<div align="center">[#6] <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> [#2]<span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%">CLE Leads Series 1-0</span>May 8, 2007 - 8:00 pm ET<span style="color:#FF0000">Game on TNT</span></div><span style="color:#000099">New Jersey Nets</span> <span style="color:#999999">(0-1)</span><span style="color:#999999">PG</span> <span style="color:#000099">Jason Kidd</span> <span style="color:#999999">SG</span> <span style="color:#000099">Vince Carter</span> <span style="color:#999999">SF</span> <span style="color:#000099">Richard Jefferson</span> <span style="color:#999999">PF</span> <span style="color:#000099">Mikki Moore</span> <span style="color:#999999">C</span> <span style="color:#000099">Jason Collins</span> <span style="color:#999999">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#000099">Bostjan Nachbar, Marcus Williams, Eddie House, Cliff Robinson, Josh Boone</span><span style="color:#990000">Cleveland Cavaliers</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">(1-0)</span><span style="color:#CC9933">PG</span> <span style="color:#990000">Larry Hughes</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">SG</span> <span style="color:#990000">Sasha Pavlovic</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">Zydrunas Ilgauskas</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#990000">Anderson Varejao, Daniel Gibson, Eric Snow, Donyell Marshall, Scot Pollard</span> Injury Report<span style="color:#999999">NJ:</span> <span style="color:#000099">Nenad Kristic [Knee // Out for Season]</span><span style="color:#999999">NJ:</span> <span style="color:#000099">Eddie House [ Concussion, Hip // Out For Season]</span><span style="color:#999999">NJ:</span> <span style="color:#000099">Mile Ilic [Ankle // Out For Season]</span><span style="color:#CC9933">CLE:</span> <span style="color:#990000">None To Report. </span> Who To Watch Out For<span style="color:#000099">Jason Kidd</span><span style="color:#999999">Playoff Stats: 13.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 12.6 APG </span><span style="color:#000099">Vince Carter</span><span style="color:#999999">Playoff Stats: 24.4 PPG, 7.1 R[G, 4.3 APG</span><span style="color:#000099">Richard Jefferson</span><span style="color:#999999">Playoff Stats: 20.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.1 APG</span><span style="color:#990000">LeBron James</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Playoff Stats: 26.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 7.4 APG</span><span style="color:#990000">Larry Hughes</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Series Stats: 18.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.4 APG</span><span style="color:#990000">Zydrunas Ilgauskas</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Playoff Stats: 16.8 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 0.8 APG </span><span style="color:#990000">Drew Gooden</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Playoff Stats: 14.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.4 APG</span><div align="center">Key Match up vs. <span style="color:#990000">Larry Hughes</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#000099">Jason Kidd</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: Jason Kidd -- J-Kidd is so hot right now. He's close to averaging a triple double. He makes plays and he's the engine that makes the Nets go. Kidd is a Hall of Famer. Hughes will hold his own but Kidd is on top of his game in these playoffs.</span> </div><div align="center">Key Match up vs. <span style="color:#990000">Sasha Pavlovic</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#000099">Vince Carter</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: Vince Carter. -- Carter can do it all. If he comes with his triple threat game where he's shooting 3's, posting up and driving to the basket. That'll mean trouble for the Cavaliers. He's an underrated passer. He also makes plays and he rebounds. Pavlovic's going to have his hands full.</span> </div><div align="center">Key Match up vs. <span style="color:#990000">LeBron James</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#000099">Richard Jefferson</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: LeBron James -- LeBron James is Mr.Everything for Cleveland. He can make plays, get his own points and help everyone else get theirs, too. He's a younger, bigger, faster Jason Kidd. Jefferson won't just sit there, he's going to defend and challenge but his right ankle isn't 100 percent. If he was healthy, it would be a matchup to look forward to. </span> </div><div align="center">Key Match up vs. <span style="color:#990000">Drew Gooden</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#000099">Mikki Moore</span> <span style="color:#000000">Edge: Even. -- You know what you're getting in Gooden -- a solid rebounder, someone who'll get his points and someone who will knock down shots. Moore has been the recipient of Kidd, Jefferson and Carter. You don't pay attention to Mikki and he has a double double at halftime. This is key position to the series. Whichever guy plays well out of these two could decide the series. </span> </div><div align="center">Key Match up vs. <span style="color:#990000">Zydrunas Ilgauskas</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#000099">Jason Collins</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: Zydrunas Ilgauskas. -- Z can score and he can pass but on the other end, if Z is in the pick and roll, he can be liability. Collins is not a scoring threat but he rebounds and he does the dirty work. Z is also coming off a great series and his confidence is high.</span> </div>Game Notes<span style="color:#990000"> The Cavaliers took Game 1 with a 81-77 win on Sunday. Cleveland is a perfect 5-0 all-time in series in which they win the opening game. Sunday?s win marked the second time in history that Cleveland won the opening game of a Eastern Conference Semifinals series (1992 vs. Boston). Cleveland has won five straight playoff games for the first time in history. Dating back to the regular season, the Cavaliers have won nine straight games. The Cavaliers have held the opposition to 88.6 points and .405 shooting during the playoffs. Cleveland leads all playoff teams in opponent field goal percentage and ranks third in opponents points per game. Cleveland has held its opponents to less than 44 percent shooting in all five games. Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas each grabbed 14 rebounds in Cleveland?s Game 1 win. It marked the first time since May 5, 1993 that two Cavaliers had at least 14 rebounds in game. LeBron James also added 11 rebounds and gave Cleveland three players with at least 11 rebounds for the first time since April 30, 1992. Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas both rank in the top seven in the NBA in field goal percentage (Gooden ? third at .571 and Ilgauskas ? seventh at .548) and the top nine in rebounds per game (Ilgauskas ? fifth at 11.6 and Gooden ? ninth at 10.8). Larry Hughes posted 17 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals in Game 1. Only 17 players in the last 10 playoff seasons have posted at least those numbers in a game.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Series Info</span></span>Gm 1: <strike>Sun., May 6 @ CLE, 1 ET, ABC</strike> <span style="color:#990000">CLE</span>Gm 2: Tue., May 8 @ CLE, 8 ET, TNTGm 3: Sat., May 12 @ NJN, 5 ET, ESPNGm 4: Mon., May 14 @ NJN, 7 ET, TNTGm 5*: Wed., May 16 @ CLE, TBD, TNTGm 6*: Fri., May 18 @ NJN, TBD, ESPNGm 7*: Sun., May 20 @ CLE, TBD, TNTBold-Next Game*-If Necessary<strike>Cross out- Games over</strike>
Guess no one really cared about this game, eh?All well, was a great game and it went down the the final minute. Cavaliers pulled it out with great defensive stops and good offense after words. Man, that three pointer by Larry Hughes made me jump out of my chair and run around yelling, . Great series so far, can't wait for game three.
This Cavs team will get killed by Detroit if they win this series and the Pistons win theirs. They cannot score at all, the thing is the offensive rebounds. We cannot get a rebound for shot, and its really disgusting. Collins lets LeBron walk over him, and the cocky ass that he is brags about making a layup over JASON COLLINS. Its really disgusting and I cant watch this anymore. They have 15 more offensive rebounds then us. Its just, uhh I don't even know the word. LeBron has to be the cockiest player in the league, I'm really starting to fucken hate the guy. And its not that he is beating us, trust me it has nothing to do with it. I didn't even watch one game of the Washington-Cavs series because I knew that he would be his cocky self and act like hes beating the dream team or something. Lawrence Frank is a idiot. I would really write more about the game but I am about to throw my computer.All I know is that the Pistons will kill this Cavs team if they win this series, destroy them. I still don't think this series is over though, its just one thing that is killing us. If we could box out and get the break going, we would have won both games . Carter and Jefferson need to be taught to attack the basket, how many times have Nets fans said this? Just horrible , and I blame it on the head coach. Its time to get rid of Frank and hire some good coach, maybe Rick Carlisle or Larry Brown? I don't know who, but we need a change.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jkidd51524 @ May 8 2007, 10:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>This Cavs team will get killed by Detroit if they win this series and the Pistons win theirs. They cannot score at all, the thing is the offensive rebounds. We cannot get a rebound for shot, and its really disgusting. Collins lets LeBron walk over him, and the cocky ass that he is brags about making a layup over JASON COLLINS. Its really disgusting and I cant watch this anymore. They have 15 more offensive rebounds then us. Its just, uhh I don't even know the word. LeBron has to be the cockiest player in the league, I'm really starting to fucken hate the guy. And its not that he is beating us, trust me it has nothing to do with it. I didn't even watch one game of the Washington-Cavs series because I knew that he would be his cocky self and act like hes beating the dream team or something.</div>Detroit killed us last year, didn't they? Thats if you're counting take us to 7 games killing us, and oh yeah we are better then last year. I'll admit, our defense isn't doing all that well and when the defense isn't doing all that well we wont score much on offense. I don't see how LeBron is "cocky" I never seen him walk all over anyone... Hate em if you want, go join the Wizard fans because their just mad LBJ walked all over their team.... two times.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jkidd51524 @ May 8 2007, 10:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Lawrence Frank is a idiot. I would really write more about the game but I am about to throw my computer.All I know is that the Pistons will kill this Cavs team if they win this series, destroy them. I still don't think this series is over though, its just one thing that is killing us. If we could box out and get the break going, we would have won both games . Carter and Jefferson need to be taught to attack the basket, how many times have Nets fans said this? Just horrible , and I blame it on the head coach. Its time to get rid of Frank and hire some good coach, maybe Rick Carlisle or Larry Brown? I don't know who, but we need a change.</div>Again I say, they took us to 7 ballgames in a 7 game series. Their is a huge thing that the Nets are missing, a big that can get rebounds but I don't think that would help as much as we all think because Cleveland is top in offensive boards. Gooden does a great job getting the boards, why I think we should keep him this off season instead of dealing him to get Bibby or anything. All well, game three isn't to far away... Cavs take that, they take the series.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KobeBryant_24 @ May 8 2007, 11:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Wow..... 2 replies?</div>Yeah, not to many people caring about this series.. I wonder if Cleveland made the finals... would people still careless?
I would have replied during the game, but I watched it at a friend's house. LeBron was great tonight offensively, creating for himself and others. Gooden was a complete animal, how many rebounds did he end up with? Varejao and Snow did a great job off the bench, the hustle and grit they brought to the table tonight was huge. The real difference maker tonight, however, was Sasha Pavlovic. He has been sensational thus far in this series. He did a solid job defensively on Vince Carter yet again (obviously one of the better scorers in the league), he came up with about 3-4 straight HUGE hustle plays (a steal, an offensive rebound, a nice cut) in crunch time, and he converted around the basket. In Game 1, he did the same thing and came up with the block of the week to virtually clinch the game. He has most certainly been the X-Factor so far in this series.
I agree, CB32. Sasha was awesome tonight and as well the whole two games of this series. He had a rough start to the first round of the series, but if he can keep this up heading into game three, we would have a bigger chance at taking the next game and then the series.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cavsrules @ May 8 2007, 11:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Detroit killed us last year, didn't they? Thats if you're counting take us to 7 games killing us, and oh yeah we are better then last year. I'll admit, our defense isn't doing all that well and when the defense isn't doing all that well we wont score much on offense. I don't see how LeBron is "cocky" I never seen him walk all over anyone... Hate em if you want, go join the Wizard fans because their just mad LBJ walked all over their team.... two times.Again I say, they took us to 7 ballgames in a 7 game series. Their is a huge thing that the Nets are missing, a big that can get rebounds but I don't think that would help as much as we all think because Cleveland is top in offensive boards. Gooden does a great job getting the boards, why I think we should keep him this off season instead of dealing him to get Bibby or anything. All well, game three isn't to far away... Cavs take that, they take the series.</div>The Pistons are better this year also, they didn't wear out in the regular season. If that series does occur, Pistons in 5 no doubt. Your offense is horrible. Take away the second chance points and you would score like 40 points. Our defense is horrible, and last time I checked the Pistons were one of the best.
No doubt the Pistons are a better team then the Cavaliers, but they are not better then they were last season. Chris Webber helped them out A LOT, but Ben Wallace is by far the better piece to that team. Our offense isn't horrible, but it does have some problems. 40 points? Please, we get 2nd chance points because our bigs are good at that and thats the only thing they are good at. James scores 30 points alone, I'm sure this team would avg way more then 40 points even without the offensive boards. And why the hell are we talking about Detroit? Is this series over? Its only 2-0, you guys still have two homes games left. Yes if we win one of those it's pretty much over, but never lose faith.
This was a good game to watch, I enjoyed it alot. New Jersey was playing well that first quarter, but come second quarter things went a bit sour for them. They was turning the ball over alot, being stupid, and I think going away from what was working for the Nets. The series is being played really slow right now, not to New Jersey's liking I would think. They need to start hitting the boards better, rebound defensively, and start playing faster to get easier baskets. In a half court set, the bigger team is usually going to have a better advantage, and the bigger team is the Cavaliers.I think they should run that pick and roll more, with whatever man is being guarded by Ilgauskas setting the pick. Especially if Z is guarding Mikki Moore, because Moore can also step into the pick and pop because he can hit the mid range shot with consistency from there so you will never really know what they are going to do. Z has a hard time sometimes reading that defensively, and comes around the screen to deep or the wrong way every once in a while. That is something I think we should see them do more often.I also think New Jersey needs to get the ball more to Richard Jefferson on the baseline, as he has been doing alot of damage when he can get the ball around there. Both on the cut, and when he has the ball in his hand creating from the baseline, good things has happened. With Vince Carter shooting poorly, and not playing his best, they are going to need Jefferson to score more to pick up for Carter's playing.
