From the moment LeBron James arrives at the arena, he goes through his arduous routine.
That routine begins with a pregame stretch and workout and continues through the game. And it occurs every game, which has transformed James into the superstar player he has become.
There were several plays which defined James' work ethic and desire to win in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 108-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night before a near-sellout crowd of 19,517 at the Wachovia Center.
With the Cavaliers trailing 94-90 midway through the fourth quarter, James responded with a 3-pointer.
Then with the Sixers leading 96-93, James tracked down a loose ball in the corner and drained another huge 3-pointer to tie the game at 96. This particular play seemed to energize the Cavaliers as they surged to a seven-point victory and improved to 19-7.
"I'll do whatever it takes for our team to win," said James, who scored a game-high 36 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. "My teammates know this. I'll dive on the floor and do whatever I need to do to help us get a win."
Cleveland defeated the New Jersey Nets, 99-89, on Tuesday and still mustered more than enough energy to win the next night on the road.
Mo Williams scored 12 points, including five straight with a jumper and a 3-pointer to snap the 96-all tie and give the Cavaliers a five-point lead with 2:41 remaining.
"I felt really good down the stretch," Williams said. "We played 10 guys and the coaches do a great job of rotating. I had good legs at the end and I was able to make a couple of big shots."
The Cavaliers made a number of big shots, especially with a 9-for-15 performance from 3-point territory.
This has been a major problem for the Sixers all season -- defending the perimeter.
"We did not make a big shot," Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said. "They made two, maybe three, big shots."
Despite a left rib contusion, the Sixers received a stellar effort from Andre Iguodala with 26 points. Thaddeus Young picked up his third straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Allen Iverson added 16 points.
After snapping a 12-game losing streak with a win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday, the Sixers were unable to build on that momentum.
"I'm not in it for moral victories," said Iverson, who will have an MRI on his left knee on Thursday.
Speaking of injuries, the Sixers did get a boost with the return of Marreese Speights. The second-year forward hadn't played since Nov. 14 because of a left MCL sprain.
Speights was very effective in his first game back with 14 points in 22 minutes.
"I wasn't sure I'd be playing," Speights said. "I've been feeling better and I've been practicing hard. I felt good. I was a little too amped up."
The Sixers have dropped six in a row to Cleveland at the Wachovia Center dating back to Feb. 22, 2006.
In those games, there is likely a play from James much like the one which helped turn this game around for the Cavaliers.
"I thought late in the game when we were down, LeBron James, being who he is, hit some big shots for us," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "He came up with that 50-50 ball and then knocked a three down. I don't coach that. Anybody here can stand on the sidelines and coach that shot or play, but that was just a heck of a play by him."
Yet another big reason why the Cavaliers continue to extend their lead in the Central Division.
No comments:
Post a Comment