<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> February 15, 2007 - 10:30 pm ET<span style="color:#FF0000">Game on TNT</span></div><span style="color:#990000">Cleveland Cavaliers</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">(30-22)</span><span style="color:#CC9933">PG</span> <span style="color:#990000">Daniel Gibson</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">SG</span> <span style="color:#990000">Larry Hughes</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">SF</span> <span style="color:#990000">LeBron James</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">PF</span> <span style="color:#990000">Drew Gooden</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">C</span> <span style="color:#990000">Anderson Varejao</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#990000">Eric Snow, Donyell Marshall, Sasha Pavlovic, Damon Jones, Scott Pollard</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Los Angeles Lakers</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">(30-23)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">PG</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Smush Parker</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SG</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SF</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Vladimir Radmanovic</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">PF</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Lamar Odom</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">C</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Andrew Bynum</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Maurice Evans, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, Brian Cook, Sasha Vujacic</span> Injury Report<span style="color:#CC9933">CLE:</span> <span style="color:#990000">Zydrunas Ilgauskas is questionable (personal matters)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Luke Walton will not play (sprained ankle)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kwame Brown will not play (sprained ankle)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Chris Mihm is out for season (recovering from ankle surgery)</span> Who To Watch Out For<span style="color:#990000">LeBron James</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Season Stats: 26.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.6 spg</span><span style="color:#990000">Larry Hughes</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Season Stats: 14.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg</span><span style="color:#990000">Drew Gooden</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Season Stats: 11.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 28.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.5 apg</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Lamar Odom</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 16.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.5 apg</span>Rookie Watch <span style="color:#CC9933">CLE:</span> <span style="color:#990000">Daniel Gibson</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 42</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#990000">5.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.1 apg</span><span style="color:#CC9933">As A Starter:</span> <span style="color:#990000">9.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.4 apg</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">CLE:</span> <span style="color:#990000">Shannon Brown</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 25</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#990000">2.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Jordan Farmar</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 26</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">5.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.1 apg</span><span style="color:#990000">Cleveland's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#990000">Larry Hughes</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Season Stats: 14.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg</span><span style="color:#990000">Hughes has the responsibility of guarding the best player in the world, Kobe Bryant. Hughes will have a tough day, as everyone does when they have to guard Kobe, but he's going to have to make the best of it.</span><span style="color:#6600CC">LA's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Andrew Bynum</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 8.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.7 bpg</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">As A Starter: 9.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg</span><span style="color:#6600CC">With no Big Z in the lineup, there is no doubt that Bynum should take advantage of his size down low. Varejao is very aggressive and tough, but Bynum is bigger and stronger. He needs to stay aggressive offensively.</span> <div align="center">Key Matchup vs. <span style="color:#990000">LeBron James</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span></div><span style="color:#000000">Need I say more?</span> CelticBalla's Extra Thoughts/Notes- LA is on a 4 game losing streak. CelticBalla's PredictionThe Lakers have had a tough road trip, but now they are back home and ready to rumble. I think the streak gets snapped tonight and I think Kobe puts on a show for the fans before the All-Star break.
Look for the Lakers to be EXTREMELY hungry for a win tonight. The will be looking for revenge from the last time they faced the Cavs, they are coming off a 2 point loss to the Knicks and will be very determined tonight.
As I told Melo061 on AIM before, Kobe is gonna come out firing. If bron can stick with him, it's gonna be quite the shootout.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cavsrules @ Feb 15 2007, 05:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Dan Gibson will not play tonight, so there is another good thing for L.A.Ugh.</div>You act like we have the advantage because of that...we are missing two starters in Kwame Brown and Luke Walton. Lamar Odom is still trying to get back to full strength.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cavsrules @ Feb 15 2007, 08:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Dan Gibson will not play tonight, so there is another good thing for L.A.Ugh.</div>Gibson is a good young player but your acting like he's Chris Paul or something.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LakersFan247 @ Feb 15 2007, 09:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>You act like we have the advantage because of that...we are missing two starters in Kwame Brown and Luke Walton. Lamar Odom is still trying to get back to full strength.</div>Very key part in our offense, he has avg 10 PPG as a starter with us, and is a shooter witch is needed in Cleveland at the point. It may not sound like an advantage for you guys, but when you leave our Point Guard wide open(Eric Snow) and he misses the shot, or has to pass it up and have someone else take a terrible shot, it will be a advantage.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dmoney @ Feb 15 2007, 09:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Gibson is a good young player but your acting like he's Chris Paul or something.</div>Been so long since the Cavaliers have had a Scoring type Point Guard. He is by no means a 'Chris Paul' but it's all we got.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cavsrules @ Feb 15 2007, 06:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Very key part in our offense, he has avg 10 PPG as a starter with us, and is a shooter witch is needed in Cleveland at the point. It may not sound like an advantage for you guys, but when you leave our Point Guard wide open(Eric Snow) and he misses the shot, or has to pass it up and have someone else take a terrible shot, it will be a advantage.</div>Please. Luke Walton averages about 12 ppg and Kwame is one of the best post defenders in the league. We are missing very intricite parts to our offense and defense with both of them out. Besides Eric Snow is a decent point guard at this stage of his carear and won't be a liability. The Cavs won't have Gibson...so what the Lakers have been plagued by injury all season and are still suffering.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A POINT GUARD SCORE OVER 5 PPG IN GOD KNOWS WHEN!!!!!!!Get that part? Having a point guard that can score is huge, he is the 3rd piece to the three players the Cavaliers need, in order to take presser off James. I understand Lakers have players that can score over 10 Point Per Game, but this is our 2nd round draft pick, rookie, and he is stepping up for this team. So, yeah, he is kinda big for us, and we are making a big deal out of him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cavsrules @ Feb 15 2007, 06:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>WE HAVEN'T HAD A POINT GUARD SCORE OVER 5 PPG IN GOD KNOWS WHEN!!!!!!!Get that part? Having a point guard that can score is huge, he is the 3rd piece to the three players the Cavaliers need, in order to take presser off James. I understand Lakers have players that can score over 10 Point Per Game, but this is our 2nd round draft pick, rookie, and he is stepping up for this team. So, yeah, he is kinda big for us, and we are making a big deal out of him.</div>Well, that's fine and Gibson has impressed me this season but if you really want the point guard to do the scoring then Larry Hughes and LeBron have both played PG in the past...if that is what you are looking for. Look, my point was that even if you are missing him we have the bigger loss without Kwame,Walton, and Odom still recovering.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LakersFan247 @ Feb 15 2007, 10:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well, that's fine and Gibson has impressed me this season but if you really want the point guard to do the scoring then Larry Hughes and LeBron have both played PG in the past...if that is what you are looking for. Look, my point was that even if you are missing him we have the bigger loss without Kwame,Walton, and Odom still recovering.</div>Hughes doesn't wanna play PG, and James, well, it's not a bad idea to start him at Point, and have Sasha come in to play SF. But, I wasn't saying anything about your guys team, and the players you guys have lost. All I said was Gibson is pretty big for us, and it's gonna help u guys because he is our scoring PG.
I find it funny that the Refs call Lil baby calls for L.A, but on the other end James gets hit and no call. I swear, something is up, and it is bull sh*t.Come on Cleveland, DEFENSE for crying out loud.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cavsrules @ Feb 15 2007, 08:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I find it funny that the Refs call Lil baby calls for L.A, but on the other end James gets hit and no call. I swear, something is up, and it is bull sh*t.Come on Cleveland, DEFENSE for crying out loud.</div>What are you talking about? Are you talking about how you guys got every call down in Cleveland last time? Quit Whining.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LakersFan247 @ Feb 15 2007, 11:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What are you talking about? Are you talking about how you guys got every call down in Cleveland last time? Quit Whining.</div>Dude, I'm not 'whining'.You don't understand, every damn game I watch LeBron go to the hole hard, and he gets hit hard. AND NO FOUL. But every time on the other end of the floor, they call a Lil baby foul. It is pissing me off.It's nothing on L.A, it's been happing every dam Game.
Bron showed up in the clutch, he was fantastic. Unfortunately Lakers should have had the oppertunity to tie, but they couldn't get rebound off of missed free throw.
That was a awesome game, I was scared off my ass, but it was a awesome game. LeBron showed up to play tonight, I can't say the same for my dude Hughes, and his free throws. I was upset with the fouls being called for the Cavaliers, but tonight, we both got some calls, and the Cavaliers finally got some calls there way. And LeBron hit his free throws, so that was just huge.Great game L.A, Bron and Kobe put on a show tonight for all to see, what a way to kick off all star weekend. Once again, great game.
are you kidding me lebron was getting every call even when no one touched him he fell on his ass and turiaf wasnt even close to him and he gets a foul and whatever happened to in the 4th quarter let um play The refs got cuaght up in trying to control the game and they didnt let it play out to many weak fouls what an itence game though I loved it except for the fact if any cav went in the paint with the ball the whistle was blown :wtf1: I think this game bye losing it will do even more for the lakers for the first time since the playoffs against the suns they look like a fiesty actuall TEAM Kobe started to trust and cheer for his teamates. The real weak link in the team is evans. I say start sasha vijufich I dont know how to spell that sh*t instead of evans he reminds me of Dfish get the floor running get the intenisity up and he has a stroke of a shot. Overall great game Lebron was great but he was a whiny little sh*t like always alot like most players these days. I dont think I have ever seen MJ whine at a ref although he did play in a washed out lg and todays lg is toupher then any other not physicaly but offensevly anyways great game
Great win for Cleveland on the road. LeBron hit his free throws tonight, which is something he needs to work on A TON. Kobe's stat line probably looks real nice, but he really didn't shoot the ball all that well. That 3 was HUGE though. It was nice to see Odom come out aggressive tonight as well.But LA needs to get their act together, and fast. Five games in a row is inexcusable, especially when most of them are against Eastern Conference teams (maybe even all of them are).
