Recap: Bucks 92, Cavs 85 (Or, The Time The Cavs Played Without LeBron)

2010-03-07 Off By John Krolik

Overview: Without LeBron James in the lineup, the Cavs lost 92-85 to the Milwaukee Bucks. Antawn Jamison and Delonte West combined for 57 points, but were the only Cavaliers in double figures.

Cavs-Related Bullets:

Man, it just didn’t seem right without LeBron. This red-hot Bucks team was going to be a threat for the Cavs with LeBron. Without LeBron, I’m just happy the Cavs put up a good fight. Let’s go through the good and the bad for the bizarro Cavs:

The Good:

Antawn Jamison. The man can score the basketball. Antawn had the green light to shoot all game, and shoot he did. He ended up having a really nice game, scoring 30 points on only 18 shots from the field. The free throws continue to be a problem for him, though. What makes it worse is that this makes no sense. Make free throws, Antawn.

Delonte West. I predicted early on that the only way the Cavs were going to win is if Delonte went into beast mode, and it nearly came true. Delonte was one of the only guys able to get to the basket off the dribble with LeBron out, and he was able to get into the teeth of the Bucks’ defense and score 27 points. Never count Delonte out of a game, or a possession.

Bogut did get held to only 15 points, and Jennings only had one field goal inside the arc. Small-ball didn’t kill the Cavs’ defense in this one.

The Bad:

The legitimate worry for this game involves Mo Williams. Way too willing to pull up for jump shots, wasn’t really penetrating, and he finished 3-17 from the field. I don’t know what to say at this point. The Cavs clearly need Mo to get his game back, but he’s just as clearly hurting them right now. His shot looks flat, and his shot selection is terrible. I don’t know what is going to happen here.

The Cavs average 44.3 points per game in the paint. They got 30 in this one. LeBron being out does help to explain that.

Hickson and Varejao: five combined points in 45 minutes. Yes, they need LeBron to be successful. Since the Cavs are built around LeBron, I don’t think this is the worst thing in the world.

Awesome that you picked tonight to find your outside shot, Brandon Jennings.

The Cavs are built around a player who’s been easily the best player in basketball this year. It’s no surprise they struggled without him, especially against a team playing as well as the Bucks are. Let’s try to erase this one from our memories, and hope LeBron returns soon. Last time Cavs won without LeBron was March 13th, 2007. Fun times. Have a good weekend, campers.

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