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Cavaliers notebook
Competition brings Pavlovic back fast

Severe mid-foot sprain heals quickly because of diligent rehabilitation

By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter

CLEVELAND: The word ''sprain'' was used to describe the injury Sasha Pavlovic suffered back in January, but that didn't mean it was minor.

There was a period when the Cavaliers' team doctors feared that the mid-foot injury might have wiped out his season. The point being, just having him back on the court is its own success story. Nonetheless, Pavlovic couldn't have been more aggressive in his desire to get back to the team as fast as possible.

The reason is simple: competition. Pavlovic might not directly admit it, but he and the other guards on the Cavs' roster know there is probably going to be an odd man out come the playoffs, and none of them want to be that man. Which is why Pavlovic returned ahead of schedule from his foot injury last week and has quickly found a rhythm in the starting lineup.

''We are all on the same team; we are all trying to win the same game,'' Pavlovic said. ''I try not to think about anything else. I just wanted to play and as soon as I could play. There was no reason to wait.''

Cavs coach Mike Brown rewarded Pavlovic's diligence in his rehabilitation by putting him right back into the starting lineup. It seemed like a questionable decision at the time, but Pavlovic has responded in the short run.

Meanwhile, the man he replaced, Devin Brown, has also played well, and the struggling Wally Szczerbiak has lost minutes. The scenario could change again when Daniel Gibson returns, but so far Pavlovic has reclaimed his position.

''I think competition is healthy,'' Mike Brown said. ''People say it is going to be tough on me. That's part of why I get paid. As long as I continue to look guys in the eye and tell them why I am doing what I am doing, whether the reason is right or wrong, guys have to respect that.''

In the locker room

• Szczerbiak is not taking his slump or his lost playing time lightly. He spent an extra half hour after the shootaround taking extra shots on Wednesday, long after some of his teammates had dressed and left.

• A group of New York fans has started a Web site aimed at raising money to attract LeBron James to New York when his contract ends in 2010. The site says the donations will be used to give him a ''New York gift basket'' with the goals of giving James ''his own suite at Yankee Stadium, additional salary, Gloria James courtside seats, and a Ferrari.''

• The Cavs' starters have missed a combined 56 games due to injury or personal reasons this season, if you count Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden before they were traded. The Pistons starters have missed a combined 12 games.


Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.

CLEVELAND: The word ''sprain'' was used to describe the injury Sasha Pavlovic suffered back in January, but that didn't mean it was minor.

Get the full article here.


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