What to keep an eye on tonight when the Cavs head to Orlando to take on the Magic:

-  Should Orlando’s Jameer Nelson be named to the All-Star game over Cleveland’s Mo Williams, or vice versa, the snubbed player will have an immediate opportunity to show the coaches that they made a mistake.  Nelson has raised his game this season, averaging a career-high 16.9 points per game while also shooting career bests in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and three-point percentage.  Meanwhile, Williams is coming off his virtuoso shooting performance on Tuesday, when he notched 43 points.  The matchup of point guards should be an interesting one.

-  The Cavs are going to have their hands full with Dwight Howard inside.  Howard continues to improve, and in his fifth year in the league he is averaging 20 points per game while leading the league in rebounds (13.8 per game) and blocks (3.2 per game).  We saw how the Lakers’ bigs made life miserable for the Cavaliers last week, and the same problem might rear its head tonight.  

-  Taking care of Howard will fall to Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace and J.J. Hickson, because Zydrunas Ilgauskas is still “doubtful” for tonight’s game.  Z was hoping to be back for tonight’s game, but right now that seems, well, doubtful.  Z creates some matchup problems for Howard defensively, pulling him away from the basket to defend against Ilgauskas’ jump shot, but Z doesn’t have nearly enough strength to bang with Howard down low.  If anything, watching Ilgauskas match-up with Howard would have given Danny Ferry a better idea of whether or not he needs to add another big man for a playoff run.  

-  A week ago, the Magic hosted the Boston Celtics, and they were thoroughy humiliated.  There’s no doubt that the Magic will be looking for a little redemption against another of the Eastern Conference’s elite teams.

-   Fortunately, the Cavs have something to play for too: their coach.  If the Cavs win tonight, they practically guarantee that Mike Brown will be the head coach of the All-Star Game.  

Notes:

-  Take the Charlotte Bobcats’ Gerald Wallace off your list of potential player acquistions before the trade deadline.  Wallace suffered a cracked rib and a partially-collapsed lung after a foul by the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum.  I didn’t think Wallace would be a great fit for the Cavaliers, but he was a possibility.  Now, he’s off the table.

-  The best-selling NBA jersey belongs to Kobe Bryant.  LeBron ranks third on the list.

-  One night after being torched by Mo Williams, the Sacramento Kings again refused to defend the perimeter, allowing the Celtics’ Eddie House to hit 8-of-9 three-pointers on his way to 28 points.

Go Cavs.

What to watch for tonight when the Cavs head to Golden State to battle the Warriors:

-  How will the return of Monta Ellis affect the Warriors?  It has been over five months since Ellis injured himself in a moped accident, and tonight marks his first NBA game since the injury.  There has been plenty of controversy about the injury, including Ellis’ misrepresentations about how he hurt himself, the Warriors subsequently suspending and fining him, and the notion that the Warriors can still void his 6-year, $66 Million contract if they so choose.  It’s been a mess, one that has gotten worse as the Warriors got off to a slow start thanks to a road-heavy schedule that had the Warriors play 24 of their first 38 games on the road.

Now Ellis is set to return, after spending the last few weeks begging to get back in the game (he wanted to get into the game against Boston the day after Christmas - that’s four weeks ago).  When we last saw Ellis, he was a whirlwind of point-scoring prowess, averaging 20.2 points per game on a fantastic 53% shooting from the field.  Ellis was one of the fastest players in the league, and he used that speed to get to the rim time and time again.  

Ellis was so good in fact that the Warriors decided to let free agent point guard Baron Davis go to the Los Angeles Clippers.  Now the Warriors are asking Ellis to fill Davis’ shoes at the point while coming back from the injury.  And he’ll have to play the point, because the Warriors are overloaded at the wing positions, as the top-four scorers for the Warriors (Jamal Crawford, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Kelenna Azuibuke) have all played the shooting guard spot at some point in their careers.  Crawford has been handling the point duties so far, but if Ellis wants to earn that paycheck, he will have to be able to take over the point guard decisions and facilitate for others, rather than always looking for his own shot.

2.  Can the Cavs avoid running with the Warriors?  The Warriors can score a lot of points, and are currently ranked second in the league in points per game (107.4 ppg).  The reason the Warriors are so bad is that they don’t defend at all, as they give up 112.2 ppg and have the sixth-worst point differential (-4.8 ppg) in the league.  Head Coach Don Nelson and all of those wing players are entirely focused on the offensive end, and that is borne out in the statistics.

You may have noticed that the Cavalier offense has not looked especially effective over the last two weeks.  With West and Ilgauskas lost to injury, the team has to rely more on LeBron James and the three-point shot, and the results have been mixed.  In short, the Cavs might not have the necessary firepower to win a high-scoring affair.  For the Cavs to win they want to control the pace, control the paint, and control the glass.  If they aren’t doing that, the Cavs will be in trouble tonight.

Go Cavs.

With the Cavs in Portland, home of one of my favorite court designs in the league, I thought I’d take this opportunity to make a list of my top five favorite court designs.  Court design in the NBA - and throughout all of sport - has dramatically improved over the last ten years.  While that has led to some travesties (if someone can find me a picture of the old Houston Rockets floor from the early 2000’s, I’d appreciate it), it has also led to some very classy designs currently being stomped on by seven-foot behemoths.

The list:

1.  The Phoenix Suns - U.S. Airways Center

If I recall correctly, the Suns were the first team to use two different wood tones on the court.  While the new look was eye-catching, the Suns did a great job of keeping the rest of the design simple and classy, using only the orange and purple coloring for the lines.  While the “PHX” letting combination is silly, the rest of the central logo is bright, colorful and powerful, while not overwhelmingly large.  Just a great, modern design that many other teams have tried to duplicate in years past.

2.  The Toronto Raptors - Air Canada Centre

It may look like I’m repeating myself here, and to an extent I am.  But I really like the new design of the Raptor’s home floor for it’s similarities to the Phoenix court, and the way it has evolved from it.  The Raptors’ floor design is even more reserved that the Phoenix design, the center court logo is bold but simple, and the reds and blacks are perfect for highlighting the distinction between the two wood tones.  It’s ranked below the Suns court because of the blatant plagiarism, but by learning from the Suns efforts, the Raptors managed to improve upon it.  Not much has gone right for the Raptors this season, but this design has been the one bright spot for our friends up north.

3.  Orlando Magic - Amway Arena

See, they don’t all look the same.  The design at Amway Arena is bold, but it doesn’t go overboard.  The center logo is perfectly sized, and the side logos add a little bit of flair to the traditional parquet floor design.

4.  Portland Trailblazers - The Rose Garden

The court that prompted the post, I really liked the Blazers new court when it was introduced a few seasons ago.  I like the way that the key area is left unpainted, but is clearly separated by the red side lane panels and the red top half of the circle.  The center logo is also distinctive, though it’s too big.

5.  New York Knicks - Madison Square Garden

Very simple but very classic, the court at Madison Square Garden is iconic.  The white lines are my favorite part, keeping the look crisp, while the blue out-of-bounds areas frame the whole thing nicely.  The court is also greatly helped by the yellow-orange lighting of Madison Square Garden, which gives the court (and the rest of the proceedings) a more golden quality.  

Answering a few inevitable questions:

1.  Why not the Cavaliers court?  The Cavs court should appeal, because it has two of my favorite design elements with the two wood-tones and the unpainted key.  While I like the Cavs court, but it’s not in my top five.  The design comes across as a little busy, the blue isn’t navy but actually a lighter hue, and the lighting at the Q, while sufficient for basketball purposes, washes all of the colors out, making the court look dull.  I do like the script “Cavaliers” at center court, and the design is good all around, but it’s not in the top five.

In fact, it’s not even my favorite court design of the Gund Arena/Quicken Loans Arena era.  If you head over to www.CavsHistory.com, you can see a layout of every court design in the history of the franchise.  My favorite is the first “new expression of wine and gold” court, with the gold lines.  I thought the design took a hit when they changed the gold lines to blue when it became Quicken Loans arena, and was happy to see the change to the current design.  But I’m still not a fan of the blue lines.  

2.  How dare you not include the original parquet floor of the Boston Celtics?  Two words: Red lines.  For whatever reason, the Celtics have red lines to mark the free-throw spacing in the key.  I don’t know if it is to honor Red Auerbach or what, but the red lines are out of place.  It’s egregious enough to knock it out of the top five.

3.  Who is the worst in the league?  The Chicago Bulls court at the United Center is by far my least favorite court design.  There are some nice elements, but the basketball behind the Bull’s head at center court is nothing short of an eyesore.  When the team played in Chicago Stadium, the Bull did not have the basketball behind it.  And at the height of the Jordan era, that Bull face was the last thing any Cavalier fan wanted to see.  Now, it just looks cheap.

Hope you enjoyed the list, and be sure to leave any personal opinions in the comments.  Chris Creamer’s SportsLogos.Net is your best source for court designs and all kinds of sport logos.

Go Cavs.

Running thoughts from tonight’s game:

-  Z will start after being doubtful for tonight.  It wil be interesting to see how he’s moving, as the Nuggets have solid, strong big men in Nene and Kenyon Martin.

-  And before we begin, what a great game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers tonight before the Cavalier game, with Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant exchanging big buckets.  Bryant’s shot to tie was as far down inside the cylinder as physically possible without going in.

-  So far Z has been fantastic, with 7 points as he works down low on Nene.  Not sure if he can keep it up all night, but so far he is really making the Nuggets defense pay.  And he hits another jumper, this one a 20-footer from the top of the circle, giving him 9 points.

-  At the first timeout, the Cavs lead 17-12, and it’s all Zydrunas Ilgauskas, all the time.

-  LeBron James then takes over, getting out in transition, where he is the most dangerous player in the league.  LeBron is 4-for-4 from the field and has 9 first quarter points.  Take that Dwyane and Kobe.

-  Delonte West is overhandling a bit, but it seems to be by design.  He has 6 points and 3 assist already, so it certainly isn’t a bad thing.  Mike Brown obviously likes that matchup.

-  ”Wally has been short on his shot for about 3 weeks.” - Hubie Brown   I love Hubie Brown, he has the kind of passion for the game at age 75 that still amazes me.  He’s certainly not one to shy away from hyperbole, and he’s never seen a timeout that he didn’t love, but he brings contagious enthusiasm every night, and I love it.

-  LeBron with a brilliant play to get the hoop and the foul to end the first quarter, give him 14 points in the first as he is just obliterating the Nuggets defense right now.  With 37 points in the first quarter, the Cavs have their highest-scoring first period of the season, and they are really clicking right now.  At the end of one, the Cavaliers lead 37-21.

-  Mo Williams dribbles into the lane, and the ball moves out to a wide-open Sasha Pavlovic, who knocks down the 3.  The book on Denver must be that their guards do not defend the dribble well, because the Cavs are doing more of that then they have at any point this season.

-  Well Sasha, you get one of those fade-away circus shots a season, and you just got yours.

-  The next idea for the LeBron entertainment production company: Z, the story of a Lithuanian assassin with metal feet who comes to America to find love.  Starring Jason Statham, with an animated Anderson Varejao as his sidekick.

-  And Z keeps it raining, as he’s up to 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting.

-  The Nuggets have started getting more aggressive, hacking at the Cavaliers and forcing the officials to call the fouls.  So far they’re getting away with it.  The Cavs are whining a bit, but so far they’re staying on point.  And the officiating is getting worse all the way around, as they blow another call, this one on a ball out of bounds that leads to a Carmelo Anthony 3-ball.

-  Any time Mo Williams wants to hit a wide-open 3, it would be appreciated.

-  The Nuggets hang around to end the first half, cutting the Cavalier lead to 11, 64-53.  Anyone watching this game should realize that the Nuggets are becoming a very good team, and are right there in the top five or six teams in the league.  You don’t win easily in their home floor, and the Cavs are going to have to keep playing as well as they have in the first half if they want to win this game.

-  Why isn’t Diddy’s vodka commerical in HD?

Second Half:

-  The second half starts with a nice LeBron jumper, but then the Cavs offense gets a little confused and it turns into two transition buckets for Denver.  The transition defense is the biggest weakness for the Cavaliers right now, and that’s where the Nuggets are at their best.  The Cavs have to stay focused.  This game is looking very reminiscent of the road loss to the Detroit Pistons earlier this season.

-  Z for 3!  It’s absolutely a gimmick, but it’s a fun one.

-  LeBron is not disciplined at this point in the game.  He has let the physical play of the Nuggets get him off rhythm, even as he’s having a great shooting night.  He has five turnovers already tonight, after having just two in his last 4 games combined.

-  Z with some more points.  This has been the most game-planned game of the season, with the Cavaliers having a clear plan on how they want to attack the Nuggets with Z and with a lot of dribbling.  Wonder why that’s the case.

-  Another missed wide-open 3 for Mo Williams.  Then Delonte West picks them up and actually knocks them down, stretching the lead to 18 again.

-  Sasha is taking WAY too many jump shots tonight.  I would like to see him be more aggressive, but the shots aren’t good right now.

-  Anderson Varejao was not going for the ball on the foul that was called a Flagrant 1, so I guess I understand.  I don’t agree, but I understand.

-  Wally draws a charge with a great defensive rotation.  I’m telling you, if he can do that, he’ll extend his career significantly.  He can’t defend on the ball, but if he can be part of an effective team defensive scheme, his value is substantially increased.  

-  The Cavs held the Nuggets to just 12 third quarter points.  Part of that was good defense, part of it was the Nuggets just missing a lot of shots.  But the end result is that an 11-point lead at the half is now a 19-point lead, and the Cavs are looking pretty good.  Cavs lead after three, 84-65.  

-  As a complete aside, Denver has the fourth-best record in the league at the moment at 17-8.  But there are four teams in the West with 17 wins .  The Utah Jazz have are 17-11, meaning they have played 28 games.  By contrast, the Hornets are 15-7, which means they have played just 22 games.  6 extra games two months into the season seems like an awful lot of disparity in the schedule.

-  Z with another 3-pointer, giving him 23 points for the night.  Big night for Big Z, and you can see how big an impact he can have offensively.  

-  LeBron with back-to-back tough mid-range jumpers.  Pretty, but not enough movement on the offensive end right now, as the Cavs seem to be trying to wait the Nuggets out.  And yes, I’m absolutely nitpicking what is now 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, with 11 fourth quarter points to help put the Nuggets away.  I will say that LeBron was more aggressive on the boards tonight, and his rebound numbers show that.

-  And Carmelo Anthony’s night is over after his sixth foul on an offensive push-off.  He finishes with 13 points and 5 turnovers.  The Nuggets aren’t beating the Cavaliers when Anthony plays like that.

-  J.J. Hickson’s name is “Hixson” on the ESPN overlay.  Guess that’s rookie respect.  So is that block that he just ate.

-  And that’s the end.  The Cavs were just the better team tonight, and this is a very nice win on the road.  These Nuggets have been playing very well of late, and the Cavaliers took them apart.  Cavs Win, 105-88. 

More to come tomorrow, but that’s it for tonight.  In the words of Joe Tait, have a good night everybody.

More running thoughts tonight…

First Half:

-  Catching up a bit here at halftime.  The Cavaliers are getting major production from LeBron James (14 points) and Mo Williams (15 points), and they have been doing just fine offensively (51% from the field).  Unfortunately, they have done a good job of getting to the line, taking only 2 free throws to the Sixers’ 10.

-  As far as I’m concerned, Andre Iguodala can keep taking those shots.  The numbers say he’s not going to keep up this absurd pace, and I’d encourage the Cavs to keep doing what they’re doing against him.  That backwards layup off the glass isn’t going in again.

-  The Cavs are also struggling with the transition defense, and that’s why this has been a game of runs.  When the Cavaliers are scoring, they get back in defense and are shutting down the Sixers in the halfcourt.  When the Cavs are missing shots, the Sixers are running and scoring with relative ease.  In the second half, part of the Cavaliers’ defensive plan will be making sure they execute effectively on offense.

-  The Cavaliers have held the Sixers’ young guns Willie Green, Louis Williams, and Thaddeus Young practically silent for the first half (4 points combined).  That is the biggest reason the Cavaliers’ bench was able to eliminate the early deficit and take the lead.

-  I know it was a two-for-one situation, but LeBron’s quick-trigger 3 with 27 seconds left was unnecessary.  The Sixers were in the middle of a run.  You need one good bucket there, you don’t need to worry about getting two.

Second Half:

-  Great alley-oop to Ben Wallace to start the scoring, after Wallace came up with a big block defensively.  Great pass by Delonte West.

-  Very quick 9 points to start the third quarter, forcing Sixers head coach Mo Cheeks to call two timeouts in the first 2:03 of the second half.  Nearly identical to the run the Cavaliers started in the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors last night.

-  Good foul by Z when Iguodala got too close to the hoop.  If there’s one thing that I would change about the Cavalier defense of late,  I would like them to take more fouls when they are beat near the rim.  Ben Wallace especially could stand to lay a little more wood on opponents, but he’s only averaging 1.3 fouls per game.

-  They are allowing a lot of contact near the rim right now.  That should benefit the Cavaliers if that remains the case.

-  Mo Williams with mid-range fadeaway while drawing the foul.  Mo is really having a night tonight, just punishing the Sixers for not having an enforcer inside.

-  The Sixers do not have a field goal in the first six minutes of the second half…

-…but end that stretch with an “and one.”  Still a 14-point lead with the Cavaliers up 66-52.

-   TNT announcer Mark Jones just said that LeBron writes with his left hand.  I did not know that.  He shoots right-handed.

-  Elton Brand might be getting the boos, but Samuel Dalambert has been pathetic this evening.  2 points, 2 rebounds and a complete non-factor.

-  Varejao does a great job creating angles when he goes to the hoop.  He is making it so that you cannot double team off of him, which just makes the Cavaliers offense that much more dangerous.  It wasn’t long ago that Andy was a complete liability offensively.  He’s still not Kareem, but he has made significant strides over the last 12 months.

-  Wow, when did the lead singer of Foreigner start working for Cleveland Jewelry Exchange?  That is some amazing hair right there.  I’m not mocking, I’m jealous.

-  Wow what a dunk by West!

-  And Lou Williams matches it with a tough layup to end the 3rd Quarter.  But the Cavaliers have a 19-point lead with twelve minutes to play, 84-65.  The Cavaliers held the Sixers to 18 points in the second quarter and 19 points in the third.  They are now regularly holding the opposition to less than 20 points in two quarters a night.

-  LeBron was sporting his special red “Beats by Dre” headphones for that quick 24 second bit between quarters.  Those things still look pretty sweet.

-  Z is having a rough night tonight, shooting just 4-of-12 for the moment while turning the ball over 5 times.  Still, despite his off night, he’s still putting pressure on the Sixers, who don’t have anyone who can match up with the large Lithuanian.

-  I’m putting together a “Christmas wish list for the Cavalier fan in your life.”  And while it’s not Cavs-related, that foam crossbow in that Bass Pro Shops commercial might still make the list.

-  The Cavalier throwback bench jacket is definitely making the list.  Unfortunately for those out-of-town Cavalier fans, they only place it is available is in the Cavs team shop.  It’s not available online, but I’m sure if you call the shop directly you can get them to send you one.

-  Uh-oh.  Z rolls the ankle, could be a sprain.  More as it comes. 

-  It’s a sprain, no x-rays yet, its in a bucket of ice and Z is done for the night.

-  The Sixers have absolutely no chance against the Cavalier halfcourt defense.  None.  

-  But they do when the Cavaliers offense stagnates, as it has right now with 5 minutes remaining.  Louis Williams just made a layup to cut the lead to 9 points.  That’s exactly the situation when the Cavaliers should take the foul and send him to the line.

-  LeBron is holding the ball too much at the moment…but then he heads right into the lane, gets the and one, and essentially ends the game.

-  Mo Williams takes an ill-advised 3.  Here’s hoping that doesn’t come back to haunt the Cavaliers here.

-  Hey Cavaliers:  You know that the Sixers have no way to score on you unless they are running on the break.  Then why are you taking long jumpers?  The Sixers want you to take those shots, the long rebounds make it that much easier to run.  If you keep going to the basket, they can’t stop you and they can’t run.  Please remember this for Friday as well.

-  Also, stop crashing the boards!  Get back on defense and set up!  This game is over if you don’t let the Sixers get into transition.  Six point game right now with 2 minutes left.  95-89.

-  Mo gets the nice bounce and pushed the lead to 8.  That should do it.  But I’ll breathe much easier in one minute and forty seconds.

-  Ben Wallace with an exclamation point of a slam off the LeBron miss.

-  I love how Hubie Brown never gives up on a game.  Rightly so with the way the 76ers keep fighting tonight.  But it’s too little too late.

-  The name of the movie is “More Than a Game” Mark.  There’s no “just.”

-  Whew.  Cavs win 101-93.  LeBron finishes with 29 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.  Mo Williams finishes with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.  For the Sixers, Andre Iguodala finishes with 27 points, while Louis Williams dropped 22 points in the second half to keep Philadelphia in the game.

-  Winning road games on the second night of a back-to-back is a feat, no matter who you are playing.  I’m sure the Sixers feel like they can give a good effort on Friday.  If I’m Mike Brown though, I would challenge my team to try to beat the Sixers 80-60 on Friday, committing completely to stopping the break.

Go Cavs.  Nice win tonight.

What to watch for tonight when the Cavs head to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers:

1.  The Elton Brand-Ben Wallace matchup will be a key tonight.  Wallace has been playing excellent defense in his 23.2 minutes per night, and he was a major factor in frustrating Chris Bosh (9 points) and Jermaine O’Neal (8 points, 6 turnovers) last night.  He and the rest of the Cavalier big men have to keep Brand from getting into a rhythm, as the Sixers are much easier to defend when the other players are forced to create for themselves.

2.  Andre Iguodala is having a rough start to the season, as his offensive numbers are down across the board.  He has seen significant drops in points ( 14.2 v. 19.9), FG% (42% v. 46%), 3P% (33% v. 26%) and FT% (70% v. 72%).  His turnovers are up, while his steals are down.  It seems that Iguodala is having a tough time figuring out when he should be aggressive, and when he should defer to Brand.

3.  The Cavalier are going to have to cover for Daniel Gibson’s absence for the next two weeks.  While Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szczerbiak have been solid of late, they don’t bring quite the same skill set to bear.  The Cavaliers have really thrived as the players found clearly defined roles, but with Gibson out, someone’s role will have to change.  In the past, Mike Brown has opted to move a little-used reserve into the place of the injured player, rather than taking a rotation player out of his pre-assigned role.  We’ll see how Brown decides to deal with it tonight, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he just replaces Gibson with Tarence Kinsey, rather than trying to adjust the roles of Pavlovic or Szczerbiak to fill the void.  

A couple of extra thoughts:

-  LeBron bought his teammates “Beats by Dre,” high-end headphones designed by rap icon Dr. Dre. Video of the gift-giving (including rookie J.J. Hickson being passed over) is here: http://vimeo.com/2457780?pg=embed&sec=2457780  (via RealCavsFans).

-  So much for that small lineup: the Pistons lost to the Wizards last night despite the lineup changes.  Things are pretty rough in Detroit these days, and it’s not just the auto industry.

Go Cavs.

Trying something a little different with some unfettered thoughts about tonight game.

First Half:

-  LeBron James breaks the Cavalier all-time steals record in the first 30 seconds of the game, punctuated by a might slam.  Just another record for the phenom.

-  But I do wonder every time I hear that “he’ll have many more Cavalier records before he’s done.”  While that’s no doubt that LeBron will indeed break a number of records, 1) there aren’t that many more for him to break, and 2) if the national media has its way, LeBron only has about 150 game left to break those additional records.

-  The Raptors absolutely refuse to rebound.  One of the most overlooked aspects of Mike Brown’s time in Cleveland has been his ability to get the bigs into good defense positions that also translate into good rebounding positions.  The Raptors couldn’t be further from accomplishing that.

-  Darnell Jackson off the bench in the second quarter instead of J.J. Hickson.  That’s a surprise, though Jackson didn’t do much with those minutes.

-  Mo Williams is one of the most creative scorers in the league.  He gets more junk baskets than any Cavalier point guard in history.  He takes so many questionable shots, but he hits enough of them to make it effective.

-  LeBron has had his best collection of dunks tonight.  Seriously, wow.

-  Then LeBron picks up a cheap Technical Foul.  Joe Crawford seems to know that this game is on NBA TV.  Ditto the one for Ben Wallace.

-  Raptors have used the 3-pointer (5-for-11) to get back in the game, while the Cavaliers got lazy on defense (including you LeBron).  They also did a great job getting to the line, going 12-for-17 in the first half.

-  None of the big men were getting much help from the referees, with cheap traveling calls on O’Neal and Bosh and a cheap offensive foul on Z.  

-  First missed dunk by Ben Wallace in a while.  Sure haven’t missed those.  

-  51 free throws in a row for Jose Calderon.  Raptors have taken a lot of free throws in the first half.

-  And with 1:52 left in the first half, Z becomes the Cavalier record-holder for rebounds.  Call it a longevity record if you will, but it takes something special to be able to be effective in this league for a long time.

-  Too many jumpshots in the second quarter, after a first quarter where the Cavaliers found all the holes in the Raptor interior defense.  I think they might have gotten a little winded, with the Raptors maintaining a very quick pace throughout the first half and the Cavaliers growing accustomed to easy games of late.

-  LeBron for 3….Thousand Dollars!!!!!!!  Congratulations Joseph James!  (Note: that’s just one thousand dollars…not 3 thousand dollars).  

More after the break…

Second Half:

-  Second half starts with another highlight dunk by LeBron.  Make that two.  Then a steal by Mo and a dunk by Ben Wallace.  The Cavs are cheating alot on passes, but they’re getting the steals.  That’s the Cavalier rule: the players are allowed to go for the steals, but they better get them if they go for them.

-  Absolutely fantastic defense by the Cavaliers in the first five minutes of the 3rd quarter.  An 8-point lead became a 19-point lead in a heartbeat.

-  Missed dunk by Bosh…at least it’s not just Ben Wallace.

-  8 more unanswered points, including 3’s by LeBron and Mo, and the lead is 27.  23-2 run.  Wow.

-  Which leads to more Darnell Jackson.  Mike Brown must really love what this kid is doing in practice.  It hasn’t translated into the game tonight, but Brown is sending a message: defense and rebounding in practice will earn you minutes in games.

-  Great elevation by Sasha Pavlovic on the dunk.  Sasha is playing slower, taking everything in stride, and he’s looking much better.  Though with the way the Cavaliers are playing right now, everyone looks great.

-  The Cavs ended an excellent third quarter up 90-67.  This team is putting all kinds of pressure on the opposition, and they’re doing it without growling, snarling, or crawling on the floor like a dog (yes, that’s a shot at Kevin Garnett’s recent ridiculousness).  I actually prefer this quiet, scary aggressiveness to the over-the-top histrionics of the Boston Celtics.  But then again, I hate the Celtics.

-  It wasn’t that long ago that Jermaine O’Neal was an elite interior defender.  Watching the Raptors tonight, it’s clear that their most dire need is for an interior enforcer to rebound and intimidate perimeter players when they come into the lane.  O’Neal should be a perfect fit for them.  Instead he looks slow and uninterested, and has just 8 points and 4 rebounds on the night.  That’s a major problem for the Raptors.

-  And as soon as McLeod and Carr start talking about the creativity of Mo Williams, he over-dribbles and passes the ball off the baseline.  It’s sometimes hard to praise Williams, because he is constantly fighting a natural inclination towards showboating and somewhat selfish play.  

-  Daniel Gibson sprained his big toe, and is out for the game.  Now there’s an injury that can nag.  The Cavaliers could really use a productive Gibson to help them through this four games in five nights stretch, but depending on the severity of the sprain, Gibson might miss the rest of these games.  

-  Looks like LeBron is done for the night.  He finishes with 31 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in just 30 minutes.  More importantly, LeBron was aggressive going to the hoop, and he absolutely took advantage of the Raptors’ weakness at the small forward position.  Andrea Bargnani is going to see LeBron in his nightmares for a month.

-  Anthony Parker had 9 points and was 3-for-3 from beyond arc in the first half.  He has 0 points in the second half.

-  Cavaliers reach the chalupa level of 100 points with 5:22 left.

-  If Chris Bosh doesn’t come back onto the floor, he will finish the night with 9 points and 11 rebounds.  The Cavaliers have played seven of the top 10 scorers in the league.  The results:  

3.  Chris Bosh: 9 points (25.7 ppg on the season)
4.  Dirk Nowitzki: 8 points  (25.0 ppg)
6.  Devin Harris: 23 points (24.4 ppg)
7.  Danny Granger 33 in game 1, 4 in game 2 (23.1 ppg)
8.  Joe Johnson 4 points (23.1 ppg)
9.  Kevin Durant 13 points (22.7 ppg)
10.  Vince Carter 12 points ( 22.5 ppg) 

Cleveland: where scoring averages go to die.

-  Wally had a great night, scoring 16 points and taking advantage of the slow rotations of the Raptor defense.

-  J.J. Hickson with a nice little lefty layup.  That was a very athletic move for a man his size, and it’s that level of natural grace that has the Cavaliers so excited about this young man.  Hickson then followed it up with a rebound and put-back.  4 points in 4 minutes for the young big man.  

-  Final Score: 114-94.  

-  The Raptors shot a respectable 45% from the field, and they got to the line 32 times, converting 24.  But the Cavaliers defense forced the Raptors into 19 turnovers, and the Cavaliers outrebounded the Raptors 45-32.  The Cavaliers are playing so well in every facet of the game, and they make even decent performances by the opposition look second-rate.

-  And on the way, the Cavaliers have won 9 in a row, all of them by at least 12 points.  That’s an NBA record.  Lots of records broken tonight, and it’s nice to have it happen at home.

That’s it for me tonight.  The Cavaliers head straight to Philly tonight to get ready for their game against the 76ers tomorrow night.  

Go Cavs.

What to watch for tonight as the Cavaliers take on the disappointing Toronto Raptors tonight at the Q:

1.  Just how bad are the Toronto Raptors playing right now?  I’m going to go with “really bad.”  
The Raptors come into tonight’s game having lost four in a row, and their 8-11 record has already cost head coach Sam Mitchell his job.  Toronto was expecting much grander things this year with the addition of Jermaine O’Neal, but instead of challeging the Celtics for the Atlantic Division crown, the Raptors are last in the division and have the fourth-worst record in the Eastern Conference.  

While there is no question that the Raptors have played a very tough schedule (Boston twice, Atlanta twice, Detroit, Orlando, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah, Denver), Toronto can’t blame all their problems on the schedule-makers.  The Raptors refuse to play any defense (23rd in points allowed - 102.3 ppg, 25th in opponent’s field goal percentage - 47%) and they are being outrebounded by their opponents by an average of 4.9 rebounds per night, third-worst differential in the league.  While no team can avoid the occasional shooting slump, the Raptors are getting beat in the hustle areas of the game, something that had to hasten Mitchell’s departure.  

2.  Just how desperate are the Toronto Raptors right now?  I’m going with “really desperate.”

And that is what makes tonight a dangerous game for the Cavaliers.  Toronto is coming off of a tough loss to the Portland Trailblazers at home on Sunday, and they are desperately seeking a statement win.  The Raptors have already lost their head coach, and with the way the Cavaliers and Celtics are running away with the Eastern Conference, Toronto has to be worried that a season begun with optimism is about to slip away entirely (you know what that feels like, don’t you Browns fans?).  

But a win tonight, against a Cavalier team that is currently unbeaten at home, would go a long way towards renewing that optimism in Toronto.  The Raptors are a wounded animal right now, and the Cavaliers must be careful to treat them with caution and respect, even though the Cavs are the clearly superior team playing at home.  While the Cavaliers have been, quite frankly, amazing when it comes to keeping their focus night in and night out, tonight is not the game to take lightly.  The Cavaliers need to win tonight to get this four-games-in-five-nights stretch off on the right foot.

3.  How will the Cavaliers defend potential All-Star point guard Jose Calderon?  

Early in the season, Mo Williams was continually exposed for his poor defense, as opposing point guards were blowing right by him.  While opposing point guards are still being too productive against Williams, the Cavalier guard has done a better job of keeping opposing guards out of the lane.  Calderon is one of the most underappreciated players in the league, and if he does his job, the Raptors are a much better team.  Players like Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Jason Kapono are much better when they are off the ball, rather than trying to create their own shots.

Go Cavs.

What to watch for tonight when the Cavaliers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in a pre-Thanksgiving matchup:

-  One of the results of the ouster of P.J. Carlisemo was the Kevin Durant will be getting minutes at small forward, instead of the shooting guard spot.  Durant has small forward height (6′9″), but he’s on the light side (at 215 lbs he’s giving up about 40 lbs to LeBron James tonight).  Durant’s speed will be a greater asset at the 3, but he’s going to take some punishment he was able to avoid last season at the 2.  Durant has been shooting much better this season, he has stopped constantly hoisting 3-pointers (take a note LeBron), and he looks like he’s developing into a Carmelo Anthony-type player.  And yes, between LeBron, Danny Granger and now Kevin Durant, CavsHQ agrees to cut out the Carmelo Anthony comparisons for the rest of the month at least.

-  Both the Cavs and the Thunder are playing on the second night of a back-to-back, with the Cavaliers romping to a win over the Knicks while the Thunder lost a heartbreaker to the Phoenix Suns.  The schedule certainly favors the home team tonight, but the Cavaliers have to avoid looking past the Thunder to the Thanksgiving holiday.  Well, at least for the first quarter.

-  Former Cavalier Joe Smith is currently a member of the Thunder, thanks to the trade that brought Mo Williams to the Cavaliers.  It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see the Thunder move Smith and his expiring contract at the trade deadline, so he could end up back in a Cavalier uniform if things work out.  I wasn’t too disappointed to see Smith leave in the Williams trade, but I wouldn’t mind the Cavs reacquiring Smith for the right price to help ease the late-season minutes of Ilgauskas and Wallace.

Go Cavs.