<div align="center"><u><font size="5"><font color="#B84056">CLEVELAND CAVALIERS</font> @ <font color="#0091D0">DENVER NUGGETS</font></font></u> <u><font size="3"><font color="#B84056">PROJECTED STARTERS</font></font></u> <u><font size="3"><font color="#B84056">CAVS</font></font></u> <font color="#B84056">C Zydrunas Ilgauskas PF Drew Gooden SF LeBron James SG Damon Jones PG Eric Snow</font> <font color="#0091D0">C Francisco Elson PF Kenyon Martin SF Carmelo Anthony SG Andre Miller PG Earl Watson</font> <u><font size="3"><font color="#0091D0">NUGGETS</font></font></u> <u><font size="3"><font color="#B84056">MATCHUP BREAKDOWN</font></font></u></div> <font color="#B84056">Zydrunas Ilgauskas</font> v <font color="#0091D0">Francisco Elson</font> – In an average on 22.4 minutes, Elson has averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, however, averages 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 30 minutes. The 7-3 Lithuanian has the superior skill and experience over the 30-year old Dutchman Elson. Place your bets on Ilgauskas to win this matchup. <font color="#B84056">Drew Gooden</font> v <font color="#0091D0">Kenyon Martin</font> – Gooden is a potential doubt with a thigh injury for this game, but regardless of whether he or Alan Henderson starts, I expect the power and prowess of Martin to pull him through. This could be a key matchup for Denver if Martin gets to exploit a mismatch with Henderson, or a weakened Gooden. <font color="#B84056">LeBron James</font> v <font color="#0091D0">Carmelo Anthony</font> – Definitely the matchup that everybody wants to see; two of the best players from the class of 2003 in the NBA Draft coming face to face. Carmelo dropped slightly last season, but has been doing everything he can to pull back this year. However, LeBron is on good form and will be striving to do everything he can to help Cleveland win. <font color="#B84056">Damon Jones</font> v <font color="#0091D0">Andre Miller</font> – Two slightly undersized shooting guards come head to head here. If Jones can get on the correct wavelength with his shooting stroke, he could be a game-winner for the Cavaliers. If, like recent games, he cannot, then I expect Miller to use his speed to fly past Jones and come out on top. <font color="#B84056">Eric Snow</font> v <font color="#0091D0">Earl Watson</font> – Eric Snow has been trying to put together all the good performances he can muster up and this game will be no exception. Snow has proven defensive abilities, but still has slight problems at getting good scoring opportunities. As usual, expect Snow to cause a sub-par game for his opponent, this time Earl Watson, but perhaps in Mile-high city, he might be able to contend on the offensive end of the floor too. <div align="center"><u><font size="3"><font color="#B84056">OTHER NOTES</font></font></u></div> <ul> [*]Without Larry Hughes (broken finger, mid Feb), the Cavaliers may have a bigger problem than they first thought – if the other team can halt LeBron – there is no player to carry the Cavaliers. [*]The Cavs trail 2-3 against the Nuggets since the 03 rookie class entered the league. [*]The total score, however, is 479-472 in the Cavs’ favour. [*]LeBron averages 20.8ppg, 6.4rpg and 7.4apg against the Nuggets. [*]The Cavaliers are 20-15 overall (4-6 in their last 10). [*]The Nuggets are 20-19 overall (6-4 in their last 10). [/list] <div align="center"><u><font size="3"><font color="#B84056">SCORE PREDICTION</font></font></u></div> <u><font size="2"><font color="#B84056">89</font>-<font color="#0091D0">95</font></font></u>
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LeBron James v Carmelo Anthony ? Definitely the matchup that everybody wants to see; two of the best players from the class of 2003 in the NBA Draft coming face to face.</div> I'd put wade ahead of carmello.
This should make for an intersting game. LeBron has had Carmelo's number when they face off, so far in their careers. But this season Carmelo has definitely improved his game, and he has been hot as of late, while the Cavs have not. I hope this game goes into the final minutes, and we'll see who is more clutch out of Carmelo and Bron. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Johnnybrasco:</div><div class="quote_post">I'd put wade ahead of carmello.</div> What does that have to do with anything?
^ I don't think it's a question of who's more clutch. Most fans would agree that Carmelo is more clutch without a doubt. Anyways for this game, I see Melo and LeBron going off for 30+ each with Denver coming out on top. Nuggets by 5.
lebron got great basketball IQ, he knew with 2 secs left and 2 freethrows he wont win that game, so why not take a gamble... miss the second freethrow on PURPOSE and then get his own rebound put it back up or get fouled again... but it sucks he missed that last clutch freethrow
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting rookie789:</div><div class="quote_post">lebron got great basketball IQ, he knew with 2 secs left and 2 freethrows he wont win that game, so why not take a gamble... miss the second freethrow on PURPOSE and then get his own rebound put it back up or get fouled again... but it sucks he missed that last clutch freethrow</div> Come on, that's an obvious play. It doesn't take a great basketball IQ to purposely miss the second free throw in that situation. BTW, Ira Newble was painfully bad in this game. He was missing layups and bricking 15 footers. His defense was nothing special also; particularly the boneheaded play near the end when he let Carmelo drive to his right, go down the baseline and get a wide open dunk.
