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2 men shot during party in Fairlawn
Cancellation of Christmas not an option
Akron man killed in crash on his street
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Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Akron Children's Hospital CEO, wife announce $1 million gift to support research
Police: Pennsylvania man killed misbehaving puppy before Steelers game
Akron Circle K store robbed for second time this month
KSU suspends basketball player
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
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A Dog Named Christmas – Pet for the Holidays
The Heldenfiles:
Viewing Notes
Patrick McManamon:
Of pass interference and alleged "fake" injuries
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No. 1 Akron to play Stanford next
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Audio: Mangini disputes Poteat call, accuses Lions of faking injuries
Kent State Sports:
Flashes travel to Florida Atlantic
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeye Football – Present and Future
Varsity Letters:
Gulley to visit Central Michigan in December
All Da King's Men:
The Onion, By Any Other Name…
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Glaring Contradictions
Akron Law Café:
Don't Try to Have Fun if you are Depressed
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
What Automotive Thing Are You Thankful For?
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Faye Dunaway to be Evicted?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Monique asks how to get tickets for the Polar Express.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why I am Glad I live in NEO
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Hawks provide next test after second-half collapse against Pistons in defeat
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Nov 22, 2008
INDEPENDENCE: Cavaliers coach Mike Brown hopes that his players learned something they can use from their loss Wednesday to the Detroit Pistons, beginning tonight with the Atlanta Hawks (7-4) swooping into Quicken Loans Arena.
Going into halftime against the Pistons, the Cavs (9-3) led by 11 only to let the Pistons take it away in the second half by ramping up their defense, something that didn't make Brown particularly happy.
''They didn't do anything different in the second half. They just turned it up and took the game from us,'' he said after practice Friday. ''I didn't like the way we responded to that; that's what I was more upset about than anything else.''
LeBron James echoed Brown's disappointment.
''It's never just another game. You want to try to get better. We took a step back. That's something we don't want to do moving forward,'' James said. ''It's going to be nights when you don't win basketball games. It's going to be nights when you don't play well.''
The Cavs aren't planning to have too many of those nights. If they want to return to their winning ways, they have to cage the Hawks, a team that began the season with a six-game winning streak, only to come down with four consecutive losses. They got back to winning Wednesday against the Washington Wizards.
Led by guards Joe Johnson (25.3 points, 4.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game) and Mike Bibby (15.4 points, 4.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds) , they're a dangerous team.
Brown and his players realize this. After all, the Hawks took the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics to seven games last season when little was expected of them in the playoffs.
''They've got some very good pieces. Joe Johnson is probably one of the most underrated guards we have in this league,'' James said.
''Coach [Michael] Woodson has done a great job of preparing this team to play.''
Brown agreed and said there might be something else at work, too, primarily that playoff performance last year.
''The experience they went through to get to that Game 7 is invaluable,'' Brown said. ''To know that they were able to do that gives [them] added confidence.''
And after winning Wednesday on a buzzer-beater by forward Marvin Williams, the Hawks surely will arrive feeling better about themselves.
As for the Cavs? Brown can only hope they learned something from their most recent game experience.
''Great lesson. Great lesson for us early in the season. Am I sitting here saying a scenario like that won't happen for us again?'' Brown said.
''No, it could happen again, but it was a great thing for us to learn as a team — starting with me.''
Green with envy?
Zydrunas Ilgauskas hit another 3-point shot this week, going 1-of-2 against the Pistons. Don't think a couple of his teammates haven't noticed Z's occasional foray deep to the perimeter. Chief among them: Anderson Varejao.
As the two of them worked on their outside shots in practice, Varejao said: ''If he shoots one more 3-pointer in a game; I'm shooting it, too.''
Yes, he was joking.
Quick shots
Wally Szczerbiak missed the Pistons game with permission to be with his father who underwent successful open-heart surgery. He returned to the team Friday. . . . James videotaped a special 16th birthday message for Trey Smith, actor Will Smith's son.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
INDEPENDENCE: Cavaliers coach Mike Brown hopes that his players learned something they can use from their loss Wednesday to the Detroit Pistons, beginning tonight with the Atlanta Hawks (7-4) swooping into Quicken Loans Arena.
Get the full article here.
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