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With four, then five players out, everyone contributes to victory
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Saturday, Feb 09, 2008
ATLANTA: It might be just a score on a long list in the season recap, and in a few weeks, it might be totally forgotten.
But what the Cavaliers accomplished Friday night surely seemed pretty important and pivotal as it happened.
Down four rotation players at the start and five by the end of the night, the Cavs got major contributions from unlikely spots and rallied to beat the Atlanta Hawks 100-95 at Philips Arena.
''This was a big win,'' said LeBron James, who had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
''We've got a real professional team. Everyone made an impact on the game. We needed everybody to step up.''
Normally a win over a sub-.500 team would hardly get such a reaction. This was different, as Drew Gooden (groin), Daniel Gibson (hamstring), Sasha Pavlovic (foot) and Anderson Varejao (ankle) all were out of uniform.
Then in the fourth quarter of the tight game, Zydrunas Ilgauskas was forced to the sidelines when he ripped off a fingernail and couldn't get it to stop bleeding. Then Larry Hughes went to the locker room when he jammed his big toe and had to sit the last five minutes.
James played the game
with a wrap on his right thumb as he tried to shake off an injury he picked up Thursday night, and Ira Newble played with a black eye and four stitches in his face.
Calling the Cavs (28-21) a M*A*S*H unit might not be strong enough. Athletic trainers Max Benton and Mike Mancias are the hardest-working people in the organization these days, and the ice makers are wheezing.
Not to mention the Hawks (21-25) were rested and fresh off a victory over the surging Los Angeles Lakers, while the Cavs were on the second night of back-to-back games and didn't get to their hotel until after 2 a.m. Friday.
To deal with all of it, Cavs coach Mike Brown called on Eric Snow to make a rare start. Then he pushed Newble down to starting power forward and later actually played him at center. Some of the lineups he put on the floor haven't been seen in a game, much less a practice, and yet the Cavs somehow slipped out of town with a victory.
Digest all that, and it can be understood why there was some back-slapping going on in the visitor's dressing area afterward.
''I am proud of the team,'' Brown said. ''We keep having guys go down and we're playing with different lineups and guys are trying to find a way to win.''
It took some extraordinary efforts. James had his usual production, although he missed more shots than usual (going 11-of-24) while trying to get used to the sore hand. Yet there was help all around, the exact opposite of what happened Thursday in Houston, when the Cavs allowed James to be a one-man show in a losing effort.
Start with Newble, who lives in Atlanta in the offseason and certainly looked more at home than ever. Often being given space, Newble burned the Hawks by hitting a series of jumpers and was also very active on the offensive glass, picking up several putback baskets. He scored a season-high 18 points with eight rebounds while playing numerous positions.
The topper came with 17 seconds left when he got a breakaway dunk that sealed the victory.
''I didn't want to dunk it. I think I almost tore something,'' Newble said. ''I don't mind being the jack of all trades. If I can play the '2', maybe the '3' or the '4' it is a way to get more minutes.''
Damon Jones had 13 points off the bench, making three 3-pointers. He had five straight points in the fourth quarter to help the Cavs break a tie and get control of the game. Ilgauskas had his 23rd double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, and Hughes had 15 points, although it took him 16 shots.
Snow, though, was an unsung hero. He didn't make a basket; in fact, he blew two layups and had another swatted, but he had five assists and five steals. He played great defense on Hawks star Joe Johnson, who had 23 points but just three in the final quarter and eight turnovers.
''Eric made a real impact and so did Ira,'' James said. ''The guys were mentally focused, even the guys who hadn't played much and that's life in the NBA.''
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
ATLANTA: It might be just a score on a long list in the season recap, and in a few weeks, it might be totally forgotten.
Get the full article here.
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