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Ilgauskas, Wallace back in starting lineup, provide needed help for LeBron
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Monday, Mar 17, 2008
CLEVELAND: The backs are feeling better and, now, so are the Cavaliers.
Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, both out or limited because of back injuries in the past two weeks, were on the floor together Sunday. That was the frontcourt the Cavs dreamed about when making their major trade last month, and the win over the Charlotte Bobcats showed why.
They both made major contributions in a 98-91 victory and, combined with more heroism from LeBron James, the Cavs snapped their two-game losing skid.
Ilgauskas, who missed the past seven games, looked very fresh and moved well, making an impact at both ends. He made 7-of-11 shots and scored 16 points with nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Perhaps just as important as those numbers, Ilgauskas changed the dynamic of how the Cavs' (38-29) offense and defense were able to operate.
With the 7-foot-3 center able to take part in pick-and-rolls with James or just set up on the opposite end of the court, the Bobcats were penalized for paying so much attention to No. 23. Five of Ilgauskas' baskets came on assists from James, who had 10 in the game to go along with 33 points.
''It's a treat for me to get him back and for all the rest of our bigs,'' James said. ''They know they can open it up with Z being out there.''
That goes for Wallace, too, but not on the offensive end. After his production and activity dipped while he played through back spasms before eventually having to shut himself down last week for a game, Wallace was back in true form against the Bobcats (24-42).
He grabbed 15 rebounds, his most in a Cavs uniform, and defended the basket well throughout the game. Part of it was being paired with Ilgauskas, which took some pressure off Wallace and allowed him to contribute more on help defense. Ilgauskas seemed to draw more defenders trying to box him because of his reputation for offensive rebounds, and that allowed Wallace to collect six of his own.
Wallace had just two baskets, but both came in the final two minutes as the Cavs held off a Bobcats charge. He also played excellent help defense with James on Jason Richardson on a key possession in the final minute.
''I don't know if a lot of people know, but once your back starts acting up and it is not loose and right, it causes your whole body to pretty much shut down,'' Wallace said. ''It's a little bit looser and I'm trying to feel my way through it.''
Despite the good feelings, it wasn't an easy victory by any stretch. The Bobcats have been playing well lately and started to think of themselves as playoff contenders. So they didn't give up even when they were behind by 11 points early in the fourth quarter.
Richardson led the charge, scoring 14 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. He nailed three 3-pointers, which helped to cut the lead all the way down to one point with a minute to play. Cavs coach Mike Brown tried Sasha Pavlovic on him, then Wally Szczerbiak, then Devin Brown, and finally James.
The Cavs' star finally got some results by forcing Richardson to miss his final two shots. James used his size to force Richardson to drive instead of shoot from the outside, where he'd just been splashing shots over defenders.
''On the defensive end, I've made myself more conscious this year,'' James said. ''(Richardson) did catch fire, he's capable of doing that on any given night.''
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
CLEVELAND: The backs are feeling better and, now, so are the Cavaliers.
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