Songaila slaps LeBron in the face
Late in the first quarter of Wednesday evening’s Wizards at Cavaliers Game 5 playoff game (Cavs lead series 3-1), LeBron James drove down the left baseline at the rim, guarded by Darius Songaila. Their arms got tangled, and LeBron went up to try to score, was aggressively holding Songaila off with his arm in what appeared to be totally legal fashion but his other arm and Songaila’s arm were entangled the whole time, and as LeBron landed and they untangled, Songaila, using his left hand side-arm back-handed Lebron in the face. It clearly seemed intentional.
It wasn’t a full-on punch, but it was like a clear back-hand to the face. A pimp-slap, if you will.
LeBron just took the jab and stayed backed away, not retaliating.
I thought Songaila should have been ejected, yet the refs just called a personal foul and a technical foul on him, which was surprising.
And during the discussions after the incident, DeShawn Stevenson and Anderson Varejao had a very minor disagreement, and the refs quickly slapped a double-tech on them. I hate that call. Neither player needed a tech called on them.
There Can Only Be One: LeBron James and Kevin Garnett
There Can Only Be One: LeBron James and Kevin Garnett
Delonte West for the game
King James lost his crown.
All right, so it was his burgundy headband that went flying when LeBron James took a shot to the noggin from DeShawn Stevenson, their simmering feud nearly boiling over. James kept his cool, allowing the flagrant foul to spark him and his Cleveland Cavaliers.
At game's end, James was just as collected, drawing waves of Washington Wizards defenders before dishing to Delonte West for a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds left. That shot, along with James' 34 points and 12 rebounds, led the Cavaliers to a 100-97 victory on Sunday and a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference playoff series.
"There's been some extracurricular activities going on outside and inside this series," James said, "but I've been able to stay focused."
The Wizards were ahead by a point with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half when James drove to the basket, and Stevenson came from behind and swiped a hand out, clipping the Cavs' star with what appeared to be a closed fist before tumbling to the court. James kept his balance and stepped toward Stevenson, who got up and stepped toward James.
They exchanged words, but that was it, before teammates stepped in between.
"If we was on the park, something definitely would have escalated," James said. "But, you know, I guess that's what they want to do. They want to hurt LeBron James this series. It ain't working."
Stevenson's take?
"That's how it goes," he said. "It was a big game for us."
Now the Cavaliers, who eliminated the Wizards in each of the previous two postseasons, have control, with Game 5 on Wednesday at Cleveland.
James got help Sunday from more than just West, whose career playoff-high 21 points included five 3-pointers. Daniel Gibson made four 3s, and Ben Wallace had 12 rebounds -- part of a remarkable 51-31 edge on the boards for Cleveland.
One small sequence that epitomized things: At the end of the third quarter, Joe Smith's three-point play followed two offensive rebounds and gave the Cavaliers an 80-73 edge.
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan was succinct: "We didn't rebound."
Antawn Jamison led Washington with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Caron Butler added 19 points. But it was Stevenson who was at the center of the key play.
LeBron vs. DeShawn had been mainly an off-court rivalry, prompted in part by Stevenson calling James overrated, and extending to involve rap megastar Jay-Z and one-hit wonder Soulja Boy. James' pal Jay-Z created a song dissing Stevenson that was played at a D.C. club this weekend.
"He's worth $500 million, and he's writing songs about me," Stevenson said before tipoff. "What does that say about DeShawn Stevenson? Ballin'!"
But besides getting outscored by 21 points by James, Stevenson appeared to give him some motivation.
"Was it a flagrant foul? I really don't know," said Wizards center Brendan Haywood, ejected from Game 2 after shoving James. "All I know is we weren't trying to give up a layup."
James went 1-for-2 at the line after the foul, then made a 3 on the ensuing possession, all part of a 13-0 Cavaliers spurt.
"That," Gilbert Arenas said, "got him mad."
And yet, thanks to a suddenly effective Arenas, Washington had a chance to win what turned out to be a gem of a game, a nice change after Cleveland's 30-point victory in Game 2, and Washington's 36-point margin in Game 3.
Arenas made two free throws with 57 seconds left to get Washington within two points. After James missed a jumper -- part of an 0-for-3 fourth quarter -- Arenas' 8-foot fadeaway with 28 seconds remaining made it 97-all.
And from there, as West put it: "I'm pretty sure everybody in the gym, including their defense, thought [James] was going to take the last shot. And I think sometimes we forget this guy has great court vision. He made the right play."
Which was dishing to an open West, who went to high school in nearby Maryland.
It was strikingly similar to what happened in the first-round series between these teams in 2006. That time, the Cavaliers eliminated the Wizards in Game 6 when James found Damon Jones open for a go-ahead baseline jumper in the closing seconds of overtime.
"Washington definitely probably had a flashback," James said.
Even after West came through, Arenas had enough time to try to tie it again.
But a player who built a reputation for clutch late-game performances before having two operations on his left knee hesitated before badly missing a 3 over West.
Arenas was so "distracted" and "flustered" by the way things ended, he forgot about his postgame ritual of throwing his jersey into the stands to give a fan a souvenir.
Whatever emotional lift he might have given his teammates, whatever excitement his mere presence might have given the crowd, Arenas was not exactly helpful at the outset. When he sat with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter, his line gave whole new meaning to his nickname "Agent Zero": zero points, zero field-goal attempts, zero foul shots, one assist, one foul, and four of Washington's five turnovers.
Arenas' first points didn't come until a reverse layup in the third quarter, and he finished with 10 in a series-high 32 minutes.
"This is not my team," Arenas said. "This is Antawn's and Caron's team."
Game notes
Above Stevenson's locker, there was a sheet of blue construction paper Jordan gave his players before the series began. Drawn by a member of team's basketball operations department at Jordan's behest, it's labeled "Wizards Climb" and includes drawings and phrases meant to inspire. There are stick-figure men swimming to ".500" shore, others are climbing a rock labeled "Cleveland." There are boxes around words such as "Disciplined Aggression" and "Will and Determination."
LeBron shuts up cocky DeShawn Stevenson
Initially down nineteen points, DeShawn Stevenson blows on his hand as if it's on-fire after burying a three-pointer on LeBron James. But this just adds fuel to the proverbial fire between Stevenson and the L-Train, as James promptly knocks down a three in Stevenson's grill. Download: http://www.sendspace.com/file/suiddx
Kobe Bryant deserves MVP, says LeBron James
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008
PHILADELPHIA: The Most Valuable Player ballots are due at the NBA office in New York by Thursday afternoon. LeBron James doesn't have an official vote, but he's got a pretty strong opinion.
He is in the mix and one of his best friends in the league, Chris Paul, has an excellent chance of winning it in what is expected to be a very close race. Yet James, as he has done numerous times in his career, is deferring to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He didn't take long to think about it, either.
''I'd give it to Kobe,'' James said. ''What he's done this whole year, to carry that team to the No. 1 team in the West right now. He's playing his best basketball all around. I've watched him the whole year. I saw it last summer when I played with him with USA Basketball and the sacrifices he's made for the team and he's done that with the Lakers.''
Various polls done around the country have Bryant and Paul in a dead heat for the award with James coming in third or fourth. Two years ago, James finished second in the voting. Last year, he finished fifth. Bryant hasn't won the award in his 12 years in the league, but this appears to be his best shot.
''I've been quoted millions of times saying Kobe is the best player in our league for the last five years,'' James said. ''He hasn't received the MVP. This is his year I think.''
James is completing the best regular season of his career. He has a chance to become just the third player in history to average 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a season. The other two, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, won MVPs in those seasons. But the Cavs are on pace to win their fewest games in three seasons and that plays a role.
''For me as an individual, if you look at the numbers, this is the best I've played in my career and this is the best I've felt,'' James said. ''Team success plays a big part in what the MVP is all about, so there it is.''
Dribbles
• In recent games, there has been a little increase in squabbling between Cavs players both on the court and in the huddle, including a rather intense exchange between James and Anderson Varejao in the second half against the Miami Heat on Sunday. Not to mention other players who have been frustrated with constantly changing levels of playing time.
Cavs coach Mike Brown said he is concerned a bit about the team chemistry.
''You always worry about that,'' Brown said. ''It's tough when you have so many new bodies. Chemistry you can't force, it has to come. Hopefully it clicks sooner than later.''
• Successful St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli was in the locker-room area before the game to see former players Delonte West and Dwayne Jones, who starred for the Hawks. It was the Cavs' first and only visit to the Wachovia Center this season.
LeBron James' pull
WKYC (Channel 3) reporter Chris Tye gave his audience a unique story about the allure of LeBron James on Sunday's newscasts.
Tye told the story of a group of high school seniors from the tiny village of Natulo, Alaska, who came to Cleveland on their senior trip just to see LeBron James and the Cavaliers play.
The teens, who live 300 miles from the Russian border, had their choice of cities to visit. Their goal? Meeting James.
They watched Sunday's game and will attend Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons.
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/. Sportswriter George Thomas contributed to this report.
PHILADELPHIA: The Most Valuable Player ballots are due at the NBA office in New York by Thursday afternoon. LeBron James doesn't have an official vote, but he's got a pretty strong opinion.
He is in the mix and one of his best friends in the league, Chris Paul, has an excellent chance of winning it in what is expected to be a very close race. Yet James, as he has done numerous times in his career, is deferring to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He didn't take long to think about it, either.
''I'd give it to Kobe,'' James said. ''What he's done this whole year, to carry that team to the No. 1 team in the West right now. He's playing his best basketball all around. I've watched him the whole year. I saw it last summer when I played with him with USA Basketball and the sacrifices he's made for the team and he's done that with the Lakers.''
Various polls done around the country have Bryant and Paul in a dead heat for the award with James coming in third or fourth. Two years ago, James finished second in the voting. Last year, he finished fifth. Bryant hasn't won the award in his 12 years in the league, but this appears to be his best shot.
''I've been quoted millions of times saying Kobe is the best player in our league for the last five years,'' James said. ''He hasn't received the MVP. This is his year I think.''
James is completing the best regular season of his career. He has a chance to become just the third player in history to average 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a season. The other two, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, won MVPs in those seasons. But the Cavs are on pace to win their fewest games in three seasons and that plays a role.
''For me as an individual, if you look at the numbers, this is the best I've played in my career and this is the best I've felt,'' James said. ''Team success plays a big part in what the MVP is all about, so there it is.''
Dribbles
• In recent games, there has been a little increase in squabbling between Cavs players both on the court and in the huddle, including a rather intense exchange between James and Anderson Varejao in the second half against the Miami Heat on Sunday. Not to mention other players who have been frustrated with constantly changing levels of playing time.
Cavs coach Mike Brown said he is concerned a bit about the team chemistry.
''You always worry about that,'' Brown said. ''It's tough when you have so many new bodies. Chemistry you can't force, it has to come. Hopefully it clicks sooner than later.''
• Successful St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli was in the locker-room area before the game to see former players Delonte West and Dwayne Jones, who starred for the Hawks. It was the Cavs' first and only visit to the Wachovia Center this season.
LeBron James' pull
WKYC (Channel 3) reporter Chris Tye gave his audience a unique story about the allure of LeBron James on Sunday's newscasts.
Tye told the story of a group of high school seniors from the tiny village of Natulo, Alaska, who came to Cleveland on their senior trip just to see LeBron James and the Cavaliers play.
LeBron deserves more calls, says his coach
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Monday, Apr 21, 2008
INDEPENDENCE: The playoffs have officially started and so has the posturing.
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, usually rather bland in his interviews, was aggressive Sunday in trying to send a strong message to the Washington Wizards and the officials working the rest of this series.
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan told the media after the Cavs' Game 1 victory that he wanted his team to be very physical in defending the basket, a tactic that was obvious at times when various Wizards hammered LeBron James on drives.
Brown seized on both and challenged officials to take notice — not only to protect James, but also to prevent any more skirmishes.
''Washington has come out and said they're fouling (James) when he gets in the paint,'' Brown said. ''So that is something you hope the officials take a look at when he drives the basketball. If that is the case, don't make it be a real hard foul and let things get out of hand. If he gets bumped, call it a foul.''
James got 14 free throws Saturday but Brown felt he was due more and the battering he took put him in peril. James reacted to several hard fouls by smashing Andray Blatche, who sent him to the floor twice, with an elbow.
James said Sunday that he expects more hard fouls as the series goes on but he doesn't plan on changing his game plan, either.
''There's a difference between a
foul and a LeBron foul, and I think we all notice that,'' James said. ''If that's their game plan, I have to continue to get back up.''
All season long, Brown has complained that James doesn't get enough fouls called by officials because his size and strength can obscure contact. Over the years, many coaches have used that plea, especially with centers like Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming.
It is also commonplace for coaches to try to set a tone with the officials via the media early in the playoffs. Brown is following suit, and also promising that his team will not back down from the challenges the physical play brings.
''LeBron knows he is going to get hit and unless he gets absolutely clobbered, he's not getting the foul,'' Brown said. ''I don't know what to do in this case. He's got to keep going to the rim and hopefully they'll see that. We have to make sure we protect ourselves. We just can't do anything over the top that will hurt our team.''
Arenas misses practice
After Game 1, James reminded the media that because of his size, when he gets fouled, he isn't the only one feeling the collision. ''Don't ever think I'm the only one that feels the contact,'' James said.
Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas can attest to that. He missed practice with a sprained right wrist Sunday, an injury he suffered after wrapping up James in the closing seconds of Game 1. The Wizards did not announce his status for tonight's game.
No league action
A league source said Sunday there were no plans in the works to issue any fines or suspensions from the NBA office after the on-court confrontations Saturday, or any upgrades on fouls called or not called. Technical fouls, which James, Brendan Haywood and Antawn Jamison all received, have their own automatic fines.
Dribbles
A limited number of tickets have been made available for tonight's game at http://www.cavs.com or 800-4NBA-TIX. . . . The Cavs are 6-0 all-time in series when they win Game 1, including 3-0 against the Wizards. . . . In 34 career playoff games, James is averaging 27.4 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. No player in NBA history with at least 20 playoff games has ever averaged even 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/
INDEPENDENCE: The playoffs have officially started and so has the posturing.
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, usually rather bland in his interviews, was aggressive Sunday in trying to send a strong message to the Washington Wizards and the officials working the rest of this series.
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan told the media after the Cavs' Game 1 victory that he wanted his team to be very physical in defending the basket, a tactic that was obvious at times when various Wizards hammered LeBron James on drives.
Brown seized on both and challenged officials to take notice — not only to protect James, but also to prevent any more skirmishes.
''Washington has come out and said they're fouling (James) when he gets in the paint,'' Brown said. ''So that is something you hope the officials take a look at when he drives the basketball. If that is the case, don't make it be a real hard foul and let things get out of hand. If he gets bumped, call it a foul.''
James got 14 free throws Saturday but Brown felt he was due more and the battering he took put him in peril. James reacted to several hard fouls by smashing Andray Blatche, who sent him to the floor twice, with an elbow.
James said Sunday that he expects more hard fouls as the series goes on but he doesn't plan on changing his game plan, either.
''There's a difference between a
foul and a LeBron foul, and I think we all notice that,'' James said. ''If that's their game plan, I have to continue to get back up.''
All season long, Brown has complained that James doesn't get enough fouls called by officials because his size and strength can obscure contact. Over the years, many coaches have used that plea, especially with centers like Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming.
It is also commonplace for coaches to try to set a tone with the officials via the media early in the playoffs. Brown is following suit, and also promising that his team will not back down from the challenges the physical play brings.
''LeBron knows he is going to get hit and unless he gets absolutely clobbered, he's not getting the foul,'' Brown said. ''I don't know what to do in this case. He's got to keep going to the rim and hopefully they'll see that. We have to make sure we protect ourselves. We just can't do anything over the top that will hurt our team.''
Arenas misses practice
After Game 1, James reminded the media that because of his size, when he gets fouled, he isn't the only one feeling the collision. ''Don't ever think I'm the only one that feels the contact,'' James said.
Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas can attest to that. He missed practice with a sprained right wrist Sunday, an injury he suffered after wrapping up James in the closing seconds of Game 1. The Wizards did not announce his status for tonight's game.
Monday Night Playoff Games Preview
Washington at Cleveland, 7:00 pm ET -- The AP reports: LeBron James endured a physical pounding in Cleveland’s 93-86 win in the series opener, an intense game that at times resembled a rugged version of two-handed backyard touch football. Beginning with a shot across the face from Andray Blatche—a blow he later retaliated by throwing an elbow into the forward’s chin—James was a marked man. The Wizards hacked and whacked him... Sunday was spent working on adjustments as the teams prepared for Monday’s Game 2. Before hitting the practice floor, the Wizards lamented missing open shots down the stretch. They carried a four-point lead into the fourth quarter but then went 4-of-20 in the period and misfired on 10 straight shots in the final 4:38... Gilbert Arenas didn’t practice Sunday because of a sprained right wrist, but he’s expected to play in Game 2...
Utah at Houston, 9:30 PM ET -- The AP reports: Without Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds and the Jazz scored 50 points in the paint. And without Yao anchoring the offense, the Rockets seemed out of sync and tentative. They shot 37 percent, including several misses from close range... The scoring burden now falls on Tracy McGrady, and he couldn’t handle it Saturday. He scored 20 points, but none in the fourth quarter, when he was double-teamed. He finished 7-for-21 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range... Point guard Bobby Jackson added to the Rockets’ struggles, going 3-for-15 from the field. Jackson is filling in for Rafer Alston, who strained his right hamstring April 13. Alston will sit out Game 2, but said Sunday he was aiming to return for Game 3 in Utah on Thursday... If the Jazz need to do one thing better on Monday night, Carlos Boozer points to offensive rebounds. The Rockets grabbed 18 and scored 23 second-chance points, while the Jazz had only 13 offensive boards and 14 second-chance points.
Cleveland 93 - Sacramento 91
SACRAMENTO, Nov. 9 (AP) -- Four years after LeBron James made his NBA debut in Arco Arena, he can perform much greater feats with a whole lot less effort.
Back in 2003, the teenage phenom put in a full night of relentless effort in an outstanding first outing. These days, the King of the Eastern Conference can take most of the night off and still flatten the Sacramento Kings.
James rallied the Cavaliers with eight points on a series of dynamic moves in the final 2:57, and Cleveland hung on for a 93-91 victory Friday night.
James finished with 26 points despite seeming to sit back and watch much of the Cavs' fourth game in six nights. He scored just seven points in the first half, and was passive for much of the second until rising up for his late flurry, capped by a beautiful three-point play with 53 seconds left.
"You've just got to seize the moment,'' James said. "For the first three quarters, I didn't force anything. I like to just take what the offense gives me, and I make plays happen. In the fourth, I was able to get some rebounds and force the issue more, and it turned into good things. The team did a great job feeding off me.''
That strategy might not fly in the postseason, but it worked just fine in a November matchup with the scrappy Kings.
Devin Brown had 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who treaded dangerously close to a surprising upset loss until James perked up in the fourth stop of a six-game road trip.
But the defending NBA finalists weren't safe until Kevin Martin missed a long jumper at the buzzer. Martin, who had 32 points while making 17 free throws for the Kings, couldn't draw a foul 2 seconds earlier despite apparent contact from Cleveland's Drew Gooden.
"Obviously, not a person in the building didn't think he got fouled,'' Sacramento coach Reggie Theus said. "They had been calling that foul all game. It looked like a foul to me.''
John Salmons and Francisco Garcia each scored 18 points for the 1-4 Kings, who won their home opener Tuesday night despite failing to sell out Arco Arena for the first time since 1999. Another non-sellout crowd still was loud for the return of James, who formally joined the NBA here on Oct. 29, 2003, with 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
"We contained him as well as we could,'' Salmons said of James. "But he made some plays down the stretch. That's what he's going to do.''
Brown provided the Cavs' only consistent effort, rebounding aggressively and playing tough defense. After showing up to training camp overweight and only getting playing time because of Larry Hughes' bruised knee, Brown finally feels good about his first season with Cleveland.
"I wasn't playing hard, and wasn't doing anything to help the team,'' Brown said of his recent efforts. "I worked tonight and kept working to get shots, just letting my teammates know I'm ready.''
After trailing for nearly every minute of their first four games, the Kings took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter. Martin's dunk on a 70-foot football pass from Brad Miller put Sacramento up 78-76 with 6:52 to play.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds, tied it with a putback on an offensive rebound with 2:08 left. James then put the Cavs ahead 88-86 by grabbing a rebound and sprinting past three Kings for a two-handed dunk.
James hit a jumper and a three-point play on the Cavaliers' next two possessions to put them up 93-88, but Salmons converted a three-point play before Damon Jones missed a jumper to give Sacramento one last shot.
After Gooden appeared to foul Martin while the ball went out of bounds, Martin couldn't hit a tough shot from the sideline. Cleveland celebrated while leaving the court in its third straight win over the Kings.
"John defended (James) better than I've ever seen him defended,'' said Martin, who declined to speculate whether he was fouled. "He was in his pocket the whole game.''
The Cavs played their third straight game without Hughes. Veterans Donyell Marshall (sprained right wrist) and Eric Snow (sprained left knee) still are inactive, and rookie forward Demetris Nichols didn't dress because of back spasms.
Cleveland won't get any sympathy from the Kings, who still are without their two best players. Guard Mike Bibby is out until at least mid-December with a thumb injury, while forward Ron Artest served the fifth game of his seven-game suspension.
Notes: Martin made his first 10 free throws, finishing 17-of-18. ... Raiders WR Jerry Porter attended the game. ... Sacramento played the first of an NBA rarity: back-to-back home games on consecutive days. The Kings host Minnesota on Saturday night.
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