GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NBA: DETROIT (10-2) at CLEVELAND (8-4)

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 68
CLEVELAND 72 5:52 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 76
CLEVELAND 81 2:40 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 80
CLEVELAND 84 0:40 LEFT, 4TH QTR</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
DETROIT 82
CLEVELAND 88 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DETROIT 22 21 20 19 82
CLEVELAND 22 24 16 26 88 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: DET - RASHEED WALLACE 16, CHRIS WEBBER 15, TWO
PLAYERS WITH 13
CLE - LEBRON JAMES 32, ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS 16,
ALEKSANDAR PAVLOVIC 13</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

** CONFIRMED **
NBA
DETROIT 82
CLEVELAND 88 FINAL</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

DETROIT (82) AT CLEVELAND (88)

DETROIT

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

T PRINCE F 43:59 6-13 0-0 4 1 5 1 2 1 3 13
R WALLACE F 36:47 5-11 4-5 0 5 5 2 3 1 1 16
C WEBBER C 27:32 5-8 5-6 2 5 7 3 4 1 2 15
R HAMILTON G 38:12 2-8 3-3 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 7
C BILLUPS G 37:45 4-14 3-4 0 1 1 3 1 2 5 13
R MURRAY 20:03 3-4 2-2 0 2 2 3 1 0 1 8
A MCDYESS 29:07 4-7 0-0 1 8 9 1 5 0 1 8
C DELFINO 4:01 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
J MAXIELL 2:34 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

TOTALS 240:00 30-67 17-20 8 26 34 15 20 6 15 82
(.448) (.850) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 15 (14 PTS)

CLEVELAND

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

L JAMES F 46:08 12-21 6-9 1 8 9 9 2 2 3 32
D GOODEN F 33:09 5-11 2-2 1 5 6 0 4 0 2 12
Z ILGAUSKAS C 37:05 7-14 2-2 2 5 7 2 1 1 1 16
S PAVLOVIC G 37:02 5-8 1-2 0 3 3 5 1 2 0 13
L HUGHES G 22:22 2-2 2-2 0 1 1 2 2 1 3 6
A VAREJAO 13:45 0-2 0-0 1 3 4 1 4 0 1 0
D MARSHALL 12:01 0-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 0
D GIBSON 29:28 2-4 3-4 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 9
DA JONES 9:00 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0

TOTALS 240:00 33-67 16-21 6 28 34 20 16 6 11 88
(.493) (.762) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 11 (12 PTS)

DETROIT 22 21 20 19 - 82
CLEVELAND 22 24 16 26 - 88

BLOCKED SHOTS: DETROIT - A MCDYESS. CLEVELAND - D MARSHALL, Z ILGAUSKAS,
D GIBSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DETROIT 5-15 (.333), T PRINCE 1-2, R WALLACE 2-
4, R HAMILTON 0-1, C BILLUPS 2-8. CLEVELAND 6-13 (.462), L JAMES 2-
3, S PAVLOVIC 2-3, D MARSHALL 0-3, D GIBSON 2-3, DA JONES 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: CLEVELAND - D GOODEN.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: DICK BAVETTA, SCOTT FOSTER, TOM WASHINGTON.
A - N/A. T - N/A.</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

DETROIT (82)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
T Prince 43:59 6-13 0-0 4-5 1 2 13
R Wallace 36:47 5-11 4-5 0-5 2 3 16
C Webber 27:32 5-8 5-6 2-7 3 4 15
R Hamilton 38:12 2-8 3-3 1-4 2 4 7
C Billups 37:45 4-14 3-4 0-1 3 1 13
R Murray 20:03 3-4 2-2 0-2 3 1 8
A McDyess 29:07 4-7 0-0 1-9 1 5 8
C Delfino 4:01 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
J Maxiell 2:34 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 0

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 30-67 17-20 8-34 15 20 82
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.448, FT-.850. 3-Point Goals:
5-15, .333 (T Prince 1-2, R Wallace 2-4, R
Hamilton 0-1, C Billups 2-8). Team Rebounds:
7. Blocked Shots:1 (A McDyess). Turnovers:15
(C Billups 5, T Prince 3, C Webber 2, R
Hamilton 2, A McDyess, R Wallace, R Murray).
Steals: 6 (C Billups 2, R Wallace, R
Hamilton, T Prince, C Webber).


CLEVELAND (88)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
L James 46:08 12-21 6-9 1-9 9 2 32
D Gooden 33:09 5-11 2-2 1-6 0 4 12
Z Ilgauskas 37:05 7-14 2-2 2-7 2 1 16
S Pavlovic 37:02 5-8 1-2 0-3 5 1 13
L Hughes 22:22 2-2 2-2 0-1 2 2 6
A Varejao 13:45 0-2 0-0 1-4 1 4 0
D Marshall 12:01 0-3 0-0 0-2 0 0 0
D Gibson 29:28 2-4 3-4 1-2 0 1 9
Da Jones 9:00 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 0

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 33-67 16-21 6-34 20 16 88
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.493, FT-.762. 3-Point Goals:
6-13, .462 (L James 2-3, S Pavlovic 2-3, D
Marshall 0-3, D Gibson 2-3, Da Jones 0-1).
Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots:3 (D
Marshall, Z Ilgauskas, D Gibson).
Turnovers:11 (L Hughes 3, L James 3, D Gooden
2, D Marshall, A Varejao, Z Ilgauskas).
Steals: 6 (S Pavlovic 2, L James 2, Z
Ilgauskas, L Hughes).

-------------------------------------------
DETROIT 22 21 20 19 - 82
CLEVELAND 22 24 16 26 - 88
-------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Cleveland - 1 (D Gooden,
6:28 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: N/A. T: N/A.
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Scott Foster, Tom
Washington.</div>

 

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- LeBron James made sure the game wasdecided before the final play.

James answered his critics by scoring 12 of his 32 points in thefourth quarter and adding nine rebounds and nine assists,lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a much-needed 88-82 victoryover the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in Game Three of thebest-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

The superstar forward had help from his supporting cast asZyrdunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden and Sasha Pavlovic combined for41 points on 17-of-33 shooting for the Cavaliers, who now trailthe Pistons, 2-1, with Game Four here on Tuesday.

After two close losses in the series' first two contests,Cleveland outscored Detroit, 26-19, in the final period tosecure the victory. James was the catalyst in the final 12minutes, nailing shots from all angles.

He highlighted his performance with a high-flying jam over 6-11Rasheed Wallace and a fade-away 3-pointer to make it 84-76 with2:33 left - Cleveland's biggest lead of the game.

Detroit then reeled off six straight points, forcing James tocome up with the game's biggest shot. After a timeout, thesuperstar forward drained an off-balance jumper from the rightelbow to make it 86-82 with 16.3 seconds remaining.

After losing Game Two, 79-76, Cleveland hopes it is on its wayto repeating the success it enjoyed last season against Detroitin the Eastern Conference semifinals. Down 2-0, the Cavalierscame back home for Game Three and ripped off three straightwins, pushing Detroit to the brink of elimination.

Cleveland's success is directly linked to James, who has been atthe center of two controversial last-second plays already inthis series. Normally a welcome situation, the Cavaliers failedtwice on frantic final sequences with the ball starting inJames' hands.

In Game One, the superstar forward - with a clear path to thehoop - decided to pass to Donyell Marshall, who missed apotential go-ahead 3-pointer. In Game Two, James drove to thebasket and missed an off-balance runner with Pistons guardRichard Hamilton all over him.

Hamilton appeared to have fouled James but no call was made,causing Cavaliers coach Mike Brown to stomp around the sidelinein disbelief. But after the game, both James and Brown saidthat Cleveland was a "no-excuse" team and would not place theirfate in the hands of the referees.

Critics certainly will not make excuses for James, who has beenmaligned for his lack of a killer instinct. After the twolosses, the inevitable comparisons to Michael Jordan and KobeBryant resurfaced, labeling James as an underachiever in thebiggest moments - the exact opposite of the aforementioned duo.

But the 22-year-old superstar made an emphatic statement at theoutset Sunday, slamming home two eye-popping dunks in theopening minutes as the Cavaliers reeled off the first six pointsof the game.

James scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the opening halfto help Cleveland take a 46-43 halftime lead. However, theCavaliers came out flat yet again in third quarter.

Cleveland has been outscored by 49 points in the third quarterso far this postseason. On Sunday, the Cavaliers wereoutscored, 20-16, as James netted just one point and took onlyone shot.

But it was a different story in the fourth quarter for James,who shot 12-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-3 on3-pointers. Thanks to its best player, Cleveland shot 49percent (33-of-67) from the field.

Chauncey Billups, who has struggled with his shot and sloppyplay all series, scored 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting for thePistons, who shot 45 percent (30-of-67) from the field,including 5-of-15 from the arc.

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

DETROIT (82) AT CLEVELAND (88)

DETROIT

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

T PRINCE F 43:59 6-13 0-0 4 1 5 1 2 1 3 13
R WALLACE F 36:45 5-11 4-5 0 5 5 2 3 1 1 16
C WEBBER C 27:32 5-8 5-6 2 5 7 3 4 1 2 15
R HAMILTON G 38:12 2-8 3-3 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 7
C BILLUPS G 37:45 4-14 3-4 0 1 1 3 1 2 5 13
R MURRAY 20:02 3-4 2-2 0 2 2 3 1 0 1 8
A MCDYESS 29:08 4-7 0-0 1 8 9 1 5 0 1 8
C DELFINO 4:01 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
J MAXIELL 2:36 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
L HUNTER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
D DAVIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
N MOHAMMED DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 30-67 17-20 8 26 34 15 20 6 15 82
(.448) (.850) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 15 (14 PTS)

CLEVELAND

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

L JAMES F 46:07 12-21 6-9 1 8 9 9 2 2 3 32
D GOODEN F 33:09 5-11 2-2 1 5 6 0 4 0 2 12
Z ILGAUSKAS C 37:05 7-14 2-2 2 5 7 2 1 1 1 16
S PAVLOVIC G 37:04 5-8 1-2 0 3 3 5 1 2 0 13
L HUGHES G 22:21 2-2 2-2 0 1 1 2 2 1 3 6
A VAREJAO 13:46 0-2 0-0 1 3 4 1 4 0 1 0
D MARSHALL 12:00 0-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 0
D GIBSON 29:29 2-4 3-4 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 9
DA JONES 8:59 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
E SNOW DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S POLLARD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
I NEWBLE DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 33-67 16-21 6 28 34 20 16 6 11 88
(.493) (.762) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 11 (12 PTS)

DETROIT 22 21 20 19 - 82
CLEVELAND 22 24 16 26 - 88

BLOCKED SHOTS: DETROIT - A MCDYESS. CLEVELAND - D MARSHALL, Z ILGAUSKAS,
D GIBSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DETROIT 5-15 (.333), T PRINCE 1-2, R WALLACE 2-
4, R HAMILTON 0-1, C BILLUPS 2-8. CLEVELAND 6-13 (.462), L JAMES 2-
3, S PAVLOVIC 2-3, D MARSHALL 0-3, D GIBSON 2-3, DA JONES 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: CLEVELAND - D GOODEN.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: DICK BAVETTA, SCOTT FOSTER, TOM WASHINGTON.
A - 20,562. T - 2:36.</div>

 

NBA: DETROIT at CLEVELAND

<div class="pre">PLAYOFFS

DETROIT (82)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
T Prince 43:59 6-13 0-0 4-5 1 2 13
R Wallace 36:45 5-11 4-5 0-5 2 3 16
C Webber 27:32 5-8 5-6 2-7 3 4 15
R Hamilton 38:12 2-8 3-3 1-4 2 4 7
C Billups 37:45 4-14 3-4 0-1 3 1 13
R Murray 20:02 3-4 2-2 0-2 3 1 8
A McDyess 29:08 4-7 0-0 1-9 1 5 8
C Delfino 4:01 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
J Maxiell 2:36 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
L Hunter DNP - COACH'S DECISION
D Davis DNP - COACH'S DECISION
N Mohammed DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 30-67 17-20 8-34 15 20 82
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.448, FT-.850. 3-Point Goals:
5-15, .333 (T Prince 1-2, R Wallace 2-4, R
Hamilton 0-1, C Billups 2-8). Team Rebounds:
7. Blocked Shots:1 (A McDyess). Turnovers:15
(C Billups 5, T Prince 3, C Webber 2, R
Hamilton 2, A McDyess, R Wallace, R Murray).
Steals: 6 (C Billups 2, R Wallace, R
Hamilton, T Prince, C Webber).


CLEVELAND (88)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
L James 46:07 12-21 6-9 1-9 9 2 32
D Gooden 33:09 5-11 2-2 1-6 0 4 12
Z Ilgauskas 37:05 7-14 2-2 2-7 2 1 16
S Pavlovic 37:04 5-8 1-2 0-3 5 1 13
L Hughes 22:21 2-2 2-2 0-1 2 2 6
A Varejao 13:46 0-2 0-0 1-4 1 4 0
D Marshall 12:00 0-3 0-0 0-2 0 0 0
D Gibson 29:29 2-4 3-4 1-2 0 1 9
Da Jones 8:59 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 0
E Snow DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S Pollard DNP - COACH'S DECISION
I Newble DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 33-67 16-21 6-34 20 16 88
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.493, FT-.762. 3-Point Goals:
6-13, .462 (L James 2-3, S Pavlovic 2-3, D
Marshall 0-3, D Gibson 2-3, Da Jones 0-1).
Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots:3 (D
Marshall, Z Ilgauskas, D Gibson).
Turnovers:11 (L Hughes 3, L James 3, D Gooden
2, D Marshall, A Varejao, Z Ilgauskas).
Steals: 6 (S Pavlovic 2, L James 2, Z
Ilgauskas, L Hughes).

-------------------------------------------
DETROIT 22 21 20 19 - 82
CLEVELAND 22 24 16 26 - 88
-------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Cleveland - 1 (D Gooden,
6:28 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 20,562. T: 2:36.
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Scott Foster, Tom
Washington.</div>

 

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- LeBron James made sure the game wasdecided before the final play.

James answered his critics by scoring 12 of his 32 points in thefourth quarter and adding nine rebounds and nine assists,lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a much-needed 88-82 victoryover the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in Game Three of thebest-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

The superstar forward had help from his supporting cast asZyrdunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden and Sasha Pavlovic combined for41 points on 17-of-33 shooting for the Cavaliers, who now trailthe Pistons, 2-1, with Game Four here on Tuesday.

"It's all or nothing at this point," said James. "You eithermake it a series at 2-1 or make the impossible and be down 3-0.It's common sense. For me it was the biggest game of my careerand I was happy that my teammates were able to help me getthrough it."

After two close losses in the series' first two contests,Cleveland outscored Detroit, 26-19, in the final period tosecure the victory. James was the catalyst in the final 12minutes, nailing shots from all angles.

"(LeBron) set the tone," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "Heknows this is his team. He knows we go as he goes and he's notafraid to step up and take responsibility for it and that's whathe did today."

James highlighted his performance with a high-flying jam over6-11 Rasheed Wallace and a fade-away 3-pointer to make it 84-76with 2:33 left - Cleveland's biggest lead of the game.

"(The dunk) was sick. It really sparked the ballclub when hedid it and he makes those type of plays all the time,"Cleveland's Daniel Gibson said.

Detroit then reeled off six straight points, forcing James tocome up with the game's biggest shot. After a timeout, thesuperstar forward drained an off-balance jumper from the rightelbow to make it 86-82 with 16.3 seconds remaining.

"I thought we were aggressive (in the final two minutes)," Brownsaid. "We weren't back on our heels. I thought our guys didsolid job of attacking and not settling. And then LeBronstepped up and put us on his shoulders and he said, 'Come alongfor the ride,' and we all hopped on, including me."

After losing Game Two, 79-76, Cleveland hopes it is on its wayto repeating the success it enjoyed last season against Detroitin the Eastern Conference semifinals. Down 2-0, the Cavalierscame back home for Game Three and ripped off three straightwins, pushing Detroit to the brink of elimination.

"The mindset that I had today coming to this ballgame was wehave to win, simple as that," James said. "We have to win. Andme being the leader of this team, I have to be the guy thatsparks this team. At the same time, my teammates, when they seethat, they have to respond with me and I guess we did."

Cleveland's success is directly linked to James, who has been atthe center of two controversial last-second plays already inthis series. Normally a welcome situation, the Cavaliers failedtwice on frantic final sequences with the ball starting inJames' hands.

In Game One, the superstar forward - with a clear path to thehoop - decided to pass to Donyell Marshall, who missed apotential go-ahead 3-pointer. In Game Two, James drove to thebasket and missed an off-balance runner with Pistons guardRichard Hamilton all over him.

Hamilton appeared to have fouled James but no call was made,causing Cavaliers coach Mike Brown to stomp around the sidelinein disbelief. But after the game, both James and Brown saidthat Cleveland was a "no-excuse" team and would not place theirfate in the hands of the referees.

Critics certainly will not make excuses for James, who has beenmaligned for his lack of a killer instinct. After the twolosses, the inevitable comparisons to Michael Jordan and KobeBryant resurfaced, labeling James as an underachiever in thebiggest moments - the exact opposite of the aforementioned duo.

But the 22-year-old superstar made an emphatic statement at theoutset Sunday, slamming home two eye-popping dunks in theopening minutes as the Cavaliers reeled off the first six pointsof the game.

"It's the first time in my career I've ever showed up to the gymthree hours before a game," James said. "I usually take my napbefore the game and I woke up earlier today, so I had nothingelse to do. I didn't want to sit around. I didn't want tocontinue to answer my phone about tickets, so I came to thegym."

James scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the opening halfto help Cleveland take a 46-43 halftime lead. However, theCavaliers came out flat yet again in third quarter.

Cleveland has been outscored by 49 points in the third quarterso far this postseason. On Sunday, the Cavaliers wereoutscored, 20-16, as James netted just one point and took onlyone shot.

But it was a different story in the fourth quarter for James,who shot 12-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-3 on3-pointers. Thanks to its best player, Cleveland shot 49percent (33-of-67) from the field.

"Our defense wasn't as good as it was last game," Detroit'sTayshaun Prince said. "Great players step up and (LeBron) tookadvantage of us."

Chauncey Billups, who has struggled with his shot and sloppyplay all series, scored 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting for thePistons, who shot 45 percent (30-of-67) from the field,including 5-of-15 from the arc.

"If (Hamilton) and me are having a bad night at the same timeit's going to be tough for us to win," Billups said. "Itdoesn't happen often. Sometimes, one of us can get going.Tonight, neither one of us could get going. We still hadchances to win the game."

In 38-plus minutes, Hamilton shot just 2-for-8 and finished withseven points.

"(Cleveland is) trying to be overly aggressive with us on ourpick-and-rolls and trapping me on our pin-downs," Hamilton said."We just have to find other ways to get shots and get our bigsmore involved."

Detroit coach Flip Saunders acknowledged that the likelihood ofa Pistons' victory is directly related to the play of Billupsand Hamilton.

"Because we're geared so much to our two guards being ourleaders, we've got to get those guys going," he said. "Becausewhat happens is, when your guards aren't scoring sometimes, itsucks their energy out a little bit."