Dec

28

Cavaliers Corral Mavericks Win 88-81

Posted by Jeff Sack under Main 

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LeBron James scored 24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, including a back breaking slam as the last 2 points of the contest as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Dallas Mavericks Thursday 88-81. This game was not what you would call a thing of beauty, first clue; when TNT Analyst Reggie Miller says during a broadcast ” To those high school players watching this game, please do not use this as an example of how to play the game.” The shot selection from both teams, was horrific, Dallas shot 36.5% from the floor, Cleveland 36.4%.

The game was a big win for Cleveland for a lot of reasons, first and foremost it was a payback for the embarrassing loss they suffered in Cleveland against Dallas on opening night. Now, I have not heard or read one post game interview, as of this writing. However if things go according to Hoyle, a reporter will ask LeBron James if this was a payback game for opening night. Having covered James as long as I have I predict his response will be “Nah, it ain’t no payback….”, believe me this game was a payback!

?Cleveland has not played well on the road this year, having a 5-10 record coming into this contest. ?Cleveland also?had the chance to win two games in a row, a feat they had not accomplished dating back to November. The Cavaliers had won their last contest defeating the Miami Heat 96-82 on Christmas day.?This game was a game of runs, but remained undecided until the last few minutes of play, as the contest featured 7 ties, and the lead changed hands 30 times. Cleveland took the lead at the end of the first quarter 23-20, and had a?9 point lead at the half 47-38. The Cavaliers led by as much as 13 points early in the third but Dallas kept chipping away, getting back into the game and had the lead down to just 6 points at the end of the third quarter, 68-62. The Mavericks got to within one point of Cleveland early in the fourth as Cleveland just put up some ugly shots, it was the Cavaliers 73 Mavericks 72. But?Dallas never got over the hump, in fact the closest they got the rest of the game was 81-79 at about the four and a half minute mark.?Cleveland finished the game on a 7-2 run, to seal the win.

James shot 9-21 from the floor, but only 5-10 at the line for his game high 24 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a double-double, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist. Larry Hughes back in the starting lineup was much more aggressive offensively in this game as he kept penetrating to the basket. Hughes scored 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block.

Dallas was led by Dirk Nowitzki, who also had a double-double 19 points, an incredible 20 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, Josh Howard also scored 19 for the Mavericks, 7 boards, 2 assists, 1 block. Jason Terry had 11 points off the bench, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 rebound, and “Old Reliable” Jerry Stackhouse scored 11 off the bench as well, and grabbed 2 rebounds. Cleveland is now 14-16, Dallas has a record of 19-11.

One final note, and this will probably be the only time you will see me write about anything to do with fashion, or fashion design in any story. That being said, what was up with those uniforms the Mavericks sported on National Television? I am assuming they are alternate uniforms??Please guys, don’t wear those things again, they may have been the ugliest things I have seen since the Cleveland Browns orange jerseys! ?

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