Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Tallmadge man dies after motorcycle crash
Passers-by call police over topless gardener
Soldier on leave dies after shooting near UA
Man on leave from Iraq war slain in Akron
Man breaks into house, flees when owner wakes up
Teen accused of drinking, dancing topless in club
Woman accused of setting fire to 2 dogs
Slow starts might hurt Cavs' big finish
Blogs:
Akron Docs in Haiti:
Almost home
First Bell - On Education:
21st Century Skills and Akron’s new middle school
Pets:
Lost Mini Schnauzer around Cascade Valley Park
The Heldenfiles:
Fess Parker, R.I.P.
Akron Zips:
Looking back on the season
Tribe Matters:
Seven prospects reassigned to minor-league camp
Cleveland Browns:
Yates latest to re-sign
Balanced Ledger:
How times have changed?
Kent State Sports:
Flashes fall in WNIT
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Chicago Bulls (Green Mascot and All)
Buckeye Blogging:
Bucks High Seed – Turner High Praise
Varsity Letters:
Report: Ohio offers Olack
All Da King's Men:
ObamaCare To Reduce Premiums By 3000% ?
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Pathetic GOP Nullification Attempts
Akron Law Café:
More on Shaming Corporate Criminals
Car Chase:
2010 CONCOURS SEASON IS UPON US
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Deals in Miami?!.
Sound Check:
Willie Nelson & Family coming to the Akron Civic Theatre May 11
See Jane Style:
Who Wore What – The Oscars
HRLite House:
Horses of Courses
Akron Gamer:
Video: Gamers expected to 'reach' for new 'Halo'
Careless play, lack of defense leads to defeat against Wizards
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Mar 14, 2008
WASHINGTON: With all the injuries, holdouts and trades, the Cavaliers have constantly looked different throughout this turbulent season.
But one thing has never seemed to show up for long: their defensive identity.
After LeBron James' heroics, that was the calling card that got the team to the NBA Finals last season, and this year it has only been seen in very short bursts. Wednesday night in New Jersey was not one of those times, and neither was Thursday night against the Washington Wizards.
There were some memorable circumstances in the final minutes, but the Wizards' 101-99 win really showed what has been holding the Cavs back. Some spells of careless play, mixed in with periods of absentee defense cost them the game.
The highlight shows will no doubt
focus on two plays in the final 20 seconds, both of which involved James. With 19.4 seconds left and the Cavs down two points, he was called for a charging foul when he threw his shoulder into DeShawn Stevenson to create space. The turnover put the Cavs out of position to come back.
Then at the final horn, James missed a 3-pointer from the left wing, again with Stevenson on him, which would've won it.
''I wanted to go for the win; I told that to my teammates,'' said James, who had seven of the Cavs' 17 turnovers on the night. ''I didn't want to go to overtime and all my teammates knew that. I'm human; I missed it.''
James had 25 points but settled mostly for jumpers in the fourth quarter, going just 1-of-6 with Stevenson on him most of the time.
It was a sweet way for Stevenson to end the game, considering how personal he seemed to take it. In the last meeting between the teams on Feb. 22, a day after the Cavs' 11-player trade, the Cavs got a narrow win when Stevenson missed the final shot.
Apparently, there was also some trash talk directed Stevenson's way, because he spent much of the game Thursday chattering with James and the Cavs' bench and also mocking Damon Jones and his history of antics after making 3-pointers. He has the latest laugh for now.
Cut through all that fun banter and drama, though, and there is still a Cavs team that allowed another opponent to do what it wanted on offense.
The Wizards shot 49 percent in the win, just the most recent team to get the better of the Cavs in that statistic, and after a while it stops becoming a coincidence. Monday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers was accented by how rugged the Cavs played without the ball, but that has been the exception.
Forgetting the Portland game, the Cavs have allowed 102 points and 49 percent shooting over the last five games. After building a lead heading into the locker room at halftime, the Cavs let Washington shoot 70 percent in the third quarter to lose control of the game.
''It is the same old story,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''We've had the same problems for much of the season.''
Sasha Pavlovic was a bright spot for the Cavs. Playing his second game after being out six weeks with a foot injury, he had a season-high 24 points. But he fouled out in the fourth quarter, hurting the stretch run.
Ben Wallace also played well coming back from back spasms, scoring eight points with eight rebounds and three blocks.
The Wizards were led by Caron Butler's 19 points but had seven players in double figures, including Antawn Jamison, who had 17.
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
WASHINGTON: With all the injuries, holdouts and trades, the Cavaliers have constantly looked different throughout this turbulent season.
Get the full article here.
