<div align="center"><u>Memphis Grizzlies (2-8) at Cleveland Cavaliers (7-3)</u></div>Date: Tuesday, November 21st.Time: 7:00pm ESTOn Tuesday, the 21st, this will be the 21st meeting between these two franchises. The Cavaliers lead the series 13-7 and are 8-2 against the Grizzlies in the Quick Loans Arena. The Cavaliers are currently on a two game home winning streak against Memphis. Last year, they split the season series 1-1. In both games, the team that controlled the boards controlled the game. <div align="center"></div><u>Probable Starters:</u>Center - Stromile Swift Foward - Hakim Warrick Foward - Mike Miller Guard - Rudy Gay Guard - Chucky Atkins Injuries - Gasol out.Notes: In the game the night before against the Magic, Warrick put up 26 points and 10 rebounds and Kyle Lowry got 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists to help the Grizzlies win only their second game of the season. In the win over the Cavs last year, Bobby Jackson and Mike Miller were the key to success in the fourth quarter. Together Jackson and Miller scored 11 of the Grizzlies first 13 points of the last quarter. Jackson is no longer with the team and Gasol (who had 29 points and 3 block shots in the game) is hurt. Keys to the Game: Warrick is going to have to have another big night. Since Gasol is out, the Grizzlies are greatly at a disadvantage down low with big Z being 7'3" and last night's starters not even taller than 6'9", the good news for them is that in the Timberwolve game, a 6'7" Craig Smith was able to hold Z from time to time, Z hasn't been having a great year so far, things have been starting to look like they may turn around, the Grizzlies are going to have to change that tonight. Jake Tsakalidis is going to need to step up big this game if the other big men aren't able to contain Z. The Grizzlies need to look to move the ball a lot. The Cavaliers are among the top teams in the league at rebounds, the Grizzlies are already at a height disadvantage, and the winner of this series tends to own the boards. So the Grizzlies are going to have to protect the defensive glass and look to the push the ball as quickly as possible, keeping the tempo of the game fast paced and too much for big Z to handle. The more they can get Gooden and Z off the court and on the bench for a breather, the better. The Grizzlies are going to need to look to cause turnovers and then score off of them if they want to stay in this game.<div align="center"></div><u>Probable Starters:</u>Center - Zydrunas IlgauskasFoward - Drew GoodenFoward - LeBron JamesGuard - David WesleyGuard - Eric SnowInjuries - Hughes out.Notes: Ilgauskas averaged 15 points a game on 63% shooting in 22.5 MPG of play during the last two games against the Grizzlies last season. Eric Snow, in the past four games, has dished out 13 assists and had only one turnover. Snow is sixth right now in the league at assists-to-turnover ratio. Cleveland is 5-1 at home right now this season. Damon Jones, in the past six games, has been shooting 54% from the field.Keys to the Game: Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds. If the Cavaliers control the boards, they will control the game. The Cavaliers are already one of the top teams in the league at rebounding, and they have a height advantage on Memphis. The Cavaliers are going to need to have a big game from Z. They usually look to go to him early, which in this game will be a good thing. Z is going to have to be a man down low and play physical. Z needs to cause enough problems that he keeps Jake in the game for Memphis, and he creates mayhem for the Memphis coaching staff, he needs to make the coaching staff try and figure out ways throughout the game that might stop him offensively. Gooden needs to have a great game on the boards. AV needs to be very active, Memphis is going to try and run the ball, Z can't play like that, AV is going to have to step up and run with these guys. Take charges, grab rebounds, set picks, and get a few put-backs. Snow is going to have to play some tight defense on these guards for Memphis, Snow needs to show guys like Lowry what it means to play ball with good defenders, he needs to shut down Damon and Atkins. And for LeBron James, he just needs to be LeBron James. Look to drive to the hoop, their aren't a lot of big men down there, he can take advantage of that and get to the line. The key to the game for the Cavaliers is discouraging the Grizzlies and controlling the boards. If they do that, it should be an easy win for the Cavs.<div align="center">Winner: Cavaliers</div>
I'm thinking that it won't be controlling the boards that is the key to the Cavaliers winning, but limiting turnovers, and your teams shooting off of kick outs that will be the key to winning tonight. The Magic completely dominated the boards last night, having 50 rebounds compared to the Grizzlies 37, and still the Grizzlies won the game. Once Lowry came in, these guys started getting up and down court, playing with excitement, and causing alot of turnovers. I expect him to bring the same intensity, excitement to this game, and this team to get pumped up when he comes on the floor. It will be good that Snow has always been good at holding onto the ball and not causing turnovers, because Lowry and the Grizzlies will try to cause some turnovers. Don't let them get out and run is really going to be big, as they had 21 fast break points on us.The Cavaliers have no real great defensive presence or shot blocker in the middle. So if the lanes are not packed in, Lebron James should be able to drive at will on this team. Rudy Gay and Mike Miller will attempt to stay in front of Lebron James, but he will be able to get by either one of them two. That's why it is the shooters jobs to clear the lane for the Cavs, by making their shots on the kickouts from Lebron James. If they are missing, the lane will be packed in, and they will cut Lebron James off. If the shooters are hitting, the Grizzlies won't be able to pack it in.
Nice, glad to have a cavs game thread here. I liked what I seen the 1st 3 Q's but we started to let go of the lead toward the end of the game. I swear we looked like the Browns did in the 4th. No, thats not good. We need to learn how to play 4 Q's not 2 or 3 but 4.Glad Damon Jones hit some shots down the road so that we could win this game and he is the player of the game for this one IMO.
I was watching the game again today and I was pretty angry. The Cavaliers controlled everything about the game in the first quarter. The Cavaliers were all over the boards grabbing key rebounds, on their second possesion they missed the shot and ended up getting five chances to score on the same possesion. Those five chances were not "Z shooting three times and grabbing his own rebound right under the hoop" they got the rebounds and pulled the ball out and set up plays four times. In the first half the Cavaliers were destroying the Grizzlies.Sadly, they didn't play hard in the fourth, the fourth is where it all fell apart. All through the second half the Cavaliers started getting less and less second chances and the Grizzlies were getting more and more. Jones was a key factor in getting the Grizzlies going. Thankfully the Cavaliers pulled themselves togther just enough to win the game.LeBron James had some nice passes this game. Damon Jones' little faucet turner is pretty stupid I think. He always looks like a little kid out there to me for some reason. It is nice to finally have his shot this year though.
