Cleveland Cavaliers (S3): [37-23] (Trade Deadline)

[Kenny]

Phil89, unfortunately he isn't. I really want to find a way to put him in it though. I might have to look into one of JaoSming's Red MC tutorials, see if there's a way I can just copy and paste in the details. Having to do it with the user interface would just be a pain.

Paul's a lot of fun to control. I can see myself taking a lot of stupid contested shots with him

[Kenny]

Mozgov Minute Sinks Bobcats


Timofey Mozgov was clutch.

The Cavaliers came away from Charlotte with a 92-88 victory against the Bobcats.

Kyrie Irving led the way for the Cavaliers with 20 points and 6 assists. But the big story of the night was the huge final minute by Timofey Mozgov. Mozgov was surprisingly subbed in for Steven Adams in the last minute of play and he didn't disappoint.

With the scores tied at 88, he came up with a huge block against a driving Kemba Walker. On the other end, he scored the decisive dunk. The following possession, he grabbed the rebound off the Kemba Walker miss and was sent to the free throw line, where he hit both attempts.

Mozgov ended up with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks off the bench. Tristan Thompson (14 points, 9 rebounds) was close to a double-double, and Paul Pierce added 13.

For the Bobcats, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the top scorer with 21. Even though he missed a couple of crucial shots, Kemba Walker still had a great night with 18 points and 9 assists. Byron Mullens (14) and Tyrus Thomas (12) both had minor contributions.

CLE: 92
(Irving 20, Mozgov 14, Thompson 14)
CHA: 88
(Kidd-Gilchrist 21, Walker 18, Mullens 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 20 points (8-13 FG) 4 rebounds 6 assists 2 steals 3 blocks

Rebounds

CLE: Thompson 9
CHA: Pekovic 7

Assists

CLE: Irving 6
CHA: Walker 9

Cavs Suffer First Post All-Star Loss


AK47 was big off the bench.

The Bulls were far too strong in Chicago, as they beat the Cavaliers 115-104. Chicago were dominant in the paint, as Carlos Boozer (20) and Joakim Noah (16) both had efficient scoring nights. Luol Deng was also strong with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Jimmy Butler added 15, while Derrick Rose had a quiet scoring night, but had a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. Daequan Cook added 11.

For the Cavaliers, Andrei Kirilenko had a big 4th quarter. He ended up with a game high 24 points. Along with Kirilenko, the supporting cast of Paul Pierce (18) and J.J. Redick (14) tried to make up for Kyrie's below par night. Irving had 12 points and 9 assists, but also turned the ball over 5 times. Channing Frye had a strong debut for the Cavs, scoring 10 points off 4-6 shooting.

CHI: 115
(Boozer 20, Deng 16, Noah 16)
CLE: 104
(Kirilenko 24, Pierce 18, Redick 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Carlos Boozer 20 points (10-14 FG) 6 rebounds 1 assist 2 steals

Rebounds

CHI: Deng 7
CLE: Adams, Mozgov 6

Assists

CHI: Rose 10
CLE: Irving 9

Cavs Lose By a Point


Channing Frye is making an immediate impact.

The Cavaliers lost by the slimmest of margins, as they were defeated by the Nets 108-107. Down by two, the Cavs had what was believed to be the final play of the game. A wayward pass by Kyrie Irving was picked off and the fastbreak was finished by MarShon Brooks with less than two seconds on the clock. Irving hit a buzzer-beating three to narrow the losing margin down to one.

Joe Johnson was just about unstoppable against the Cavs. He had a game high 44 points off 18-26 shooting. MarShon Brooks also had a huge game, with 29 points, while Deron Williams (16 points, 11 assists) registered a double-double.

Much like Paul Pierce in his initial games, Channing Frye had a massive performance for the Cavs. In his second game, he scored 29 points, including 3-5 from beyond the arc. With Frye having the hot hand, Kyrie Irving played more of a distributor's role. He had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists. J.J. Redick hit a couple of threes in the 4th quarter to make amends for his previous 1-7 shooting on the night. He ended up with 14 points. Tristan Thompson (9 rebounds) and Thabo Sefolosha added 12 each.

BKN: 108
(Johnson 44, Brooks 29, Williams 16)
CLE: 107
(Frye 29, Irving 22, Redick 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Joe Johnson 44 points (18-26 FG) 5 rebounds 1 assist

Rebounds

BKN: Arthur 10
CLE: Thompson 9

Assists

BKN: Williams 11
CLE: Irving 11

Overall: 32-26

Injury Update
Kyrie Irving - Sore Knee, 1-2 weeks (Hurt)
Dion Waiters - Twisted Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)
Carl Landry - Sore Knee, Day-to-day (Hurt)

[Phil89]

Phil89, unfortunately he isn't. I really want to find a way to put him in it though. I might have to look into one of JaoSming's Red MC tutorials, see if there's a way I can just copy and paste in the details. Having to do it with the user interface would just be a pain.

Paul's a lot of fun to control. I can see myself taking a lot of stupid contested shots with him

I don't know how it works on PC but I like being able to edit the draft class on the PS3, especially leading up to the draft when real life changes happen. For my next draft I've added some guys from 2013 and 2014 that weren't in my previous draft classes and because I'm in 2015 I've added some real life prospects as well.


Tough stretch of games. Really unlucky that you faced Joe Johnson in the one game of the season where he actually earned his wage.

Hopefully Irving and Waiters get healthy again soon so you can get back on track.

[Lamrock]

Pierce and Frye seem to be good additions, but it'll take a hot streak and a little luck to make a deep playoff run. Doable though!

[Kenny]

Phil89, it's fairly easy to edit them on PC. I probably add Exum in, it'd just be a tedious process of copying his tendencies and ratings from another file with the user interface. Maybe if I'm really bored one day, I'll do it. I also need to take out some double-ups that were in the previous draft. Alex Poythress (sp?) is one that comes to mind. I also wouldn't mind putting Olynyk and Delly in the game at some point.

Joe Johnson is like Monta Ellis; always puts up huge numbers against me. I even made a joke in one of my threads that he was the best player in the world

Lamrock, Frye's been a lot of fun to control. I haven't had a shooting big since Villanueva. I'm hoping Frye will be an upgrade on him at the very least.

Since Miami is out of the picture at the moment, a deep playoff run isn't out of the question.

[Kenny]

February 2015 Summary

The Cavaliers made the headlines in another February. They were a part of a big three team deal that saw them acquire future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, who made an immediate impact. But let's not forget about Timofey Mozgov. He has proven to be a solid backup centre for the Cavs.

Speaking of centres, rookie Steven Adams rose in the ranks to become the team's new starting centre. His performances landed him the Rookie of the Month award in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers now have a dilemma at the centre position. Not only are Adams and Mozgov performing, but Channing Frye also started his time with the Cavaliers with a bang.

Even though the Cavaliers are sitting at 7th in the Eastern Conference, there's great optimism in the organisation. Kyrie Irving now has a formidible supporting cast and with any luck, he will see the playoffs for the first time in 2015.

Standings

East

Bulls 40-18
76ers 35-2`
Pistons 35-25
Knicks 31-23
Wizards 32-24
Raptors 33-25
Cavaliers 32-26
Bucks 28-28
---
Pacers 28-30
Bobcats 24-31
Heat 25-33
Hawks 23-33
Nets 22-36
Celtics 21-37
Magic 19-38

West

Rockets 37-19
Thunder 36-21
Timberwolves 34-24
Kings 32-26
Nuggets 30-27
Clippers 31-29
Trail Blazers 28-27
Hornets 28-31
---
Mavericks 27-30
Spurs 27-32
Lakers 26-33
Suns 25-34
Grizzlies 25-34
Jazz 24-35
Warriors 24-35

Monthly Awards

Player
East: [MIA] LeBron James
West: [OKC] Kevin Durant

Rookie
East: [CLE] Steven Adams
West: [UTA] Ryan Harrow

MVP Race

[OKC] Kevin Durant
25.5ppg 8.9rpg 5.6apg

[CHI] Derrick Rose
24.2ppg 3.7rpg 6.3apg

[OKC] Russell Westbrook
24.2ppg 4.8rpg 7apg

[CLE] Kyrie Irving
24.7ppg 8.1apg 2.9spg

[HOU] James Harden
21ppg 4.7rpg 7.2apg

[Phil89]

Joe Johnson is like Monta Ellis; always puts up huge numbers against me. I even made a joke in one of my threads that he was the best player in the world

That used to be Steve Nash for me. Now it seems to be Louis Williams.

Interesting to see all top eight seeds in the east above .500. What is happening with Miami though?

[Kenny]

Phil89, you know, I had an irrational hatred towards Steve Nash in real life because of how he was in video games. My housemate was always like "how can you hate Steve Nash? He's the coolest guy in the NBA." I always found a way though

Funny that you said Louis Williams, because in one of the upcoming games, he has a big one against me.

As for Miami, Bosh went to Minnesota and the Heat's starting lineup is pretty sorry as a result of that.

Chalmers - D-Flop - LBJ - Kenyon Martin - Jordan Hill

[Kenny]

5 Simmed Games

LAC@CLE

LAC: 97
(Griffin 30, Speights 19, Sessions 12)
CLE: 93
(Irving 28, Thompson 24, Pierce 18)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Blake Griffin 30 points (14-25 FG) 14 rebounds 1 assist 1 block

Rebounds

LAC: Griffin 14
CLE: Adams, Thompson 9

Assists

LAC: Porter 6
CLE: Irving 11

NYK@CLE

CLE: 94
(Irving 31, Pierce 14, Thompson 13)
NYK: 76
(Shumpert 16, Stoudemire 14, Gortat 11)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 31 points (11-22 FG) 6 rebounds 4 assists 2 steals 2 blocks

Rebounds

CLE: Thompson 12
NYK: Butler, Chandler, Gortat 7

Assists

CLE: Pierce 6
NYK: Pressey 15

MIN@CLE

MIN: 103
(Rush 21, Bosh 19, Rubio 16)
CLE: 94
(Waiters 21, Redick 19, Pierce 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Ricky Rubio 16 points (7-13 FG) 4 rebounds 10 assists 3 steals

Rebounds

MIN: William 11
CLE: Adams 8

Assists

MIN: Rubio 10
CLE: Irving 13

HOU@CLE

CLE: 111
(Irving 30, Pierce 17, Redick 14)
HOU: 86
(Hickson 19, Harden 18, Parsons 13)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 30 points (13-22 FG) 10 rebounds 13 assists 2 steals 1 block

Rebounds

CLE: Irving 10
HOU: Hickson 11

Assists

CLE: Irving 10
HOU: Harden, Lin 5

CLE@BKN

CLE: 103
(Irving 26, Redick 21, Waiters 15
BKN: 99
(Johnson 25, Williams 25, Brooks 16)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 26 points (10-20 FG) 6 rebounds 8 assists 6 steals 1 block

Rebounds

CLE: Frye 8
BKN: Arthur 9

Assists

CLE: Irving 8
BKN: Johnson 5

Overall: 35-28

Injury Update
Thabo Sefolosha - Strained Achilles, 2-4 weeks (Out)
Kirk Hinrich - Lower Back Strain, 1-2 weeks (Out)
Channing Frye - Lower Back Strain, 1-2 weeks (Out)

[Kenny]

Cavs Edge Hawks


Kyrie's in MVP form.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were slightly too good for the Hawks in the 4th quarter, as they came away with a 109-106 win.

Kyrie Irving continued his case for the MVP trophy, with a dominant 31 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. J.J. Redick also came to the party, with 21 points and 5 rebounds. After an underwhelming post-all-star break, Dion Waiters (18) looked like he's starting to get back to his best, while Paul Pierce also played a great supporting hand with 17 points.

On the other side, it was Lou Williams doing all the damage for the Hawks. He scored 31 points. Josh Smith (11 rebounds) and Jeff Teague both added 18, while Al Horford (12 points, 9 rebounds), John Jenkins (10) and Landry Fields (10 points, 5 rebounds) had solid contributions as well.

CLE: 109
(Irving 31, Redick 21, Waiters 18)
ATL: 106
(Williams 31, Smith 18, Teague 18)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 31 points (12-21 FG) 5 rebounds 10 assists 3 steals 1 block

Rebounds

CLE: Adams 11
ATL: Smith 11

Assists

CLE: Irving 10
ATL: Teague, Williams 6

Cavs Dominate Mavs


I said "shut up net face!"

The Mavericks had no answer for Cleveland's high-powered offense, as the Cavaliers won in Dallas 119-94.

Seven Cavaliers reached double figures, as Paul Pierce and J.J. Redick top scored with 22 each. Kyrie Irving had one of his quieter scoring nights, but was still influential with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. Dion Waiters (17 points, 8 assists) and Steven Adams (11 points, 8 rebounds) narrowly missed double-doubles, while Tristan Thompson (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Andrei Kirilenko (10 points, 10 rebounds) were both able to reach the milestone.

The Mavs had four players in double figures, but only one scored 20 points (O.J. Mayo). Anthony Randolph continued his career season, with 16 points (7-11 FG) and 10 rebounds. Greivis Vasquez (12 points, 7 assists) and Wayne Palmer (10 points, 4 assists) were the last of the double-digit scorers.

CLE: 119
(Pierce 22, Redick 22, Irving 19)
DAL: 94
(Mayo 20, Randolph 16, Vasquez 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 19 points (7-14 FG) 5 rebounds 10 assists 3 steals

Rebounds

CLE: Kirilenko, Thompson 10
ATL: Randolph 10

Assists

CLE: Irving 10
ATL: Vasquez 7

Overall: 37-28

Injury Update
Thabo Sefolosha - Strained Achilles, 1-2 weeks (Out)
Channing Frye - Back Spasms, 1-2 weeks (Hurt)
Kirk Hinrich - Back Spasms, 1-2 weeks (Hurt)

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be on the look out for a new backup point guard next season, as Kirk Hinrich announced he will retire at the end of the 2014-2015 campaign.

With Hinrich and Bibby retiring, and Kyrie Irving becoming a restricted free agent, the Cavaliers will need to sign at least one extra point guard this off-season.

[Phil89]

As for Miami, Bosh went to Minnesota and the Heat's starting lineup is pretty sorry as a result of that.

Chalmers - D-Flop - LBJ - Kenyon Martin - Jordan Hill

lol @ D-Flop.

I guess losing Bosh would weaken them a fair bit. They lost LeBron in my game and have gone from champions to 15th seed in just 7 months.


You've got a solid record heading into the home stretch of the season. Good luck getting a top four seed

[Kenny]

Phil89, without Bosh they're really a lot easier to guard. He can go into beast mode quite easily in 2k games, and along with video game D-Flop and LeBron being LeBron, it's almost impossible to beat the Heat with all three together.

Hopefully I can get there. I think I have a good mix of players now

[Kenny]

5 Simmed Games

CLE@MEM

CLE: 88
(Irving 32, Waiters 19, Landry 8)
MEM: 84
(Stuckey 18, Conley 16, Randolph 16)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 32 points (12-22 FG) 8 rebounds 6 assists 1 steal

Rebounds

CLE: Thompson 11
MEM: Gasol 9

Assists

CLE: Irving 6
MEM: Conley, Stuckey 5

IND@CLE

IND: 100
(Granger 24, Hibbert 17, Stephenson 12)
CLE: 86
(Irving 27, Pierce 14, Redick 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Danny Granger 24 points (11-18 FG) 7 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal

Rebounds

IND: George 12
CLE: Kirilenko 7

Assists

IND: Stephenson 6
CLE: Irving 7

CHA@CLE

CLE: 117
(Irving 37, Pierce 15, Redick 14)
CHA: 108
(Pekovic 25, Kidd-Gilchrist 22, Mullens 19)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 37 points (15-23 FG) 1 rebound 13 assists 4 steals

Rebounds

CLE: Adams 9
CHA: Kidd-Gilchrist 10

Assists

CLE: Irving 13
CHA: Morris 10

CLE@SAN

CLE: 107
(Irving 40, Redick 16, Thompson 11)
SAN: 100
(Blair 23, Parker 23, Kaman 11)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 40 points (15-26 FG) 1 rebound 7 assists 4 steals

Rebounds

CLE: Landry 7
SAN: Blair 11

Assists

CLE: Pierce 10
SAN: Parker 5

BOS@CLE

BOS: 83
(Matthews 16, Shaw 16, Rondo 10)
CLE: 71
(Irving 23, Pierce 14, Thompson 14)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Wesley Matthews 16 points (6-12 FG) 4 rebounds 1 assist 2 steals

Rebounds

BOS: Sullinger 17
CLE: Adams 9

Assists

BOS: Rondo 8
CLE: Irving 8

Overall: 40-30

Injury Report
Channing Frye - Back Spasms, Day-to-day (Hurt)

[Kenny]

Cavs Blowout Sixers


Tristan Thompson had an epic game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back with a 115-96 win over the 76ers.

J.J. Redick was the high point man. His 30 points included 4-7 from three point range. Tristan Thompson had possibly the best game of his career, as he scored 20 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds. Paul Pierce added 19, and Kyrie Irving had his usual double-double performance with 18 points and 10 assists. Dion Waiters scored 12.

The Sixers had 5 players in double figures, as they were led by Manu Ginobili. Manu scored 14, but had an inefficient night with 5-15 from the field. On the other side of the coin, Thaddeus Young (13 points off 4-5 FG), Tyler Hansbrough (12 points off 6-9 FG) and Andrew Bogut (12 points off 6-9 FG) all had incredibly efficient scoring nights. But along with Ginobili, franchise player Jrue Holiday was also inefficient, scoring 10 points off 4-13.

PHI@CLE

CLE: 115
(Redick 30, Thompson 20, Pierce 19)
PHI: 96
(Ginobili 14, Young 13, Bogut 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Tristan Thompson 20 points (10-12 FG) 15 rebounds 2 assists 1 steal 1 block

Rebounds

CLE: Thompson 15
PHI: Bogut, Hansbrough 7

Assists

CLE: Irving 10
PHI: Douglas, Holiday 3

Cleveland's Blue Devils Star in Win


Kyrie scored 38 points.

Two former Duke stars led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 113-108 win over the New Orleans Hornets.

Kyrie Irving (38) and J.J. Redick (31) both dominated the Hornets. Irving was 2 assists from a triple-double, with 10 rebounds and 8 assists, while Redick's clutch shooting from the free throw line helped the Cavaliers win on the road. Paul Pierce played a good supporting role with 16, while Dion Waiters (4-15 FG) struggled most of the night on his way to 10 points.

Eric Gordon was the star for the Hornets, with 31 points and 7 rebounds. Anthony Davis registered a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds), while Al-Farouq Aminu was close to a triple-double (12 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists). Jordan Crawford added 10.

CLE@NOH

CLE: 113
(Irving 38, Redick 31, Pierce 16)
NOH: 108
(Gordon 31, Davis 18, Aminu 12)

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 38 points (14-22 FG) 10 rebounds 8 assists 4 steals 1 block

Rebounds

CLE: Irving 10
NOH: Davis 11

Assists

CLE: Irving 8
NOH: Augustin 11

Overall: 42-30

[Kenny]

March 2015 Summary

The Cleveland Cavaliers enjoyed probably the biggest leap in the NBA over the course of March. They started the month just in the Playoff Picture at 7th spot. Now, not only are they looking at their first post-LeBron Playoffs, but they could very well have home advantage in the first round, as they currently sit 3rd in the East.

Even though Cleveland has exceeded all expectations so far, the job is far from over. Only one game separates them from the 7th placed Washington Wizards; who happen to be their first opponent in April.

Will the Cavs make their first Playoffs post-LeBron? You will find out in 10 games time.

Standings

East

Bulls 52-20
76ers 45-28
Cavaliers 42-30
Pistons 43-31
Raptors 42-31
Knicks 41-31
Wizards 42-32
Bucks 37-35
---
Heat 38-36
Pacers 33-41
Hawks 30-43
Bobcats 29-44
Nets 29-44
Celtics 29-44
Magic 25-48

West

Rockets 45-28
Thunder 45-28
Kings 41-33
Nuggets 41-33
Timberwolves 40-34
Trail Blazers 37-35
Clippers 38-36
Spurs 35-38
---
Mavericks 33-40
Suns 33-41
Hornets 33-41
Warriors 33-41
Lakers 30-44
Jazz 30-44
Grizzlies 28-45

Monthly Awards

Player
East: [CLE] Kyrie Irving
West: [GSW] Stephen Curry

Rookie
East: [NYK] Phil Pressey
West: [LAL] Adonis Thomas

MVP Race

[MIA] LeBron James 28.8ppg 8.8rpg 6.3apg 1.7spg 1bpg
[CLE] Kyrie Irving 25.3ppg 4.6rpg 8.3apg 2.9spg 0.6bpg
[OKC] Kevin Durant 25.1ppg 8.5rpg 5.5apg 1.5spg 1.4bpg
[CHI] Derrick Rose 24.3ppg 3.7rpg 6.3apg 1.4spg 0.4bpg
[WAS] John Wall 24.2ppg 4.8rpg 8.8apg 1.6spg 0.5bpg

Leads the league

[Kenny]

Cavs Lose More Than the Game in OT


Dion Waiters will be out for up to 2 months

Cleveland were dealt a massive blow in their -- OT loss to the Washington Wizards. Dion Waiters went down in the 4th quarter. Doris Burke later reported that his ankle is broken and that he will miss 6-8 weeks.

The 4th quarter was a comedy of errors for the Cavaliers. Not only did Dion Waiters go down, but Kyrie Irving was fouled out. The Cavs also blew a 20 point lead, as Bradley Beal tied the game up in the dying moments with a three. The Wizards had all the momentum in OT, as the Cleveland struggled without their two best offensive players.

John Wall once again got the best of the point guard matchup, scoring 32 points to go with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Bradley Beal was outstanding as well, scoring 28. Matthew Burks was 1 rebound off a double-double (19 points, 9 rebounds), while Nerlens Noels registered one with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Wall's backup Jarrett Jack was also effective in the minutes he saw, as he scored 13.

With Kyrie Irving (23) fouling out and Dion Waiters (10) getting injured, J.J. Redick did his best to shoulder the scoring load. He scored 25 off the bench. Tristan Thompson also had one of his better games, with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Andrei Kirilenko added 15.

The Dion Waiters injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Cavaliers, as they prepare for a possible playoff run. It's likely that Thabo Sefolosha will take over the role as Cleveland's starting two-guard.

CLE@WAS
(OT)
WAS: 127
Wall 32, Beal 28, Burks 19
CLE: 122
Redick 25, Irving 23, Thompson 18

Jordan Performer of the Game: John Wall 32 points (14-22 FG) 5 rebounds 7 assists 2 steals

Rebounds
WAS: Noel 10
CLE: Thompson 8

Assists
WAS: Wall 7
CLE: Irving, Landry, Redick 5

The Terrence Two Tear Up Cavaliers


Kyrie had a better night.

The Cavaliers dropped their second straight game, losing to the Raptors 120-112.

Terrence Williams had a career night, scoring 30 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in a dominant performance. The other Terrence had a big night against Cleveland as well. Ross added 17 points off 7-10 shooting. Kyle Lowry had 15 points and 15 assists, while Rudy Gay (14) and Marcus Morris (12) were also productive offensively.

For the Cavs, both Kyrie Irving (31 points, 14 assists) and Paul Pierce (29 points) brought their best games. But the Cavs were lacking in the paint. With both Steven Adams (Plantar Fasciitis) and Timofey Mozgov (Flu) sitting out of the game, Channing Frye was thrown into the starting role. He had 17 points and 7 rebounds, but lacked help on the glass. Tristan Thompson added 13.

TOR@CLE

TOR: 120
Williams 30, Ross 17, Lowry 15
CLE: 112
Irving 31, Pierce 29, Frye 17

Jordan Performer of the Game: Terrence Williams 30 points (12-16 FG) 8 rebounds 4 assists 1 steal

Rebounds
TOR: Williams 8
CLE: Frye 7

Assists
TOR: Lowry 15
CLE: Irving 14

Unhappy Homecoming for the Truth


Tristan Thompson's efficiency kept it from being a complete blowout.

Paul Pierce's return to Boston wasn't a successful one of the Cavaliers, as they went down 103-88.

Wesley Matthews was the main man to ruin the party for Pierce, as he scored a game-high 31. Avery Bradley also had an efficient night, scoring 18 points off 9-13 shooting. Myck Kabongo, Jared Sullinger and Rajon Rondo tallied 8 each.

Tristan Thompson was Cleveland's best. Despite not having plays run for him, he managed 19 points, as well as 12 rebounds. Paul Pierce added 16 points in his first game in Boston as a visitor. However, poor shooting from Kyrie Irving (15 points 7-20FG), J.J. Redick (13 points 5-14FG) and Channing Frye (12 points 5-12FG) led to Cleveland's downfall.

CLE@BOS

BOS: 103
Matthews 31, Bradley 18, Kabongo 8
CLE: 88
Thompson 19, Pierce 16, Irving 15

Jordan Performer of the Game: Wesley Matthews 31 points (13-22 FG) 5 rebounds 2 assists 1 block

Rebounds
BOS: Sullinger 14
CLE: Thompson 12

Assists
BOS: Rondo 14
CLE: Irving 7

Overall: 42-33

Injury Update
Dion Waiters - Broken Ankle, 4-6 weeks (Out)
Steven Adams - Plantar Fasciitis, 2-4 weeks (Hurt)
Timofey Mozgov - Flu, Day-to-day (Hurt)

[Kenny]

5 Simmed Games

MIA@CLE

CLE: 84
Irving 25, Frye 15, Redick 14
MIA: 80
James 20, Wade 20, Marion 12

Jordan Performer of the Game: Kyrie Irving 25 points (9-22 FG) 4 rebounds 7 assists 3 steals 1 block

Rebounds
CLE: Frye 8
MIA: Hill, James, Wade 7

Assists
CLE: Irving 7
MIA: Chalmers 8

CLE@IND

IND: 102
Granger 20, Green 17, Stephenson 16
CLE: 94
Irving 32, Redick 20, Thompson 13

Jordan Performer of the Game: Danny Granger 20 points (7-12 FG) 9 rebounds 2 assists 1 steal 3 blocks

Rebounds
IND: Hibbert 11
CLE: Frye, Irving, Kirilenko 6

Assists
IND: Hill 9
CLE: Redick 5

DET@CLE

DET: 105
Monroe 22, Paul 19, Knight 17
CLE: 98
Irving 27, Redick 19, Pierce 17

Jordan Performer of the Game: Greg Monroe 22 points (9-14 FG) 12 rebounds 4 assists 1 block

Rebounds
DET: Monroe 12
CLE: Thompson 8

Assists
DET: Paul 7
CLE: Irving 12

Note: Despite losing, the Cavs spot in the playoffs is now guaranteed.

NYK@CLE

NYK: 88
Johnson-Odom 19, Stoudemire 14, Gortat 12
CLE: 87
Irving 24, Thompson 18, Pierce 12

Jordan Performer of the Game: Darius Johnson-Odom 19 points (8-16 FG) 1 rebound 3 assists 1 steal

Rebounds
NYK: Gortat 9
CLE: Frye 9

Assists
NYK: Felton 7
CLE: Irving 6

CLE@PHI

PHI: 93
Bynum 22, Bogut 17, Ginobili 11
CLE: 88
Irving 38. Thompson 13, Pierce 8

Jordan Performer of the Game: Andrew Bynum 22 points (9-17 FG) 16 rebounds 1 assist 1 block

Rebounds
PHI: Bynum 16
CLE: Irving 12

Assists
PHI: Holiday 11
CLE: Irving, Pierce 5

Overall: 43-37

Injury Update
Dion Waiters - Broken Ankle, 4-6 weeks (Out)
Steven Adams - Plantar Fasciitis, 1-2 weeks (Hurt)
Channing Frye - Twisted Ankle, Day-to-day (Hurt)

[Phil89]

Tough stretch of games with only 1 win in 8. Clearly Waiters going down is a huge loss. Such bad timing on the eve of the playoffs.

[Martti.]

Ouch, will be real tough in the Playoffs without Dion, his 18-20 points a night need to come from somewhere.

[Kenny]

Phil89, the timing of the injury is definitely horrible. I guess it's Sefolosha's time to shine

Martti., exactly, and there's not a great deal of players who can step up like that. A lot of the role players I signed were basically for defense. I need a better contingency plan I guess.

[Kenny]

Cavs Lose 5th Straight


Thabo has been a surprise offensively.

The Cavaliers dropped yet another April game, losing to the Bobcats 109-96.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a career night against the Cavaliers. His 34 points came from just 17 shots (14-17), and he also managed 11 rebounds to complete a double-double. Gerald Henderson also had a solid night from the field, scoring 16 points off 8-14. Kemba Walker had an ugly night from the field (6-18) but an impressive game overall. He was just one rebound off a triple-double and six points from a 20-20 game. He had 14 points, 9 rebounds and 21 assists. Tyrus Thomas (12) and Byron Mullens (10) had minor contributions in the game.

Even though the Cavs are missing Dion Waiters, Thabo Sefolosha did his best to fill the void in this game. He had an outstanding game, tallying 27 points and 8 rebounds. He combined well with Kyrie Irving in the backcourt, as the Cavs point guard had 23 points and 9 assists. But once again, Cleveland lacked significant scoring from the supporting cast, as J.J. Redick (10) was the only other player in double figures.

CHA@CLE

CHA: 109
Kidd-Gilchrist 34, Henderson 16, Walker 14
CLE: 96
Sefolosha 27, Irving 23, Redick 10

Jordan Performer of the Game: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 34 points (14-17 FG) 11 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal

Rebounds

CHA: Pekovic 12
CLE: Sefolosha 8

Assists

CHA: Walker 21
CLE: Irving 9

Cavaliers Drop Final Game


Mike Bibby showed signs of life

The Cavaliers capped their horrible April off with a 120-109 loss to the Orlando Magic.

Once again, the Magic both lived and died off of J.R. Smith's production. He scored a game high 33 points off 13-32 shooting. But the hero for the Magic ended up being Jason Thompson. He bullied Channing Frye in the middle for most of the game, and ended up with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Arron Afflalo was also productive with 18 points, while Jameer Nelson had a hand in just about everything, with 10 points and 20 assists.

The Cavaliers had 5 players in double figures, led by Kyrie Irving (25). Paul Pierce scored 15, while both J.J. Redick and Tristan Thompson tallied 14 each. Veteran Mike Bibby made the most of his rare minutes, contributing 11. Channing Frye added 10, but was dominated the entire time he was on the floor.

CLE@ORL

ORL: 120
Smith 33, J Thompson 26, Afflalo 18
CLE: 109
Irving 25, Pierce 15, Redick 14

Jordan Performer of the Game: Jason Thompson 26 points (13-17 FG) 14 rebounds 1 assist 3 steals

Rebounds
ORL: J Thompson 14
CLE: T Thompson 8

Assists
ORL: Nelson 20
CLE: Irving 8

Overall: 43-39

[Kenny]

April 2015 Review

Well, there was one positive that came out of April for the Cavaliers; and it's not the solitary win they got against the Miami Heat. Despite their poor play, it was confirmed that they would play in the post-season. But you have to be a blind optimist to not see the negatives from the horror month Cleveland endured.

The Cavaliers fell from the third seed all the way down to the 8th seed. Instead of getting the home advantage, they now have to face the Bulls, who had the best record in the league. Now, they have been plagued by injuries to key players. They lost Dion Waiters, who looks like he will sit out the first round of the playoffs, and more recently, Steven Adams has been hampered by Plantar Fasciitis. He is in doubt for the first round as well.

But hey, anything can happen in the Playoffs, right?

East
Bulls 59-23
76ers 50-32
Pistons 47-35
Raptors 47-35
Wizards 46-36
Knicks 45-37
Bucks 44-38
Cavaliers 43-39
---
Heat 40-42
Pacers 39-43
Hawks 35-47
Nets 35-47
Bobcats 34-48
Celtics 33-49
Magic 30-52

West
Thunder 53-29
Rockets 48-34
Kings 45-37
Nuggets 45-37
Clippers 41-41
Timberwolves 41-41
Trail Blazers 40-42
Warriors 38-44
---
Hornets 38-44
Jazz 37-45
Mavericks 37-45
Spurs 37-45
Suns 37-45
Lakers 34-48
Grizzlies 32-50

League Leaders

Points: [MIA] LeBron James 28.6
Rebounds: [DAL] Anthony Randolph, [LAC] DeAndre Jordan 10.2
Assists: [BOS] Rajon Rondo, [MIN] Ricky Rubio 9.9
Steals: [CLE] Kyrie Irving 3.1
Blocks: [ATL] Josh Smith, [LAC] DeAndre Jordan, [DET] Andre Drummond 2.1

[Kenny]

Awards and Teams of 2014-2015

MVP: [OKC] Kevin Durant
24.9ppg (.519 FG) 8.8rpg 5.6apg 1.4spg 1.5bpg

About freakin time!

It was looking like LeBron James would win this one again. But as he missed the playoffs all together, the voters couldn't deny Durant any longer. Amongst his impeccable stats, he average almost 25 points a game on a 50, 40, 90 season. You can't argue with that.

Rookie of the Year: [LAL] Adonis Thomas
13.1ppg (.463FG) 6.1rpg 4apg 1.3spg

The Lakers had two excellent rookie prospects this year, and this award could have possibly gone to James McAdoo. However, Adonis Thomas got the nod for his better stat line.

Sixth Man of the Year: [CLE] J.J. Redick
13.9ppg 2.4apg .364 3pt

Redick goes back-to-back with this sixth man award. For the entire season, he was a solid third scoring option coming off the bench.

Defensive Player of the Year: [ATL] Josh Smith
2.1 blocks 1.3 steals

He may be a frustrating player to watch on the offensive end, but on defense, Josh Smith is arguably the best wing player around.

Most Improved Player: [BOS] Jared Sullinger
14.2ppg 9.5rpg 1.1bpg

Sullinger just edged the late-blooming Anthony Randolph for this award. Even though the Celtics are heading to the lottery once again, Sullinger was one of the few high points of the season for the Boston fans.

Coach of the Year: [CHI] Tom Thibodeau

Thibs did it once again. The Chicago Bulls had the best record in the league.

All-NBA

First
[CLE] Kyrie Irving
[WAS] John Wall
[OKC] Kevin Durant
[MIA] LeBron James
[MIL] Dwight Howard

Second
[OKC] Russell Westbrook
[MIN] Ricky Rubio
[LAC] Blake Griffin
[WAS] Matthew Burks
[SAC] DeMarcus Cousins

Third
[MIA] Dwyane Wade
[HOU] James Harden
[MIN] Kevin Love
[NOH] Anthony Davis
[DET] Greg Monroe

All Defense

First
[CLE] Kyrie Irving
[IND] Paul George
[ATL] Josh Smith
[NOH] Anthony Davis
[DET] Andre Drummond

Second
[LAC] Eric Bledsoe
[MIN] Ricky Rubio
[DAL] Anthony Randolph
[OKC] Kevin Durant
[LAC] DeAndre Jordan

All Rookie

First
[LAL] Adonis Thomas
[HOU] Shabazz Muhammad
[LAC] Otto Porter
[PHX] Cody Zeller
[LAL] James McAdoo

Second
[DEN] Alex Poythress
[SAN] Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
[MEM] Ian Miller
[WAS] Nerlens Noel
[NYK] Darius Johnson-Odom

[Martti.]

Ouch, all the way down to the 8th seed. I don't see you going more then 5 games against the Bulls.

[Kenny]

Martti., April was such a brutal month. It was really hard to play those games.