The Cavs arrived in Orlando in the wee hours of Friday morning, changing up the routine, hoping to get a good day of rest vs. flying in this afternoon...as Mike Brown says they are not thinking about a Game 7 directly, adding they are here to do one thing, and that is win Game 6, and of course the result of that is one more game at The Q. Staying composed is what the Cavs will have to do. Mike talked about the small ball deployment of having Mo, Delonte and Boobie on the floor at the same time, and made a good point. Ben now being healthy again allows the Cavs to utilize that line-up a little more..
Mike says what he has enjoyed so much about this series, is being forced to go really deep, in finding ways to try and defend this Orlando juggernaut. The Magic has so many weapons, it has challenged the Cavs and the coaching staff to uncover the smallest of defensive details to swing the outcome. I keep watching total points scored in this series.
Orlando 519, Cavaliers, 517...can you get much closer through 5 games?
Delonte says his right hip feels a lot better than it did last night...he says he has a nasty bruise on it, and is not certain when he actually when he hurt it...but there is no way he won't be ready to go in the biggest game of the season.
Delonte was asked about the collision of LeBron and Dwight Howard near the rack, and he described them as the next generation human beings...two of the strongest players in the NBA meeting at the summit.
We saw the real Mo Williams, going 7 for 14, and since he is such a confident player, he may be ready to roll the rest of this series. Mike fully expects Mo to deliver and wants him to continue to be aggressive with his shot as he did en route to 24 points in Game 5.
LeBron added that pressure is on both teams now, not on one more than the other...although LBJ says he never feels pressure, so he's excited to get it on tomorrow night. He says the way the Cavs played down the stretch in Game 4 here gives them the total belief they can win Game 6.
There seems to be the notion that LeBron having to initiate the offense as he did repeatedly down the stretch might be too physically demanding, but LeBron said no way...he thinks he was built for this, and never felt tired, and welcomes the responsibility....the way he initiated the offense at the elbow particularly in the final quarter, as opposed to outside the three point line, put incredible pressure on the Magic defense...that will be the riddle Stan Van Gundy and his team will have to try and solve...what to do with King James. LeBron did a lot of the attacking from the corner of the key for Team USA during the gold medal run. With the floor spread and his ability to go either way on the bounce, makes finding shooters a little easier.
See you on Cavaliers Live pre game and post game on FOX Sports Ohio.
Well fans, we're heading into a pivotal Game Five tonight against the Orlando Magic here at home. And before we do, A.C. and I have answered some more of the great questions you guys have sent into "Throwin' the Hammer Down."
Sometimes when teams are in a huge playoff hole, the ink on the obituary is nearly dry, when the ball is thrown up in a series, where a 3-1 deficit is faced. You can sort of tell when a season is about to keel over. But I still think the Cavs can come back and win this series, and I sense they do too. There are a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact these two teams are INCREDIBLY evenly matched. Yes, I know Orlando leads 3-1, but take a look at the body of work from these four games.
When one team says this could have been a sweep (Orl) and the Cavs say they could have been up 3-1, while trailing Game 3 by 4 points with 2 and a half minutes left, there is a tick's eyelash difference between these two clubs. Three head shaking triples, one by LeBron and two by Rashard Lewis have swung the pendulum in those games. Look at the total series: 4 games decided by a difference of 12 total points (Orl 417-405) The Cavs have held the lead for 111 of the total 192 minutes. I could go back and forth until your computer powers off.
The Cavs are scoring enough points (101.3). It's the Magic long distance dial up which has provided the difference. They are a very good three point shooting team anyway, but consider the fact they are having the 2nd best shooting series from three point land, in franchise history. Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus and Rafer Alston have never hit 3's at this kind of rate in a series in their playoff lives, but to date, they have been money, against the best team in the league in defending the arc. And that is why you have to tip your hat to them. Will it continue? We'll find out.
Think about how tightly Game 4 was fought, and how it came down to the difference of an extra possession with :06 left in regulation, the Cavs up one and a loose ball off the finger tips of Delonte West, in a collision with Dwight Howard, setting up Lewis' cold-blooded 3 for the lead.
If the Cavs take care of business in Game 5, they will go back to central Florida knowing they can win there. They will still be the underdog in this series, because only 8 times in NBA history have teams come from 3-1 down to rescue a season. Magic fans recall six years ago when Tracy McGrady, Drew Gooden and pals coughed up a similar lead against Detroit. It's mere history though because none of these Magic were a part of that meltdown.
So, it's your perspective on the numbers, rather than thinking just 4% of teams in NBA history have battled from 3-1 down. The Cavs are thinking, 8 teams have actually done it. So, let's enjoy another showdown between these two clubs and see if a return trip to the Magic Kingdom is more than just a fantasy.
Mo Williams was sporting sunglasses today to mask the welts he of course has the day after the elbow from Anthony Johnson and the accompanying four stitches...actually his eye doesn't look as bad as I thought it would...his left eye lid is puffy, and the cheekbone is swollen.
Mo is more concerned right now with hitting shots the way he knows he can....32% percent from the floor, and 25% from 3 is obviously well off his norm...he'll continue to find ways get open looks, and not lose his aggressiveness, nor his confidence to knock down those shots. Mo is taking more than his fair share of blame, and teammates are making sure he doesn't get down on himself...but frankly, you want a guy who takes responsibility. In a three game series so far, separated by just 10 total points, it doesn't take a math wiz to figure how different this series could be, if a few jumpers from Mo, Delonte and or Z start to fall. Delonte pointed to the start of 2nd quarters when LeBron is getting a rest, he and Mo expect to score, and so far they have not taken advantage of that stretch they way they have been...they both know it, and plan on rectifying the situation.
Clearly they are playing an excellent team, that is doing its best to make the Cavs take tough shots, and vice versa. The Magic have shot 43% or less, seven times in this postseason, and still managed to win five of those games, so it shows they have been steady defensively.
Charles Barkley has now riled the central Floridians by saying on the TNT broadcast that Amway Arena is not an intimidating place to play...as Z said so well, 20,000 screaming people, is 20,000 screaming people...for players, it doesn't matter being on the road...it's the home team which gets the juice...and I thought it was a good crowd in Game 3, certainly better than what we saw in Atlanta for that series.
The Cavs arrived in Orlando in the wee hours of Friday morning, changing up the routine, hoping to get a good day of rest vs. flying in this afternoon...as Mike Brown says they are not thinking about a Game 7 directly, adding they are here to do one thing, and that is win Game 6, and of course the result of that is one more game at The Q. Staying composed is what the Cavs will have to do. Mike talked about the small ball deployment of having Mo, Delonte and Boobie on the floor at the same time, and made a good point. Ben now being healthy again allows the Cavs to utilize that line-up a little more..
