GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NBA: CLEVELAND (10-4) at DETROIT (10-4)

NBA: CLEVELAND (10-4) at DETROIT (10-4)

<h3>James, Cavaliers try to win critical Game Five vs. Pistons</h3>

<div class="pre">Cleveland at Detroit 8:00 pm EDT</div><div class="pre">Eastern Conference Finals Game Five</div>

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) - LeBron James is hoping to takethe Cleveland Cavaliers to a place they've never been.

James and the Cavaliers aim to win their third straight gamewhen they face the Detroit Pistons in Game Five of the EasternConference finals Thursday.

Cleveland defeated Detroit, 91-87, on Tuesday to knot the seriesat two games apiece. It was the third time in franchisehistory the Cavaliers have tied a conference final at 2-2.

A year ago, the Cavaliers won Game Five of the conferencesemifinals at Detroit but could not seal the deal, losing GameSix at home and Game Seven on the road.

James was the catalyst in Game Four, scoring 13 of his 25 pointsin the fourth quarter to help the Cavaliers even the series. Itwas the second straight contest the fourth-year superstar tookover in the final quarter, having scored 12 of his 32 points inthe last period of Game Three.

James also has had help from an unlikely source in rookie DanielGibson. The 6-2, 190-pound guard scored nine points in GameThree - the only points from the Cavaliers' bench - and he waseven better in Game Four.

Gibson tallied a season-high 21 points, including 12-of-12 fromthe line. The second-round pick played increased minutes due toa foot injury to Larry Hughes, who played just 16 minutes andlikely will miss Game Five.

In order to regain the advantage Thursday, Detroit must getbetter play from two-time All-Star Chauncey Billups, who isshooting 33 percent (10-of-30) in the last two games afterconnecting on 62 percent (8-of-13) in Games One and Two.

The 10-year veteran has missed 13-of-17 3-pointers in GamesThree and Four and is averaging 5.5 turnovers in the series.

Detroit does have some history on its side. The Pistons are 8-2in their last 10 seven-game series that were tied at 2-2.

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS


CLEVELAND AT DETROIT - PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS


CLEVELAND DETROIT

F Drew Gooden F Rasheed Wallace
F LeBron James F Tayshaun Prince
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas C Chris Webber
G Larry Hughes G Chauncey Billups
G Aleksandar Pavlovic G Richard Hamilton

OFFICIALS: Ron Garretson
Bennett Salvatore
Bob Delaney</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 4
DETROIT 0 9:04 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 4
DETROIT 7 9:04 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 14
DETROIT 13 6:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 19
DETROIT 22 3:13 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 23
DETROIT 29 0:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS


HIGH SCORERS AFTER 1ST QUARTER

CLE - LARRY HUGHES 8, LEBRON JAMES 6, DAMON
JONES 3
DET - RASHEED WALLACE 8, RICHARD HAMILTON 7,
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS 6</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA CLEVELAND AT DETROIT
NOTE: ANTONIO MCDYESS WAS EJECTED FROM THE GAME WITH
28.6 SECONDS LEFT IN THE FIRST QUARTER DUE TO A
FLAGRANT FOUL (TYPE 2) ON ANDERSON VAREJAO.</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 27
DETROIT 33 8:57 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">CORRECTION
PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 23
DETROIT 29 END, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">CORRECTION
PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 27
DETROIT 33 8:57 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 35
DETROIT 39 6:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 42
DETROIT 46 3:09 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 51
DETROIT 52 HALFTIME</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CLEVELAND 23 28 51
DETROIT 29 23 52 HALFTIME

HIGH SCORERS AT HALFTIME

CLE - LEBRON JAMES 13, ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS 9,
LARRY HUGHES 8
DET - CHAUNCEY BILLUPS 13, CHRIS WEBBER 11,
JASON MAXIELL 9</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 55
DETROIT 61 9:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 61
DETROIT 65 6:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 65
DETROIT 65 3:09 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>

 

NBA: CLEVELAND at DETROIT

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
CLEVELAND 70
DETROIT 70 0:00 LEFT, 3RD QTR</div>