GT: New Jersey Nets @ Cleveland Cavaliers

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<p align="center"><font face="Verdana">December 4, 2007 @ 7:00pm EST
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
NBATV, YES HD, FSOhio HD, AND CHANNEL 5 IN THE UK @ 2:00 GMT!!!</font></p>
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<p align="center"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Cleveland Cavaliers
(9-9)</font></p>


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<p align="center"><font color="#0b355e"><font face="Verdana">New Jersey Nets
</font><font face="Verdana">(8-9)</font></font></p>


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<h4 align="center"><font face="Verdana">Projected Starters</font></h4>
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<font face="Verdana" color="#b90456" size="2">PG Daniel Gibson SGDevin Brown

</font><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456" size="2">SFSasha PavlovicPF Drew Gooden C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
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<font face="Verdana"><font size="2"><font color="#0b355e">PGJason KiddSG Vince Carter

SFRichard JeffersonPFMalik Allen C Jason Collins</font>
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<h4><font face="Verdana">Season Stats</font></h4>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Points</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">97.6PPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">FG%</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">43.9%</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">3pt%</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">36.3%</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Rebounds</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">44.3 RPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Assists</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">19.9APG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Points</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">90.0PPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">FG%</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">41.8%</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">3pt%</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">30.7%</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Rebounds</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">39.9RPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Aassists</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">22.5RPG</font></td>
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<h4><font face="Verdana">Season Team Leaders</font></h4>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Points</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">James 31.3 PPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Rebounds</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Ilgauskas 11.3RPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">Assists</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#b90456">James8.3 APG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Points</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Jefferson24.8 PPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Rebounds</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Kidd8.6 RPG</font></td>
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<td class="strong"><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Assists</font></td>
<td><font face="Verdana" color="#0b355e">Kidd10.7 APG</font></td>
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<h4><font face="Verdana">Key Matchup:<font color="#b90456">Frontcourt</font> v <font color="#0b355e">Backcourt</font></font></h4>
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<font face="Verdana">For once, especially if LeBron doesn't play, there will be no individual key matchup. Instead, it will be how Cleveland's frontcourt performs compared to New Jersey's backcourt. Ilgauskas and Gooden will have to shoot well and rebound hard, whilst the trio of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson (not strictly backcourt, but still) will have to work hard to shoot from mid-long range well and pass the ball around the penetrate the Cavaliers' defense. My gut feeling says that whichever of these two combinations performs better tonight will lead their team to victory.</font></p>
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<h4><font face="Verdana">Keys to the Game</font></h4>
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<ul>[*]<font face="Verdana"><font color="#b90456">Win the Battle of the Boards -If LeBron doesn't play, it could be their only chance to win.Gooden and Ilgauskas will need to rebound hard, hopefully getting 25-30+ boards between them. If they can do so, you might just be able to pencil this one in as a Cavs W.
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[*]<font face="Verdana"><font color="#b90456">Exploit the Nets' frontcourt weakness- Allen and Collins are simply no match for Gooden and Ilgauskas who, between them, are averaging 28.3 points (around 47% shooting) and 21.6 boards. If LeBron doesn't play, I think these numbers will have to be more like 35-27 for the Cavs to win.
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[*]<font face="Verdana"><font color="#b90456">Try to contain Kidd- Jason Kidd has been in fantastic form of late. If the Cavs let him dictate the game, they might as well not turn up at The Q. If they can stop him performing as well as he has been doing, they ought to win.</font></font>[/list]
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<ul>[*]<font face="Verdana"><font color="#0b355e">Contain LeBron (if he plays)- I think it's unlikely that LeBron will play tonight, but if he does, the Nets will have to lock down on him. If they can stop him getting into his rhythm on his first game back, they might be able to defeat the Cavs.
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[*]<font face="Verdana"><font color="#0b355e">Dicate the tempo- If Jason Kidd can dictate the tempo of the game, the Nets will be able to run the plays they like best to get easy points. If they can do this consistently, they should beat the Cavs.
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[*]<font face="Verdana"><font color="#0b355e">Play tight defense - The Cavaliers could be without their leader for a third straight game tonight. In the two games played so far, they have often looked lost on offense, making silly turnovers and taking stupid shots. If the Nets can force them to do the same tonight, it should be an easy win for them.</font></font>[/list]
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<h4><font face="Verdana">The Cavs since 2003 v New Jersey</font></h4>
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<td colspan="2"><font face="Verdana">The two teams have met 20 times, including postseason games, winning 10 apiece. The Cavs average 92.6 points whilst the Nets average 94.4 points. LeBron James has never missed a matchup with the Nets, and averages 26.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists. That will be a huge hole to fill if, indeed, he cannot play tonight.</font></td>
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<h4><font face="Verdana">Prediction</font></h4>
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<font face="Verdana">The Cavs have looked lost without LeBron at the helm of their offense, but I think that they will be able to get a lot closer to the Nets than they have the Raptors or Celtics. If LeBron doesn't play, I predict a close loss, but if he does, I think they could win quite comfortably.</font></p>


<font face="Verdana" size="4"><font color="#b90456">95</font>- <font color="#0b355e">97</font></font></p>
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My biggest worry is that Jason Collins has never done well agasint the Cavs frontcourt, so you can expect him to start and play 30+ minutes.</p>

 

But then you have Jason Kidd potentially matching up with Daniel Gibson. It's a no-contest.</p>

 

Damn it Charles!</p>

Well maybe we can just move the Nets guys over here. Good work chingy!</p>

 

Need some linkage! Please.</p>

 

good work on the thread! should be a good game. the nets need to win this one!

 

http://atdhe.fr/17.html</p>

 

collins or bust

 

nice lob by kidd to jefferson</p>

 

oh hey look...we got a rebound.</p>

 

collins with a jumpstep!!

 

Collins is playing well YOU ARE ALL WITNESSES.</p>

Take Malik out, and put Magloire in for rebounding please.</p>

 

Collins two fa two!</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (soul driver)</div><div class='quotemain'>collins with a jumpstep!!</div></p>

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omg...trade him trade him! he got us two points!!!</p>

 

collins takes the offensive charge! then collins with a offensive layup but draws the foul! POTG: collins!!! /sarcasm

 

he's the only one hustling out there right now....</p>

 

Collins is our offensive workhorse.</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KD)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (soul driver)</div><div class='quotemain'>collins with a jumpstep!!</div></p>

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omg...trade him trade him! he got us two points!!!</p>

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His trade value now is high as it never was!! Trade him! )</p>

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