Despite loss, Cavaliers may have won big against Philly

by John Bena (aka CavsBlogger) on Apr 15, 2009 10:11 PM CDT

39-2 will have to do. I don;t think anyone is ashamed of that. Especially if they watched how the Cavaliers, with 6 of their top 7 players in street clothes, took playoff-bound Philadelphia to Overtime before bowing out 111-110.

Even in defeat, the Cavaliers may have won bigger than they ever thought possible. Daniel Gibson has found his shot, and in a big way. Gibson scored 28 points on 12/24 shooting, including huge 3 after huge 3 in the 4th quarter. If not for a slip with 3 seconds to go Gibson may have drilled the winning shot. As it is, Gibson should head into the playoffs full of confidence. That is a big plus for the Cavaliers who may be able to surround LeBron James with yet another shooter.

Wally Szczerbiak also turned back the clock a bit, going off for 21-8-8. Wally found his stroke as well. Sasha chipped in with 20 giving the Cavaliers another option if they need it.

40-1 would have been great, but the most important thing is the ring. The Cavaliers bench-bunch made all of us roud tonight and reminded us just how deep this team really is.

Now the fun starts. Soon we'll find out when the Cavaliers start their run to a Title. Everyone now starts at 0-0 in a race to 16. Buckle up, it should be one hell of a ride!

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I'm not an Ohio sports fan, so I've never been privy to the Drive

or Jose Mesa. I mean, I watched them but they didn’t rip my heart out like I’m sure it did to some of you.

However, I worry that final play is just a continuation of that mindset. I mean, my God, the Cavs were on the brink of history and benched anybody that plays more than 20 minutes. Then, with the ball in hand and a chance to win it, the player just randomly falls down at the top of the key.

That’s painful.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Apr 15, 2009 10:14 PM CDT reply actions

Don’t forget The Fumble.

But last night was nothing like those.

by JulioBernazard on Apr 16, 2009 8:04 AM CDT up reply actions

it’s actually not even close to painful, and it’s absolutely light years away from any of those heartbreaks that cleveland sports fans have been subjected to.

last night was an awesome effort from the second team, an exciting-as-hell game, and, as blogger points out, even better than a victory would have been since boobie, wally and sasha found their strokes.

who cares about tying some meaningless record.

by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 16, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions

It's not painful to you.

It is painful to a lot of fans, myself included. As someone who hung on every home win and loss, hoping that this record could be achieved…it hurt. Especially with the ball in hand with a shot to win it, only to see the player fall down and lose the ball.

I have great respect for Boobie, Sasha and Wally. Sasha should be getting a lot more playing time than he does and I’m going to regret when he is gone next year.

But the Cavs had a chance at history last night and missed it, while not giving their best effort.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Apr 16, 2009 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions

see, you have no reason to be hurt. this is why i railed hard a couple of weeks ago against the idea of looking at what this season “could be”. we won 66 games!!! 39-2 at home!!! this is without question the best season in cavs history, and there’s not even a close second. and you’re hurt!? we should all be over the freaking moon about how this season turned out. sure, it’s sort of a small bummer that we weren’t able to tie (not break) a pretty meaningless record, but that’s no reason to be down.

putting artificial goals or benchmarks out there just invites finding reasons to detract from a magical, amazing season. let’s be happy and get psyched for the playoffs. not playing the big dogs was absolutely the right decision last night.

by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 16, 2009 1:12 PM CDT up reply actions

"We're already better than we've ever been"

Is a defeatist attitude. It’s being happy with what you have, not with what you can get.

I’m thrilled the Cavs have been amazing this year. Wanting them to be the best ever is how every fan should feel, artificial or not.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Apr 16, 2009 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions

i have no idea how you could misconstrue my comments so severely as to accuse me of merely being happy with what we have. my entire argument is that i want us to be in the absolute best position possible to win a title.

there is no team in nba history that is considered among the all-time greats that did not win a ring. period. every decision should be made with that ring in mind. and the decision to rest the big dogs last night was made in that vein, and was the right one. i’m surprised you aren’t seeing this.

the record at home literally has zero to do with a team’s place in history. your favorites, the 95-96 bulls, were 39-2…that hasn’t hurt their rep.

by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 16, 2009 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions

How does resting the starters

make the loss less painful?

Tying that record, for a franchise that has accomplished very little in it’s entire history, is a big deal.

We have no idea if this team will even get a chance to play for the NBA Championship. I think we will, but the playoffs can be weird. What they had last night was a chance at something no one can every take away from them, discount or say they didn’t deserve. They busted their asses for 99% of it and then came up short on the last 1%. Starters or no starters, not tying that record, something none of the great Bulls teams did nor the great Lakers teams did is painful. Especially with the game in hand.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Apr 16, 2009 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions

ok, last time for me: the point is that the loss WASN’T painful to begin with. there are no rings, banners, trophies or plaques for “tied for first for best home record ever”. that would be called a consolation prize. a moral victory. gravy.

the risk was that someone important got hurt and the title shot is derailed before it starts. the reward was…a meaningless “record”? the decision was easy.

by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 16, 2009 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Nothing at all like that.

Hardcore Legend.. this wasn’t anywhere even close to those moments. I watched Gibson fall and the only thing I could think, was that I hope someone gets the kid some better shoes for the playoffs. I was slightly bummed that they couldn’t do it, but even so, its just sharing a record not even owning it. But unlike records, you can’t share an NBA title.

To compare this game to the Drive, Jose Messup and in my opinion, ‘07 Tribe’s “Collapse”, is like comparing a Bugatti to a Buick. A really old Buick. With a column shifter and front row bench seating.

by CodySG29 on Apr 16, 2009 2:00 AM CDT reply actions

True

but there is a new Champion every year. This would have been something only 2 teams have done in 60 years.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Apr 16, 2009 2:13 AM CDT up reply actions

Cavs-Philly final debacle

Give me a break…..The fans at this game should have been outraged…..Benching the entire starting lineup for the second half was total suirrender by Coach Brown and another strategic failure in another season of stategic failures…..like the “resting” of players before the Lakers-Cavs debacle on the Cavs’ home court earlier…..It was like a prizefighter manager tying his fighter’s knockout punch arm before the fight so as to save that arm for the championship fight, then watching his fighter get knocked out and his remaining arm pummeled…..It makes little sense to pay professionals to expend their energy clowning on the bench instead of achieving another professional milestone…..I can’t imagine nor have ever witnessed Coaches Phil Jackson or Mike D’Antoni pulling that same lame excuse……It was unfair to the fans as well as the bench players, who deserved a victory for their efforts, which they would have had with just a little help from one or two of their restricted teammates…….

by Fuming on Apr 16, 2009 9:38 AM CDT reply actions

seriously, bro, you are amazingly and epically wrong here. just infuriatingly incorrect.

i won’t go into much of your inane rambling, but this is indicative of the quality of the above:

another strategic failure in another season of stategic failures

you realize that you’re saying that a team that went 66-16, 39-2 at home, had the best record in the NBA, secured home court for the full playoffs, had the MVP and arguably DPOY, the biggest point differential in the league, the best FG% defense in the league, and one of the deepest rotations in basketball suffered through a season of strategic failures? your credibility is zero.

by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 16, 2009 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Note to Mike Brown

Now, next year, you must go 42 -0 at home. Anything less will be unacceptable. Oh, and also, Saturday’s game must start a new 16 game winning streak!

So I told her," I'll be nicer if you try to be smarter!'..That was a mistake.

by Juannieboy on Apr 16, 2009 10:55 AM CDT reply actions

One game at a time, one series at a time …. don’t be thinking about the Hawks, Heat, Magic, Cetics, Lakers, etc.

The focus should be on the Pistons, and Pistons alone.

As much as I’d love a sweep, I actually think if it goes 5 games, that would be slightly better for us. We got another game in, and less downtime between series. Plus we’d get to finish them off at home that way.

The race to 4 wins is on!!!

by talonk on Apr 16, 2009 1:49 PM CDT reply actions