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

Preview - Cavs vs. Knicks: The Baron Davis show begins

Baron Davis will be in a Cavaliers uniform for the first time tonight. 

He will make his debut at Madison Square Garden, vs. the new-look Knicks.

Baron will come off the bench tonight, but could very easily become a starter for this team.  "I'm excited,'' he said. "First game for a new team. I'm excited. I think the players are excited. It will be good for us all to get out there, put our best foot forward and just start working to be a better team, working on our chemistry, working to get better.''

The only concern is his nagging knee injury, which has bothered him all season long.

The Cavaliers beat the Knicks just one week ago, in Carmelo Anthony's second game as a Knick. 

More recently New York stunned the Miami Heat, and are playing solid basketball. 

There is a sense of excitement about Baron's debut; he knows how to get his teammates involved while also scoring the basketball.

Baron and Coach Scott have vowed their past differences aren't a concern, as Baron has matured and grown to respect his former coach.

Cleveland will be without Antawn Jamison, who broke his pinky finger and is expected to miss 5-7 weeks (which might as well be the rest of the season). 

Riddled with major injuries all season, the Cavaliers will also be without Daniel Gibson, who has a left quad injury.  We just can't seem to get all of our pieces healthy at the same time.

Defending Carmelo and Amare are the keys to tonight's game.  The Knicks don't exactly have a defensive mindset, so scoring shouldn't be a problem.

It would be nice to drop New York back to reality again, especially during the debut of a new Cavalier.

Baron Davis is going to make a difference, and he's ready to embrace the Wine and Gold. 

How Byron Scott's system will succeed with the Cavaliers

Just a few months ago, Coach Scott decided to join the Cleveland Cavaliers as head coach, just days before LeBron James made his "Decision" on ESPN. With or without LeBron James, Coach Scott knew one thing. He knew that he would bring his system and style to whoever was on the roster, at this time of the year.

The "Princeton" is a system in which Coach Scott is going to bring to the Cavaliers. It's a system that focuses on tough defense and a fast-paced offense. An offense that will look to run and create more possessions for the young athletic team. A system that requires each and every player to be in fantastic shape as running will be key.

The Princeton also focuses on ball movement as well as player movement in the half-court offense sets.  In my eyes, this is key for the success of the Cavaliers this season. The ball will be consistently moving around and will create better quality shots. This, a vast improvement over last season's one man show (LeBron James.) Instead of watching James pound the ball in one spot for 22 seconds and then pass the ball off to a standing teammate, the ball will always be on the move. The Princeton is the style of offense the Cavaliers should have been playing for the past 3 seasons.

The new system will be very effective for this team, if the system can be properly executed. The Cavaliers have the players and coaches to have a fantastic season on the offensive as well as the defensive side of the ball.

The Cavaliers have a roster full of young athletic talent. Mo Williams leads the way, as the team will look for him to be a leader. A fast paced system will help him get open looks, as well as creating for others in the open court. Other guards such as Ramon Sessions and Boobie will also flourish under the Princeton.  The fast pace will create more opportunities for these players to find each other and get good shots on each possession.

The two players that I believe will benefit the most under Coach Scott will be Antawn Jamison and JJ Hickson. Jamison played under Eddie Jordan in which Jordan ran a similiar system. A run and gun system in which Jamison average 20 and 10 that season. At the age of 34, Jamison still has enough legs underneath him to possiblly post 20 and 10 numbers again, or maybe even better.

JJ Hickson is another young athletic player who will put up huge numbers under Scott. A player that showed he has all the potential last season will look to take his game to the next level with Coach Scott running the show. A strong finisher at the rim and very athletic, JJ could be considered a poor man's Amare Stoudemire by the end of the season.  A lot of experts predict Hickson to have a breakout season and his domination in the Summer league is solid evidence that just may be the case.

Byron Scott has all the young athleticism he could ask for. Now it is time to use his motion offense and employ the talent he has to help lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs. A system that I believe will succeed in Northern Ohio.  Good things are on the horizon.

All for One. One for All.

Keep your heads up Cleveland