Final stat line for LeBron James: 39 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists. Add in 21 points from Mo Williams and 19 from Antawn Jamison. You’d expect the Cavs to cruise to an easy victory, right? Wrong!
The balanced scoring of the Chicago Bulls led them to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 on Thursday, 108-106. Derrick Rose had another stellar game, posting 31 points and 7 assists on 50% shooting. But it was the scoring of little Kirk Hinrich (27 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 75% shooting) and the rebounding of loud-mouth Joakim Noah (15 rebounds) that made the difference. Add Luol Deng’s 20 points and good contribution from the bench, at this was Chicago’s game.
But it was not as easy as they would have liked. Up by 21 points in the third quarter, the Bulls let the Cavs make a grand comeback. With less than a minute to go, the normally steady free throw shooting of the Bulls left them. Misses by Hinrich, Rose, and Deng gave Cleveland a chance to win at the end, but Anthony Parker’s three point attempt was off the mark.
LeBron had a monster game, but he hurt his team with the one true weakness he has — free throw shooting. LBJ was 7 of 13 from the charity stripe and the team as a whole shot only 65% from the FT line and 44% from the field. Compare that to the stellar percentages of the Bulls — 50% FG, 76% FT — and you have your difference in the game.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers got up big against the Chicago Bulls and never looked backed. But the performance of Derrick Rose was something to watch.
The Cavs beat the Bulls 96-83 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series at the Q. LeBron James did his best on both sides of the ball finishing with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 BLOCKS! The Cavs as a team swatted 12 balls, 10 in the second half. Mo Williams carried a heavy load at point guard dropping in 19 points with 10 dimes. Newly acquired Antawn Jamison was his ever-steady, quiet self, adding 15 points, 10 rebounds, and an impressive 3 blocks.
It was the depth of Cleveland that was the real difference. For once, it was not the LeBron + 4 game. Shaq, having not played since late February, came back with a strong performance, posting 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Varejao brought the energy with 15 rebounds and helped counter his bizarro self, Joakim Noah.
The offense of Chicago went through Derrick Rose. He had 28 points on 28 attempts and added 10 assists. His 7 TOs cost the Bulls but Rose has shown that he plays better in big games. The loss of another big scorer, losing Ben Gordon last year and John Salmons at the trade deadline, reduce the options of Chicago. Luol Deng was only 5-15 shooting, finishing with 12 points.
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Leon Powe was released by the Boston Celtics…and fell in the lap of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Yahoo! Sports reports:
Powe signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, even though he isn’t expected back on the court until sometime around the All-Star break. The Cavaliers are paying Powe the league minimum for a three-year veteran.
Reuniting with old AAU teammate, LeBron James, is certainly attractive to Leon. Staying in the Eastern Conference means he gets to show the Celtics what they passed on. Powe is still recovering from ACL surgery and not expected back until February of next year.
There is some risk on the part of the Cavs as they must wait for Powe’s full recovery. But the upside is certainly there. Powe torched the Cavs in two games last year, and was a very effective player for the Celtics during their Championship run. And to get him for the league minimum is akin to stealing.
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The Atlanta Hawks dominated the LA Lakers thanks in part to major contribution from the bench. As the playoffs near, solid bench play is key for a long post-season run.
Joe Johnson led the Hawks in scoring with 25 points (including 5 three pointers) as the Atlanta Hawks dropped the Lakers 109-92 in Atlanta. JoJo has been the teams leading scorer all year long and will be counted on to hit some big shots in the playoffs. But on Wednesday night, it was the play of the Atlanta bench that secured an easy victory. Leading sixth man of the year candidate, Jamal Crawford finished the game with 14 points which is 3 points below his average. The real difference was the contribution of Maurice Evans (18 points) and Zaza Pachulia (10 points, 10 rebounds). If the Hawks get production beyond Crawford off the bench, they can be dangerous.
Despite 28 points from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were never that close in the second half. The lose was only the fourth time the Lakers have dropped back-to-back games this season. With Boston losing to Oklahoma City, the Hawks moved into third place in the Eastern Conference. The victory over the Lakers continued a nine game win streak at home, though still a far cry from 20 games won at the Omni in the 1996-97 season.
The OKC Thunder trounced the 76ers and are close to clinching a playoff spot. The Thunder represent the future of the NBA and you should rejoice in their success!
Yahoo! Sports reports on Tuesday’s victory:
For three quarters, Kevin Durant put on quite a show for about 50 friends and family members who made the short trip up I-95 from his hometown of Washington, D.C.
There was no need to play for most of the fourth while his teammates were adding to a big lead.
Durant had 26 points and 10 rebounds, Jeff Green added 16 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 111-93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
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The Phoenix Suns won for the eight straight time and clinched a playoff birth, downing Chicago 111-105. Despite the recent success, they have made little headway in the overall Western Conference standings.
Phoenix bested Chicago in a back-and-forth game that came down to the final possessions. Steve Nash was given more room to work when Kirk Hinrich twisted his ankle in the second half. A clutch three by Channing Frye and crucial free throws by Nash down the stretch made the difference, despite good performances by Derrick Rose and Flip Murray. Jason Richardson paced the Suns in scoring with 27 points.
The Suns are 17-4 since the All-Star Break. They’ve won 8 straight games for the first time since 2007. But even with the recent streak, the Suns are still only 4th in the Western Conference. That being said, the are just a game and a half out of 2nd place.
Much of the Suns’ current success can be attributed to the rejuvenated play of Amare Stoudemire. The subject of rampant trade rumors, Stoudemire has stopped pouting and started playing. Averaging nearly 28 points since the All-Star Break, Amare’s showing that he can be a true offensive force if given the right motivation. No doubt he has increased his free agent market value significantly. The Suns will need to think hard about whether they can afford to let him go, or if they decide to finally pay someone.
