Game 8: Cavs at Magic - Wed, Nov 11, 8:00pm

[Rise Against]

............................................................................................................................ vs.
.....................................................................................................................................................................(4-3)................................................................................................................(6-2)



........................................................................................................................................................• Thursday, November 11th, 2009
........................................................................................................................................................• 8:00 PM - ET
........................................................................................................................................................• Amway Arena
........................................................................................................................................................• Orlando, FL
........................................................................................................................................................• ESPN, WTAM1000



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...................................................................................................PF: C: SF:
.......................................................................................................................................... PG: SG:


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..........................................................................................................................................PG: SG:
...................................................................................................PF: C: SF:


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........................................................................................................................................................................Key Matchup

................
• Who is the real Superman?
• Will Shaq be able to contain Dwight Howard?



........................................................................................................................................................................Players Out


• Leon Powe - Out With Knee Injury
• Rashard Lewis - Out With League Suspension
• Ryan Anderson - Out With Sprained Right Ankle
• Adonal Foyle - Out With Right Knee Surgery




........................................................................................................................................................................Game Notes


• Cleveland will head to Florida this week for a back-to-back road trip with Orlando and Miami. The first game against the Magic will feature two of the NBA's Top 10 teams in three-point shooting with Cleveland (.440) at 2nd and Orlando (.391) at 8th. Both teams also take care of the defensive glass, giving up only 8.6 offensive rebounds per game to their opponents, fewest in the NBA.

• With their 100-91 victory over the Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Friday, Cleveland has won six consecutive games against New York, including the last four on the road. In this span, the Cavs have outscored the Knicks by an average margin of 110.2-95.7 while shooting .498 from the field compared to .426 from the Knicks.

• In Cleveland's last five games, the team's defense has held opponents to just .418 (164-392) shooting from the field and 86.6 points per game. Cleveland's defense so far on the season ranks 5th in the NBA in opponent points per game (89.9), 6th in defensive field goal percentage (.427) and is tied for 8th in blocks (5.6) per game. The team is allowing 29.7 points in the paint, the 2nd fewest in the NBA and after giving up only two to Chicago on Thursday and four to the Knicks on Friday, ranks 1st in second chance points allowed at only 9.0 points per game. The Cavaliers also rank 9th in fewest fast break points allowed at 10.1.

• Against the Knicks, LeBron James scored 19 points in the first quarter on 8-9 (.889) shooting, the third-highest opening period total in his career, on his way to a game-high 33 points on 12-17 (.706) shooting, eight rebounds, a game-high nine assists and three steals in 36 minutes. James' performance led the team to score a season-high 40 points in the first quarter on 16-22 (.727) shooting.

• In 11 career games at the Garden, LeBron James has averaged 30.4 points on .487 shooting, including .458 from behind the arc, 5.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.4 steals. James ranks 2nd in scoring behind K. Bryant at 30.5 for visiting players. (STATS, Inc.) For the season, James is averaging 26.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 37.9 minutes.

• In his first game off the bench this season on Friday, Anderson Varejao finished with eight points, a game-high 14 rebounds (five offensive), two blocks and two steals in 34 minutes. Varejao has now led the team in rebounding in five straight games and recorded double figure rebounds in three straight games.

• Against the Knicks, Daniel Gibson scored 11 points and connected on three three-pointers. Gibson has scored in double figures in four of the team's seven games this season and is averaging 8.7 points while shooting 17-34 (.500) from behind the arc.

• Through the first seven games, the team has made 59 three-point field goals, which is twelve more than the team's previous best mark of 47 in 2007-08. The team ranks 2nd (Phoenix) in three-point percentage at 59-134 (.440). and is one of the most improved teams in shooting three-pointers from last season (.393) to this season (.440). (STATS, Inc.)

• For players with at least 10 three-point attempts, the Cavaliers have three players in the Top 25 in the NBA. Anthony Parker, who went a combined 5-6 (833) over the last two games, ranks 5th in three-point shooting at 14-25 (.560) while Daniel Gibson ranks 13th at 17-34 (.500). Mo Williams is also shooting 14-30 (.467) on three-pointers this season, which ranks 21st.

• Against the Knicks, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a near double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds. Ilgauskas (714 games played, 667 starts) is only six games away from tying Bingo Smith (720 games) for second all-time (Danny Ferry, 723 games) in games played in franchise history.





.........................................................................Stay classy! No trolling please.

...............................................................................

[Benedict_Boozer]

We get this one all the struggles to start the season will be forgotten.

No excuses, we have had several days to rest and prepare, this is why Shaq was brought here. Time to get it done.

[Rise Against]

We get this one all the struggles to start the season will be forgotten.

No excuses, we have had several days to rest and prepare, this is why Shaq was brought here. Time to get it done.

Not to mention, Orlando is playing in a back to back. We have a slight advantage heading into this one, especially with Lewis out and Hedo not with them anymore.

[prekazi]

This'll get ugly.

[gflem]

Well, Shaq fired the first volley syaing that Orlando WILL double be double teaming while we will play straight up D. However, Van G got fined for bitchin about the refs against detroit. Was that in anticipation of this game? Probably, we all know he is a whiner, and is probably trying to plant a seed with the refs. Must be tough to be a coach in the NBA and dealing with meonpause at the same time.

[B Mac]

Interesting that there are only 3 starters on both team's combined from last year's ECF matchup.

[mattyBoi]

You guys will most likely win by a decent amount...We arent as potent without a shooting 4 ( Rashard, Ryan Anderson)...Still looking forward to the first of possibly many battles this year!

[SD2042]

Looking forward to this match. I would like it better if the Magic were playing with a full deck to really take this game to the limit. Just have to see what happens on Wednesday.

[Gordon Bombay]

this one is going to be tough...just for fun, here's the box score from our last victory in orlando

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=280211019

lol, what's not to like about that box score? 40 points from bricks hughes, ira newble starting, dwayne jones playing some inspired ball for 22 minutes and hot buttered donny hoisting up 10 shots in 16 minutes making three of them

i can't fathom why that team was broken up just seven days later lol

[Chris Hansen]

This could get ugly.

[Rise Against]

this one is going to be tough...just for fun, here's the box score from our last victory in orlando

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=280211019

lol, what's not to like about that box score? 40 points from bricks hughes, ira newble starting, dwayne jones playing some inspired ball for 22 minutes and hot buttered donny hoisting up 10 shots in 16 minutes making three of them

i can't fathom why that team was broken up just seven days later lol

It is a bit puzzling to me how we are able to beat them with that type of roster we had.

[CzBoobie]

this one is going to be tough...just for fun, here's the box score from our last victory in orlando

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=280211019

lol, what's not to like about that box score? 40 points from bricks hughes, ira newble starting, dwayne jones playing some inspired ball for 22 minutes and hot buttered donny hoisting up 10 shots in 16 minutes making three of them

i can't fathom why that team was broken up just seven days later lol

It is a bit puzzling to me how we are able to beat them with that type of roster we had.

When Laura Hughes scores 40 on 19 shots, anything is possible...lol.

[SOUL]

I remember that Hughes game.. he couldnt miss it was insane

[BigShaq]

Cavs will win this game if they have Shaq involve in the offense as well as in the defense vs Howard.
Shas needs to have the ball , he needs to haves his touches and have Howard gurading him.
He can still dominate the game even at 37 years old.
ours shooters need to shoot well and defend Carter.

[BigDaddyPR]

Ok, its time for shaq to show the haters why he is here and why he is so important to this team. im only worried about early foul trouble, the game will be in Orl, and all eyes will be on Shaq vs Howard, so maybe the refs will try to be the point of attention instead of letting them play, like has happened many times before. I know shaq will bring it, he knows this is the game he needs to show for.

On the other hand, im a little worried about our offense, shaq can contain Howard but if anyone not named lebron doesnt step up offensively were screwed anyways....

D. west should do a decent job on carter when on the court. Parker will prob get killed though...

Well see.. i say Cavs by 6 in a low scoring game.. 88-82.

[tranjSAIC]

Cavs will win this game if they have Shaq involve in the offense as well as in the defense vs Howard.
Shas needs to have the ball , he needs to haves his touches and have Howard gurading him.
He can still dominate the game even at 37 years old.
ours shooters need to shoot well and defend Carter.

Defending Carter should be easy now, this will be his 2nd game back. His first one was pretty weak also, he stayed on the 3 point line even more then he normally does.

When did Hickson get the starting position for you guys?

[mcfly1204]

Hickson got the nod for the Cavs last game. I will be interested to see Hickson vs. Bass... if Hickson can stay in the game for more than 10 minutes tonight.

[drsd]

Magic fan here:

I see this game as over-hyped on all sides. Orlando is not healthy, and Cleveland does not have a unified rotation. Yes there will be a winner and a loser to this game, but that result will tell us little to how these teams will perform at around Christmas time.

Orlando and Cleveland play a pair of games in mid-February. Those games matter. This game is less important.

[Niko23]

Magic fan here:

I see this game as over-hyped on all sides. Orlando is not healthy, and Cleveland does not have a unified rotation. Yes there will be a winner and a loser to this game, but that result will tell us little to how these teams will perform at around Christmas time.

Orlando and Cleveland play a pair of games in mid-February. Those games matter. This game is less important.

Completely agree. We are struggling with our sets and rotations. You guys are not healthy. What can really be gained here? Other than to see Shaq v Dwight

[Ballah]

I hate this kind of game. This should be an statement game for both teams but for us its a lose/lose situation, with two starters out an Orlando win would be magnified while a Cavs win would be diminished. Prediction: cavs by 10, everyone in the media writes it off as "orlando was missing both their stretch 4s", shaq still sucks.