Game 72 | Cavs at Hornets | Mar 24th 2010 | 8:00pm EST
Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:59 am
* At 56-15 (.789), Cleveland owns the NBA’s best record, including both the best home (31-4) and road records (25-11), and leads the league with highest point differential at +7.4. The Cavaliers have won seven straight which is the longest active winning streak in the NBA and the fourth time this year the team has had a winning streak of at least six games. The team has won 13 of their last 14 games and are 30-7 (.811) in 2010, which is the best mark in that span and remains the only one with its division won to date.
* After going a league-best 66-16 (.805) last season, the Cavaliers could become the first team since the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96 (72-10) and 1996-97 (69-13) and only the fifth team to accomplish this feat in the last 19 seasons to have sole possession of the best record in the regular season in consecutive years. The team can also potentially make more NBA history by holding the best home record in consecutive seasons, winning 65 games in consecutive seasons and holding the best home and road record in a season. (Elias – more information listed on second team notes page).
* The 104-79 win over Detroit on Sunday earned the Cavs their 26th consecutive victory over teams with losing records and pushed their record to 31-3 (.912) versus teams who were currently under .500.
* The Cavaliers are a league-leading 25-11 (694) on the road and have won 16 times in their last 21 road games. The team is looking for its third straight win over New Orleans. In the 105-95 win on Feb. 23 over the Hornets, LeBron James notched his 23rd double-double of the season with 20 points, a game-high 13 assists, five rebounds and two steals. Antawn Jamison played in his first home game as a Cavalier and scored 18 points on 7-14 (.500) shooting to go along with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
* Tonight’s game will be Mike Brown’s 400th regular season game as Cavaliers Head Coach, where he is 267-132, .669. Brown’s 267 regular season wins ranks third in Cavaliers franchise history. Earlier this season, he surpassed Mike Fratello (248 wins) and only trails Lenny Wilkens (316 games) and Bill Fitch (304 wins) for most all-time. His .669 regular season winning percentage is second among active head coaches to only Phil Jackson at .719, ranks first all-time in team history and his regular season games coached at 399 is the franchise’s fourth-longest. Since the 2005-06 season under Coach Brown, the Cavs are an NBA-best 55-18 (.753) overall during the month of March. At home during that span in March, the Cavs are 36-4 (.900) and have won 17 straight at The Q. (FOX Sports Ohio)
* Versus Detroit, six Cavaliers scored in double figures for the 10th time this season (10-0) and Leon Powe had a season-high and team-leading 16 points on 5-8 (.625) shooting, seven rebounds and one steal in a season-high 21 minutes. Powe’s five field goals made is also a season-high. Powe led the Cavs bench, which outscored the Pistons reserves 47-34. The Cavaliers bench is averaging 30.1 points, 17.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in a combined 92.3 minutes per game, which are all higher than the averages of 25.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 80.5 minutes last season. The team allows a league-low 26.0 points from opponent reserves.
* One of the league’s best defensive players and sixth men in Anderson Varejao added a game-high tying nine rebounds and scored six points. Over his last 14 games, Varejao has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 14 contests averaging a near double-double of 11.1 points on .677 shooting and 8.4 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game. On the season, he ranks second in reserves in total rebounding at 7.8 rpg in 62 games (Lamar Odom – 8.2 rpg in 44 games). The Cavs have the Top 2 players in plus/minus ratio with MVP candidate LeBron James leading the league at +599 and +8.7/gm and Varejao at 2nd at +502 and 3rd +7.3/gm.
* Mo Williams had 12 points on 4-8 (.500) shooting, including 2-3 (.667) shots from beyond the arc, a game-high eight assists, four rebounds and one steal. In his last six games, he has knocked down 18-32 (.563) shots from long range and is averaging 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game over that span. Williams currently ranks 8th in the NBA in long range accuracy at 140-326 (.429) and fifth in free throw accuracy at 145-162 (.895) making him the only guard to be in the Top 10 in each category. As a Cavalier, he’s shot 353-390 (.905) from the charity stripe, which would rank 2nd all-time in franchise history (Mark Price - .906).
* The Cavaliers defensively continue to be one of the best in the league, allowing the NBA’s second-lowest opponent field goal percentage at .438 and is third in points allowed in the league at 94.8 ppg. After limiting the Pistons to only 38 points in the second half, Cleveland’s second-half defense continues to be suffocating this season, allowing the second-fewest points in the second half at 44.8 (Charlotte – 44.5). In the paint, the Cavaliers are allowing the lowest average of only 36.0 points in the paint on the season.
* Offensively, Cleveland has outshot opponents in 13 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA. (STATS, Inc.)
* After going a league-best 66-16 (.805) last season, the Cavaliers could become the first team since the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96 (72-10) and 1996-97 (69-13) and only the fifth team to accomplish this feat in the last 19 seasons to have sole possession of the best record in the regular season in consecutive years. The team can also potentially make more NBA history by holding the best home record in consecutive seasons, winning 65 games in consecutive seasons and holding the best home and road record in a season. (Elias – more information listed on second team notes page).
* The 104-79 win over Detroit on Sunday earned the Cavs their 26th consecutive victory over teams with losing records and pushed their record to 31-3 (.912) versus teams who were currently under .500.
* The Cavaliers are a league-leading 25-11 (694) on the road and have won 16 times in their last 21 road games. The team is looking for its third straight win over New Orleans. In the 105-95 win on Feb. 23 over the Hornets, LeBron James notched his 23rd double-double of the season with 20 points, a game-high 13 assists, five rebounds and two steals. Antawn Jamison played in his first home game as a Cavalier and scored 18 points on 7-14 (.500) shooting to go along with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
* Tonight’s game will be Mike Brown’s 400th regular season game as Cavaliers Head Coach, where he is 267-132, .669. Brown’s 267 regular season wins ranks third in Cavaliers franchise history. Earlier this season, he surpassed Mike Fratello (248 wins) and only trails Lenny Wilkens (316 games) and Bill Fitch (304 wins) for most all-time. His .669 regular season winning percentage is second among active head coaches to only Phil Jackson at .719, ranks first all-time in team history and his regular season games coached at 399 is the franchise’s fourth-longest. Since the 2005-06 season under Coach Brown, the Cavs are an NBA-best 55-18 (.753) overall during the month of March. At home during that span in March, the Cavs are 36-4 (.900) and have won 17 straight at The Q. (FOX Sports Ohio)
* Versus Detroit, six Cavaliers scored in double figures for the 10th time this season (10-0) and Leon Powe had a season-high and team-leading 16 points on 5-8 (.625) shooting, seven rebounds and one steal in a season-high 21 minutes. Powe’s five field goals made is also a season-high. Powe led the Cavs bench, which outscored the Pistons reserves 47-34. The Cavaliers bench is averaging 30.1 points, 17.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in a combined 92.3 minutes per game, which are all higher than the averages of 25.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 80.5 minutes last season. The team allows a league-low 26.0 points from opponent reserves.
* One of the league’s best defensive players and sixth men in Anderson Varejao added a game-high tying nine rebounds and scored six points. Over his last 14 games, Varejao has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 14 contests averaging a near double-double of 11.1 points on .677 shooting and 8.4 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game. On the season, he ranks second in reserves in total rebounding at 7.8 rpg in 62 games (Lamar Odom – 8.2 rpg in 44 games). The Cavs have the Top 2 players in plus/minus ratio with MVP candidate LeBron James leading the league at +599 and +8.7/gm and Varejao at 2nd at +502 and 3rd +7.3/gm.
* Mo Williams had 12 points on 4-8 (.500) shooting, including 2-3 (.667) shots from beyond the arc, a game-high eight assists, four rebounds and one steal. In his last six games, he has knocked down 18-32 (.563) shots from long range and is averaging 15.3 points and 5.3 assists per game over that span. Williams currently ranks 8th in the NBA in long range accuracy at 140-326 (.429) and fifth in free throw accuracy at 145-162 (.895) making him the only guard to be in the Top 10 in each category. As a Cavalier, he’s shot 353-390 (.905) from the charity stripe, which would rank 2nd all-time in franchise history (Mark Price - .906).
* The Cavaliers defensively continue to be one of the best in the league, allowing the NBA’s second-lowest opponent field goal percentage at .438 and is third in points allowed in the league at 94.8 ppg. After limiting the Pistons to only 38 points in the second half, Cleveland’s second-half defense continues to be suffocating this season, allowing the second-fewest points in the second half at 44.8 (Charlotte – 44.5). In the paint, the Cavaliers are allowing the lowest average of only 36.0 points in the paint on the season.
* Offensively, Cleveland has outshot opponents in 13 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA. (STATS, Inc.)
