Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
2 men shot during party in Fairlawn
Akron man killed in crash on his street
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
Akron Circle K store robbed for second time this month
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Police: Pennsylvania man killed misbehaving puppy before Steelers game
Kangaroo tries to drown dog, attacks owner
Cancellation of Christmas not an option
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Viewing Notes
Patrick McManamon:
Of pass interference and alleged "fake" injuries
Akron Zips:
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…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Glaring Contradictions
Akron Law Café:
Don't Try to Have Fun if you are Depressed
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
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
First victory of season has good performances from starters and bench
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Oct 31, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS: LeBron James apparently had no intention of allowing the Cavaliers to begin the season 0-3. And as if his resolve wasn't enough, point guard Mo Williams felt the same.
James led the Cavs to a 104-87 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, their eighth consecutive win over the Timberwolves. It also was the Cavs' first victory of the season and their best performance.
The Cavs shot 48 percent from the floor, allowed the Timberwolves to shoot just 42 percent. In the process, James scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had six assists. Williams scored 20 points for good measure. Point guard
Jonny Flynn led the Timberwolves with 17 points and three assists.
While the outcome never appeared in doubt, that doesn't mean that it was an easy victory.
The Timberwolves deserve praise simply for hanging around, especially in the case of forward Damien Wilkins, son of former Cavaliers player Gerald Wilkins. Damien Wilkins didn't stop James, but certainly spent much of the third quarter frustrating him.
Ultimately, it didn't matter, because James received plenty of help from his teammates, especially in the fourth quarter, as the Cavs opened up a 93-72 lead after going on a 10-4 run to take command with James getting prolonged rest.
With Shaquille O'Neal drawing his fourth foul at 9:50 of the third, coach Mike Brown turned to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who delivered 15 points and five points in relief.
Backup point guard Daniel Gibson found his stroke, as he connected on 4-of-8 shots, all from beyond the 3-point arc. He finished with 14 points.
In all, five Cavs players scored in double figures, and 35 points came courtesy of bench players.
The Cavs set the tone early, but the Timberwolves, led by Flynn, continued to battle. The Cavs jumped out to an early 21-11 lead, only to watch the Timberwolves erase it and eventually take a one-point lead at 9:07 in the second quarter.
Undaunted, the Cavs went back to work and went on an 8-0 run to take a seven-point lead. Only this time, Williams led the charge, hitting a couple of jump shots. The Cavs ended the half leading by 10 points, a lead they never came close to relinquishing.
The victory puts the Cavs right back where they were last year, opening the season 1-2. What remains to be seen is whether they're any closer to assembling all of their new pieces.
Voice of experience
Before the start of the season, Brown said that with the arrival of O'Neal and with Delonte West's troubles, his team would need a bunker mentality to deal with outside distractions.
He probably never thought it would be needed so soon. But Brown said that telling his team that has helped him deal with what he views as a series of bumps on the way to the team's goal: winning a title.
''We're going to face criticism from the outside, so we have to have that bunker mentality because you have to ignore all the noise outside the locker room,'' he said. ''You have to stay together and you have to keep on pushing to get better.'''
Brown got some friendly advice from Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis: Don't worry about it.
''By the end of the season, I fully expect them to be right there in the playoff hunt for a ring. No one is going to look back at the beginning of the season,'' said Rambis, who has four titles playing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
MINNEAPOLIS: LeBron James apparently had no intention of allowing the Cavaliers to begin the season 0-3. And as if his resolve wasn't enough, point guard Mo Williams felt the same.
James led the Cavs to a 104-87 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, their eighth consecutive win over the Timberwolves. It also was the Cavs' first victory of the season and their best performance.
The Cavs shot 48 percent from the floor, allowed the Timberwolves to shoot just 42 percent. In the process, James scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had six assists. Williams scored 20 points for good measure. Point guard
Jonny Flynn led the Timberwolves with 17 points and three assists.
While the outcome never appeared in doubt, that doesn't mean that it was an easy victory.
The Timberwolves deserve praise simply for hanging around, especially in the case of forward Damien Wilkins, son of former Cavaliers player Gerald Wilkins. Damien Wilkins didn't stop James, but certainly spent much of the third quarter frustrating him.
Ultimately, it didn't matter, because James received plenty of help from his teammates, especially in the fourth quarter, as the Cavs opened up a 93-72 lead after going on a 10-4 run to take command with James getting prolonged rest.
With Shaquille O'Neal drawing his fourth foul at 9:50 of the third, coach Mike Brown turned to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who delivered 15 points and five points in relief.
Backup point guard Daniel Gibson found his stroke, as he connected on 4-of-8 shots, all from beyond the 3-point arc. He finished with 14 points.
In all, five Cavs players scored in double figures, and 35 points came courtesy of bench players.
The Cavs set the tone early, but the Timberwolves, led by Flynn, continued to battle. The Cavs jumped out to an early 21-11 lead, only to watch the Timberwolves erase it and eventually take a one-point lead at 9:07 in the second quarter.
Undaunted, the Cavs went back to work and went on an 8-0 run to take a seven-point lead. Only this time, Williams led the charge, hitting a couple of jump shots. The Cavs ended the half leading by 10 points, a lead they never came close to relinquishing.
The victory puts the Cavs right back where they were last year, opening the season 1-2. What remains to be seen is whether they're any closer to assembling all of their new pieces.
Voice of experience
Before the start of the season, Brown said that with the arrival of O'Neal and with Delonte West's troubles, his team would need a bunker mentality to deal with outside distractions.
He probably never thought it would be needed so soon. But Brown said that telling his team that has helped him deal with what he views as a series of bumps on the way to the team's goal: winning a title.
''We're going to face criticism from the outside, so we have to have that bunker mentality because you have to ignore all the noise outside the locker room,'' he said. ''You have to stay together and you have to keep on pushing to get better.'''
Brown got some friendly advice from Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis: Don't worry about it.
''By the end of the season, I fully expect them to be right there in the playoff hunt for a ring. No one is going to look back at the beginning of the season,'' said Rambis, who has four titles playing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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 and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Canton, OH
Posted 09:30 AM, 10/31/2009
sweet
akron, oh
Posted 10:06 AM, 10/31/2009
What...lebron--is that his last name or first why is it every other player has to go by his last name and not lelosser?
Posted 12:46 PM, 10/31/2009
Hey "mom of2"...um...you should watch SportsCenter a little more before making a ridiculous comment like the one you just made. LeBron is called LeBron, James, LBJ, King James, etc...Kobe Bryant is called Kobe, Bryant, Black Mamba, etc...Shaquille O'Neal is Shaq, Shaquille, O'Neal, the Big Aristotle, etc. They ALL have nicknames. Quit TRYING to make stuff up that makes LeBron James seem like he's "special" versus other players. His talent and demeanor set him apart...not the names he's called.
somewhere, oh
Posted 01:59 PM, 10/31/2009
@mom of2...first name, last name, or no name at all but why would you even use "lelosser" in any way to refer to LaBron James? You say Akron, Ohio on your avatar, try and name one individual who has done more for your city in the last few decades and then call him lelosser. {I figure you were trying to say "leloser" but just can't spell!
somewhere, oh
Posted 02:00 PM, 10/31/2009
ALSO; next year when he's gone you'll be the first to complain he jumped ship...
