Saturday, January 24, 2009

No Boozer, No problem


Another big win tonight on the west coast trip. The Cavs finished off 4 games in 5 nights out west, this time with a 102-97 victory at a Boozer-less Utah.

Mo Williams is outdoing himself as LeBron's sidekick. He had 25 points tonight, including 5-11 from deep. Even with such big numbers, this game was all LeBron's. Despite repeated smack, crackles, and pops to his head, the King narrowly missed a triple double. He came up 1 assist short with 33, 14, and 9. And even though he only had single digits in assists tonight, his passing was what made his night spectacular.

If there was a passing version of the game HORSE, LeBron could have beaten anyone with his passing display this evening. He dazzled with an assortment of behind the back, pick and roll bullets, and perfect bounce passes in between multiple defenders.

We've seen passing performances like this several times this season. And its got nothing to do with LeBron being any better. It's all about the players around him. The guys on this roster know exactly where to be on the floor, have good enough hands to handle the passes (I'm talking to you Drew Gooden), and the ability to finish. The talent around him this season truly makes LeBron shine higher than we have ever seen.

With this talent, the Cavs just completed a very successful four games in five nights west coast trip with 3 wins. Victories over Portland, Golden State, and Utah have quieted much of the concern over the thrashing the Cavs received at the L.A. Lakers.

Most importantly, we survived the trip and still maintain the eastern conference lead in the loss column. The number 1 seed in the east is going to be pivotal this year, not just for the home court advantage, but also to avoid Boston or Orlando in the conference semis.

Here's to you, Cleveland Cavalier fan. Enjoy this one.

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