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Stallworth's contract terminated
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NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
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Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
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Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
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Track HR Research
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'Tecmo Bowl' recreation of Super Bowl XLIV
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
More than the flu bug is required to explain easy scoring by Wizards
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Thursday, Oct 15, 2009
CLEVELAND: LeBron James sat at home nursing flulike symptoms Wednesday night, unable to play in a 109-104 exhibition loss to the Washington Wizards.
With James, Darnell Jackson, and Coby Karl fighting the same malady, and Mo Williams (sore right groin) and Danny Green (right glute contusion) hurting, the Cavs already were short-handed.
Before game's end, Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao joined them, ensuring that the team will be battered and bruised when it plays the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs this weekend. Cavs coach Mike Brown said that injuries weren't a concern just yet.
''I would be [concerned], but I'm OK with taking some lumps because we're not where we need to be right now,'' he said. ''We won't be where we need to be by even Dec. 15.''
The Cavs showed some bright spots, but overall, this wasn't the type of game that the team likes to play, even with top-line players missing.
Second-year forward Jawad Williams led the Cavs with 21 points, including 4-of-6 from the 3-point arc. Mike Miller led the Wizards with 24 points. However, it was Shaquille O'Neal who again showed he can still play.
He's not going to put up 29 points a night as he once did early in his career, but within Brown's offense, O'Neal showed that he can still be very effective. O'Neal finished with 13 points and six rebounds.
While O'Neal's play proved promising, the complete lack of defense by the Cavaliers certainly gave reason to pause. The Wizards shot 55 percent from the floor.
To say it was out of character, given the team's track record on defense in recent years, would be an understatement. Used to being one of the top teams in the league on defense, the Cavs allowed too many easy hoops.
''Fifty-five percent? That's not us,'' Brown said. ''You have to give the Wizards credit, because they're going to be a good team. . . . We have to guard those guys and everyone we face so we don't get beat like this.''
Injury bug bites Cavs
In addition to those players who didn't play at all in Wednesday's game, Varejao and Gibson joined the ranks of the walking wounded.
Varejao suffered a left wrist contusion in the first half and did not return for the second. Gibson suffered a bruised tailbone with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game.
West remains out
Guard Delonte West remained absent from the team. Instead of sitting on the bench at Wednesday night's game at Quicken Loans Area, West worked out with coaches at Cleveland Clinic Courts. West is expected to travel with the team to Texas, but his status remains uncertain.
Buzzer beaters
Point guard Andre Barrette looked impressive, scoring eight points and dishing out eight assists while only turning the ball over twice. . . . The Cavs turned the ball over 22 times, leading to 31 Washington points. The Wizards Antawn Jamison left the game at 4:33 of the first quarter with a sprained right shoulder.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj
CLEVELAND: LeBron James sat at home nursing flulike symptoms Wednesday night, unable to play in a 109-104 exhibition loss to the Washington Wizards.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Naples, FL
Posted 06:22 AM, 10/15/2009
After reading the list of sick and injured I'm wondering who did play. Did the ball boy and assistant coaches suit up? By the way, Are the Cavs not supplying these guys with flu shots?
Cleveland, OH
Posted 11:17 AM, 10/15/2009
I'm very concerned about West's status (both for himself and for the team). I like Parker...but he's more of a backup/6th man. We need Delonte to be able to go 35-40 minutes this year at both the 2 and point.
Stephen Jackson, even with all his off the court issues (which are actually highly overblown), would look great in a Cavs uni right now....
