Life After LeBron: Cavaliers Win Preseason Opener 87-72 Over Bobcats

I promise this will be the only time I have a corny title mentioning LeBron after a Cavaliers win or loss.  Since it was the first game of the preseason, and the Cavs won by double-digits, I figured it would be the perfect time to unleash it.  The Cavaliers are, after-all, going to be OK.

On a night the NBA officially turned the page on the off-season, the Cavaliers played three solid quarters of basketball in beating Charlotte 87-72.  Daniel Gibson led the Cavaliers with 18 points and J.J. Hickson added 17 off the bench.  Save for the 2nd quarter when the Cavaliers were outscored 30-16 by the Bobcats, Cleveland dominated the visitors, talking the 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters by a combined 71-42.

The Cavaliers used a shuffled starting roster, playing the game without Mo Williams(groin) and Anderson Varejao(personal).  That left the Cavaliers testing various lineups all night.

The Cavaliers started the game with Ramon Sessions at PG, Anthony Parker at SG, Joey Graham at SF, Antawn Jamison at PF and Ryan Hollins at C.  Byron Scott said before the game that he wanted to test out a lineup that featured J.J. Hickson coming off the bench.

Gibson and Hickson led all Cavaliers with 27 minutes, and were a combined 17-20 from the free throw line.  

For the game the Cavaliers shot 36.4%, 3-12 from 3(25%) and 28-35 from the stripe(80%).  

Jamario Moon led the Cavaliers assault on the glass, finishing with 10 boards, Hickson had 9 boards and Antawn Jamison had 8.  In all, the Cavaliers out-rebounded the Bobcats 59-45.

PG D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats in scoring with 14 points in 27 minutes.

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