Lebron James to play tonight against the Nets

Lebron James was cleared by the medical staff and will play tonight when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the New Jersey Nets.

Lebron James was bothered by back spasms for weeks which became more severe during the second half of home losses to Chicago and Orlando.

Lebron didn’t practice for two days to rest his ailing back.

It was reported earlier today that Lebron might rest tonight and coach Mike Brown wanted to make sure the superstar is healthy for the playoffs.

”we have to be cautious,” Brown said. ”We want him healthy in the playoffs, and that is the biggest thing. Yes, we want the fourth seed, but to get it and have an unhealthy LeBron throughout the playoff run wouldn’t do us any good.”

Last week, Mike Brown held Ben Wallace out of two games when he was cleared to play because he felt extra rest was needed for Ben’s back.

But this morning following the shootaround, coach Mike Brown said James will play.

”It is a Catch-22,” said teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who took off two weeks to deal with his own back problems last month. ”You want him to get healthy, but at the same time, we need that No. 4 seed, and we have to develop a chemistry for the playoffs.”

Should LeBron James Rest?

What is most important at this stage of the season? Resting LeBron James to give him a chance to be as healthy as possible heading into the playoffs or securing the 4th seed which would give the Cavaliers home court advantage. The Cavaliers are 25-13 at home and 17-22 away this season. James has not practiced for a second straight day and may sit out tonight’s game against the New Jersey Nets.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said yesterday that it’s possible James could sit out.

“I know he wants to play,” Brown said. “But we have to be cautious with him now.”
“We want him healthy in the playoffs,” Brown said. “Yes, we want the fourth seed, but to get the fourth seed and have an unhealthy LeBron throughout the playoff run wouldn’t do us any good.”
“It’s a Catch-22,” said Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who has also missed time with a bad back.

“We all realize how valuable he is to us. But without him being healthy, we stand no chance going into the playoffs.”

Which is more important, resting LeBron or securing the 4th seed?

Are the Cavaliers ready for the Playoffs?

Matt Friedman from UWeekly is looking forward to the playoffs.  Or is he?  The NBA playoffs are almost here, and as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, this is the time of year I had been anticipating since the Cavs fell in the NBA Finals in early June. Sprinkle in a better-than-ever LeBron and the biggest trade in Cavs history, and I should be getting ready to celebrate Cleveland’s first major sports championship since 1964.

Problem: The Cavs don’t look like a champion right now, and I’m almost dreading the start of the playoffs. Maybe that’s a little overkill, but I definitely don’t think — with the combination of injuries and new players — this team is ready to make the postseason run yet.  Continue Reading

 

Lebron James to Rest His Back

Lebron James  said that his back actually has been bothering him for a few weeks.
He was held out of practice today in hopes he can get some rest and treatment to get him ready for the next game  on Wednesday against New Jersey.

“I told him just to watch TV,” Mike Brown said.
“One day helps,” Lebron James said. “But it’s something where you need a little more than one day.”

Brown said sitting out a game or more was not out of the question even if the Cavs haven’t clinched the fourth spot in the playoffs.

The team have been battling with back problems throughout the season,
centers Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace have both missed time due to back trouble this season.

Damon Jones – The Dream Before The Dream

Damon Jones is the funniest, handsomest, smartest, world-class 3-point shooter never drafted.
And he’ll be the first to tell you.

Living a life of hyperbole comes naturally:

I think it’s a family gene . . . It’s in the DNA. [Damon’s Mom, Renee Jones-Lee]

Galveston Ball High coach Jerry Williams, denying any knowledge of Damon’s boy’s room gambling ring, cites his “exceptional personality.” (Source: Palm Beach Post, May 11, 2005)

Alvin Brooks, Jones’ University of Houston coach, once said his star’s persona was not an act:

That’s him, every day and all day . . . an honest, sincere energy. (Source: Palm Beach Post, May 11, 2005)

Damon played for the Galveston Ball High Golden Tornadoes. Looking at their logo, I wonder which came first – did Damon inspire Tuffy or was Damon born to represent him?

His ability to shoot from behind the arc was legend even at this tender age; classmates would shout their request in unison and the cry echoes throughout Damon’s life: Threes, please!

Confident in his basketball skills, Damon left the University of Houston after his junior year as the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals (182) and headed for the NBA draft. The NBA did not share his classmates’ enthusiasm and Damon’s road to fame and fortune took a few twists and turns:

  • The International Basketball Association (IBA) where he was sixth man of the year for the 1997-1998 season with the Black Hills Posse.
  • Continental Basketball Association (CBA) where he played for the Idaho Stampede and was named a CBA All-Star, CBA Newcomer of the Year and CBA All-League First Team selection after ranking in the top five in both scoring average and assists in 1998-1999.
  • Orlando Magic (13 days, no games)
  • New Jersey Nets (3 weeks, 11 games), Boston Celtics (6 weeks, 13 games) – 1998-1999
  • Golden State Warriors (13 games, including his first NBA starting appearance) and Dallas Mavericks (42 games) 1999 – 2000
  • Vancouver Grizzlies (71 games, his first career double-double) – 2000-2001
  • Detroit Pistons (led in assists six times; also suffered right knee patella tendonitis) 2001-2002
  • Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings (49 games, also suffered sprained right ankle missing 22 games and left ankle sprain missing one game) 2002-2003
  • Milwaukee Bucks (82 games, 26 starts), finished the season ranked second in the league in assists-to-turnovers ratio (4.64:1), 14th in assists per game (5.8) and fourth in assists per 48 minutes (11.3) 2003-2004
  • Miami Heat (82 games, 66 starts), ranked third in the league in three-point field goals (225), fourth in assists-to-turnovers ratio (3.57:1), fifth in three-point field goals attempted (521) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.432) / his 225 three-pointers tied him with Mitch Richmond for the ninth highest single-season total in NBA history … 2004-2005
  • Cleveland Cavaliers 2005-present

10 NBA teams, each with its own tale of rejection, until his most recent stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a record 3 seasons as of this writing.

Damon never thought of quitting; he was “part of the circle.” In 1993, the Rockets held their training camp in Galveston, Texas; Damon was playing high school ball in that very same town in that very same year. His high school coach asked if he wanted to watch practice and help the equipment manager, bring towels, rebound, wipe up the floors, etc.

A few months later, the Rockets won their first NBA title. In between, 17-year-old Damon found himself in the locker room, hanging with Kenny Smith, rookie Sam Cassell and eventually Mario Elie, Robert Horry and Vernon Maxwell. The circle. What Damon calls the dream before the dream.

It pushed me over the edge because I was in the circle from that point on. It was what I dreamed about. I was going to Rockets games. I was in their locker room after games . . . I saw what the circle had to offer and I really wanted to be a part of it.

In the IBA and the CBA when I wasn’t getting the call up, I would think back to those times and it just kept me focused and kept my dream alive. (Source: The Vancouver Province / British Columbia, January 5, 2001)

Kenny Smith recalls the young Damon:

Just like now, you would hear him before you see him. He was always saying one day he was going to be in the NBA. He wanted to go to dinner with us after practice. He wanted to know what we were doing after practice. I was like, “Damon, you’re 17. Go home.” (Source: Palm Beach Post, May 11, 2005)

For Damon, this was already step two of the dream:

. . . that wasn’t the first time I had met NBA players. When I was in the 11th Grade, I used to play at the rec centre in Houston which was a mecca for summer-league ball. Moses Malone, Rodney McCray, Robert Reid, Kenny Smith. They were all there. So I’ve been around NBA players my whole life. I’ve had confidence in myself since I was little so it was just going out and doing what I do. (Source: The Vancouver Province / British Columbia, January 5, 2001)

For all his swagger and exaggeration, Damon is clear on his early role with the Rockets. In a January 2007 interview with NBA TV Anchor Andre Aldridge, where he had every opportunity to enrich the tale, Damon is careful with his description:

Andre: Kenny Smith told me to look at the video from the Rockets two championship seasons in ’94 and ’95 and to check out both clinching games at The Summit and he said, not me, when I do that to look for a big-headed ball boy and it’s Damon Jones. Is that true?

Damon: False.

Andre: False? Were you a ball boy for the Rockets?

Damon: I was never a ball boy. I just had the opportunity to work a couple of their practices where I rebounded a couple times and you know, got a few cups of water, but I was never at the arena when the game was going on.

In a similar vein, when LeBron James once said Damon called himself the best shooter in the universe, Damon replied, “No, not the universe. The world’s enough.”

Playing for the Vancouver Grizzlies (now the Memphis Grizzlies), Damon wrote a series of columns for The Province as Basketball Jones. Reading these stories is a glimpse of the Damon his mom knows, funny yet surprisingly sensitive. Damon discusses his love of the 3 pointer, or, as he likes to say, “percolating and matriculating about the game’s most dramatic shot.”

I love to knock down threes. The three-point shot is like the deep route for a touchdown in football.

In baseball it’s the home run when you need it.

It’s coming up big, like a hat trick in hockey.

Nothing can get the crowd back into the game, and nothing can pick up the morale of the team more.

If you’re in a lull, it can change things in a hurry.

When you hit big threes and teams have to call a time out, that’s just exciting.

And I love to get the fans involved in the games.

(Source: The Vancouver Province /British Columbia, January 12, 2001)

On his daughter, Teylor:

Intro: Grizzlies guard Damon Jones will tell you one of the great pleasures in his life is talking with his young daughter Teylor on the phone from wherever he is. But, as holiday season shifts into high gear, Basketball Jones admits his biggest wish is to be with her on Christmas morning.

Damon: My daughter is three now and I’ve never been there with her on Christmas morning to help her open presents.

(Source: The Vancouver Province /British Columbia, December 8, 2000)

Damon professes his love for just about everyone in a holiday post:

I think this league is a fraternity and we all need to stick together. I know about 150 guys . . . coaches, assistants, trainers and players. If you’re looking for a friend or someone to keep in communication with, then I tell them, “Damon Jones is that type of guy.”

I start early, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, just in case I don’t see them in time. And, for the guys that I won’t see, I’ll call them and wish them continued success.

I guess it’s from my parents. My dad is a chemical engineer and my mom is a saleswoman at Sak’s Fifth Avenue. You know, I think it’s just a combination of my dad’s friendliness and my mom’s outgoing spirit that make me the way that I am.

(Source: The Vancouver Province / British Columbia, December 15, 2000)

During Damon’s tenure with the Miami Heat, People magazine voted Dwyane Wade one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. Tom D’Angelo, writing for the Palm Beach Post, quotes the reaction of Damon’s mom, Renee Jones-Lee, upon learning of Dwayne’s newest honor:

When I saw that, I said, “Here’s a headache that is bound to take place.”

She wasn’t kidding. Damon’s response, upon learning the news:

I’ve put a couple of calls into People magazine to see what the criteria was. If they’re talking about his looks, he’s not top 2,050. Besides, I’m the best-looking man on this team.

Shaq calls him “Mr. Arrogant Man;” his mom says “his attitude is like a cool breeze on a sunny, hot day.” (Source: Palm Beach Post, May 11, 2005)

According to Mr. D’Angelo’s story:

Damon keeps a book filled with articles and quotes from those who doubted his talents. The first belongs to NBA super-scout Marty Blake who, according to Jones, said he was an average college player who would not play in the NBA.

“I write them down,” he [Damon] said. “I have a journal of 15, 20 pages of quotes about my abilities, I can’t do this and I can’t do that.”

The Contra Costa Times, in a December 1, 1999 story, calls the NBA “the harshest of work environments” and reports the Warriors waived Damon the day after he had one of the most prolific shooting nights in team history and one day before his contract would have become guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

One of my favorite Damon stories comes from Dan Steinberg’s D.C. Sports Blog. In a post titled LeBron and D-Jones’s New Handshake, Damon’s team spirit shines through as Dan attempts to describe pre-game rituals:

The Cavaliers . . . have a pre-game greeting ritual more choreographed than a Karl Rove-directed ballet . . . The king of handshakes is none other than Damon Jones. So, Damon Jones, where did this ceremony come from, and what does it all mean?

“No handshake questions,” he said. “I can’t tell you anything about the handshakes, I’d have to kill you….I do a handshake with each individual guy, and that’s sacred. The meaning of the handshakes will not be disclosed in your newspaper.”

Jones would say nothing more than each handshake is based on specific personality traits, but as with all secretive organizations, some leaks inevitably sprang. Jones’s handshake with Daniel Gibson involves two hand slaps and a “turn-the-faucet” motion; “turn it on,” Gibson explained.

With Ira Newble, there’s hand slaps and then a raised fist. With Anderson Varejao, hand slaps and a shimmy with arms extended.

With Pollard, hand slaps and two strums of an air guitar, an homage to Pollard’s musical leanings.

And with LeBron James, Damon Jones performs an elaborate Matrix-like dance. Well, performed, anyhow.

“How about this, I’m gonna give you an exclusive,” Jones said to two reporters an hour before Wednesday’s game. “I’m changing it today…. You’ve got an exclusive, here first: I’m changing it.”

Sure enough, during the endless pre-game pause, the king of handshakes and The King of basketball met and slapped hands. Jones swung with a roundhouse left; James ducked. Then came a roundhouse right; LeBron dodged again. Then they hugged.

Off the court, Damon cuts an equally unique figure, known for his potentially trend setting style. Cheryl Miller, asked to name the best dressed NBA superstar in the 2006 playoffs, said:

I’ve got to give it to Damon Jones. He’s a man in touch with his feminine side. Very much in touch.

Sarcasm aside, players throughout the league call him for fashion tips.

Damon says he selects his game-night attire based on the magnitude of the contest.

It depends on where we are, the importance of the game and the amount of media attention surrounding the game. If it’s a TNT or ESPN game, I would wear a suit and tie with my customary Gucci or Louis Vuitton slippers. If it’s just a regular TV game, I would go with jeans and slippers.

USA Today reports Damon is not concerned that someone will surpass him as the league’s No. 1 clotheshorse because the combination of his personality and sartorial splendor are unbeatable.

“You can hang on my style, but you’ll never have my personality,” he says. “That’s not a problem.”

Damon on the NBA’s dress code:

I created the dress code. I am the dress code. A lot of guys were upset about the fact we had to put suits on. (But) when you go into the business world, you have to be presentable, you can’t go into a Fortune 500 company with jeans, a T-shirt and do-rag on your head.

Damon’s fashion prohibitions include:

  • Wearing white before Easter
  • Wearing linen other than in the summer
  • Wearing belts and shoes that don’t match
  • Wearing oversized clothes

China’s groundbreaking 2006 shoe contract, with Lei Ning showcasing Damon Jones as the first NBA player to wear Chinese sneakers, follows naturally from Damon’s reputation as a snappy dresser. T-Shirts have been printed with “4.8” stenciled across the front to memorialize Damon’s 2006 playoff shot heard round the world.

The Shanghaiist, reacting with a verbal pout, broadcast this headline:

Ever heard of Damon Jones? Didn’t think so.

and went on to say:

Jones . . . is one of the league leaders in outlandish statements. This season alone he has called himself the “black Brad Pitt” and the best 3-point shooter on the planet (and No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4).

Not really sure why, but reading “The Black Brad Pitt” endeared him to me more than anything he has ever said offended me.

Strange things happen to Damon and this endears him to me, as well.

Moving to Vancouver in late 2000, Damon bought his dream car, which was promptly stolen and then returned. His parent’s reaction? “What is going on in Canada?”

His first car, a black 1994 Cadillac purchased when he was 18, was “laid-back” and “fun.”

Junior year at U of Houston, he bought his 2nd car, a Ford Explorer and totaled it. He wasn’t hurt.

He went without a car until signing with Golden State (even in NJ – his friend, Sam Cassell, drove him around the Garden State), a Lexus, but they let him go and he let his car go.

His dream car? A 2001 Mercedes Benz. (Source: The Vancouver Province (Basketball Jones) / British Columbia, November 10, 2000)

On June 21, 2006, MSNBC reported Damon Jones as the latest pretexting victim; a crime so obscure, I had to look it up. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers this definition:

Pretexting is the practice of getting your personal information under false pretenses. Pretexters sell your information to people who may use it to get credit in your name, steal your assets, or to investigate or sue you. Pretexting is against the law. [Editor’s note: Specifically, the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act]

Data brokers, resellers of consumer information, obtained 20 printed pages of Damon’s cell phone conversations and tried to sell them on the Internet. The federal government was called in. Parts of my life have been fairly interesting but I have never once been able to say at a party, “the federal government was called in.”
Even Michael Jordan can’t escape King James’ Prince. Dan Le Batard, reporting in The Miami Herald on May 1, 2005, relays this classic Damon tale:

He [Damon] has been calling himself the NBA’s most electrifying player all season, even after playing for a nomadic nine teams in seven years.

Listen to him recall his first on-court conversation with Michael Jordan:

“I told him if he left me open again that I was going to burn him,” Jones says. “He looked at me like, ‘Do you know who I am?’ ”

And?

“So he left me open again,” Jones says, “and I burned him.”

Jones says he’s in “Smarty Jones shape.” That he can run forever “like Forrest Gump.”

That he is the best trash-talker in the NBA and the best shooter in the NBA, too . . . the questions become, “Can Jones’ game be as big as his mouth? Can he avoid becoming little him in large moments? Can he rise up and hit huge shots the way Horry and Fisher did?”

And the answers are yes, yes, yes.

One year later, Damon is asked by reporters how he feels about his role in Cleveland as a “specialist,” as opposed to his Miami “you can count on me for everything” gig. Damon turns the tables:

It’s a tough situation. If they sent you to the back of the comics, how would you feel?

However:

It’s not about reputation or minutes. You have to be a professional. Any negativity at this time can damage team chemistry, and that’s not what I’m about. (Source: Copley News Service, May 12, 2006 Friday, Todd Porter)

Cut to 2006. The NY Times is reporting on Cleveland’s Eastern Conference playoff win, thanks to a gorgeous, what else, 3-pointer from “the most anonymous and unlikely player in the series.”

Damon Jones, the most famous anonymous person you will ever meet

I love living, man. Every day I get up is a joy.

Fun Facts

  • Damon is married to Tina Thompson, star forward for the Houston Comets (WNBA).
  • ABC Channel 5 News (Cleveland, May 24, 2007) asked fans “who has the ugliest feet on the [Cavaliers] team?” Answer – Damon Jones.
  • The Cleveland Plain Dealer offered readers limited edition medallions of Cleveland Cavaliers players, and at least one has James’ face with Jones’ name. The paper thinks the goof may be one of a kind. The Medina woman who paid $2.99 for the medallion offered it for $35 dollars on eBay. The mistake [Editor’s note – the word “ironically” fits nicely here] apparently was made in China, where the medallions were produced.

Cavs meltdown in 4Q to Orlando – Quotes of the Game

The Cavaliers really missed an opportunity to help solidify the fourth spot when they basically gave up the 4th quarter in a loss to the Magic 101-86.  Delonte West had a solid game with 19 points followed up by Z with 18.  LeBron added 17 points on 6-22 shooting and is obviously not playing well.  I still don’t understand why Mike Brown is insisting on playing Boobie Gibson over Damon Jones at this point in the season.  Damon has proven that he can consistently make the key baskets and played well coming in for Delonte.  I know Boobie was a key contributor last year and before becoming injured but how long is coach Brown going to allow him to try to regain his form.  The following are the key quotes from the game.

HEAD COACH MIKE BROWN
(On the game as a whole):
“One of the biggest disappointments that happened tonight was our turnovers. We had 16 turnovers. We gave up 25 points off those 16 turnovers. They were bad turnovers that led to a ton of points. We have to do a better job of making sure that when we turn the ball over, that our court balance is there. I thought Orlando came in here and stayed consistent. They stuck with their game plan and they chipped away to win the ballgame. For us this is the second game in a row, in the fourth quarter especially, that we have not been able to score. I thought we moved the ball well, but we just did not finish.”
(On injuries being a factor):
“It’s not a factor. Every team is feeling dinged up right now and we just have to keep trying to play through. It’s not a factor in some of the things we’re doing out on the floor.”
(On concerns going into the postseason):
“We’re turning the ball over. Defensively we’re not fighting through any type of adversity. We’re on the officials quite a bit, and we have to make sure that we’re a no-excuse team and we don’t want to mess with the officials. We just have to bring a little bit more fight, especially in the fourth quarter, against teams we play.”
(On having a break in the schedule):
“You want to get back on the floor and play the right way, and get a win for confidence. We’re going to take tomorrow off and get back at it Monday.”

LEBRON JAMES
(On his fourth quarter performance):
“I definitely haven’t had the lift that I’ve had in the past with my back tightening up. But I don’t use that as an excuse. I’ve just not been able to come through for my team in the fourth quarter the last two games. ”
(On the frustration of the loss):
“It comes and goes. Halftime doesn’t help. I’m warmed up and sitting at halftime for 20 minutes. That’s no excuse for the way we played tonight, the way I played. It starts with me. I didn’t play well, so our team didn’t play well.”
(On the back spasms):
“It goes from low-back to mid-back… It’s just something to keep a close eye on and make sure that I can take care of it as much as I can before the postseason.”
(On the key to winning in the fourth quarter):
“It starts with me. It’s not about making shots, it’s about making minimum mistakes. They guys look at me to lead them. I’m not blaming my back for the way I played tonight. I’m out on the court so I still have to produce… It starts with me and goes to everybody else.”
(On whether he should rest the final five games):
“Right now I can’t afford to. We’ve got to clinch the fourth seed and hopefully we get first round [home court advantage]. We still have to get better. We’re at a point right now where we have so many injuries that it’s hard for us to improve. It’s hard for us to play consistent basketball. Hopefully we can get better. ”
(On the team playing with injuries):
“It’s frustrating for all of us. We know this time of year, everybody is hurt. We can’t make that as big as an excuse as it should be, but we’ve had injuries that have kept guys out of games… We just have to keep a close eye on [the injuries].”
(On losing the past two games in the fourth quarter):
“It’s been frustrating, but we have to figure it out and I’m going to figure it out. I think I’ve always been able to bounce back in situations where I haven’t played particularly well. I have a few days to reflect, a few days to look at some film, and see what’s happening and go from there.”

DEVIN BROWN
(On how the Magic won the game):
“They hit some shots, give them credit. They hit some shots. Down the stretch, they were getting to the basket. (They hit their) free throws. You give them credit, they did what they had to do on the road.”
(On if he is surprised in the Cavaliers’ play in the fourth quarter the last couple games):
“Yeah. Because if we want to be considered an elite team, when the fourth quarter comes, we definitely have got to play better and make better decisions down the stretch.”

DELONTE WEST
(On if injuries played a part in the team’s last few losses):
“Not at all. Not at all. We are a no excuse team. The last two games we lost, the (other) team beat us. You would like to go through the season and win every game but there are a lot of talented teams in this league. We aren’t making any excuses.”
(On if the nagging injuries are a concern):
“I think we are understanding what we have to do to help the team win every night. And I think guys are understanding their role a little better, not that we didn’t have a clear understanding (before). Just trying to perfect our roles to help this team, win every night. I think the guys are doing a good job of it and I don’t think it’s necessarily a big concern.”

HEAD COACH STAN VAN GUNDY
(On the game):
“That was two totally different teams for us. In the first half, they (Cavs) missed 24 shots and got 14 offensive rebounds and scored 30 points in the paint. Then, in the second half, they scored four points in the paint, missed 30 shots, and got four offensive rebounds and we held them to 27 percent from the floor. It was just two totally different teams in terms of the way we competed. Forget about the way we played, I thought they defended us very well, too. But, we competed so much harder in the second half. You could see it, too. Even when we were down at the end of the third quarter, you could see right from the beginning that there were more guys around the ball, we were battling for the ball. Wallace, Varejao and Ilgauskes, three of the best offensive rebounders in the league. It’s not easy, but we got in there and battled and we got lucky. LeBron James had one of his few bad nights and we’ll take it. But, we competed a lot harder. The whole thing was competitiveness. I was very disappointed at halftime, I may have expressed some mild disappointment at halftime because in the last two games combined, we gave up 46 offensive rebounds. That was a major emphasis the last two days and we gave up 14 offensive rebounds. I was beside myself. In the second half, we battled and that’s what we have to do.”

DWIGHT HOWARD
(On Magic in 2nd half):
“We came out in the second half with a lot more energy. I think we just played harder than they did. In the first half, they had 30 paint points and they were getting all the rebounds. It was just ugly, but I think we came back in the second half and played a lot better.”
(On Cavs double teams on him):
“They doubled hard. I’ve just got to find other ways to score. I didn’t think I ran hard enough tonight. I’ve got to get easy baskets and try to post before the defense gets a chance to settle. The next game we play, I’ve got to make sure I get back to running. That’s one of the things coach came here and talked about in the first half, that I have to run more because every time, I catch it, they’re coming and they came real fast tonight.”
(On what it says about the Magic when the other team tries to limit him):
“You’ve got to pick your poison. I think tonight they did an excellent job making sure I didn’t get any paint points and just containing me. Everybody hit their shots from the outside, and Turkoglu played well, Jameer played well. We just played good team defense in the second half.”

HEDO TURKOGLU
(On Magic overcoming off night by Howard for win):
“It’s a special situation. I have a lot of good players around me, and even if I don’t have it, I can create for somebody else. They were double teaming him (Howard) a lot and he was being unselfish and just getting the ball out and finding open guys.”

JAMEER NELSON
(On returning to action):
“It felt good. My energy was high for most parts of the game when I was in there. I just wanted to get into a rhythm, and they doubled Dwight, Rashard (Lewis) and those guys early on, and I got a lot of open shots.”
(On Magic overcoming rebound margin and Howard’s off night):
“They (Cavs) also had a lot of points in the paint. It shows our toughness. We had to make some adjustments, individually and team wise, and we had to man up and play guys off the dribble and keep the ball out of the paint. And, just keep shrinking the court as a team. I think we did a much better job of that in the second half. Also, when you do that, you’re closer to the basket and closer to your men, so you can obviously block out a little better. We just had to keep fighting and that’s what we did.”

PAT GARRITY
(On his performance and staying ready to play):
“It affects everything, your preparation and kind of how you’re looking at the game when you know you’re going in. But, it’s still just two games now that I have been in that situation. It felt better tonight than it did the other night. I hope so, at least I practice it (shooting) enough. Tonight, I think it was a lot of open shots for everyone just because they were doing such a great job of packing it in on Dwight. It was really hard getting him the ball, we weren’t getting high-lows like we normally get. They were really sinking in, it was a good thing we were able to make shots.”
(On defensive adjustments in second half):
“We didn’t change anything defensively, except trying to be more physical, box out and take away their layups. A lot of their points in the paint were just guys cutting, they weren’t necessarily post-ups because we weren’t being physical enough.”

Cavaliers sign Lance Allred

Cleveland Cavaliers signed Lance Allred for the rest of the season and to a non-guaranteed contract for the 2008-09 season.  Allred who is legally deaf and has a obsessive compulsive disorder was  pleased.
“It’s quite surreal,” said Allred, who also signed a non-guaranteed contract for the 2008-’09 season. “It’s nice to be here to help the team and the community. I’ve grown to like the city. So I’m very pleased. It has been a good day.”

Cavaliers lose to Bulls – Quotes from the Game

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Chicago Bulls 101-98 Thursday night at Quickens Loan Arena.  The Cavaliers were up 17 points late but simply let the Bulls back into the game.  LeBron led the team with 33 points, Z added 23 and Wally 10 points on 4-7 shooting.  It is good to see Wally getting his stroke back but he missed a shot near the end of the game and Ben missed a dunk that could have helped.  Larry Hughes probably had his best game since the trade, scoring 25 points on 11-17 shooting.  For quotes of the game see below:

HEAD COACH MIKE BROWN
(On the game as a whole):
“Got to give that team credit. That team did a heck of a job in the fourth quarter defensively against us. You’ve got to give Ben Gordon credit and Larry Hughes. I thought Larry Hughes came in here and had a huge fourth quarter for them. We had a lot of guys guard him at different times because we know when he gets hot, he’s a tough cover. He got hot tonight and carried the load for them.”
(On the final play):
“We knew that Boobie (Daniel Gibson) would set a screen on LeBron. I just told him to pop out just in case LeBron got doubled, and he did. LeBron got doubled and he found him (Gibson), and he had a great look.”
(On the game being frustrating):
“It’s frustrating for me. We were up 17 points late and we had plenty of opportunities to put the game away. Chicago is a hard-playing team and they’re not going to give up whether it’s at home or on the road.”

WALLY SZCZERBIAK
(On what the Bulls did in the second half):
“Their bench came and really pushed the tempo and got some stops on us and put us back on our heels. Our transition defense against them hasn’t really been good all year and that’s where they got to us. They got a lot of transition buckets and Larry (Hughes) got hot and played very well in the second half. You have got to give them a lot of credit.”
(On what happened offensively for the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter):
“I don’t know. I think we had some pretty good looks. I missed a shot at the end and Ben (Wallace) missed a dunk. I think we executed pretty well, we got some pretty good shots. We have just got to continue to work and hopefully make the plays down the stretch in order to win the game.”
(On the frustration in losing this game):
“Well yeah, every game is frustrating to lose at home. Especially as good as we are at home, we don’t expect to lose at all. I think that was very evident with how quiet the locker room was after the game. But at the same time we have got to learn from it, we have got to go back and watch the tape and see how we can not allow them to make up a 17-point lead on our home floor. There were a lot of mistakes that put us in the position to have the game come down to one possession at the end. Hopefully we can get it taken care of and figure it out.”
(On if his play the past two game is the best since he has been here):
“Definitely. I’m kicking myself for not making that shot at the end. I stroked it and it went in and out and it just wasn’t meant to be. LeBron made a great play and hit me wide open. Unfortunately that one just didn’t go down but I’ll be ready for the next one.”

LEBRON JAMES
(On whether he was fouled on his late drive to the basket):
“I got hit on the elbow and left [the shot] short. But that wasn’t the reason why we lost the game.”
(On why the team lost the game):
“Defensively we weren’t in tune like we should have. We allowed them to penetrate and penetrate and let them get into a comfort level. They’re very hard to guard because their guard play is very good… We allowed them to get into a comfort zone in the second half.”
(On the final play):
“The play was [designed] to get me open and take the shot. But without hesitation I saw a [Bulls defender] leaving Boobie and he was wide open so it was the best shot we could have got. It was a great look.”
(On whether or not to be concerned with the team’s performance):
“We played well tonight at times. We’ve been playing well our last few games so I’m not concerned.”
(On when the back spasms started):
“I don’t remember what play it was. It just started [to spasm]. If you ask anybody how bad that is for me, being the explosive type of player I am, it’s tough to do some of the things I wanted to do, especially in the fourth quarter… Hopefully I can try and get it better and get it ready for Saturday.”
(On the Bulls’ momentum following the 17-point lead):
“They started to make shots. At times, we allowed them to make shots without us pressuring them defensively and you can’t let a team like that hang around because they can make big shots.”
(On getting better defensively):
“We only have a few games left. Hopefully we can get in tune and prepare ourselves to go into the playoffs with the right mindset. We all know that we can win in the postseason if we defend.”
(On the loss):
“You want to win every game. Being up 17 or being up one, you still have to execute… It’s a little frustrating but at the same time you have to learn from it.”

HEAD COACH JIM BOYLAN
(On tonight’s game):
“You see a game like that with a team that’s in our situation, mathematically we’re not out of the playoff race but we have a steep hill to climb and you get down 17 on the road against a team the caliber of Cleveland, who was in The Finals last year, and to be able to fight your way back and get the win, I think that says a lot about our guys. I was really proud of the way we fought. We got contributions from a lot of different people. It was not just one particular guy, everybody seemed to be able to give us something…we’ve been trying to talk to the guys about playing it (the season) all the way out. The whole season, we’re pros. Let’s act like pros and conduct ourselves in that manner, and I thought tonight we really showed that.”
(On Thabo Sefolosha’s defense on LeBron James in the fourth quarter):
“Great job. Thabo is a very good defender and he gets better and better. It’s only his second year and when he’s on his game defensively, he’s a handful.”
(On whether he thought of putting the bench in during the third quarter):
“That never crossed my mind. I thought we played well throughout the entire game. They had some runs, we had some turnovers that cost us a little bit, but I thought our offensive execution was good. I thought our defense, for the most part, was solid the whole game. At the timeouts, that’s what we talked about. Let’s work our way back in.”
(On Larry Hughes’ play today):
“Larry can do a lot of things out there. This was probably the best game he’s had since he’s been with us. He showed his versatility. He showed his ability to defend, his ability to distribute the ball, shoot the ball and he attacked the basket. I really liked the way he played. Hopefully, that will continue for the rest of the season.”

THABO SEFOLOSHA
(On his defense on LeBron and what he tried to do):
“Just stay in front of him and make him drive because he was hitting big shots…I think I did OK. We ended up winning so that’s a good thing.”
(On what spurred the comeback):
“I don’t know if it was one thing. Larry Hughes had a great game. We never gave up, we were right there. We wanted to win this game so we gave it all. Everybody played together.”

LARRY HUGHES
(On how the Bulls made their comeback):
“Playing hard. They made a run and got up double digits but we stayed with it, moved the basketball around and got some open looks. Definitely played solid defensively. We were able to rebound and get out.”
(On feeling his shot get going in the third quarter):
“I did. I’ve been working hard at night. Just trying to finish out strong. Making some shots, knowing where I’ll get my shots and how I’ll get my shots. Just trying to be patient and not try to do so much. Definitely staying off that three-point line, getting in and shooting more two’s.”
(On whether it felt good to win):
“Of course. It definitely feels good to win. We felt like we had a good chance the first time we played here and we let it get away in the fourth. We want to win the series. Coming over to a new team, seeing these guys four times, we want to come out on top. If nothing else, just for bragging rights when we see the guys in the summer time.”