Cavs v. Pistons Postgame Quick Hits - Sheed Be Crazy
Posted March 31st, 2009 by Michael Curry
Wrapping up another Cavalier victory (that’s 13 in a row now), this one over the once-and-future rival Detroit Pistons.
The Good:
- The Cavaliers gave a fantastic defensive performance in a game with near-Playoff-level physicality. The Cavs held the Pistons to just 73 points on just 35% (29-82) shooting, exhanging blows with the once-mighty Pistons. While the Cavaliers had their own problems offensively (just 79 points on 39% shooting), the team’s ability to completely shut down the Pistons in the second half, holding Detroit to just 29 points after the break, was the reason for this win. The Cavs also forced 14 Detroit turnovers and held the Pistons to just 9 assists on the night. While there were a few easy second-chance baskets for the Pistons, everything else was well-contested, and this was the fifth straight game in which the Cavaliers have held their opponent to at least ten points below their season average. This game was a great example of why the Cavaliers will be an incredibly dangerous Playoff team.
- Once again, the Cavs did a great job of taking care of the ball, committing only 5 turnovers of their own for the second straight game.
- Last star goes to, who else, LeBron James. While this wasn’t an iconic LeBron performance, LeBron was responsible for 15 of the 17 Cavalier points in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points while finding Anderson Varejao for four more. The only points not directly caused by LeBron were Mo Williams’ two game-sealing free throws, and let’s be honest, if LeBron doesn’t do what he does, Mo doesn’t get those points either. Just a great game-sealing performance from the best player in the league, especially considering that besides LeBron and Andy, the rest of the team went 0-for-10 in the quarter. LeBron finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block, while committing only one turnover.
- And the bonus star goes to the home crowd. As the season has gone on, the fans at the Q have gotten steadily louder, to the point that they are now near deafening, even for a Tuesday night game against a below-.500 team. I can’t imagine just how insane those fans will be come Playoff time. I’m telling you, this Spring is going to be something special.
The Bad:
- The Cavs held their own, but they gave up way too many rebounds on both ends. The Pistons outrebounded the Cavaliers by ten, 53-43, and gobbled up 15 offensive rebounds and converting them into 14 second-change points. The Pistons couldn’t score from the perimeter all night, but they were able to muscle their way into the lane too easily, which led to the offensive rebounds and 32 points in the paints. While the Cavs are getting better about it, interior strength is still a weakness.
- Mo Williams had one of his worst performances in a long time, going just 4-for-14. Mo had help on the poor shooting front though, with Zydrunas Ilgauskas shooting only 2-for-11. No, the poor shooting percentages for the team were not a surprise.
- Rasheed Wallace continues to make a spectacle of himself in Cleveland, picking up yet another technical foul, his sixteenth of the season (but only his second in March!). That T will cost Wallace a game as a penalty, a major problem for a team that is just two games ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats for the last Playoff spot. In my opinion, Wallace’s lack of self-control has been the biggest reason that the team has not had more success since its Championship run in 2005, and that’s not going to change. Sheed will have to find a different place to wreck havoc next season, as he is a free agent and I would be very surprised if the Pistons re-signed their cantakerous big man.
The Questions:
- Was anyone else a little concerned when Delonte West tossed Rip Hamilton to the ground? My friend Sarah can’t stand Rip, and is incredibly bothered by the fact that he continues to wear that protective mask. So I’m sure she didn’t mind seeing Brother Red spin Hamilton around and toss him like a dwarf. Me, I was a little concerned that Delonte might follow up the toss with a elbow drop, before climbing the turnbuckle and holding his hand to his ear in pure Hulkamania fashion.
- Did you see the Lakers lost to the Bobcats tonight? That puts the Cavs up three games in the race for the best record in the NBA, and puts the Bobcats that much closer to meeting the Cavaliers in the first round of the Playoffs. The Bobcats don’t currently have a roster that can compete for a championship now or in the near future, but head coach Larry Brown has done a fantastic job of getting a bunch of really average players to buy in and make a run at the Playoffs.
- Finally, did you see that Z’s 10,000th point ball was found? Turns out a young kid picked it up after the game was over. Z told the kid to keep it. Total class act. But he did say that he will keep the ball if/when he breaks the Cavs all-time games played record of 723. Z played his 700th game as a Cavalier tonight, and with 8 games left in the season, Z will need 16 Playoff games to break the record this season.
Go Cavs.
