Kyrie Irving helps Cavs get back on track, drop Detroit 105-89

Does anybody else love this team?

I know, I know.. we've only beaten the Detroit Pistons and we're 1-1 on the season.  But there's something about this team that I'm already quickly falling in love with.  They're actually fun to watch, something that couldn't be said most nights last season when the dark cloud fell over the city.

Kyrie Irving running the point has energized this team and franchise.  You can see it in the way they play.  Irving's pace of play and unique style are bringing a new-found love for basketball in Cleveland.  5 impressive assists and 12 points in the 1st half gave the Cavs an 11 point lead heading into halftime.

Kyrie Irving makes everyone around him better, and I'm happy to admit I was wrong in rating Derrick Williams higher on my highly revered draft board.

Interestingly enough, Irving didn't play much in the 4th quarter as the Cavs turned the game into a 2011 version of NBA Street, with dunks left and right from Samardo, Thompson, Varejao,and even Jamison.  Sessions remained at the point guard spot, securing a huge victory for the Cavs to even up the record at 1-1 heading into Indiana on Friday.

Ramon Sessions is running the second team extremely well, and the bench is a big reason why I have faith in this year's team.  Sessions has shockingly developed into a perimeter threat, and that will work in our favor to keep defenses' honest throughout the season.

The key to the Cavaliers is that they really do play like a team.  One guy isn't dominating the ball, taking all the shots as we've seen in years past.

Omar Casspi brings a tough defensive minded presence on the floor;  Casspi and Alonzo Gee give the Cavs much-needed defense and size at the guard position.  The defense was key in the 1st half, as the Cavs were scrambling to contest shots and hitting the offensive boards.  Come to think of it, the defense throughout the entire game was in large part why we handed Detroit a 16 point defeat.

There's also the re-vamped play and revitalization of Anderson Varejao, who seems to have more energy than I can ever remember.  His contributions go well beyond the stat line, and offensive rebounding and tip-out abililties can't be overstated.

The Cavaliers bench is surprisingly strong this year.  Led by Sessions and Tristan Thompson (who slammed home a ridiculous 2 handed jam in the face of Ben Wallace) the guys off the bench are really providing a spark and uptempo feel to the already fast-feel of the team.  Serves Ben right for not living up to his contract in a Cavaliers uniform.  Even Samardo Samuels played well off the bench in his first action of the season prompting Dan Gilbert to tweet "Samardooooooooooooo!"

The only problem I saw was that Manny Harris was missing from the lineup. 

One day he'll be inducted into the hall of fame, and we'll remember Chris Grant for letting the Michigan legend find greatness somewhere else. 

That being said, Manny recently signed with the Cavaliers D-league affiliate, the Canton Charge.  In other future hall of fame news, Ricky Davis signed with the Maine Red Claws, another NBDL team. 

The Canton Charge will play the Maine Red Claws in a game soon.  Are you putting together what I just said?  Manny Harris will play against Ricky Davis in a game of basketball.  Depending on who you ask, that means that two former Cavalier legends are facing off in a D-league game.  How such greatness can be playing anywhere other than the Association is a mystery to us all.

Forgetting Harris and focusing on the now, the Cavaliers are shaping up surprisingly well with limited talent beyond Irving.  At the very least, we'll be entertaining to watch throughout the season.  Watching Irving's development and chemistry with the other players will be intriguing. 

Look for a tough battle in Indiana on Friday against Danny Granger's undefeated squad. 2 games down, 64 to go.  Can the Cavaliers string together back-to-back wins this early in the season?

The Cleveland Cavaliers draft Kyrie Irving #1 overall, miss out on Derrick Williams

The 2011 NBA Draft came and went, without any major surprises.

In my (highly esteemed and well-regarded) opinion, the Cavaliers did not make the best selection to benefit the franchise moving forward.

Sure, Kyrie Irving has potential to be a great point guard in the NBA. Many draft experts saw him as the consensus overall #1, and Derrick Williams the obvious #2 pick in this year's meager version of the draft.

While I knew the Cavs front office would fall prey to the Irving hype and speculation, I still held out hope that they would take the more talented player in Derrick Williams. 

For some reason I can't explain, I thought Chris Grant might go against the grain, and surprise people by taking the Arizona stud.  As I sat and pondered what had happened, I felt a mix of disappointment and frustration. 

Kyrie Irving is going to be a good player, there's no question about it.  But how do you take the Duke Disappearing Act #1 overall when he played in 11 games last season, and missed 26?  Whether or not his toe issue lingers on moving forward is a serious concern.  Irving and his team would like you to believe that it's a thing of the past, and it won't affect him throughout his NBA career.  If that is the case, then why does he need a specialized shoe made to prevent future injury?

Derrick Williams is the player the Cavaliers should have drafted, and I stand by that statement.  Cavs fans need somebody who can provide the excitement that left this team when the Choke Artist left for his "not 1, not 2, not 7 or 8 rings" in South Beach.  How'd that work out for you LeBron?

Williams has many things Irving does not: Size, leaping ability, dunking prowess, and a resume to back it up.  D-Will was one of the best players in this year's NCAA Tournament, where was Kyrie Irving?   

While I will eventually embrace Kyrie Irving and hope to be proven wrong in the next few years, I am not overly thrilled with the selection and don't feel like we took the most talented player on the board.

All I'm saying is, if I'm spending a #1 lottery pick on a player, I need to be sure about him and feel he's going to make my team better immediately.  The sad truth is, that Irving might be backing Baron Davis this season. 

All that being said, I feel that Kyrie will be a good player, and I hope he surpasses my expectations in the upcoming season. 

That is, if there is a season.

            

Cavaliers win the NBA Draft lottery, Will select 1st and 4th overall

Cleveland needed a miracle, and they got one last night.  The ping-pong balls bounced the Cavaliers' way, and we won the NBA draft lottery.  Thanks to the pick from the Clippers, we also secured the #4 overall pick.

Talk about the kind of night we needed.  The last time an NBA team had two picks in the top 4 goes all the way back to the 1982 Houston Rockets.

Duke guard Kyrie Irving is now within the Cavaliers' sights, but no one really knows how GM Chris Grant will choose to use these picks.  Other contenders are Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, Kemba Walker, and Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight. 

This gives the Cleveland faithful a reason to cheer.  Things have been going the city's way since the NBA regular season ended.  The Indians are in first place, the Browns had a great draft, Peyton Hillis on the cover of Madden 12 and now the Cavaliers winning the NBA draft lottery.

When rebuilding an NBA franchise, you need a rapid infusion of young talent.  With two of the top 4 picks, the Cavaliers will have exactly that as we move into the future. If this is a sign of things to come, things look good for the state of our franchise.  This will surely motivate Dan Gilbert to continue to back his promise of turning this team into a contender again.      

       

NBA draft lottery: Our hopes lie in ping pong balls

After one of the least productive seasons in franchise history, its time for things to go the Cavaliers way. Tonight marks the first step in that direction, with the draft lottery. I've never been more excited abput watching ping pong balls fly since the last time I dominated in beer pong.

I have a lot of faith in the current GM Chris Grant and Dan Gilbert's intention to turn this team into an immediate contender. I'm pretty sure no one thought the Indians would be very good this year, but yet they manage to defy expectations and currently sit atop the AL central. Why not the Cavaliers next season?

Bring in a Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving, use the trade exception to land a proven big man, and this team is not that far out from the 8th seed in the playoffs. (which Andrew Polansky will vehemently tell you is the worst spot for an NBA franchise)

Kyrie is being touted as the likely #1 overall pick, but on what basis?  He played in only a handful of games last year.  Sure, he has a silky smoot jumper, but his foot injury will cause him to wear a special shoe for the rest of his basketball career.  Personally, I favor Derrick Williams and Kemba Walker. In that order. 

Williams is the scoring small forward we need (and a power dunking juggernaut), and Kemba is a clutch shooter.  LeBron James is not walking through that door; we need to land someone with at least the potential to become a star.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the highest percentage of landing the #1 spot, with a 25% chance.  Unforunately for the team that drafted Ricky Rubio, the last time the team with the most ping pong balls won the #1 pick was in 2004.  It just doesn't always work out.  The Cavaliers have the second most ping pong balls. The drama will take place on ESPN at 8:30.

The hopes for this franchise lie in this and the next few drafts, so we need the balls to bounce our way. Thanks to the Clippers, we will likely have two top 10 picks. A la Kobe Byant, "You can call me crazy" but I see a monumental turnaround for this franchise in the next few years. Under the radar, just where we like to be. It's the Cleveland way.

                             

Cleveland 102, Miami 90: (Believeland is rocking again... for one night at least)

LeBron James return to Cleveland for the second time was one to remember for the Cavaliers and James himself. It all began with LeBron having trouble entering the underground garage for shootaround.

It was reported that LeBron showed up at the gate with a driver and an extra car with other people, the building denied access to the people and eventually let LeBron in.

All of that just a few hours before the Cavaliers went on to shock the Heat, beating them 102-90 despite LeBron's triple-double.

LeBron witnessed the Cavs instead of the fans witnessing LeBron for a night.

The Cavaliers and the crowds energy was ecstatic from the start of the intros all the way through the game. The crowd gave loud boos for LeBron when his name was announced first for the Miami Heat, only to show up on the bench after the National Anthem (It was reported he was using the "restroom").

The crowd boos eventually turned into cheers once they realized that the Cavaliers showed up and wanted to beat Miami. The Cavaliers jumped out to an 11 point halftime lead and pushing that lead to 23-points in the second half.

JJ Hickson continued his strong play since moving back to power forward, scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Anthony Parker, who is in his last year of his contract with Cleveland has his best performance of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Miami fought back hard and erased the 23-point deficit thanks in-large part to James triple-double performance, who was making his second return to Cleveland since leaving in the summer of 2010.

James scored 27 points, 12 assists and had 10 rebounds, but this time around it was the Miami Heat on the losing end after embarrassing Cleveland on December 2nd. Dwayne Wade scored 24 points and had 6 assists but shot 8-20 from the field and struggled all night.

Part of Wade's struggles may have come from the unsung hero, Ryan Hollins. Hollins got in Wade face in the first half and exchanged heated words and from that point on it seemed to fuel Hollins and the Cavaliers.

Hollins scored 13 points in the game, but was a force in the middle for Cleveland all night and brought the toughness that seemed to be missing from the first meeting of this growing rivalry. Hollins had a +33 per in minutes compared to a -22 per for the third heatle, Chris Bosh who struggled throughout the night.

With the win, Cleveland rocked out and felt like old times, even though it was for one night.

In the final seconds, the crowd of over 20,000 cheered loudly and even Dan Gilbert was high-fiving everyone within reach. Gilbert tweeted "Not in our garage" in reference to LeBron's trouble's at Quicken Loans Arena.

For one night, Believeland was back and it sure felt good.

LeBron makes his return (again)

LeBron will make his second return to Cleveland tonight when the Miami Heat play the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.

On Dec 2nd, Miami and LeBron James return to Cleveland and was greeted with loud boo's and chants. However,that didn't seem to bother Lebron,as he and the Heat scorched the Cavaliers,118-90.

The game was marked as one of the must see games of the year and tnt covered the game. The game was considered Cleveland's championship game, only to fall flat on their feet.

At that time the Heat were 11-8 and Cleveland was 7-9 but since that Miami win, Cleveland has been the worst team in the league and currently has the worst record (14-58) in the league.

Meanwhile, the Miami Heat have been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and will look to make a deep playoff run.

Tonight will be Cleveland's last change this season to beat James and the hated Heat. Baron Davis,who came over from the Clippers at the trade deadline, is expected to make his first start for the Cavaliers.

Samardo Samuels is out for at least the next few games thanks to a wrist injury he suffered. The frontcourt of the Cavaliers is even thinner without Samuels. Anderson Varejao,Antawn Jason and Semih Erdan are still out with injuries.

Tonight, the fans will be passionate,begging for a victory over the former Cavalier. I expect to see a Cavalier team tonight with the most passion fans have never seen before.

Go Cavs.

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Cleveland 83, Atlanta 99: (The return of Joe Tait... and then defeat)

Cleveland fans that were watching the Cavs game last night had their TV's on mute and the radio turned on. Thanks to the return of famous Cavaliers announcer, Joe Tait, who returned from a double-bypass surgery last year.

The return however could not will the Cavaliers (14-58) to a victory. The Atlanta Hawks (42-32) never trailed as they beat Cleveland 99-83.

The Hawks have now won two games in a row after losing eight of 11.

Atlanta was without their star player, Joe Johnson but that didn't stop the Hawks. Marvin Williams made the most of his extra minutes, scoring a season-high 31 points. Also, all-star forward, Al Horford chipped in 20 points of his own and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Marvin was in the zone for the majority of the night, shooting 9 of 14 from the field and also making three 3-pointers.

For Cleveland its the same story as it has been the entire season. No energy, no aggressiveness, and got off to a rough start.

Baron Davis, who is expected eventually be the starting lineup, came off the bench and scored 19 points. Starting point guard, Ramon Sessions scored 13 points for Cleveland, who have now lost nine of 11.

Daniel Gibson chipped in with 11 points, while Alonzo Gee and JJ Hickson scored 10 points each. The promising undrafted rookie, Samardo Samuels left the game with a wrist injury.

The Cavaliers are back in action, Tuesday against the Miami Heat. LeBron James return, part II is coming. James was welcomed back with a loud building of boo's and chants, but he and the Heat routed Cleveland 118-90.

Preview- Cleveland vs. Detroit

The Detroit Pistons (25-46) come to Cleveland on Friday night in which they haven't won a road game since before the All-Star break. The Pistons will have a chance to finally get one when they play the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cavaliers (13-57) have lost their last seven games at home and have lost four games overall. It is the site of the Pistons last road victory, when they came to Cleveland durning the time of that 26-game losing streak.

In the game the Pistons grabbed 17 offensive rebounds which helped balance the 51 percent shooting from the Cavaliers. The Pistons eventually won the game 103-94, extending the Cavaliers losing streak.

Since that game, the Cavaliers have responded with grabbing 12.5 offensive rebounds themselves, which is 7th best in the league over that span of time.

Baron Davis is expected to make his Cavalier return tonight, and he is expected to start at point guard. The Cavaliers looked rejuvenated when Davis join them but Davis has only played in three games due to back spasms.

Cleveland desperatly missed Davis's leadership while he was gone, the Cavaliers lost eight of nine games and averaged only 85.6 points a game.

Cleveland will most likely move Ramon Sessions back to the bench, despite his 16.5 points and 6.7 assists per 32 minutes of action.

This will be the third meeting between the two teams, tip is at 7:30pm.

Cleveland 94, New Jersey 98: (Humphries' career night ends Cavaliers in OT)

The MVP of the night was Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets. Humphries out worked and outplayed everyone on the floor and was clearly the best player on either side tonight.

Humphries grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds and scored 18 points, he also had several key plays down the stretch in overtime. He lead New Jersey to just its fifth road win with a 98-94 victory on Wednesday night, over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The win improved the Nets road record to 5-29 and snapped a four-game losing streak, Two of those five road wins have come against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the Nets snapped their four-game losing streak, the Cavaliers are now on a four-game losing streak and have also lost seven straight at home.

Sessions scored 21 points and JJ Hickson had 17 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Cavs, but it wasn't enough as Humphries made the bigger plays.

In the final minute of OT, Humphries blocked Daniel Gibson go-ahead layup, grabbed his 23rd rebound, made two key free throws and stole the ball from Ramon Sessions.

Anthony Parker made the potential game-winner in regulation but the Nets Brook Lopez made a put-back and tied the game with 4.2 seconds in regulation. Anthony Parker again got the ball for the game winner but was off and the game went into overtime.

From there, Humphries controlled OT and the Cavaliers were always a step behind.

The game wasn't pretty by all means, the Cavaliers shot just 37 percent from the field with 16 turnovers. New Jersey wasn't any better, the Nets shot only 34 percent but it was enough to pull out the victory.

Baron Davis missed his third straight game with back spasms and is expected to be the Cavaliers starting point guard when he does return.

Joe Tait Could Return

Joe Tait has been the voice for the Cleveland Cavaliers for 38 years and after a double-bypass surgery and an aortic valve replacement on January 7th, Joe could return for the Cavaliers final five home games.

He missed the entire season because of the surgery and he said he will retire at the end of the season, which will be his 39th with the team.

Tait could return for Sunday's game if cleared from his doctors when the Cavaliers take on the Atlanta Hawks.

Fox Sports Ohio will honor the Hall of Famer with an hour-special, "Have a Good Night Everybody," following the Cavaliers season finale.

Lake Erie Monsters having a year to remember

The Lake Erie Monsters are quickly becoming the team to root for in Cleveland. The Monsters are the AHL hockey team played at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.

In their fourth season the Monsters have yet to make the playoffs or win over 34 games in one season. That is all beginning to change thanks to a fantastic season thus far.

After a five-game road trip,the Monsters returned home and beat the Rochester Americans 2-1. The win gave them their 38th of the season and 84 points, adding on to their record of most franchise victories in a season.

Shawn Belle and Travis Gawryletz helped Lake Erie win,each scoring in the third period.

However, the win also gave them a new franchise record for consecutive wins, which is now at six straight. Adding on to an already impressive resume, the Monsters are now sole possession of first place.

With nine games remaining in the regular season,the Monsters will look for the franchises first playoff appearance in team history.

The team continues play in Rochester Friday night for a rematch with the Americans. Lake Erie will try to continue what has already been a season to remember.

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Cleveland 86, Orlando 97: (Dwight Howard pulls down 18 rebounds as Magic club Cavaliers)

CLEVELAND -- Hard as he tried, Stan Van Gundy just couldn't bring himself to enjoy Orlando's win.

The hard-to-please Magic coach was in one of those foul moods.

Van Grumpy.

Dwight Howard scored 28 points with 18 rebounds and he and Brandon Bass were way too much for Cleveland's smallish frontline to handle as the Magic rolled to a 97-86 win Monday night over the Cavaliers, whose fourth-quarter comeback irritated Van Gundy.

Standing in the hallway outside Orlando's locker room, Van Gundy was asked what he took from the win. His answers were terse.

"Nothing," he said. "We got a win and that's what we take from it. We got a win, and we're moving on. This one is done."

With the Cavs unable to stop Howard near the basket, the Magic built a 15-point lead in the first quarter and were up by 26 late in the third. However, Cleveland fought back and closed within 92-83 before Hedo Turkoglu's 3-pointer with 2:56 left put Orlando back in control.

The Magic won their third straight and pulled within 3½ games of Miami for the No. 3 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

That was of little value to Van Gundy, who was upset with his team's 20 turnovers and inability to put Cleveland away.

"You only play 82 games a year," Van Gundy said. "It shouldn't be hard to go out and play hard and well all the time. We've seen ebbs and flows, but I don't have an excuse for it. We turned the ball over too much and we didn't play with a lot of energy."

The Magic swept all four games against the Cavaliers, winning the season series for the first time since 2002-03. The teams met each other in the playoffs in 2009, a tight series Orlando won in six games. Their feud figured to continue, but it dissolved the moment LeBron James left Cleveland.

Fierce rivals just a year ago, Orlando and Cleveland are now on opposite ends of the NBA spectrum.

"It is different now," Howard said. "It's weird."

J.J. Hickson scored 18 and Daniel Gibson 16 for the Cavs, who have dropped three straight and nine of 11.

Bass added 22 points for Orlando, and combined with Howard to go 18 of 21 from the floor against a Cavs team lacking a legitimate inside game.

Howard added four assists, four blocks, four steals and the All-Star center went a shocking 10 of 12 from the free throw line. He's made only 58 percent of his foul shots this season. Following the game, Howard handed fans his sneakers and arm sleeves and tossed his jersey into the crowd.

"He's a great player," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "His flaw is obviously from the line but he is athletic, strong, big and fast. He's dominant."

When Howard went out with 1:49 left in the third, the Magic were up by 22 and even Van Gundy seemed somewhat pleased. Howard slapped hands with Orlando's assistant coaches and it appeared his night was over early. But Bass picked up his fifth personal and Van Gundy had to put Howard back in.

The Cavs began knocking down shots and made it interesting in the fourth. They closed within nine on Christian Eyenga's 3-pointer. But Turkoglu ended the comeback bid with his 3 from deep in the left corner.

While Van Gundy was unhappy, Howard believes the Magic are in a good place.

"We're a team that's headed toward making a great playoff run," Howard said. "We have all the talent. We've got a great team. We have to bring it every night."

At halftime, the Magic led by 18 and were on cruise control. Howard, Bass and Ryan Anderson were a combined 17 of 20 with 42 points, 19 rebounds and eight dunks.

Scott wanted his big men to be physical with Howard, and on Orlando's first possession, Samardo Samuels locked up the Magic's All-Star center with a bear hug in the middle of the lane. Samuels got away with it as Howard was called for 3 seconds.

Howard then had his way.

He drew five personal fouls -- two on Ryan Hollins and one apiece on Samuels, Hickson and Luke Harongody -- in the first quarter alone as Cleveland was forced to hack away at him or get dunked on. Howard finished the period with 12 points and nine rebounds.

"Once he sits in the paint, it's just hard to move him out," Hickson said. "With his size and athleticism, it's tough."

Posted from the Associated Press on ESPN

--Sorry folk's I didn't watch the game tonight, so I figured you might want to read a real recap.

Jake

Preview- Cleveland vs. Magic

The Magic will try to win their third straight game and sweep the season series against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.

Orlando (44-26) has won three of their last four games, however, they are four games behind Miami for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. With only 12 games remaining the Magic must take care of business against sub .500 teams like the Cavaliers.

The Magic have a great chance tonight, they have won four games overall in a row against the Cavaliers including their 103-87 home win on January 30th. Dwight Howard finished game with 20 points and 20 rebounds.

However, Howard struggled with foul trouble the last time the Magic played in Cleveland, finishing the game with 12 points and six rebounds.

Cleveland (13-55) is coming off a 1-2 road trip on the west coast. The trip included a 111-70 beat down from the Portland Trailblazers and a knife-wielding man on the floor of Staples Center before eventually failing to the Clippers,100-92.

Baron Davis returned with the team in Portland and played limited minutes because of back spasms. He did not play in his return to Staples Center and his status for Monday is unknown.

Cleveland 92, Clippers 100 : (Clippers get revenge)

The Clippers (27-43) avenged a 126-119 overtime loss against the Cavaliers (13-55) on February 11th, which the Cavaliers snapped their NBA-record 26-game losing streak.

Blake Griffin scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had eight assists, while teammate Eric Gordon scored 29 points in his return to the Clippers' lineup. Gordon, the team's leading scorer, missed 18 games because of a sprained right wrist.

The win not only avenged the loss from earlier this season, it ended a nine-game losing streak against the Cavaliers.

The game got off to an interesting start, about an 1 1/2 before tip-off, the arena was locked down because of a knife-wielding man. Somehow the man got past security and was in front of the Cavaliers bench.

The arena was evacuated and both teams were sent to their locker rooms while the police and the man had a 20-minute standoff. The game was not delayed which was played after the NHL game between the Kings and the Ducks.

The Cavaliers and Clippers played evenly through the entire game. JJ Hickson matched Griffin point for point and ended with 28 points and nine rebounds. Samardo Samuels also added 17 points, scoring 14 points in the first quarter. Samuels later fouled out of the game with 1:19 remaining.

Both teams seemed to be a little different since the last time they met in February. Mo Williams was traded to Los Angeles for Baron Davis and a 1st-round draft pick. Mo Williams finished with 11 points and five assists.

Jamario Moon, who also was apart of the Cleveland/Clipper trade, spent the entire game on the bench.

Baron Davis, who came over to Cleveland for Mo Williams, did not play in his return to Staples Center because of back spasms. Davis has been absent due to his grandmother's death and he returned to the team Thursday.

Both team's shot 48 percent from the field as the two battles for the lead the entire game. The Clippers took an 82-78 advantage into the fourth, which was built to 100-92 on a 3-pointer from former Cavalier Mo Williams.

The Clippers made nine 3-pointers compared to only 3 made for Cleveland, which may have been the Cavaliers killer.

Cleveland finished their road-trip 1-2 after winning their first game in Sacramento. Cleveland then lost to Portland 111-70 and then losing to the Clippers 100-92.

Cavaliers Working On 'Rich Man's Rebuild'

The Cavaliers are working on what one executive called "a rich man's rebuild", which includes taking on contracts such as Baron Davis in exchange for picks.

GM Chris Grant is also considering a trade for Richard Hamilton where more picks are acquired.

Via Ken Berger/CBS Sports

Armed man busted at Staples Center

The Cavaliers game today in Los Angeles just got a little more interesting. A knife-wielding man was apparently on the floor of Los Angeles' Staples Center, where the armed man held a 20-minute standoff with the police.

The man eventually was tackled near the Cavaliers bench where it is not known if the team was on the floor. There are no hurt players from either team reported.

Spectators begun filing into the arena for the 12:30pm start time, but were evacuated once the armed man was on the floor. The man's identity is unknown or how he got into the arena.

The game will start at 3:30pm.

Kelly Dwyer's prediction proved wrong

In the 2010-2011 NBA Preview magazine, Kelly Dwyer picked the Cavaliers to win only 12 games this season.

I think everyone knows by now the reason for that is because LeBron James took his talents somewhere else and left Cleveland stranded, but that's a different story. The point is that Dwyer picked our beloved Cavaliers to win just 12 games this season.

At the start of the season the Cavaliers made Dwyer look like a fool. The Cavaliers opened their season beating the Eastern Conference champions, Boston Celtics. Then the Cavaliers went on to start their season 7-9 and that prediction quickly looked very foolish.

Then Cleveland went on to lose 26-games in a row and injuries started to play a huge role in destroying the Cavaliers.

However, on March 16th, 2010 the Cavaliers finally won their 13th game in a 97-93 victory against the Sacramento Kings proving Dwyer wrong.

It may be only one game above what Kelly predicted but the Cavaliers are better than 12 games. Not saying I'm proud of only winning 13 games thus far, but what I'm saying is the Cavaliers are better than 12.

Twitter:

cavsdan Dan Gilbert

I am still confused. Kellie is really a man named "Don"? I better get to sleep"@kingF0X23: @KDonhoops Excelnt comebck! I'm a fan & @cavsdan

1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

»

cavsdan Dan Gilbert

Really? How long has Kellie been writing? Never heard of her. "@sspj24: @cavsdan Yahoo reporter who predicted 12 wins at start of season"

1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

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cavsdan Dan Gilbert

Who is Kellie Dwyer? "@demeatloaf: Kelly Dwyer is officially wrong. #SmallVictories"

Cleveland 97, Sacramento 93: (Cleveland gets rare road win)

On a night where two teams met with the worst record's of their respected conferences, Cleveland came out victorious, 97-93.

Ramon Sessions had 20 points, six assists and five rebounds to help the Cavaliers snap a four-game losing streak. Ramon Sessions was due for a break-out performance. After a stellar February averaging just over 19 points a game and over seven assists, Sessions has struggled in March.

Sessions has struggled ever since Cleveland traded for Baron Davis, who has been nothing short of spectacular for Cleveland. Davis was averaged 17.5 points a game before leaving the team because of his grandmother's death.

After Davis left the team the Cavaliers looked for Sessions to return to his old form, and that he did. He was aggressive, smart and looked like a seasoned-vet helping the Cavaliers get a rare road win.

Cleveland started the season winning 3 of 4 games on the road but didn't win another road game until March 4th against the Knicks. The Cavaliers lost 28 of their past 29 games on the road prior too tonight.

The Kings jumped out to an early lead, outscoring Cleveland 28-18 in the first quarter. However, Cleveland controlled the rest of the game, shooting 51 percent from the field.

JJ Hickson scored 17 points, and newly acquired Luke Harangody scored 15 points for Cleveland.

Kings guard, Marcus Thornton scored 23 points for the Kings who was coming off a career night, scoring 42 points against Golden State on Monday.

Thornton was the reason the Kings stayed in the game. He knocked down three key 3-pointers in the third rallying the Kings to grab a 74-73 lead headed into the 4th quarter.

It was a battle until the end and the undrafted rookie came through on the defensive-side again. Samardo Samuels, who again was in the right place at the right time. Samuels took a charge late in the game, giving the ball back to Cleveland with the game tied.

Samuels who in recent weeks has been the Cavaliers anchor on defense pulled through. His charge set-up Ramon Sessions go ahead lay-up giving the Cavaliers a 95-93 lead. Samardo scored 13 points for Cleveland but his defense late in the game was key.

With both teams looking to win the draft in June, the Cavaliers (13-53) still have the worst record in the NBA. However, it could get interesting down the stretch. The Kings (16-50) are not that far behind.

Let the games begin.

Preview- Cleveland vs. Sacramento (Conference's Worst Clash)

As of right now, both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings sit at the bottom of their respected conferences. The Cavaliers (12-53) sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and the Kings (16-49) sit at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Kings are coming off a win, largely because of Marcus Thornton. Thornton who was acquired at the trade deadline from New Orleans. He has averaged 22.2 points a game for the Kings since coming over.

Thornton scored a career-high 42 points in their win against Golden State on Monday. The Kings will look to win back-to-back games for just the third time this season.

Marcus Thornton will look to continue his recent success in a Kings uniform against Cleveland. He has averaged 28.5 points in two career games against the Cavaliers.

That is not good news for Cleveland, which they are allowing over 50 percent from the field in their recent four-game slide, which has Coach Scott concerned.

"I'm really starting to question what type of heart we have as a basketball team," coach Byron Scott said. "I care about competing. I care about coming out every single night, going against an opponent that has a different color jersey on that's trying to kick your butt - and not to respond to that is shocking and scary to me".

The Cavaliers will look to get off the road slide, losing 27 of 28 on the road and giving up just about 110 points a game.

If Cleveland is to win this game they might have to do it without their best player since the trade deadline, Baron Davis. Davis left the team last week due to his grandmother passing away. It is unknown when he will return, however, I have seen he can return at anytime.

Look out for the Hickson vs. Cousins match-up. Both are young and very athletic. If Hickson can control Cousins and the boards Cleveland has a shot at winning a game on the road.

Cousins is averaging 19.9 points and 11 rebounds a game this month.

Tip-off is at 10pm in Sacramento.

Classic Cavs Commercials: Ricky Davis

Another journey down memory lane, this time with infamous Cavalier Ricky Davis.

LeBrick could have learned something from Ricky.

"Glad I stayed in Cleveland."                  

                                
Cleveland Cavaliers "The Rapid" from Fiend Inc on Vimeo.

Thunder 95, Cavs 75: The Sunday Afternoon Beatdown

When the Cavaliers play without Baron Davis, things just don't go very well.  There's no alley oops, no offensive firepower, and really nothing to get excited about.

This afternoon the Cavs were outmatched and outplayed for 4 quarters as Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to an easy win.

It was an ugly first half to say the least. It didn't get any better in the second half either.

The defense wasn't present, and the Thunder led 29-14 after one quarter.  In that quarter, the Thunder shot 52%.  Compare that to the Cavs, who shot 25%.  That's not going to get you wins. 

In the 2nd quarter, the trend continued.  Samardo Samuels was getting blocked and missing shots, Ramon Sessions turning the ball over repeatedly and the Thunder were still scoring at will.

As is a common theme, the Cavaliers did their best to play as little defense as possible.

If it weren't for a pair of Manny Harris 3 balls, there wouldn't have been a whole lot to cheer for.  Oh, and Anthony Parker's three at the halftime buzzer cut Oklahoma's lead to 50-38.

After a two-handed dunk by Samuels to open the 2nd half, the Cavs came out with a better mindset in the 2nd half.

And then Russell Westbrook happened.  Westbrook started scoring on seemingly every possession; he couldn't be stopped and the Cavaliers didn't even really try to. 

Russell exploded for 14 points on 7/9 shooting in the quarter.  All of those paints came in the paint, as he slashed to the rim scoring at will in almost a video-game fashion.

Also impressive was the defense of Serge Ibaka, who after 3 quarters had already recorded 7 blocks.

There was absolutely no rhythm to the offense, and the team really just didn't look like they even wanted to be out there.  The gap in developed talent between the Thunder and the Cavaliers is blatently obvious.

As Austin Carr said late in the game, "This was a slightly contested contest."

You know what he meant.

Sometimes, games just weren't meant to be won. The Cavaliers shot 34% from the field, missed 10 free throws, and went 5/14 from the 3 point line.  The Thunder scored 22 points off turnvovers.

The Cavaliers play Sacramento on Wednesday night in the first game of their road trip out west.   

Madness and some notes

The Cavaliers won't play again until Sunday against the Thunder, but in the mean time here are some things I'd like to point out.

- It's March and I believe every college basketball fan knows what that means. March Madness is right around the corner and what better way to start the Madness than with the Big East Tournament. I feel sorry for Rutgers, the refs decieded to not officiate the final minute and that may have costed them the game.

- Anyone see that sick step-back from UConn's Kemba Walker? Walker broke that dude's ankle and then pulled up for a winner. If the Cavaliers don't get the top pick in the draft we might have to take a hard look at a Kemba/Sullinger combo or if Enes Kanter enters the draft I would like to see him in a Cleveland uniform.

- If the Cavaliers do win the draft lottery I'm still sold on Kyrie Irving, I think he could be a top point guard in the league down the road. I would'nt mind seeing a Irving/Barnes combo if we do win the draft, that way our backcourt is solved for a long time.

- Perry Jones is a mess right now and I was totally sold on him before this whole inelgible thing popped-up. I'm not so sure on him right now, I wanted to see him play in the tournament however I don't even think Baylor will get in.

- Ramon Sessions has struggled since Baron Davis has came to Cleveland. He is still the starter for now, but things could and should change. Davis has been the best player since the trade averaging just over 17 points a game.

- Speaking of Baron, he left the team due to his grandmother dying. It is not known when he will return. All thoughts and prayers go out to Baron and his family.

Go Cavs

Cavaliers 90, Bucks 110: (The Deer were Feared.... apparently)

The Cavaliers were playing their second game in as many nights against the Milwaukee Bucks.

And it was a night were the Cavaliers gave up over 55 percent shooting to the Bucks and saw yet another backcourt tear apart Cleveland.

Second year point guard, Brandon Jennings scored 18 points and 4 assists. But it was the smallest dear that was the Cavalier killer.

The 5 foot 6 Cleveland native, Earl Boykins also scored 18 points, and was the main reason the Bucks shot 60 percent in the first half.

Milwaukee shot 70 percent in the second quarter (14-20) and Boykins made all of his attempts in the period. Earl was the biggest reason for the 17-2 run for Milwaukee was the Cavalier killer.

Boykins scored all of his 18 points in the first half and helped Milwaukee score 39 second quarter points.

Jennings then added onto the assault with 14 points in the third quarter as the Bucks opened the second half on a 14-4 run, opening a 62-49 halftime lead.

The Cavaliers were once again thin on players as that has been the story of the team's season. Baron Davis left the team due to his death of his grandmother in Los Angeles.

Davis has been the spark plug of the team since his arrival and has been the team's leading scorer.

The Cavaliers just didn't have it tonight. The team gave up 110 points to one of the worst offensive team's in the league.

Cleveland gave up 70 percent shooting in the second quarter and 660 percent in the first half.

Samardo Samuels, who has been playing well in the past few weeks, got the start again. He scored 15 points and 5 rebounds.

He scored 11 of those points in the first quarter. Daniel Gibson also helped with 13 points who recently came back from a bruised thigh injury.

The Cavaliers got six players to score in double-figures but it wasn't enough to shoot down the deer. Each starter except JJ Hickson scored in double-digits. Hickson, who dislocated his left pinky last night, had a rough shooting night. He finished with four points and grabbing eight rebounds.

Cleveland won't play again until Sunday, where they travel to Oklahoma City.

Preview - Cavs vs. Bucks: Playing without the Baron

Thanks to the struggles of the two teams directly above them, the Milwaukee Bucks are amazingly just 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.

If they have any plans on getting there, they certainly can't afford to lose to teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bucks look to win consecutive games for the first time since late January on Wednesday night when they host the Cavaliers, who will try to win their first back-to-back road contests since early November.

Hopes were high in Milwaukee after going 46-36 last season and taking Atlanta to seven games in the first round of the playoffs, but injuries and inconsistency have the Bucks (24-38) stuck in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

But even for a team that played nearly six weeks without Brandon Jennings - and is 5-13 since he's returned - all isn't lost. The Bucks drew closer to eighth-place Indiana on Tuesday after throttling Washington 95-76 and watching the Pacers lose their fourth straight and sixth in seven games.

Milwaukee is just 1 1/2 games behind ninth-place Charlotte, which has lost five in a row.

"If you're trying to catch people, you've got to keep the pressure on them," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said.

It's no coincidence that one of the Bucks' most lopsided wins came with Andrew Bogut back in the lineup. The Australian center missed three games with a muscle strain in his left ribcage area, but had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his return.

Bogut, who said he felt good, wants Milwaukee to focus on itself and not the teams it's chasing.
"We don't want to get stuck in that game of checking the standings every day," he said. "We just need to go out and play and win the games we're supposed to."

Milwaukee hasn't won consecutive games since a three-game streak from Jan. 26-29, but it should feel good as its faces the East's worst team a night after routing the conference's second-worst club. Bogut had a game-high 23 points as the Bucks won 102-88 in Cleveland on Jan. 21.

He missed a Nov. 24 trip to Quicken Loans Arena, though, and Milwaukee shot just 37.8 percent in an 83-81 loss.

The Cavaliers (12-51) had lost 26 consecutive road games before winning at New York on Friday, but they struggled to find offense upon returning home. Cleveland shot 36.8 percent in a 96-81 loss to New Orleans on Sunday, then scored just 55 points over the final three quarters Tuesday while falling 95-85 to Golden State.

Forward J.J. Hickson dislocated his left pinky - the same finger Antawn Jamison fractured last month - in the fourth quarter, but the initially gruesome-looking injury turned out to be nothing serious as Hickson re-entered with a minute left.

"I saw his finger pointing east and west," coach Byron Scott said. "I didn't want to start crying in front of 17,000 people."

Cleveland's four wins in its last 10 games have all featured impressive performances from Hickson. The third-year forward has averaged 21.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in the victories while shooting 50.7 percent.

In the six losses, he's averaged 13.2 points, blocked four total shots and shot 37.2 percent.

Hickson has a total of four points in 37 minutes against Milwaukee this season despite starting both games.

Cleveland will be missing Baron Davis, who has left the team following the death of his grandmother. Davis has averaged 18.0 points and 5.7 assists in three games off the bench since being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Cavs 85, Warriors 95: (Warriors backcourt too much)

The Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors 95-85, on a night were the Warriors backcourt was far too superior for Cleveland.

Starting guards Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry combined for 47 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Ellis was the Cavalier-killer in the third quarter. He made a career high six 3-pointers and scored a total of 24 points.

Ellis, scored 17 in the third quarter and he made all of his 3-pointers in the second half. Stephen Curry added 23 for the Warriors (28-35), who now is 2-4 on their current road trip with a win over the Cavaliers (12-51).

David Lee, who signed a multiple million deal with the Warriors in the summer of 2010, added 14 points and 14 rebounds.

It was a much different story for Cleveland. The Cavaliers starting backcourt went combined for 5-22 from the field with only 14 points scored.

However, Baron Davis came off the bench and gave the Cavaliers an instant boost of energy. Davis finished with 19 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds. Baron continued to energize the Cavaliers and with him on the floor it seemed like Cleveland had new life.

Davis kept the crowd in the game, giving the fans several lob passes to Ryan Hollins and Christian "skyenga" and JJ Hickson.

Ryan Hollins had his best showing for Cleveland tonight. He scored a season-high 14 points while throwing down dunk after dunk in 24 minutes of action.

JJ Hickson scored 10 points and added seven board but left the game with a dislocated left pinky finger. For Cleveland fans it brought back memories from just a few weeks ago when Antawn Jamison broke his same left pink finger and is now out for the rest of the season.

However, JJ Hickson returned to the bench with his finger taped, but by then the Warriors had control of the game.

The Cavaliers had no answer for the Warriors backcourt. Ellis continued to knock down shots and when the Cavaliers focused on him the ball was just swung over to Curry who knocked down his open look.

But Davis continued to keep the Cavaliers in the game. He knocked down several shots and threw a few lob passes and the Cavaliers got within six points. But Ellis and Curry had an answer for everything Davis did.

Cleveland will play on a back-to-back night tomorrow against Brandon Jennings and the Bucks.

Preview - Cleveland vs. Golden State

Golden State (27-35) will come to Cleveland Tuesday night to play the Cavaliers (12-50).

Golden State has lost six of seven overall and is only 1-4 on their current seven-game road trip despite stellar play from Monta Ellis. Monta scored 27 points against Philadelphia but the Warriors still came up short in overtime.

Ellis also scored 41 points against with a lose to the Boston Celtics.

Cleveland is coming off a 96-81 lose against the New Orleans Hornets at Quicken Loans Arena after beating the New York Knicks in New York. The Cavaliers have yet to find consistency since they broke the 26-game losing streak.

The Cavaliers beat the Lakers and Knicks but losing to the 76ers and the Hornets without their best player is not something to be proud of.

However, newly acquired Baron Davis has given the Cavaliers new hope and the team at times look like they are having fun again.

Davis scored 18 in his debut with the Cavaliers, knocking down a key 3-pointer to help seal the win. Davis also scored 17 points in a lose against the Hornets but it wasn't enough.

It is no lie that both teams are looking to get on the winning side and start searching for some consistency. The Warriors are looking to end their current road streak on a high note and the Cavaliers are looking to find some consistent play out of their young players.

The Warriors and the Cavaliers did hook-up earlier this season. They played on January 7th, when Ellis tore apart the Cavaliers for 32 points and 10 assists. The Warriors lead by as many as 21 points and won the game 116-98.

For the Cavaliers, it will be the first time Baron Davis faces his old team in a Cavaliers uniform. Davis scored seven points for the Clippers back on January 22nd when they played Golden State.

Look for Baron Davis to stay aggressive in which will be the key match-up of the game. Davis vs. Ellis should be a lot of fun to watch.

Tip-off is at 7:00pm at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night.

Here are some of the highlights of the game in January. Hopefully the Cavaliers won't allow Ellis to go for 32 again.

Samardo Samuels Growing Up

Samardo Samuels is taking full advantage of Antawn Jamison's finger injury. It has been about a week now since Jamison broke his finger against the 76ers and Samardo Samuels was called upon.

The 6-9, 265 pound rookie made his first career start against one of the toughest teams in the league, the San Antonio Spurs. Samuels faced off against one of his idols while growing up, All-Star and future Hall-of-Famer, Tim Duncan.

Samardo shined, recording his first double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Though the Cavs lost, Samuels impressed and showed the Cavaliers that the undrafted rookie was no fluke.

The week didn't end there for Samardo; he followed his stunning performance with another stellar game on one of the biggest stages in the NBA, Madison Square Garden. Samuels scored 15 points and six rebounds but his toughness and trash talking made a name for himself.

He took several key offensive charges in the game, no bigger than the one he took against Carmelo Anthony with 1.8 seconds in the game. Anthony drove to the basket and laid the ball in and the whistle blew.

The crowd went crazy thinking Anthony would be going to the line to tie the game, however, it was Samuels who took the charge and that won the game.

Samardo has quickly grown up and with the opportunity of playing more the power forward is taking full advantage.

"My Confidence is sky high," he said.

"Right now it's time for me to get better as a basketball player and move forward and get back to where I was growing up."

Samuels grew up in Jamaica and moved to Queens, N.Y. in 2004. He later became High School Player of the Year and then went on to play college ball at Louisville.

It's good to know that players are soaring with confidence at this stage in the season, let's hope it continues.

Cavaliers 81, Hornets 96: (Chris Paul is down)

The Cavaliers lost to the New Orleans Hornets 96-81 on a night where New Orleans lost its best player, Chris Paul.

Midway through the third quarter, New Orleans point guard Chris Paul collided with Ramon Sessions and laid on the floor for about 10 minutes. He was later carried out on a stretcher and did not return to the game.

The crowd stood and applauded Paul while leaving the building, Paul gave thumbs up as the crowd went crazy.

Cleveland was winning 61-60 when Chris Paul laid on the floor with an apparent head injury. Both teams surrounded one of the best point guards in the game while laying on the floor.

However, the game resumed without Paul and it looked like the Cavaliers would have an advantage without Paul on the other side of the ball.

The Hornets responded though, they went on a 24-8 run to take an 84-69 lead with just over 7 minutes in the game.

Baron Davis, who made his Cavalier debut at Quicken Loans Arena, hit a 40-footer at the end of the third to get the Cavaliers within seven. Davis scored 17 points and had 6 assists in 28 minutes of work coming off the bench.

Semih Erdan also made his Cavalier debut, playing 11 minutes and grabbing 5 rebounds and missing all three of his shots. Luke Harangody, who also came over from Boston scored four points in 16 minutes of action.

The Cavaliers were outscored 33-45 in the second half with Paul out of the game.

David West was a beast in the second half. He ended up with 23 points and had 7 rebounds. With Paul out, West proved to be the leader and helped push the Hornets to an 18 point lead.

Marco Belinello scored 18 and Jarret Jack filled in for Chris Paul with 14 points and 5 assists.

Cleveland stuck with the Hornets the entire game before Paul left the game. Cleveland was down only three at halftime and was tied with the Hornets before the All-Star point guard left the game.

JJ Hickson had another strong game, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and Samardo Samuels continued to play tough. He scored 11 points and 6 rebounds, but Samuels also looked like he has been working with Anderson Varejao. Samuels continued to play stunning defense, taking charge after charge.

The Cavaliers found themselves down as many as 18 points in the 4th quarter and could never recover. The Hornets took advantage of what it seemed like an overconfident Cleveland team.

Cleveland (12-49) hasn't won consecutive games since winning three games in a row back in November.

Preview - Cavs vs. Hornets: Byron's old team comes to town

In 2004, Byron Scott took over the New Orleans Hornets and initially managed very little success.

There are some parallels to that situation and the one Coach Scott is currently facing.

That season, the Hornets finished 18-64 and were one of the worst teams in the league.

Baron Davis was the point guard and they really struggled throughout that the entire season; Lee Nailon would lead the team in points scored at the end of the season.

That team was deprived of talent, but Scott took a bad situation and turned it around the next year.

The following season, 2005-06, the Hornets won 20 more games than the year before and finished 38-44.  You can probably chalk up some of those wins to drafting one of the best point guards in the league, Chris Paul.

Baron Davis and Coach Scott were not getting along so they shipped him out and handed the keys to Chris Paul.  While they didn't make the playoffs that year, the team was improving and Scott was seeing results in both the win column as well as the atttitude on the floor.

Just two years later the Hornets finished 56-26, and made a run through the playoffs eventually losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semi-finals.

That formula could prove to be very similar to the current plan with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Have a tough season or two, draft solid talent and build the team for the future.

Stopping Chris Paul will be one of the keys to tonight's game.  The Cavs will look to build off an impressive and exciting win at Madison Square Garden vs. the Knicks.

The strong play of Samardo Samuels will also be key, as he made several crucial plays down the stretch in New York. His confidence is building each game and he's starting to get a feel of what he can do in this league.

Baron is excited to play for the first time in front of his new crowd, who will definitely embrace "the beard".  His late three pointers and exciting style of play will go over well in Cleveland; our fans are hoping he can provide for excitement at the point guard position.

Baron on twitter following the big win over Carmelo and company,

"Yep! Good win in the Garden. Can't wait to play in front of the home crowd at The Q!!! Go cavs!"   

Also, watch to see how Coach Scott continues to use Sessions and B-Diddy in the backcourt together. 

Tip-off tonight is at 6:30 at the Q. 

                         

Baron Davis makes successful debut against the Knicks: Cavs 119, Knicks 115

NEW YORK - Looks like payback is going to have to wait.

Carmelo Anthony vowed revenge after the New York Knicks lost at Cleveland on Feb. 25.

Maybe next time.

Baron Davis made his Cavaliers debut a memorable one by scoring 18 points, including a key 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left, as the Cavs shocked the Knicks for the third time this season, 119-115, on Friday night in Madison Square Garden.

Amar'e Stoudemire had 41 points and Anthony added 29, but it wasn't enough for the Knicks, now 31-29. In fact, the Cavs (12-49) have 25 percent of their victories against the Knicks.

"It always feels good to win in the Garden," said Davis, who scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs erased a 12-point deficit with 6:58 left. "As a kid, you dream of playing here on the big stage, the bright lights.

"They're one of the top teams in the league. Now that they're a powerhouse team, it's good for . . . these young guys to get that experience playing on that prime-time stage. This was a lot of rookies' first chance playing here. It was definitely a big confidence boost."

J.J. Hickson had 23 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cavs, and two rookies came up huge -- Luke Harangody and Samardo Samuels. Harangody wasn't even supposed to play because of a painful right hip pointer, but he finished with 18 points, including two free throws with 1.2 seconds left.

Samuels had 15 points and six rebounds and drew two charges from Anthony in the final 1:32, including the game-saver as Anthony drove for what would have been a game-tying basket with 1.8 seconds left.
Anthony also got a technical after whacking Samuels early in the third quarter.

"We were talking the whole game," said Samuels, the 2008 USA Today high school player of the year at St. Benedict's prep in nearby Newark, N.J. "It's basketball. Guys get under each other's skin. My teammates were telling me, 'Don't take it too far.' I was like, 'I'm good.' I know my limits.

"At the end of the day, I'm a big dude. Ain't too much going to hurt me out there. I was just confident and having fun."

Asked if he thought he was getting under Anthony's skin, Samuels smiled and said: "A little bit. He was like, 'Who is this guy? He's out here pestering us.' "

Anthony admitted after the game that, in fact, he did not know who Samuels was.

"I don't even know his name," Anthony said when asked about the technical. "Samar, Sam, I don't even know his name, the guy who took the charge. I just pushed him. He flopped a little bit. It is what it is. No hard feelings."

After Davis hit his 3-pointer, Stoudemire hit one with 7.5 seconds left to get New York back to 116-115.

Ramon Sessions made one of two free throws with seven seconds left before Anthony charged into Samuels.
"I guess it was an offensive foul," Anthony said after the game. "I didn't want to settle for a jump shot."

The Cavs didn't want to settle for just coming close. But after beating the Knicks twice at home, beating them in Madison Square Garden was something else all together.

"I don't think the guys let the bright lights get to them tonight, which is big," Cavs coach Byron Scott said.

"We were down 12 points with [seven] minutes left in the game and we never quit. Guys kept fighting. It says a lot about our character. We were down, we weren't playing our best, we were playing against a team that's been playing pretty well and we just kept fighting till we got the victory."

- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer