simmytbone
12-06-2015, 01:30 AM
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20151204_CLE@NO
Pelicans survive James' late surge, beat Cavs 114-108 in OT
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
Dec. 5, 2015
NEW ORLEANS (AP) After New Orleans survived a stunning fourth-quarter surge by LeBron James and forced overtime, injured veteran center Kendrick Perkins pulled Pelicans teammate Anthony Davis aside for a quick word.
''Perk told me, `This is the time where you've got to be great,''' Davis said. ''Every time I caught the ball, I was looking to be aggressive and teammates were looking for me. ... So it was just about me knocking down the shots.''
Davis hit three jump shots from beyond 12 feet to start overtime, capping a 31-point, 12-rebound, four-steal performance that lifted New Orleans to a 114-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
''It just shows that when we play like we're supposed to, we can beat anybody,'' Davis said, alluding to an earlier victory over San Antonio. ''We've just got to do it against teams that are not the Spurs or not Cleveland. We can't play down to the level of our competition. We've got to make sure we're playing at a high level every game.''
Eric Gordon had 19 points and Ryan Anderson 18 for the Pelicans (5-15), who led by 13 with less than 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Cavs stormed back to take a late lead, with James scoring 21 of Cleveland's last 24 points of regulation.
''What else was I going to do?'' James said. ''I tried to make something happen for our team, be aggressive and see if I could make a push. And if not, at least I put in the effort.''
Jrue Holiday's 3 pulled New Orleans back into a tie at 105 with 8 seconds left before James, who finished with 37 points, missed a 19-footer that could have won it. James didn't score in overtime, missing two shots.
''We played a pretty good game tonight,'' James said. ''We had some defensive lows in the third quarter. We did not play a 48-minute game, and if one or two guys breaks down it breaks the whole team down.''
After trailing most of the first two-plus quarters, New Orleans suddenly surged in front with a 14-2 run ignited by Gordon, who hit a 21-foot jumper, a tough 7-foot fade in traffic and a 3 during the spurt.
New Orleans maintained its lead most of the fourth quarter and appeared in control when Dante Cunningham's jumper made it 94-81 with 6:52 left. Instead, James led the Cavs right back into the game - and very nearly won it. The only other basket during James' fourth-quarter surge was Matthew Dellavedova's 3, set up by James on a crisp, cross-court pass.
James' consecutive fast-break baskets - the second a reverse layup as he was fouled - cut the Pelicans' lead to 98-97. Then James' 17-foot step-back, followed by his driving layup around 7-footer Omer Asik, put Cleveland up by 3. The lead was still 3 after James' free throws in the final minute, but Holiday hit his clutch 3 to force OT.
''That was a scary moment toward the end,'' Gordon said.
J.R. Smith scored 18 points for Cleveland on 6-of-13 shooting from 3-point range. Kevin Love had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Tyreke Evans had 14 points and 10 assists, while Holiday finished with 13 points.
GAME-SAVER
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said the Pelicans were trying to set up a shot for Anderson on their final possession of regulation, but Cleveland's defense denied that, so Evans instead passed to Holiday, who simply had to make a play.
''Right when he passed it to me, I already knew what I was doing,'' Holiday said of his game-tying 3. ''That's pretty much what it comes down to, especially a game like this, making plays.''
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Coach David Blatt started Dellavedova in place of Mo Williams in hopes of establishing more of a defensive presence early and having Williams provide scoring off the bench. ... Cleveland failed to outrebound an opponent for only the third time in 19 games. ... Tristan Thompson had 10 rebounds, his career-high eighth straight game with at least 10.
Pelicans: Gentry made a change to his starting lineup, opening with Evans and Gordon in the back court and moving Holiday to a backup role. Holiday said he was fine with the move. ... Because of various injuries affecting numerous players this season, New Orleans opened with its 14th different starting lineup in 20 games. ... Gordon was 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Visit Miami on Saturday night.
Pelicans: Host Boston on Monday night.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20151205_CLE@MIA
Heat roll past LeBron-less Cavaliers, 99-84
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
Dec. 5, 2015
MIAMI (AP) Dressed in a navy coat with a gold crest, a resting LeBron James sported a good look on the Cleveland bench.
On the court, the Miami Heat looked better.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and took the fourth quarter off, Tyler Johnson added 19 more and the Heat had little trouble on the way to beating the Cavaliers 99-84 on Saturday night, sending Cleveland to its third straight loss.
''It would have been great to play against LeBron,'' said Wade, who acknowledged disappointment that James got the night off to rest. ''We'll see him next time.''
Goran Dragic scored 17 points, Chris Bosh added 14 and Gerald Green had 12 for Miami, which actually passed Cleveland - still without Kyrie Irving, though presumably not for much longer - by percentage points in the Eastern Conference standings.
''A good professional win,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''I liked our guys' approach.''
And the Heat fans who revered James for four seasons during his Miami stint even did a little serenading in the fourth quarter, with chants of ''LeBron is tired'' echoing through the sold-out arena.
If James noticed, he didn't flinch from his seat on the sideline. But when Bosh drove the lane for a two-handed slam moments later, James looked up at the massive screens over center court for a replay.
''It's totally different,'' Cleveland's J.R. Smith said of playing without James. ''He's like a coach on the floor on top of being the best player.''
The Cavs lost in overtime at New Orleans on Friday night, and weren't settled in their Miami hotel until about 5 a.m. Coach David Blatt insisted it was his decision to sit James after the four-time MVP - who talked about wanting to play all 82 games this season - logged 45 minutes in the New Orleans game.
''It was a situation I felt was not worth risking,'' Blatt said.
Richard Jefferson, who started in place of James, scored 16 for Cleveland. Smith added 12, while Jared Cunningham and Matthew Dellavedova each had 11 for the Cavaliers. Kevin Love finished with only five points, shooting 2 for 11.
Miami's lead was 16-12 when James joined the Cavs' bench midway through the first quarter, and the Heat immediately went on a 14-2 run. The Heat would eventually lead by as much as 27.
''From the first minute until the end, we played hard on defense and the offense is clicking a little better,'' Dragic said.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: James never before missed a game with rest as the listed reason in November or December. ... It was the fourth time in the last two seasons that the Cavs were without James and Irving; all four have road games and probably not surprisingly, Cleveland is 0-4 in those contests. ... Smith tripped over teammate Timofey Mozgov's feet in the third quarter, forcing him briefly to the bench.
Heat: Miami set season highs for first-quarter (34) and first-half (60) scoring. ... Dragic's 15 first-half points represented another season high. ... Actor Adrien Brody, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and designer Tommy Hilfiger were among those in the crowd. ... Miami struggled again from the line, shooting 18 for 29. ... Hassan Whiteside had five more blocks, raising his NBA-leading average to 4.56 per game.
GREEN RISES
Green is a former slam dunk champion, and provided a big-time reminder why in the first half. Moments after elevating over Mozgov for a defensive rebound, Green spotted up in the right corner and Dragic found him with a pass from the lane. Green drove past a closing-out Jefferson, and then took one dribble and soared by Mozgov and Dellavedova for the slam and a 53-37 Miami lead.
IMPERFECT 10
The loss was Cleveland's 10th straight in Miami, which includes the 7-0 record the Heat had against the Cavs when James played in South Florida. Starters on Jan. 25, 2010, when Cleveland last prevailed in Miami: James, J.J. Hickson, Shaquille O'Neal, Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parker for the Cavs; Wade, Quentin Richardson, Jermaine O'Neal, Michael Beasley and Rafer Alston for the Heat.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Portland on Tuesday.
Heat: Host Washington on Monday.
credit: cbssports.com
and finally....
http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/lebron_james_david_blatt_call_out_cavs_jr_smith_responds/s1_127_19999681
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/bron_zps0u2z5jso.jpg
LeBron James, David Blatt call out Cavs; J.R. Smith responds
By Grey Papke
Last updated 12/5/15
The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered an overtime loss to New Orleans on Friday night, and not all appeared to be well afterwards.
During the fourth quarter and overtime, the team’s offense basically ran through LeBron James, as it usually does. After the defeat, James and coach David Blatt seemed to call out the rest of the team.
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ
Blatt said #Cavs have to give LeBron more help. LeBron when asked about taking over in 4Q: "Who else was going to do it?"
12:14 AM - 5 Dec 2015
James took 17 of the 29 shots Cleveland attempted in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 23 of their 31 points during that time period. The team simply didn’t trust anyone else with the ball.
Blatt’s comments got back to J.R. Smith, however, and he didn’t seem too bothered.
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ
J.R. Smith laughed when told Blatt thinks LeBron needs more help. "I mean, I had 15 in the first. I don't know what else you want me to do"
12:16 AM - 5 Dec 2015
The problem is that Smith scored just three points on one-for-six shooting the rest of the way, so despite his excellent first quarter, he’s as guilty as anyone here.
Even though they’re 13-6, things have always seemed a bit off in Cleveland this season, with James questioning the team’s effort and hunger more than once. The team has plenty of time to straighten things out, though, and they’re a near lock for the playoffs, which is where they can begin chasing their real goal.
credit: yardbarker.com & Larry Brown Sports
Pelicans survive James' late surge, beat Cavs 114-108 in OT
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
Dec. 5, 2015
NEW ORLEANS (AP) After New Orleans survived a stunning fourth-quarter surge by LeBron James and forced overtime, injured veteran center Kendrick Perkins pulled Pelicans teammate Anthony Davis aside for a quick word.
''Perk told me, `This is the time where you've got to be great,''' Davis said. ''Every time I caught the ball, I was looking to be aggressive and teammates were looking for me. ... So it was just about me knocking down the shots.''
Davis hit three jump shots from beyond 12 feet to start overtime, capping a 31-point, 12-rebound, four-steal performance that lifted New Orleans to a 114-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
''It just shows that when we play like we're supposed to, we can beat anybody,'' Davis said, alluding to an earlier victory over San Antonio. ''We've just got to do it against teams that are not the Spurs or not Cleveland. We can't play down to the level of our competition. We've got to make sure we're playing at a high level every game.''
Eric Gordon had 19 points and Ryan Anderson 18 for the Pelicans (5-15), who led by 13 with less than 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Cavs stormed back to take a late lead, with James scoring 21 of Cleveland's last 24 points of regulation.
''What else was I going to do?'' James said. ''I tried to make something happen for our team, be aggressive and see if I could make a push. And if not, at least I put in the effort.''
Jrue Holiday's 3 pulled New Orleans back into a tie at 105 with 8 seconds left before James, who finished with 37 points, missed a 19-footer that could have won it. James didn't score in overtime, missing two shots.
''We played a pretty good game tonight,'' James said. ''We had some defensive lows in the third quarter. We did not play a 48-minute game, and if one or two guys breaks down it breaks the whole team down.''
After trailing most of the first two-plus quarters, New Orleans suddenly surged in front with a 14-2 run ignited by Gordon, who hit a 21-foot jumper, a tough 7-foot fade in traffic and a 3 during the spurt.
New Orleans maintained its lead most of the fourth quarter and appeared in control when Dante Cunningham's jumper made it 94-81 with 6:52 left. Instead, James led the Cavs right back into the game - and very nearly won it. The only other basket during James' fourth-quarter surge was Matthew Dellavedova's 3, set up by James on a crisp, cross-court pass.
James' consecutive fast-break baskets - the second a reverse layup as he was fouled - cut the Pelicans' lead to 98-97. Then James' 17-foot step-back, followed by his driving layup around 7-footer Omer Asik, put Cleveland up by 3. The lead was still 3 after James' free throws in the final minute, but Holiday hit his clutch 3 to force OT.
''That was a scary moment toward the end,'' Gordon said.
J.R. Smith scored 18 points for Cleveland on 6-of-13 shooting from 3-point range. Kevin Love had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Tyreke Evans had 14 points and 10 assists, while Holiday finished with 13 points.
GAME-SAVER
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said the Pelicans were trying to set up a shot for Anderson on their final possession of regulation, but Cleveland's defense denied that, so Evans instead passed to Holiday, who simply had to make a play.
''Right when he passed it to me, I already knew what I was doing,'' Holiday said of his game-tying 3. ''That's pretty much what it comes down to, especially a game like this, making plays.''
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Coach David Blatt started Dellavedova in place of Mo Williams in hopes of establishing more of a defensive presence early and having Williams provide scoring off the bench. ... Cleveland failed to outrebound an opponent for only the third time in 19 games. ... Tristan Thompson had 10 rebounds, his career-high eighth straight game with at least 10.
Pelicans: Gentry made a change to his starting lineup, opening with Evans and Gordon in the back court and moving Holiday to a backup role. Holiday said he was fine with the move. ... Because of various injuries affecting numerous players this season, New Orleans opened with its 14th different starting lineup in 20 games. ... Gordon was 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Visit Miami on Saturday night.
Pelicans: Host Boston on Monday night.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20151205_CLE@MIA
Heat roll past LeBron-less Cavaliers, 99-84
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
Dec. 5, 2015
MIAMI (AP) Dressed in a navy coat with a gold crest, a resting LeBron James sported a good look on the Cleveland bench.
On the court, the Miami Heat looked better.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and took the fourth quarter off, Tyler Johnson added 19 more and the Heat had little trouble on the way to beating the Cavaliers 99-84 on Saturday night, sending Cleveland to its third straight loss.
''It would have been great to play against LeBron,'' said Wade, who acknowledged disappointment that James got the night off to rest. ''We'll see him next time.''
Goran Dragic scored 17 points, Chris Bosh added 14 and Gerald Green had 12 for Miami, which actually passed Cleveland - still without Kyrie Irving, though presumably not for much longer - by percentage points in the Eastern Conference standings.
''A good professional win,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''I liked our guys' approach.''
And the Heat fans who revered James for four seasons during his Miami stint even did a little serenading in the fourth quarter, with chants of ''LeBron is tired'' echoing through the sold-out arena.
If James noticed, he didn't flinch from his seat on the sideline. But when Bosh drove the lane for a two-handed slam moments later, James looked up at the massive screens over center court for a replay.
''It's totally different,'' Cleveland's J.R. Smith said of playing without James. ''He's like a coach on the floor on top of being the best player.''
The Cavs lost in overtime at New Orleans on Friday night, and weren't settled in their Miami hotel until about 5 a.m. Coach David Blatt insisted it was his decision to sit James after the four-time MVP - who talked about wanting to play all 82 games this season - logged 45 minutes in the New Orleans game.
''It was a situation I felt was not worth risking,'' Blatt said.
Richard Jefferson, who started in place of James, scored 16 for Cleveland. Smith added 12, while Jared Cunningham and Matthew Dellavedova each had 11 for the Cavaliers. Kevin Love finished with only five points, shooting 2 for 11.
Miami's lead was 16-12 when James joined the Cavs' bench midway through the first quarter, and the Heat immediately went on a 14-2 run. The Heat would eventually lead by as much as 27.
''From the first minute until the end, we played hard on defense and the offense is clicking a little better,'' Dragic said.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: James never before missed a game with rest as the listed reason in November or December. ... It was the fourth time in the last two seasons that the Cavs were without James and Irving; all four have road games and probably not surprisingly, Cleveland is 0-4 in those contests. ... Smith tripped over teammate Timofey Mozgov's feet in the third quarter, forcing him briefly to the bench.
Heat: Miami set season highs for first-quarter (34) and first-half (60) scoring. ... Dragic's 15 first-half points represented another season high. ... Actor Adrien Brody, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and designer Tommy Hilfiger were among those in the crowd. ... Miami struggled again from the line, shooting 18 for 29. ... Hassan Whiteside had five more blocks, raising his NBA-leading average to 4.56 per game.
GREEN RISES
Green is a former slam dunk champion, and provided a big-time reminder why in the first half. Moments after elevating over Mozgov for a defensive rebound, Green spotted up in the right corner and Dragic found him with a pass from the lane. Green drove past a closing-out Jefferson, and then took one dribble and soared by Mozgov and Dellavedova for the slam and a 53-37 Miami lead.
IMPERFECT 10
The loss was Cleveland's 10th straight in Miami, which includes the 7-0 record the Heat had against the Cavs when James played in South Florida. Starters on Jan. 25, 2010, when Cleveland last prevailed in Miami: James, J.J. Hickson, Shaquille O'Neal, Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parker for the Cavs; Wade, Quentin Richardson, Jermaine O'Neal, Michael Beasley and Rafer Alston for the Heat.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host Portland on Tuesday.
Heat: Host Washington on Monday.
credit: cbssports.com
and finally....
http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/lebron_james_david_blatt_call_out_cavs_jr_smith_responds/s1_127_19999681
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/bron_zps0u2z5jso.jpg
LeBron James, David Blatt call out Cavs; J.R. Smith responds
By Grey Papke
Last updated 12/5/15
The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered an overtime loss to New Orleans on Friday night, and not all appeared to be well afterwards.
During the fourth quarter and overtime, the team’s offense basically ran through LeBron James, as it usually does. After the defeat, James and coach David Blatt seemed to call out the rest of the team.
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ
Blatt said #Cavs have to give LeBron more help. LeBron when asked about taking over in 4Q: "Who else was going to do it?"
12:14 AM - 5 Dec 2015
James took 17 of the 29 shots Cleveland attempted in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 23 of their 31 points during that time period. The team simply didn’t trust anyone else with the ball.
Blatt’s comments got back to J.R. Smith, however, and he didn’t seem too bothered.
Jason Lloyd @JasonLloydABJ
J.R. Smith laughed when told Blatt thinks LeBron needs more help. "I mean, I had 15 in the first. I don't know what else you want me to do"
12:16 AM - 5 Dec 2015
The problem is that Smith scored just three points on one-for-six shooting the rest of the way, so despite his excellent first quarter, he’s as guilty as anyone here.
Even though they’re 13-6, things have always seemed a bit off in Cleveland this season, with James questioning the team’s effort and hunger more than once. The team has plenty of time to straighten things out, though, and they’re a near lock for the playoffs, which is where they can begin chasing their real goal.
credit: yardbarker.com & Larry Brown Sports