The Cleveland Cavaliers have got to be hands down “the team” to beat. I mean there are so many one liners that pop into my head I don’t know where to start so I’ll begin with Don’t Wake the Sleeping Giant.
Everytime LeBron James would touch the ball Phillips Arena would erupt in a whirlwind of boos. Did Atlanta fans learn nothing from Toronto fans, or even more recent game 3 when James exploded for 47 points and joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to score 45Â grab 10 boards and dish out 8 assists.
Yet it happened again tonight, James would get the ball and boos would arise,so what happened, James would score or find his teammates and they would score. There was even a moment when LeBron nailed a jumper and looked over to a courtside fan, and simply pointed to his own chest and said that’s exactly what I need.
Back to the actual game at hand, the Cavaliers are simply dominant.After the second close halftime score in a row(46-45, 40-38 both Cavs leads) the Cavaliers managed to stretch out another double digit victory (84-74) extending their own NBA record to 8 consectutive. But it wasn’t all good all the way, LeBron was somewhat aggravated at the Cavs “lobbying ” for foul calls.
James rallied his troops and told them it was up to them to win the game not the refs and to lay off. Can he be that mature that young, is he really 24? Yes he is King but there truly is no I in team.
LeBron put in 27 points 8 rebounds and 8 assists, a career night for many NBA players but for James just another day at the office. Yet the other players,Mo one night, Delonte another, then maybe big Z will step up another. Though tonight belonged to Delonte West who came up huge scoring 21 points, including a posterizing left-handed jam at the rim that really swung the momentum in Cleveland’s favor for the last time. He was 50%Â (2-4) from 3 point land and added 4 rebounds 6 assists.
Mo Williams added 12 points all coming from behind the arc (4-7). At one point in the final stretch of the game on 5 straight possessions the Cavs scored four 3 pointers and one old fashioned 3 point play really putting the Nail in the Coffin.
And as I was a witness Atlanta was a true Tale of Two Cities as it rained boos the entire game, in both games 1 and 2 , the closer the end came the softer the boos got and the louder, previously few and far betweeen, the M-V-P chants became until eventually echoing throughout the arena.