Cleveland Cavaliers News, Rumors

Shaq Fine With Reduced Role

Dec 30, 2009 3:58 PM

Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal has had no problem deferring to his younger teammates.

O'Neal is averaging just 8.4 shots per game. In addition he's averaging career-lows in points (10.3), rebounds (7.1) and field goal percentage (51%).

"Nobody wants to see a 37-, 38-year-old man take 20 or 30 shots," Shaq said. "LeBron (James) is going to take most of the shots. I accept that role.

"If I was 27 or 28, I'd probably have a problem with that. That's how it is now. He's the man. He's going to take most of the shots."

News Herald

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

RealGM Recaps For Tuesday, 12/29

Dec 30, 2009 8:27 AM

There were two 40-plus point performances in the NBA on Tuesday night.

- Cleveland 95, Atlanta 84

The Cleveland Cavaliers (25-8) used doubled up on the Atlanta Hawks (21-9) in the fourth quarter en route to an important win. Maurice Williams had 20 points and five assists, Shaquille O?Neal posted 10 points and eight rebounds and LeBron James added 14 points, 10 dimes and eight boards. Cleveland shot 49% and turned the ball over 20 times. Jamal Crawford scored 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting, Al Horford tallied nine points and nine rebounds and Josh Smith contributed 15 points and eight boards.

- Oklahoma City 110, Washington 98

The Oklahoma City Thunder (17-14) used a big second half to defeat the Washington Wizards (10-20) at the Verizon Center. Kevin Durant starred with 35 points and 11 rebounds, Jeff Green tallied 18 points and four boards and Russell Westbrook chipped in 11 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Oklahoma City hit 54% of their shots and outrebounded Washington by seven. Antawn Jamison scored a team-high 28 points, Brendan Haywood posted 16 points and eight rebounds and Gilbert Arenas put up 24 points, eight assists and seven boards.

- New York 104, Detroit 87

The New York Knicks (12-19) dominated the Detroit Pistons (11-20) on Tuesday night. David Lee excelled with 30 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, Wilson Chandler posted 23 points and nine boards and Chris Duhon totaled 13 points and seven assists. New York shot 51% and outrebounded Detroit by eleven. Ben Gordon had 17 points, Rodney Stuckey tallied 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Richard Hamilton scored 15 points on 5-for-21 shooting in the loss.

- Chicago 104, Indiana 95

The Chicago Bulls (12-17) built a huge lead in the first quarter and held off the Indiana Pacers (9-21) at the United Center. Derrick Rose had 28 points, six assists and five rebounds, Luol Deng tallied 15 points and eight boards and Tyrus Thomas brought eight points and 15 rebounds off the bench. Chicago drilled 52% of their shot attempts and turned the ball over 21 times. Roy Hibbert led with 17 points and six rebounds, Luther Head scored 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting and Earl Watson added 10 points and six assists.

- Houston 108, New Orleans 100

The Houston Rockets (19-13) outscored the New Orleans Hornets (13-16) 34-18 in the fourth quarter to record a comeback win on Tuesday night. Aaron Brooks scored 27 points, Luis Scola posted 13 points and 12 rebounds and Carl Landry contributed 18 points and six boards off the bench. New Orleans shot 50%, but Houston went 12-for-23 from three-point land and attempted 12 more foul shots. David West exploded for 44 points and 12 rebounds, Emeka Okafor tallied nine points and six boards and Chris Paul stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

- San Antonio 117, Minnesota 99

The San Antonio Spurs (18-11) had a relatively easy time dispatching of the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-25). Richard Jefferson had 24 points and six rebounds, Tim Duncan tallied 17 points and 10 boards and Manu Ginobili put up 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds off the bench. San Antonio held Minnesota to 39% shooting and hit 12-for-24 three-pointers at home. Al Jefferson had 20 points and eight rebounds, Kevin Love posted 18 points and 12 boards and Jonny Flynn scored 17 points on 14 shots.

- L.A. Lakers 124, Golden State 118

The Los Angeles Lakers (25-6) staged a second-half comeback against the pesky Golden State Warriors (9-22). Kobe Bryant starred with 44 points and 11 assists, Pau Gasol posted 27 points and 12 boards and Lamar Odom contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds. Golden State hit 55% of their shots, but Los Angeles won the rebounding battle and attempted more free throws. Corey Maggette scored a team-high 25 points, Monta Ellis tallied 22 points and seven assists and C.J. Watson totaled 14 points and four assists in the loss.

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, NBA

Cavaliers Won't Rule Out Dealing Ilgauskas

Dec 28, 2009 2:31 PM

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown says that Zydrunas Ilgauskas' name hasn't been mentioned to him in possible trade scenarios.

However, Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry isn't ruling anything out.

"I never rule out anything," Ferry said. "But he's been important to us."

Ferry is a former teammate of Ilgauskas, who is the longest-tenured Cavalier in franchise history.

"It's hard to trade anyone and especially with people that the organization cares about," Ferry said. "It would be hard to trade anyone. Trading people is not something that you ... enjoy doing."

FanHouse

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

RealGM Recaps For Sunday, 12/27

Dec 28, 2009 8:23 AM

Baron Davis shocked the Celtics with a buzzer-beating jumper on Sunday night.

- Toronto 102, Detroit 95

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +18.4, Pistons -18.4

The Toronto Raptors (15-17) held off the Detroit Pistons (11-19) in the second half to inch closer to .500 on the season. Chris Bosh starred with 25 points and 16 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani posted 16 points and six boards and Hedo Turkoglu added 14 points and six assists. Toronto hit 52% of their shots and attempted 11 more foul shots than Detroit. Richard Hamilton scored 15 points in his return from a hamstring injury, Jones Jerebko tallied 14 points and seven rebounds and Rodney Stuckey contributed 14 points, eight boards and five assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 19.5

Jonas Jerebko, Detroit ? 12.2

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit ? 12.0

Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto ? 11.2

- Cleveland 108, Houston 83

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +55, Rockets -55

The Cleveland Cavaliers (24-8) dominated the Houston Rockets (18-13) on Sunday afternoon. LeBron James led with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds, Shaquille O?Neal tallied 13 points and 11 boards and Maurice Williams put up 20 points, six rebounds and five dimes. Cleveland held Houston to just 32% shooting and won the rebounding battle by sixteen. Aaron Brooks led with 23 points, Carl Landry posted 11 points and six rebounds and Luis Scola chipped in 11 points and five boards.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 25.8

Maurice Williams, Cleveland ? 15.0

Shaquille O?Neal, Cleveland ? 14.2

Aaron Brooks, Houston ? 12.0

- Miami 114, Indiana 80

Team FIC Differential: Heat +68.6, Pacers -68.6

The Miami Heat (16-12) thumped the Indiana Pacers (9-20) at American Airlines Arena. Dwyane Wade led with 25 points and six assists, Jermaine O?Neal posted 19 points and six rebounds and Udonis Haslem totaled 13 points and six boards off the bench. Miami outrebounded Indiana by 15 and held the road team to 30% shooting from the field. Troy Murphy scored a team-high 16 points, Tyler Hansbrough tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds and T.J. Ford added 10 points and four assists for the struggling Pacers.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 20.5

Jermaine O?Neal, Miami ? 16.1

Quentin Richardson, Miami ? 13.0

Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana ? 11.2

- San Antonio 95, New York 88

Team FIC Differential: Spurs -17.9, Knicks -17.9

The San Antonio Spurs (17-11) won a close game over the New York Knicks (11-19). Tony Parker scored 22 points on 10-for-17 shooting, Tim Duncan tallied 13 points and seven rebounds and Manu Ginobili scored 17 points in the victory. San Antonio shot 50% and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. David Lee starred with 28 points and 10 rebounds, Danilo Gallinari posted 19 points on 5-for-13 shooting and Al Harrington contributed 19 points as well in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

David Lee, New York ? 20.5

Chris Duhon, New York ? 12.8

Tony Parker, San Antonio ? 12.4

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio ? 11.4

- Dallas 104, Denver 96

Team FIC Differential: Mavericks +21.4, Nuggets -21.4

The Dallas Mavericks (22-9) got a rare road win against the Denver Nuggets (20-11) on Sunday night. Drew Gooden had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Dirk Nowitzki posted 13 points and 11 boards and Josh Howard chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds. Dallas drilled 50% of their shots and outrebounded Denver by six. Kenyon Martin had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony tallied 16 points and 12 boards and J.R. Smith scored 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Drew Gooden, Dallas ? 16.6

Kenyon Martin, Denver ? 14.3

Jason Kidd, Dallas ? 14.0

Erick Dampier, Dallas ? 13.9

- L.A. Clippers 92, Boston 90

Team FIC Differential: Clippers +2, Celtics -2

The Los Angeles Clippers (13-17) stunned the Boston Celtics (23-6) on a buzzer-beating shot by Baron Davis. Chris Kaman led with 27 points and 12 rebounds, Eric Gordon scored 15 points and Davis put up 24 points, 13 assists and three steals. Los Angeles hit 50% of their shots and attempted eight more free throws than Boston. Rajon Rondo had 20 points and six assists, Tony Allen posted 10 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Garnett totaled 12 points and eight boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Baron Davis, Los Angeles ? 22.1

Chris Kaman, Los Angeles ? 16.9

Tony Allen, Boston ? 14.5

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 13.4

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, NBA

Bryant Calls Loss To Cleveland A 'Wake-Up Call'

Dec 27, 2009 6:17 PM

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said last week that there was no rivalry between his team and the Cavaliers, but their Christmas Night game has garnered a lot of attention.

Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said that he'd have to "sit" on the game before he could assess it and Bryant said that the Lakers, who were rolling prior to the game, may have needed it.

"It's a good wake-up call for us," Bryant said.

The Lakers 24-5 after defeating the Kings on Saturday night.

ESPN

Cavs May Ask League To Review Bryant's Cheap Shot On Williams

Dec 26, 2009 9:36 PM

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cavaliers are expected to ask the NBA to review a supposed cheap shot by Kobe Bryant on Maurice Williams.

With Williams leading a run in the third quarter, Bryant came from behind him while the Lakers had the ball and slammed him to the ground. Williams went down hard, injuring his lower back, and the Cavaliers had to call timeout to allow him to recover.

"We got under their skin, we were flying around, guys weren't making shots," Williams said. "You always want to see our opponent get frustrated and do something out of character."

Cleveland defeated Los Angeles 102-87 on Christmas night.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

RealGM Recaps For Friday, 12/25

Dec 26, 2009 8:55 AM

Friday's Christmas Day action was highlighted by drama in Los Angeles and a comeback victory in Portland.

- Miami 93, New York 87

Team FIC Differential: Heat +13.7, Knicks -13.7

The Miami Heat (15-12) withstood a late run by the New York Knicks (11-18) to win at Madison Square Garden. Dwyane Wade starred with 30 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Jermaine O?Neal posted 11 points and eight boards and Udonis Haslem added 12 points and six rebounds. Miami attempted nine more foul shots and New York turned the ball over 17 times. Danilo Gallinari had 26 points and eight rebounds, David Lee tallied 19 points and 16 boards and Al Harrington contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 22.2

Danilo Gallinari, New York ? 16.1

David Lee, New York ? 15.5

Jermaine O?Neal, Miami ? 11.6

- Boston 86, Orlando 77

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +24.8, Magic -24.8

The Boston Celtics (23-5) limited the Orlando Magic (22-8) to just eight points in the second quarter on Friday afternoon. Ray Allen had 18 points and six rebounds, Rasheed Wallace tallied 11 points and eight boards and Rajon Rondo stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Boston outrebounded Orlando by five and the Magic hit just 33% of their shot attempts. Vince Carter had 27 points and five rebounds, Rashard Lewis scored 19 points on 5-for-14 shooting and Dwight Howard grabbed 20 rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Vince Carter, Orlando ? 14.9

Rasheed Wallace, Boston ? 12.0

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 12.0

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 11.6

- Cleveland 102, L.A. Lakers 87

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +32.4, Lakers -32.4

The Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) put the Los Angeles Lakers (23-5) away in the third quarter at the Staples Center. Maurice Williams led with 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds, LeBron James posted 26 points and nine dimes and Shaquille O?Neal totaled 11 points and six boards. Cleveland hit 54% of their shots and held Los Angeles to just 36% from the floor. Kobe Bryant had 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Ron Artest tallied 13 points and seven boards and Pau Gasol chipped in 11 points and six rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Maurice Williams, Cleveland ? 23.2

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 18.5

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 14.1

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles ? 11.0

- Phoenix 124, L.A. Clippers 93

Team FIC Differential: Suns +49.8, Clippers -49.8

The Phoenix Suns (19-11) outscored the Los Angeles Clippers (12-17) in each of the game?s four quarters on Friday for an easy win. Amare Stoudemire had 26 points and nine rebounds, Steve Nash tallied 14 points and eight assists and Jason Richardson totaled 18 points and eight boards. Phoenix shot 53% from the field and attempted ten more foul shots than Los Angeles. Rasual Butler led with 22 points and seven rebounds, Chris Kaman posted 19 points and 10 boards and Baron Davis added 11 points and eight assists for the Clippers.

Game FIC Scores

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 24.6

Rasual Butler, Los Angeles ? 19.3

Jason Richardson, Phoenix ? 14.5

Chris Kaman, Los Angeles ? 12.8

- Portland 107, Denver 96

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +22.1, Nuggets -22.1

The Portland Trail Blazers (20-12) outscored the Denver Nuggets (20-10) by 13 points in the fourth quarter to record a win at the Rose Garden. Brandon Roy starred with 41 points and six rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge posted 10 points and 13 boards and Andre Miller contributed 14 points and eight assists. Portland hit 52% of their shots, while holding Denver to 5-for-15 from three-point land. Carmelo Anthony had 23 points and nine rebounds, Kenyon Martin tallied 12 points and 14 boards and J.R. Smith scored 20 points on 9-for-23 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 25.8

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 19.8

Kenyon Martin, Denver ? 17.2

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 14..5

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA

Jackson Unhappy With Lakers' Bench

Dec 26, 2009 8:38 AM

Lakers coach Phil Jackson hasn't been happy with the production his team has gotten from their bench lately.

"It's got the personnel. It should be," Jackson said on Friday. "But we're not. Right now we're not playing as well."

At halftime of Friday's loss to the Cavaliers, Los Angeles was outscored 19-2 on the bench.

"Our team played bad," said Lamar Odom. "Like I said, you can go look at every component of the game where we lost it today -- the field-goal percentage, the starters, the bench."

Los Angeles Times

Laker Fans Get Rowdy, Throw Things On Court

Dec 26, 2009 8:21 AM

Fans in Los Angeles got rowdy towards the end of the Cavaliers' win over the Lakers on Christmas Day.

The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 102-87 and fans in the lower sections began throwing yellow foam fingers onto the court in the fourth quarter.

LeBron James said that at least one water bottle followed the foam fingers.

"The only thing that you hope doesn't happen is one of the players getting hit or a referee getting hit, especially by a full water bottle," James said. "When that came on the court, it was coming pretty fast. You don't want that to happen because it could definitely hurt somebody. Luckily no one got hurt, and that's a good thing."

The game was a physical one and Los Angeles forward Lamar Odom was ejected in the fourth quarter.

"I've never seen an L.A. crowd react like this before," said coach Phil Jackson. "I like their enthusiasm. I don't like their demonstrative manner. ... It wasn't a well-refereed game, it wasn't a very well-played game, so I think it was a reaction to that."

ESPN

Kobe Doesn't Consider Cavs To Be A Rival

NBA.com

RealGM Recaps For Wednesday, 12/23