-72 on Monday at sold-out Quicken Loans Arena.
LeBron James scored 22 points, the last two on free throws, and the Cavs evened their best-of-seven series 2-2.
``It's just an internal thing within my friends and family, but now I'm 5-0 this season,'' Gilbert said after the game.
Gilbert was just as confident Monday morning when his young children jokingly told Cavs coach Mike Brown their dad had been perfect on his four ``Gilbert-tees'' during the season.
Perhaps it was because he knows how well his team plays at home and in close games, as playoff games usually are. After trailing by six points going into the fourth quarter, the Cavs zoomed to the finish.
It was the 14th win in the last 15 games at home and the 19th time this season the Cavs rallied to win when they were behind in the fourth quarter.
Game 5 will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Detroit. Game 6 will be in Cleveland on Friday, with the time to be announced.
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ABJ

5/16/05

Cavs win in image of coach

Mike Brown preaches defense, team implements it to tie series

By Brian Windhorst

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Some statistics defy it, but when the Cavaliers set out months ago on their 2005-06 journey, their mission statement was defense.
They hired an unproven rookie coach to teach it, and this current second season was the reason. Flaws appeared at times during the past seven months, but at money time, it has carried the Cavs to a position where few -- especially their opponents -- thought they'd be.
Beating the Detroit Pistons at their own game, the Cavs took the grand prize in an ugly defensive festival Monday at Quicken Loans Arena.
It was bruisingly beautiful to that rookie coach, whose style carried them to a 74-72 win.
Much to the surprise of most pundits and more than a few Pistons, especially Rasheed Wallace, the Cavs have clawed their way back to knot the series at 2-2. It's now a best-of-three affair, and every moment it drags on appears to be to the Cavs' liking.
Matching Detroit's physical play and gritty, yet intelligent, style of getting those most precious things come May -- defensive stops -- the Cavs basically have beaten the Pistons twice at their own game.
They held Detroit to just 33 percent shooting in Game 4, a testament to their long-standing goal of challenging every shot.
LeBron James led the Cavs with 22 points and, in fact, gave them the winning margin with free throws in the final moments. He also had eight rebounds, nine assists and eight turnovers. But all that is really secondary; those are offensive stats. This game didn't come down to offense, even those difference-making free throws.
``This is very, very exciting basketball,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ``I love this grind it out, figure it out, bump here, bump there basketball. It gives both teams a chance to win.''
What he means is it gives his underdog team a chance to win. The Pistons have won 10 playoff series over the past four seasons and confidently took Games 1 and 2 of this set, but there has been no team better at finishing a game than the Cavs and by playing rugged defense, they have wrestled their way to a draw.
The Cavs trailed by six points heading into the final quarter, but galloped out on a 12-1 run to take the lead. It was routine, as they've been tied or losing in the fourth quarter 19 times this season and come back to win.
Heading into the final minute, the score was tied, but they got two defensive stops and enough offense to win. That was routine, too; they've won 17 of the past 19 games decided by four points or less, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs in games decided by two points or less.
They did it in front of a mighty crowd, another routine. They've won 14 of their past 15 home games.
``We don't feel no pressure,'' James said. ``It is the Pistons that are feeling the pressure.''
Perhaps that's true, or at least the Cavs are making it look that way. Again, the game was played at the Pistons' favored pace and their best scorer, Richard Hamilton, thrived by taking advantage of Larry Hughes' absence to score 30 points.
But the Cavs smothered the Pistons' offense in the fourth quarter, a noteworthy trend. Over the past three games, the Cavs have outscored the Pistons 85-53 in the fourth quarter while holding them to 30 percent shooting.
The Cavs didn't let them get a basket for the first seven minutes of the final quarter and held them to 4-of-18 shooting overall.
The big play happened with 30 seconds left and the Cavs ahead by a point, when Anderson Varejao, who led in the NBA in charging fouls taken per 48 minutes, stepped up and absorbed one as Chauncey Billups plowed toward the basket. Seeing a teammate, Eric Snow, was beaten, Varejao set up just outside the no-charge zone and took it.
It was right out of the Pistons' playbook, as Ben Wallace had done the same thing twice earlier in the game.
``In order to win in the playoffs, you have to get stops. We knew we would give ourselves a chance if we get stops,'' Brown said. ``We knew if we focused on one game at a time, we'd be in it and who knows what would happen then?''
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ABJ

5/16/06

Ugly victory looks great to Cavs fans

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Quicken Loans Arena had never been louder. The game had never been bigger. The hearts had never pounded harder.
LET'S GO CAVS!
The walls echoed that cheer, the ceiling seemed to shake. In one of the ugliest basketball games you'll ever see, the Cavaliers have never looked better Monday.
Cavaliers 74, Detroit Pistons 72.
Now the real playoffs begin.
LET'S GO CAVS!
So much for the guarantee by the Pistons' Rasheed Wallace that this series would be over by Wednesday in Game 5. As one Cavaliers fan proclaimed in a sign: ``23's OUR GUARANTEE.''
He meant LeBron James, a No. 23 who is on the side of the Cavs for once.
LET'S GO CAVS!
This best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series is even at 2-2. Game 5 is Wednesday in Detroit, as we now have a best-of-three series. Who would have dared to dream it? Who could have imagined the Cavs beating the Pistons at their own gritty, grind-it-out game not once, but twice in the past three days?
LET'S GO CAVS!
A few days ago, the only question was if the Cavs would be swept after they were dragged around the court at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Then they came home. The crowd came to scream, reaching a noise level the likes of which haven't been felt since the days at the old Coliseum in Richfield.
In many ways, that's why the Cavaliers have prevailed in these two games. Both times, they went into the fourth quarter trailing the team with the NBA's best regular-season record at 64-18 -- a team that has been in the NBA Finals each of the past two seasons.
Both times, the crowd seemed to lift them over a rough spot, carrying them to make one defensive stand after another.
Both times, the Cavs won the hard way -- with defense and determination.
LET'S GO CAVS!
A savvy, experienced, playoff-scarred and title-tested team like the Pistons is not supposed to blow leads to a team like the Cavs -- a team that hasn't been to the playoffs for eight years.
But they did.
Consider that LeBron James shot as many airballs (two) as he had field goals (two) in the fourth quarter. Or that he had lots of good and bad on the stat sheet. Everything from 22 points to nine assists to eight rebounds to eight turnovers to 5-of-10 shooting from the foul line.
But this series has settled into guys pushing, guys holding, guys contesting every shot. The Pistons shot 52 percent in the opener against the Cavs and 48 percent in disposing of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
Now suddenly, they can't make a shot. They were at 33 percent Monday night.
The Cavs held them to a single point in the first six minutes of the final quarter. Veteran Eric Snow (12 points) outscored Pistons star Chauncey Billups (11 points).
The savvy, strong Snow is built for these games. He is playoff seasoned from his days with Allen Iverson in Philadelphia. When the game slows down and the defensive intensity rises, he heats up. He smothered Billups, taking away his beloved 3-pointer and forcing Billups to drive.
In a game where every move to the hoop brings body checks and flying elbows, that's an excellent strategy.
LET'S GO CAVS!
In the fourth quarter, the Cavs held the Pistons to 4-of-18 shooting (22 percent). The Pistons turned the ball over six times in those last 12 minutes. This is the kind of game where it's just as important to draw charging fouls and deflect passes as it is to make a layup.
Thirteen points.
That's all the Pistons could churn out in the final quarter.
LET'S GO CAVS!
There was Donyell Marshall with a pair of 3-pointers in those final, frenzied 12 minutes. There was Snow with 10 points in the second half. There was the relentless Anderson Varejao bouncing off the floor, banging off bodies, bounding over anyone in his way for rebounds. Give him 10 points and six boards -- along with drawing a key charging foul on Pistons star Rip Hamilton with 29.6 seconds left, keeping the Cavs in front at 73-72.
LET'S GO CAVS!
It was that kind of night. A night for players with bruises and floor burns, and fans with sore throats from yelling, raw hands from clapping and smiles that wouldn't stop.
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Canton

5/16/06

focus on defense has cavs in hunt for upset
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
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CLEVELAND - Imagine what the conversation must have been like. Mike Brown was a rookie head coach trying to earn the respect from his players way back when. LeBron James was the face of not just the Cavs, not just the NBA, but Nike as well.
And there was Brown asking James — LeBron James, for crying out loud — to become a defensive force.
That is why Brown is the coach and James is wise enough to listen. Brown knows that when the boy King flies through the air, twirls six ways to Sunday, claps his heels twice and throws down a reverse dunk, people buy tickets to see that. Network TV wants to show it. People want to watch.
LeBron’s offense sells because so few players duplicate it.
Some day, his defense will win a championship. So few NBA teams play it these days.
“It’s been easy (to get LeBron to play defense),” Brown said. “LeBron is one of the most coachable guys I’ve been around. ... When it comes to being coached, his willingness to step up and lead in any way, shape or form, he’s one of the best I’ve been around.
“I told him my experiences, my thoughts and my philosophy defensively, and he’s given me feedback. We met at some point in the middle. He’s led the charge, and it’s been great.”
Say what you want about James’ 22-point effort, his 2-of-9 shooting from the field in the fourth quarter, and his eight turnovers. Just don’t forget to talk about the way he plays defense, and in turn inspires his teammates to do the same.
“His defense rubs off on the rest of us,” guard Damon Jones said. “He is the superstar and the franchise of this team and when we see him playing defense like that, who am I or anybody not to step up to that level, too?”
Exactly.
What the Cavs have shown in the last two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Detroit is they are taking on their coach’s identity. This will be always be LeBron’s team, but it will be, from this day forward, Brown’s identity.
Ridiculed for not being offensive-minded enough, Brown is earning his NBA head coaching stripes in this series. He’s beating the Pistons the way they’ve dominated the NBA.
DE-FENSE ... DE-FENSE ... DE-FENSE.
The reason Cleveland fought back from an embarrassing Game 1 and tied this series 2-2 after Monday night’s 74-72 win is get-in-your-face defense. Everyone will talk about how the Cavs have been held to 20 points or less in half of the 16 quarters in this series, but don’t lose sight of the fourth quarter.
The Pistons have scored 34 points combined in the final quarter of the last two games. Cleveland has countered with 54 points.
This is because of LeBron. It’s because of his maturity, his talent and his ability to take over a game and his own team at the same time.
“Everybody tries to find something to critique about your game when you’re doing other things well,” James said. “They said I can’t shoot; I worked on that. They said I couldn’t dribble, I couldn’t close out games, and I worked on that. They say the opposing team should go at LeBron James because he’s not good defensively. I worked on that this year.
“Down the stretch it helps our team when we got guys on the floor who aren’t a liability. I can’t be the guy scoring and on the other end I can’t stop nobody.”
There was LeBron with a key steal with a second left in the game. After his driving layup in traffic put the Cavs up, 72-70, with two minutes left, Cleveland wasn’t thinking about losing.
Because he played defense on the other end. Every time the Piston shot the ball in the final minute, there was a hand in their face. Or Anderson Varejao taking a charge and forcing a turnover that kept Chauncey Billups from giving his team a 73-72 lead 41 seconds left in the game. When Rip Hamilton tried a layup on Detroit’s next-to-last possession, there was Varejao again holding his territory and forcing a tough shot.
Despite a lack of postseason experience, despite the tragic absence of Larry Hughes and despite LeBron’s Game 4 offense, the Cavs are heading to Detroit with a chance to win this series.
“If we can get this mind-set down, and play this style of basketball, we have a chance to be one of the good teams in this league for a long time,” Brown said.
Contrary to Rasheed Wallace, who looked quiet chewing on his words as he walked on the team bus Monday night, there will be another game at Quicken Loans Arena. If the Cavs continue to beat Detroit at its game, there might be two more in the Motor City — Game 5 on Wednesday and Game 7 on Sunday.
“That’s two games in a row we lost at our own game,” Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince said. “We’ve been scoring a lot of points in the playoffs, but this is our best suit: (Winning) in the 70s and 80s.”
This is what Brown wants his team to be: The Pistons, only better. There are so few teams in the NBA that play great defense, players don’t know how to react when they see it.
Flip Saunders has seen a younger, hungry team before. He knows what the Cavs know.
“We’re in a dogfight now,” said the Detroit coach.
Are they ever. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected].
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Canton

5/16/06

Rasheed still not staying quiet

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By JOSH WEIR[/FONT]



CLEVELAND - Even a terrible night at The Q couldn’t shush ’Sheed.
Rasheed Wallace, Detroit’s motor-mouthed forward, struggled with his shot and rolled an ankle Monday during Cleveland’s 74-72 win in Game 4, which evened this best-of-7 NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2.
Wallace had guaran-’Sheed a Game 4 victory each of the last two days, something he’s done in the past without having to eat his words. But after by far his worst game (7 points on 3-of-13 shooting and three turnovers) of the series, Wallace wasn’t showing any signs of being humbled.
“It’s cool. We still ain’t — well at least I ain’t worried about these cats,” he said with a look of indifference.
It was clear not everyone on the Pistons shared Rasheed’s nonchalance.
“You can’t let a man predict a win for you, and we go out and stink it up like we did ... players, coaches, everybody,” front-court mate Ben Wallace said.
Pressed with another question, Ben Wallace sniped, “That’s it, that’s all I got to say.”
Not surprisingly, Rasheed wasn’t done talking. He was asked if this was still the Pistons’ series, which moves to the Palace on Wednesday night.
“Hell yeah,” he answered. “They won tonight, you can’t take nothing away. Even the sun shines on a dog’s ass.
“Ain’t no way in hell they going to beat us in no damn series.”
The Cavaliers have taken the high road through all of Wallace’s verbal bashing, which received national media attention.
“We aren’t out there to prove Rasheed wrong,” Cavs veteran forward Donyell Marshall said after scoring 9 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the 3-point arc. “We knew that we were going to have to run through Detroit in the second round. We knew it was going to be us against the world. It still is that way. ... We haven’t proved anything yet.”
The Pistons shot just 33.3 percent from the field, two nights after shooting 39.4 percent in the 86-77 Game 3 loss. Even worse, Detroit was just 4-of-18 in the fourth quarter.
Wallace had a lot to do with that. He missed three shots and committed two turnovers while Cleveland was flipping a 7-point deficit into a 65-60 lead with 5:38 left.
The 11th-year pro from the University of North Carolina sat the final minutes while reserve Maurice Evans played. Wallace, who rolled his ankle badly in the second quarter and was later seen walking gingerly on it back in the tunnel, stated that he was healthy enough to go back out and had no idea why Coach Flip Saunders kept him benched.
“I still had confidence in my teammates and in Maurice when Flip made the sub,” he said. “That’s what we’re all about. If I felt ... I didn’t have confidence in them, then I would have definitely said something to Flip.”
Wallace assured everyone he’ll be ready for Wednesday’s Game 5 back at the Palace, adding, “Don’t send me to the glue factory yet.” Reach Repository sports writer Josh Weir at (330) 580-8426 or e-mail: [email protected]


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BuckeyeBoy said it right. The Cavs have turned their defense up a notch, but more importantly LeBron is leading that charge. Now it did help that Wallace turned his ankle as without Rasheed Wallace the Pistons do not have any interior offense and makes them easier to guard.

But this must scare the Pistons. The Cavaliers have the confidence in close games against them. Heck, as long as they are within 10 points of the Pistons they have the confidence they can come back.

Heck, screw everyone... why do the Cavs have to wait? Why can't they win it all this year???

Ok, I admit it... I smoked something this morning and it was spectacular :pimp:
 
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I love seeing how the Cavs have grown in this post season. I think they have exposed some of the Pistons weaknesses, that nobody knew were there before this series. The Pistons seem to get tired at the end of the game if you play them hard and stay close. Their starting 5 are getting a lot of minutes and it seems like Saunders doesn't trust his bench. I just hope the Cavs can keep up the D tomorrow in Detroit. Hopefully the Pistons won't rediscover their shooting touch for a few more games as well. I'm hoping that the poor shooting is more because of the Cavs D rather than the Pistons just being off. Is there any doubt that Drew Gooden will be elsewhere next season? He was the only Cav to play last night and not get at least 20 minutes.
 
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Is there any doubt that Drew Gooden will be elsewhere next season? He was the only Cav to play last night and not get at least 20 minutes.
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his piss-poor play overall in the playoffs, save for one game against washington, coupled with varejao's emergence pretty much seals the deal for him.

Z has also been a nonfactor for the most part. He is by far the softest 7' guy in the NBA.

Also, Sheed likes to point out that Detroit shot terribly and still came close to winning, while the Cavs played great. However, LBJ played a very bad game overall, and the Cavs still won. If someone said that LBJ would shoot 33% from the field, 50% from the line, and have 8 to's, would anyone think the Cavs were within 10 points?<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
 
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I said it before game 4, and I'll say it again now: The cavs aren't afraid of the pistons anymore. They have slowly come to the realization that if they contest every shot and hustle to get their share of rebounds, they'll be right there at the end. Once you get down to crunch time, having the best player on the floor and a way deeper bench will really tilt the scales in their favor as long as they BELIEVE they can win. They now believe they can win. The winning attitude is there. The defensive mindset is there.

Now all they need to do is find some go-to sets that they can use to get points on the board down the stretch. If they can develop something besides the lebron iso, there's no reason they can't win this series in 6.

There. I said it.

Rasheed is hobbled. They really took advantage of that yesterday by forcing him into the action by running iso's and pick and rolls right at him after he rolled his ankle, and he was getting WORKED. That's why saunders sat him down the stretch. They need to keep taking it right to him in game 5 untill he proves he can play.

I LOVE the way eric snow leads this team. The way he took it HARD to the basket when things started to get stagnant for the cavs offense was leadership by example at it's finest.

Flip Murray's persistance in staying after the pistons shooters has been unbelieveable. Donyell did his thing, taking it to the hole early and moving well off the ball to get himself some good looks from deep that he managed to hit. And then Varejeo ... he was just awesome. He's the perfect big man to take on the pistons front court because he's got the same fire and determination as Ben Wallace, but unlike Wallace, he actually has BASKETBALL SKILL.

Really, if the cavs keep playing like this, all lebron needs to do is come up with a big game tomorrow ... play smart all game ... don't turn it over ... don't defer to the wrong guys at the wrong times ... and the cavs can steal one. Momentum would be on our side, and I just don't see the pistons being able to sack up and take one at the Q (which is, by the way, the biggest home court advantage in the NBA right now.) after dropping three straight.
 
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This is one time when I like the fact that there is only 1 days rest in between and there is travel involved, while not far. I am sure that Sheed's ankle swole up overnight, especially once he took his shoe off. I wouldnt be suprised to see him not play or be really hobbled in game 5.

I think without Sheed we are a better team. They are not deep and losing sheed really hurts them.

I know this, that if we come out hot and hit some jumpers we could run away with game 5.
 
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The most impressive part about the last two games... the Cavs beat the Pistons at their own game, and at what they did best. It isn't a mystery that when the Cavs creat turnovers and run the fast break, that they are very hard to beat. It also isn't a mystery that during the regular season, they didn't play good defense and they weren't good at executing in the halfcourt game. They just beat the team that does those things best in this league... twice. It is amazing to see this team grow before our eyes and watch them play inspired, and exciting basketball.

That being said, if we win game 5, I think we have enough momentum coming home to the Q, which has aboslutely exploded as of late, and take the series. However, if the series goes to 7 games, I don't really like our chances with the game being in Detroit.
 
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