The inevitable is what the locals are feeling here in DC...even perhaps, Agent Zero...he happened to walk through the Cavs as they were walking on to the floor for shoot around this morning...he was joking with Damon Jones about maybe "playing tonight in the final game"....that tells you he is expecting the Cavs to close it out....

This is the next step in the Cavs maturation process, close out games...they went one for one in the Wizards series a year ago, but 0-2 against the Pistons...That is an area of strength of the Pistons over the last 4 playoff years....they are 10-1 in close out games...it's a learned behavior through experience...

Mike Brown usually takes a play of the game and has it edited on the end of the DVD that he shows his players...unsung plays of hustle and will...in game-2 it was LeBron's chase down block of Darius Songaila in the open floor....this time, Mike showed video love for Z, who, following a Cavs turnover, sprinted down the floor to grab the defensive board....then sprinted back to the other end of the floor to receive a pass and was fouled on the lay-up attempt...winning plays as Mike calls them..

The players as focused as they are felt like they were at Cedar Point today, following practice...the bus, as it was leaving the very steep incline out of the bowels of the building, stalled...and the bus started to roll backward... oohs...and ahs came from the guys...not sure if everyone's arms went up or not, like on the Magnum...but repeated efforts to start the engine had one response of "must be a Wizards bus driver"....so, a mulligan was given...back down the incline and a restart....LeBron's "yippee" drew the loudest laugh as the bus made it with a full head of steam....hopefully the ups and downs for this day are over...

See you tonight for Game 4 at 7 on FSN Ohio...

It's broom time for the Cavaliers...they're taking nothing for granted after moving in to unchartered territory...being up 3-0 in a series...There was no overt celebration in the locker room following the win at the Verizon Center, just satisfaction in knowing they hung in there fighting off a terrific second half comeback by the Wizards...

Z's reemergence as a force sure gives this team a huge lift....Sasha was beaming after the game, after what he called a poor performance...the fact that Mike Brown stuck with him, meant a lot to him, and so did the 3-ball he gun slinged to close out game-3...That was a gutsy shot and showed his growth...

A lot of the players family members made the trip to DC, which is customary for teams this time of year...what a perfect place for the wives to relax....Georgetown...a perfect destination if you're looking for a weekend getaway...fabulous shopping, restaurants and people watching, all in a quaint setting...three blocks away from M street, (main street through this section of town) you'll find the Potomac river front...

This is off the point a bit, but we found a little Italian restaurant with a great wine list...Shiraz was perfect...Australian bottled...but all true Shiraz true grapes are imported from Iran...who knew?

We were in the Cavs locker room watching the draft when the Browns made the trade with the Cowboys to grab Brady Quinn...there were oohs and ahs...including from LeBron...

Talk to you tomorrow after practice...

On our way to the Phone Booth for games 3 and 4 in DC....(The Verizon Center for those not in the know)...

A very good tempo and focus at practice today....LeBron loved a 20 foot hand in the face J from Z during a brief scrimmage....LB called it "An Eyeball Sandwich".....hmmm....may have to steal that line for the broadcast!!

Drew Gooden was asked if it will rain again, (4 straight junpers going down) this time in Washington....Drew says we have to check the 3 day forecast!!

Drew also talks to his right hand when he gets hot....he says the conversation shall remain private...

Sorta like Karl Malone talking to himself at the free throw line or Mark "The Bird" Fydrych talking to the baseball....part of the great unknown....New meaning for talk to the hand, if Drew keeps knocking 'em down...

See you tomorrow night at 5 on FSN Ohio...

If you get a chance...check out LeBron Travolta on deadspin.com...hilarious!!! too bad LB doesn't have a sense of humor...His "Stayin Alive" routine will surely get rated in the locker room...

His block of Darius Songaila from behind last night, reminded me of Tayshaun Prince's famous wipe out of
Reggie Miller's breakaway lay-up during the '04 playoffs...Prince does it with incredible length and timing...and does it a few times a season...LeBron does it with his thundering speed and timing...we've seen him do that before...and there will be more to follow...few plays take the crowd's breath away like that kind of swat... I know it brought me out of my seat...

Wild Thing got to Brendan Haywood last night...the first real spark in this series...we'll have to keep an eye on that little match-up Saturday Night...

Join Ahmaad at the first Watch Party, for game-3 at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood...we'll give you a shout out from DC....

LeBron was his normal shoot around self today, and while he may not be 100%, he will certainly be ready to have another "sub par" game...I allude to the Washington reporter who categorized LB's game-1 showing as sub par...The King did a good job deflecting the question, saying he'd take his "sub par" numbers (23, 9 and 7) all the time, especially in wins...

LeBron's ability to handle these ankle sprains is truly mind boggling..but then, as Larry Hughes joked, LB's ankles are as big as Larry's biceps, so, no reason to wonder why he can withstand that kind of twist on Sunday and stay on the floor...

Game-2 a year ago was the game where Brendan Haywood wrapped up The Chosen One with a hard bear hug foul....it was the only game LeBron did not repeatedly get to the hole...and it was the first road win of the series for either team...

Join us tonight for Cavaliers Live pre game at 7:30 on FSN Ohio...see you then...

The wait for game-2 is almost over…no complaints about two days in between games, though…..a chance for LeBron to give that left ankle more treatment…LB did not get much physical work in today, but he says he feels better than yesterday…LeBron was wearing a new pair of Nikes on Sunday, and was asked if maybe the new shoe led to his ankle mishap….The King though for a millisecond, and then fired off this quip…"If I was wearing Adidas…I would have broken the ankle"…once a Nike man, always a Nike man!!

Larry Hughes has now had back to back games off 27 points against his old team at the Q this season….opening night and in game 1…Larry admits to still having an affection for the guys in that Wizards locker room and also admits he knows the plays when Eddie Jordan calls them out….to the point that he said today, he doesn’t need a copy of the Wizards playbook….he has it memorized!!!

We’ll be live again in Gateway Plaza tomorrow for Cavaliers Live pre game at 6:30…so, come join us….

The King Gives us a Scare...Then a Laugh

The Q was drenched in wine today and it was great to see. The crowd was playoff ready! We all held our breath when the King went down with a twisted ankle...but he said there was no way he was coming out of the game.

LB was asked if there is any way he won't play in Game 2...and with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek...LeBron said "Naw, I'm not playing".

That got a big laugh from the media.

See you tomorrow after practice!

Itching to Get Going

Just watching the playoffs today gives us all the itch to get going tomorrow at 12:30...We'll be in full postseason mode with a beautiful day...Gateway Plaza jammed....does it get any better? Yep...Detroit coming here Memorial Day weekend!!!

In watching the game tapes from last year's series with the Wizards, no Arenas, no Butler is obvious...but keep in mind the Wiz also had Jared Jeffries to try and stop LeBron....he didn't have much success, as LB drove the basket, time after time...

One other difference is of course Sasha, who only played 6 post-season minutes last spring...think how far he has come....and in talking to him, he is ready to be a significant contributor....I've said since late January, Sasha is this team's x-factor...and when you consider, when Sasha, Larry and LeBron started together, the Cavs went 17-7...that's 71%...pro-rate that over an 82 game season and that's 58 wins....my point is, the Cavs are a different team than the Pistons saw last May...so, they have to believe they can get to the Finals...you can't do it until you believe it...and I really think they do..

Shannon Brown took the role of Jarvis Hayes on the scout team by the way, and showed a couple of sick finishes at the rim, with his athleticism...LeBron said Hayes is tough......but this "jump out of the gym guy" (meaning Shannon) is crazy...(I think Shannon will be heard from next season---he's too skilled not to be)

See you tomorrow on FSN...come join us at Gateway Plaza at 11:30...

Getting Ready for Game 1

Judging by today's workout at The Q, the Cavaliers are as focused as you would want them to be, leading up to the postseason….LeBron was more verbal today than I have heard him all season…in early 3-man drills, running down the floor, he yelled, "playoffs, 07"….it's on, and the Cavs emphasized the usual defensive drills…in one 3 on 2 drill, Andy dunked over Z, which Zydrunas wasn’t expecting…Wild Thing eventually got a smile out of his pal after the play was over….

LeBron admitted he was nervous leading up to his first playoff series a year ago….(I think the butterflies disappeared early, with the triple double!!) but he says flatly, no, he will not be nervous at all on Sunday, just excited to get going….and LB added he definitely has another gear he will shift into….he says tune in to find out…

That's a promo for our coverage on FSN Ohio…we'll have the first six games (if 5 and 6 are necessary) on FSN, starting Sunday at Noon with Cavaliers Live, with a huge outdoor set in Gateway Plaza…come by and see us….

The normally hard-nosed Philadelphia media has seemingly found a soft spot for this band of 76ers, who frankly have over-achieved since the trading of Allen Iverson and the departure of Chris Webber...The Sixers have gone 25-20 since both were officially out of here...

The last time we were here, back in January, a lot of the talk centered around drafting Greg Oden if he left OSU, and assuming the Sixers were headed for the #1 pick, at 13-30...Now 10 teams have worse records than Philly...The Sixers play hard, and are seemingly having fun doing it...Credit has to go to Mo Cheeks for keeping them together...

The Cavs had their normal 3-point shooting drill at the end of practice, with the red team (regulars) dueling the white squad...Today there was an upset, LeBron and company lost...Which led to LBJ walking off the floor in mock disgust to the locker room, pretending to pout while doing it...Of course, a roar of laughter followed...

Referee Joe Crawford's suspension for the way he mishandled the Tim Duncan ejection Sunday brought back memories of Crawford tossing Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Larry Nance, et al, at the Coliseum for a similar laughing binge on the bench...Crawford is a superb referee, but sometimes he does get a case of the rabbit ears....But no question, he has the respect of players and coaches for being one of the best in the business...

See you tonight on Fox Sports.

LeBron admits he watches video of himself, to a fault, self critiquing.....and something he has come with is not getting off the floor as high on his 3 point shot...and it worked against the Hawks, as he hit 3 of 6 outside the arc...

The purpose is to maintain better balance on the shot, thus the lower altitude (unusual for LB) he feels will keep him from leaning on the shot, which he had been struggling with...

LeBron is still able to get off the shot because defenders still can not fly at him because of his ability to put it on the deck...

This truly is a game of constant adjustments.....see you tomorrow night on FSN Ohio....

It's amazing to watch what has happened to the Wizards...no Arenas Butler and Daniels has turned them into a temporary lottery team that is headed to the playoffs....looks like they'll fall to 7, meaning a quick exit against the #2 seed...

Jersey's win at Indiana, just about assures Wednesday's game with Chicago will have meaning to the Nets...

The Cavs blowout of the Hawks last night gave the bench guys to get extra minutes and touches, including Daniel Gibson, who looked confident stroking it....Boobie says the vets have been encouraging him to keep taking his shots..

That includes Eric Snow, who's been like a big brother to Daniel...so much so, Boobie says, he soaks in what E Snow says like a sponge...In fact on occasion he has gotten home and jotted down some notes about what Eric has told him...Tells you a lot about Eric's character since he lost his starting job to Daniel...

See you Tuesday night from Philly..
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The Real Story on Z's Razzle Dazzle

Z was getting a kick out of his"Magic Johnson" moment from last night...but he did come clean...

Yes, Z's fastbreak left-handed blind beauty to LeBron on the break last night against the Nets wasn't intended for LB...he had intended the pass for Drew...but, as Z confessed, Gooden was too fast for it, and LeBron reached out and snared it as you probably saw and then smashed it...

LeBron joked the ball would have gone out of bounds had he not rescued it....Z admitted..."He's right."

See you tomorrow night on FSN...

Down the Stretch

Just to prove NBA players enjoy souvenirs too, the Cavs all signed a bunch of basketballs, so each player could get two balls signed by the whole team...some guys keep 'em as mementos of the season, others may give them to a family member or a friend...I would imagine David Wesley and Donyell have quiet a collection of personal memorabilia from the teams they've played on, not to mention the 27 years combined in the league...

Tonight is heart awareness night at The Q, with the Cavs Better Halves, the driving force behind this project, along with Larry Hughes, who will be the spokesman in a brand new public service announcement...heart awareness thundersticks will be handed out as well tonight...this will become an even bigger initiative next season...

See you at 8 on FSN...

The Cavs hope to stay in their rut one more game...that is win-lose-win-lose, etc...they have done this 11 games in a row, alternating wins and losses...that's one shy of a team record (now this is a new category I never knew existed....and no, I did not look this one up myself...If I did, I know, I would need a life)

I think Chicago will lose one more...NJ, the final game, will be the key...if the Nets have something to play for, then, that will be a tough one for the Bulls to get at the Meadowlands...I still say 50 is the magic number for the 2 seed...(I know you've heard that already)

All that being said...the Cavs still have to go out and take care of their own business, winning the final four games which they will be expected to win...

Z said today there are no plans for any playoff beards...although he added, he thinks he's probably the only one on the team who can truly grow a big time beard...(that was evident last spring)

See you tomorrow night on FSN....

The Cavaliers had a chance to get their hands around some new composite basketballs the NBA is testing with players from all 30 teams around the league...some of these balls have raised seems, others inverted, some with a raised pebble feel, others smoother...It's all to find out which ball would be a consensus choice of the guys who use it...the players....

LeBron was one of the Cavs testing the balls..he was asked if it's more important for the ball to perform well on the rim and backboard, or to be more sensitive in his hand....he said...absolutely at the hole...LB added, "I can always handle the rock..."

The league will continue testing composite balls, while the leather balls are still in use for the '07-'08 season....the costs associated with leather basketballs have nothing to do with shortage of leather, but the dying process which is expensive, given the fact, the NBA is one of the few leagues left in the world that still use leather...

You may recall the players complained so much about the previous composite ball, that leather was back in vogue, January 1st....Some players complained of minors cuts they received on their hands from the new ball, while others felt it resembled a playground ball, feeling too light...LeBron noticed the composite ball did not have the same reaction on bounce passes as the leather ball...Even on the dribble, the ball seemed to be a little dead...The next ball will be one everyone can live with...

It's back to work tomorrow for the guys, with New Jersey coming to The Q on Thursday night...

Back from Detroit...on one hand, encouraged the Cavs played the Pistons dead even to the very end in their gym....but in April, moral victories don't cut it...and at some point, the Cavs will have to be able to know they are going to win these kinds of games against great teams on the road....Some of the sting has been taken away by the Bulls loss in Toronto tonight...

Bottom line is this...it's a 4 game regular season in the dual for the 2 seed...the Cavs need to go 4-0 and hope the Bulls drop one...Chicago has two gimmes at home with the NY and Charlotte...their two roadies are at Washington and NJ...The Wizards are struggling for any win, and trying to hold off the Nets for the 6th seed...NJ owns their tie-breaker and is 3 games behind...If the Nets need that final game, the final day of the regular season, they could knock off the Bulls...If not, it looks like the 5th seed for the Wine and Gold..

Don't figure it is automatically going to be Miami at 4...they own the tie-breaker with Toronto, and would love to move up to, in their mind, stay out of the Pistons half of the bracket...The Heat with, D-Wade back, with be favored to win their final 5 games...The Raptors still have two games left with the Pistons...so, let's see how it all plays out...Miami losing tonight at home to Charlotte does put a dent in their plans...

Anderson Varejao was really peeved at himself for not being able to stop Rasheed Wallace in the final quarter, not hiding it when he came to the bench during a timeout....Wallace did repeated damage against Andy on the left block...but I like when Andy shows that disgust...it means he has passion...we all know he plays with it, and has a burning desire to become an impact player, and more importantly win....

We're leaving DC for Detroit....parked next to us is the Miami Heat 737...It has a major distinction...."2006 World Champions" on the tail...we could be seeing that plane in a couple of weeks at Hopkins....

But 5 games left...still a shot to get back to #2 in the East...suprised Jersey laid such a big Easter egg in Chicago last night...No Ben Wallace, no Tyrus Thomas and no Andres Nocioni and no shot for the Nets as it turned out...

The Pistons have a penchant for winning pay back games (winning a return match-up after losing to a team)...The Cavs March 7th win at the Palace wll motivate those guys...so will Chicago's Wednesday night's beatdown in Auburn Hills....

The Cavs will really have to come ready to play..About 500 Cavs and Quicken loans employees will make the bus trip for a little Wine and Gold karma..should be fun...

We're in DC...a little warmer and no snow flakes here yet...it's is April, right? I need to borrow Donyell's sling box to keep tabs on opening day....Checking scores on MLB.com doesn't cut it..
The locker room was exceptionally quiet last night..the overtime loss really stung the guys, because of it's meaning...the reality of dropping to the 5th seed for the time being...but feeling that hurt isn't a bad thing...In fact, I believe it's the only way teams grow...

6 games left...the Cavs have to now finish with a better record than the Bulls to re secure the 2nd seed...

I've said 50 wins will do, and I'm sticking to it...that would mean the Cavs going, 5-1 the rest of the way and the Bulls, 4-2...

Tonight, the Wiz, without, Gilbert Arenas, who is still in a good natured mood following his surgery...Larry Hughes dialed up his friend to check on him...Agent Zero says the good news about the surgery is he didn't feel a thing...and to occupy his time, he'll sign shoes for 6,000 fans who will get an autographed sneaker....Considering Caron Butler is out too, that's 47 points out of the Wizards' line-up...no reason for the Cavs to have a letdown tonight...too much is riding on it...

See you tonight at 8 on FSN...

Ira Update

Good to see Ira back today following his sinus infection which had him down for about four days.. He said watching the Boston loss was really tough because he thought he could have helped with LeBron out...

David Wesley's two daughters were at practice today...Can you say adorable?

See you tonight at 7 p.m.

Good news...Lebron will play tonight...he tested his knee and is good to go...very little swelling after a pre game workout...he says he's able to go, and yes, it was his decision, along with that of Mike Brown, Danny Ferry and the medical staff..he says he won't hold back...LeBron also says he would never jeopardize the future for now, but feels confident he'll be able to go hard...

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They're calling for 5-6 inches of snow for later today...not a way you want a road trip to end....We won't get to Hopkins until 2am as it is...

All the guys watched the Buckeyes together last night at the hotel...

Damon Jones played the role of the antagonist for Chris Jent (go figure) complete with the Gator jaws...

I'm more convinced than ever that Greg Oden should be the first overall pick, and that Mike Conley Jr will be an impact point guard up here...

I went to part of the Twins opening day yesterday...just doesn't cut it being indoors, which is why their new stadium is going to be open air...

See you tonight on FSN at 8...

New York-to-Chicago-to-Boston...for a sports fan, this is a trifecta trip...no matter which sport....cities with so much history, tradition, great newspaper sports sections...and if you like to eat (who doesn't) you can gorge yourself on this 3-peat...

I always save time for a run in Boston, along the St. Charles River....today...sunny...I counted 73 sail boats...
(I know, I forgot my i-pod...had to think about something!!)

The Red Sox locals are on fire about seeing pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka....he, of 5 different breaking balls...look out Yankees...(I still think the wild card is coming out of the Central)

As great a win as yesterday's was for the Cavs...it means little now...the Celtics, probably without Paul Pierce, will play it real loose, looking to spring the upset...this again becomes a huge game...

This is the site of LeBron's 75 footer...we'll pull it out tonight on the broadcast...see you at 6 on FSN...