Archives for November 2009

LeBron James scored 12 of his 34 points in the first quarter, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers build a cushion it used to cruise to a 98-88 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

James' strong start gave the Cavs a nine-point lead to start the second quarter.

Reserve Daniel Gibson and Mo Williams combined to score 18 points in the second quarter to put them ahead by 18 at halftime.

When the Pistons pulled within 10 midway through the fourth quarter, James responded with a 3-pointer and.

A double-pump dunk. Detroit cut its deficit to eight points with 4:15 left and James made plays at both ends of the court to give the Cavs another double-digit lead.

The Pistons, though, would not go away easily. Ben Wallace made a free throw with 1:13 to go to make it 93-88.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired 15-time all-star Shaquille O'Neal in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns that brings two of the NBA's biggest stars together for the first time.

The trade pairs O'Neal with LeBron James, who was voted the league's most valuable player last year.

In exchange for O'Neal, Phoenix gets centre Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic. "It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's calibre," Danny Ferry, Cleveland's general manager said on Thursday.

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James was named today as the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, November 16th through Sunday, November 22nd.

In four games during the week, James averaged an NBA-best 34.3 points on .583 shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 37.5 minutes per game.

He was the only Eastern Conference player to score 30 or more points in each of his games last week and led the Cavs to a 3-1 record during their four games in five nights stretch.

James wins the award for the first time this season and the 21st time in his career. James posted a double-double with 31 points and 12 assists in a win over the Golden State Warriors on November 17th at Quicken Loans Arena.

He scored 15 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter at Washington on November 18th. In the second road game of the week.

He finished with a season-high 40 points, including 22 points on 8-11 (.727) from the field in the first half, nine rebounds and seven assists on November 20th in a 105-95 win over the Pacers. In their final home game of the week versus Philadelphia, he tallied a game-high 32 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a 97-91 victory.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was named the Western Conference Player of the Week. Other nominees for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week were Charlotte’s Stephen Jackson, New York’s Al Harrington and Orlando’s Vince Carter.

Watching the Sixers make just two of their first nine shots Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena and fall behind 20-4 with 6:20 to play in the first quarter, it appeared the night was going to be long and painful. How wrong that thought was.

“[When it was] 20-4 we said, ‘Let’s go,’” Elton Brand recalled. “They were hitting tough shots and we were missing shots that we can hit. The coaches, they let us know that this team is the No. 1 first quarter team in the league scoring points, so that gave us a little confidence to build that six -point lead going into the fourth.”

“The look on the guys’ faces when we got down was one of composure – we didn’t panic or anything,” Andre Iguodala said after contributing 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. “We just thought we could weather their storm. I think we did a good job getting back in the game and taking the lead. It definitely shows that when we are down we can fight back. We just have to keep our game at a high level and not let it fall to the competition.”

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LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points, and the Cavaliers rallied to beat the Pacers. Cleveland center Shaquille O'Neal sat out his fourth straight game because of a strained right shoulder.

at Milwaukee 95, Charlotte 88: Rookie Brandon Jennings scored 29 points to lead the Bucks over the Bobcats. Bucks center Andrew Bogut (strained left leg) is expected to be out two to four weeks.

at Atlanta 105, Houston 103: Josh Smith soared through the lane to drop in a missed shot with 0.7 of a second remaining and the Hawks won their seventh in a row, maintaining the NBA's best record.

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is expected to start in his team’s game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday despite reinjuring his left wrist on a powerful dunk in Wednesday night’s loss to the Washington Wizards.

LeBron hurt the wrist late in the fourth quarter and eventually left the game due to the injury. James said it was the same wrist that injured earlier this season while trying to break a fall. His wrist was iced after the game and he was seen wearing wrap.Despite the injury LeBron expects to play in Friday night’s game in Indiana.

The chosen one, who said this week that if he put the time and commitment into it, he could be a good football player, has a job waiting with the Cleveland Browns, if he wants it.

Coach Eric Mangini thinks LeBron James would be dangerous at tight end, wide receiver or even outside linebacker.

Quarterback Brady Quinn said, “Tell him to suit up.” Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers, on the other hand, isn’t convinced. “A great athlete? Yes.

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If wishful thinking becomes fact, the Knicks will get LeBron James. If principle prevails, they won’t. It’s likely James himself knows where he is headed, if he’s headed elsewhere, when free agency arrives next year. Obviously, he is commercially restrained to say anything, and he most recently said he won’t talk about it anymore. He knows about the tumult he has created in New York, and probably is enjoying it.

New York desperately wants James. A daily drumbeat by the media will become even louder as the moment of decision arrives. But it’s doubtful he is influenced by it. He ought not to be. Even if he doesn’t guarantee an NBA championship, and he doesn’t, James would become a franchise ticket for Madison Square Garden, a revival for celebrities at courtside who pose for TV. And then, there is still no greater market for a product than New York, even if James can do well enough anywhere else these days.

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If LeBron James crowed about the Cleveland Cavaliers' commanding victory over the Orlando Magic last week, he did it behind closed doors, away from the public glare.

"It's just one game," he told reporters after the Cavaliers dismantled the Magic 102-93 in a game not nearly as close as the final score indicated.

But maybe it's time for LeBron to end his modest talk. The Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat one night later in Miami. Anyone else see a pattern emerging?

Cleveland has won seven of its last eight games. Shaquille O'Neal did just fine against Dwight Howard. And LeBron is playing like, well, LeBron.

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LeBron James helped Cleveland resist a late surge by the Utah Jazz by scoring the Cavaliers’ final eight points in a 107-103 victory on Saturday. James, who had 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds, personally outscored the Jazz 8-4 in the final 52 seconds to give Cleveland their fourth consecutive win.

Utah had led briefly at 101-100 before James’s three-point play with just 28 seconds remaining regained the lead for Cleveland.

“Any time the game is close or I feel like we have an opportunity to win, I hit the switch and say ‘It’s time to get going.

It’s time for you to lead this team’,” James said. “That’s what I’m here for. I’m not afraid of the moment. I kind of live for it.”

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