<div align="center">[#1] <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> [#2]<span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%">DET Leads Series 2-0</span>May 27, 2007 - 8:30 pm ET<span style="color:#FF0000">Game on TNT</span></div><span style="color:#0000FF">Detroit Pistons</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">(2-0)</span><span style="color:#FF0000">PG</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Chauncey Billups</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">SG</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Rip Hamilton</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">SF</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Tayshaun Prince</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">PF</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Chris Webber</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">C</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Rasheed Wallace</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">Antonio McDyess, Lindsey Hunter, Carlos Delfino, Flip Murray, Jason Maxiell, Dale Davis</span><span style="color:#990000">Cleveland Cavaliers</span> <span style="color:#CC9933">(0-2)</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:#FF0000">DET:</span> <span style="color:#0000FF">None To Report</span><span style="color:#CC9933">CLE:</span> <span style="color:#990000">None To Report</span> Who To Watch Out For<span style="color:#0000FF">Chauncey Billups</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Playoff Stats: 19.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.8 apg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Rip Hamilton</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Playoff Stats: 18.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.0 apg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Rasheed Wallace</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats: 14.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.6 apg</span><span style="color:#0000FF">Tayshaun Prince</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Season Stats: 15.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.8 apg</span><span style="color:#990000">LeBron James</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Playoff Stats: 24.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 8.1 APG</span><span style="color:#990000">Larry Hughes</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Series Stats: 14.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.8 APG</span><span style="color:#990000">Zydrunas Ilgauskas</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Playoff Stats: 14.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 0.9 APG </span><span style="color:#990000">Drew Gooden</span><span style="color:#CC9933">Playoff Stats: 11.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.5 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">Chauncey Billups</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: Chauncey Billups -- Billups is on a mission because this is his contract year. He has been flawless throughout the playoffs. He does so much for his team. He has a lot to play for and he truly loves winning.</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">Rip Hamilton</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: Even -- Pavlovic is athletic enough to stay with Hamilton. I take my hat off to the great job Sasha did on Vince Carter. Pavlovic's tougher than I thought. When he got knocked down against the Nets, he got up and didn not back down. Sasha's the reason why the Cavs won against the Nets. </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">Tayshaun Prince</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: LeBron James -- I only have James over Prince by a hair. Prince is underrated. James has the edge but he will have to earn it. James has to get past the Pistons like Micheal Jordan got past the Pistons. Will this be a learning session for James or will he step up? If James can step up and beat Prince, James will beat the Pistons. </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">Rasheed Wallace</span> <span style="color:#000000">Edge: Rasheed Wallace. -- This all depends on which Wallace shows up. If the 3-point shooting Wallace sows up, Gooden will win this battle. If the post-up Wallace shows up and plays inside-out, no one can stop him. Gooden has played well in the postseason. </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">Chris Webber</span><span style="color:#000000">Edge: Zydrunas Ilgauskas. -- If Ilgauskas keeps giving the Cavs what he has given them in the playoffs, the Cavs will benefit and continue to play well. Ilgauskas is long enough and tall enough to bother Chris Webber's jump hook. You don't have to worry about Z's lack of speed defending Webber because Webber's not quick enough to go by his man anymore.</span> </div>Game Notes<span style="color:#990000">The Cavaliers are 3-3 all-time in home playoff games during the Eastern Conference Finals (2-1 during the 1976 Playoffs and 1-2 during the 1992 Playoffs). After falling behind 2-0 in last year's Conference Semifinals against Detroit, the Cavaliers rallied to win the next three games including Games 3 and 4 at The Q. Anderson Varejao grabbed a career playoff-high 14 rebounds in Game 2 at Detroit. It marked the most rebounds ever in a playoff game by a Cavaliers reserve. He added 14 points for his first career playoff double-double. In nine career playoff games against Detroit, Varejao has averaged 10.2 points on .569 shooting and 5.8 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game. LeBron James has dished out at least seven assists in 11 of 12 playoff games this season. With a win tonight, Cleveland would post its ninth win of the playoffs which would tie the 1992 Cavaliers for the most wins during a playoff season. Cleveland is 4-1 (.800) at home during the playoffs and have won seven of their last eight games at home (inclduing the regular season).</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Series Info</span></span>Gm 1: <strike>Mon., May 21 @ DET, 8 p.m., TNT</strike> <span style="color:#0000FF">DET</span>Gm 2: <strike>Thu., May 24 @ DET, 8 p.m., TNT</strike> <span style="color:#0000FF">DET</span>Gm 3: Sun., May 27 @ CLE, 8:30 p.m., TNTGm 4: Tue., May 29 @ CLE, 8 p.m., TNTGm 5*: Thu., May 31 @ DET, 8 p.m., TNTGm 6*: Sat., June 2 @ CLE, 8:30 p.m., TNTGm 7*: Mon., June 4 @ DET, 8 p.m., TNTBold-Next Game*-If Necessary<strike>Cross out- Games over</strike>
James and the Cavs really came out strong, fueling from the energy from their home crowd. The Pistons bounced back, and are now leading by two. It's good to see Tay get back into form, he has 9. James has 13 for the Cavs, most of them off of uncontested lay-ups/dunks. I want to see Maxiell get some minutes here in the late 2nd, we'll see if he does.
My god, Cleveland is falling apart. The turnovers have been unforced, all mental mistakes. Mike Brown seems to have come out with the same gameplan he did in Game 2, and that is to force-feed Big Z in the post. It makes no sense, because of course it's just like Game 2 where the perimeter players had a strong first half, then Brown chooses to slow the game down and go to Big Z. I can see why Cleveland fans get so frustrated with Brown.
Wow, what a great little run by Cleveland. They have the momentum, the crowd is finally into it, and LeBron has been dynamite in this 4th quarter. That dunk he had over the top of Sheed was the biggest momentum shifter of the night, he has been finding open teammates, then he just hit 2 big shots. That step-back 3 was HUGE. I hope Cleveland can pull this out and not let Detroit take over the last 2 minutes of the ballgame. I don't think Cleveland is going to win the series, but I at least want them to make it interesting here. EDIT: What a shot by Billups. Gibson defended him pretty well, but Billups just made a great off-balance shot.
Awesome, I'm happy Cleveland pulled this one out. Once again, LeBron was outstanding tonight. He needs to be this aggressive at all times, every night. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Captain @ May 27 2007, 11:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Billups has the absolute worst shot selection on this team.</div> I think Flip Murray takes that one.
We have still yet to see real Piston basketball in this series IMO. We didn't play well at all today, no one played very well other than Sheed. Other than McDyess and Flip Murray, who did pretty well offensively compared to how he usually does but as always didn't play good D at all, the bench hardly played. Hunter, Maxiell, and Delfino a combined 7 minutes, while Murray played 20. There were some positives though. Webber had a solid game, with good first and fourth quarters. Prince bounced back offensively with 13 points on 6-13 shooting, but I wanted to see him post up more. Billups continues to struggle, 3 assists to 5 turnovers, only 13 points, and as The Captain mentioned, a very questionable shot selection. Rip didn't do much either, only taking eight shots and finishing with seven points. Going into game three, we need to play the bench more, especially Delfino and Maxiell. Chauncey NEEDS to go back to his normal self, Prince needs to build off of this game for his offense and Webber too. Sheed has to keep doing what he's doing as he is the best player for us this series hands down. Lastly, as a team, we need to cut down on the turnovers. We had 15 tonight and it could have been a lot more.
Jeez these Pistons our tough to beat, even when we play our great basketball they kept fighting back. I can't stand sheed, but he always comes up and hits those damn threes. Major props for Detroit making it a 2 point game when it was just a 9[I think] point game and with about 1 minute left. Anyway, great win and it was much needed, Obviously. If we see this LeBron James the rest of the playoffs, I think Cleveland an outstanding chance to win this series. I'm FINALLY glad someone gave credit to Larry Hughes for stopping Billups, who would've knew it would be Barkley? Shocking. When Hughes went down, I'll admit.. I went crazy and started breaking things. All well, he didn't miss a shot tonight so 100% FG works. Anyway, great win now we need game 4.
sucks that we lost this one. now Cleveland has a good chance at getting game 4 too.Billups kept us in it, but we shouldve known that LeBron wasnt gonna let his team go down at home like that..Pistons were close enough in this one to have enough confidence to get game 4 though.edit::*CB32, are you retarded? Flip Murray is one of the most hesitant guys on this team. he shot 3-4 in this game and kept the pace up for us in this game....Chauncey and Sheed seem to take the worst shots on this team but they do more than enough to make up for it. You just leave Flip alone. lol*
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (PN13 @ May 29 2007, 10:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>sucks that we lost this one. now Cleveland has a good chance at getting game 4 too.Billups kept us in it, but we shouldve known that LeBron wasnt gonna let his team go down at home like that..Pistons were close enough in this one to have enough confidence to get game 4 though.edit::*CB32, are you retarded? Flip Murray is one of the most hesitant guys on this team. he shot 3-4 in this game and kept the pace up for us in this game....Chauncey and Sheed seem to take the worst shots on this team but they do more than enough to make up for it. You just leave Flip alone. lol*</div>I'm sorry, but I don't agree with that statement at all. Billups played VERY poorly in game 3, just as he has all series. How in the world did he "keep us in it"? With his three assists? Six turnovers? He forced many shots instead of feeding the hot hand, whether it was Webber, Sheed, etc. He simply didn't do anything well other than hitting that shot to cut into the Cavs' lead late. If that's what you are referring to when you said he kept us in it, I apologize, but if not, I stand by my statements.As for Flip Murray, he did play pretty well offensively in game three for him, but struggled on defense(as always) as I said before. And he is not "one of the most hesitant guys on the team." He often shoots without even looking to move the ball, or takes terrible shots while being closely guarded. He didn't do it much in game three, but that's only one game.
dont ever show me up like that stones. let me tell you that I did make a mistake on what I said about billups.lol. but when murray was in he is in to score and yes he does struggle moving the ball. but he shot 3-4 and %75 shooting is good for one game and he doesn't get enough time to take bad shots.w/e like you said it was one game.
