Recap: Heat 117, Cavs 90 (Or, total defeat)
2011-01-31Overview: The Miami Heat got whatever they wanted against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and held them to 33 points in the second half of a 117-90 victory. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for 58 points, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a season-high 14 rebounds.
This team just went 0-for-January bullets:
No answers. When Wade wanted to drive, he sliced through the Cavalier defense and finished in a wide variety of fashions. When LeBron put the ball on the floor, the Cavs were forced to foul him or leave a shooter wide-open. When the Heat missed, it was because the Cavs had left Ilgauskas alone underneath to contest the shot. The Heat had the advantage in the paint, in the frontcourt, in the backcourt, from beyond the arc, off the bench, on offense, on defense.
The other thing of note in this game is that it followed a familiar pattern. The Heat jumped out to a double-digit lead, the Cavs came back and cut it to three, the Heat called a time-out and got some variation of a “seriously, why are you only beating the Cavs by three points?” lecture, and then they proceeded to snuff out any hopes the Cavs had of actually winning the game. It’s something we’ve seen a lot, and I can’t honestly say that the phenomena is the product of anything other than teams coming out and executing, relaxing as the Cavs get some cheap points, then stepping on the gas when they realize the Cavaliers might actually tie the game. It’s not really fun to watch, but at least the Cavs are trying sometimes. Don’t put that last sentence on any team promotional material.
Individual notes:
Hickson hit a jumper or two early, then fell in love with it. 6-14. Him and Jamison did do a surprisingly decent job on Bosh, though.
Manny’s running the floor and making wide-open threes when they’re there. His shooting stroke reminds me of Troy Murphy’s in a way — it’s flat and there’s a ton of lower-body noise, so he can’t really get it off unless his feet are set, but he’s decently accurate with it if he’s wide open.
How about Eyenga beating LeBron off the dribble twice?
That’s all for tonight. Total defeat. Winless in January. The record is on the horizon.
hmmm look at that..
i was referring to non-skill positions in the NFL. clearly that is a major diff since there’s no such thing in bball.
What exactly is a non-skill position in basketball?
One thing I wonder about: how much does sheer playing time factor into how ‘good’ a player becomes? Obviously, no amount of playing time is going to make an average player a superstar. But given enough playing time, can a guy who would normally be a d-league player because of the talent ahead of him on a normal roster become a serviceable rotation player? This may be the lesson of this year’s Cavs experiment. Guys getting significant PT for the Cavs for the first time – or close to the first time – in their career have the potential to… Read more »
1. Anyone know of a link to Eyenga blocking Z and scoring on lebron? I missed it.
2. Yes this team is horrible. Yes January was beyond horrible. But I think the Cavs will put together a nice April when they will probably face only one playoff team.
3. I don’t miss the pre-game dance routines of yesteryear..
An espn article this morning said that the Lakers are looking for someone to boost their struggling offense… Wouldn’t Antawn be prefect there?
2010-2011 Cavalier basketball: Where trying happens.
Well at least the youngsters are getting run. Lots of run. Manny Harris looks like he could be in a playoff rotation; doesn’t seem intimidated at all. Hickson has apparently gotten out of his funk somewhat. I also thought Eyenga didn’t look too bad; especially since he had to guard one Lebron James.
Even the tone of the media is one of pity. Nobody’s cracking jokes. It’s really a somber occasion. Not what I’m used to seeing.
Cavs 2010-2011: “Sometimes they try.”
I have never seen a more soul crushing season than this year’s Cavs and I root for the Browns. Think about that.
Well, at least the losing streak has to end when we play…wait, what? We don’t play the Bayhawks at all this year? OK, we are doomed.
The Cavs are so bad, even Bill Simmons would struggle to think of a witty insult for this team. When you leave a hack like Simmons speechless, you know you suck.
I understand that an arrest warrant was just issued for the Cavaliers. They’re wanted on charges of impersonating an actual NBA team. And apparently they’re doing a really bad job of it too.
The Cavs are currently listed as day to day…
That’s what you call going out on a limb, albeit a relatively sturdy one that is still well connected to the tree.
I just felt a wave of optimism run through me- the streak is ending Wednesday night.
How often does a team go 0-for-a-calendar-month? I don’t remember it happening. Think they can go for 0-for-the-rest-of-the-year?
The Cavs are a disaster in every sense of the word right now. In a way, it is fun to watch in the same sense that a train wreck, “The Anna Nicole Show” or the O. J. Simpson trial was fun to watch. You just wonder what they can do to top previous ineptitude.