Cavs vs Wizards and the goddamn NBA Playoffs
Published by The Cavalier May 4th, 2006 in Cleveland Cavaliers, Gilbert Arenas, LeBron James, Washington Wizards
(Note to the readership: If you count yourself among those who are annoyed by our bias, homerism, and unconditional and often melodramatic love for LeBron James and the Cavaliers, skip this post altogether. Seriously.)
UPDATE: NBATV is showing this game at 3:30 eastern, if you missed it and don’t have a job. Second-best game of the entire postseason and one of the best pure NBA games in literally years.
These are just random thoughts - we’re not coherent on this game yet, and definitely not feeling the jokes.
First of all, this game was awesome. We don’t know how we’d feel if the Cavs had lost, but we assume anyone who’s a basketball fan had to be going nuts watching this. We envy those of you who could watch without risk of heart attack.
We know he’s like a good reclamation story and allegedly a great guy, but something about Caron Butler bugs the shit out of us.
If Larry Hughes was dissatisfied before, he must be feeling better today. As much as Mike Brown can be ripped on, he adjusted the offense masterfully for this game.
Eric Snow scored the first six points of OT. On layups. That Wiz defense could be a bit tighter in places.
Is it just us, or does it seem like every time Jeff Van Gundy complimented Arenas and/or James, he was taking a subtle, between-the-lines dig at Tracy McGrady? The one that really sticks out was (paraphrasing) “if your star doesn’t really, really want it, you have no chance to win in this league.”
Speaking of TNTness, “James Gang” is unfair, unsolicited, and way too blatantly the result of an overthought production meeting.
TNT again - Charles Barkley really doesn’t like the Cavs at all, does he?
Gilbert Arenas is by far our favorite non-Cavalier in the NBA at this point.
Wizznutzzzzzzzzzz - we always will love you no matter what. We have great respect, and it’s parallel to what the teams are like. While there has been much bitching about the refs and calls and such, the dialogue between the teams and players has been full of admiration and healthy competition. Nobody’s getting personal, and it makes the games that much more fun to watch.
We’re aghast at the thoughts we’re having heading into tomorrow. While we almost died of the shakes and scared the living shit out of our sister several times, we have a sick, sick, sick desire to see a Game 7. This series has been so incredible, and it feels like the only fitting way to end it. It doesn’t become LEGEND unless it goes seven, right?
(After the jump is the part you really shouldn’t read if we annoy you. Go. Skip to the next post, or go read the archives or something.) For the rest of you, click on to the post-jump sequence.
Part of the reason this is so emotional for us is way beyond just wanting to win the series. Bear with us for a moment. We’ll try and explain, but it might not make sense to any of you who don’t come from a city who’s not only never won anything, but gives its losses titles because they’re so iconic.
There’s something very deep inside every Clevelander about what’s happening with LeBron James, and you’re torn between believing in it and being scared of believing in it. We don’t want to sound all Bostonish (Seriously - don’t read this!), but when they were up by 7 with 1:18 left in regulation, we felt it creeping in, and we know all the rest of you from Northeast Ohio did, too.
We were going to lose.
We were on the phone with our dad back in OH, and the words just started flowing - “we’re not gonna win, we’re gonna lose, we’re gonna lose…” and it was that mumbled and incoherent, and that’s when we were up by seven.
And then the Cavs made a stupid pass and gave Caron a stupid 3-point play and we went to OT, and we knew we were right.
Right there, like it was yesterday, instantly we felt The Drive. We felt The Fumble. We felt The Shot. We felt Game 7 of the ‘97 World Series.
They were all right there on the surface, and we said it - we knew we were going to lose, because that’s what always happens.
And then we didn’t.
(Oh my god. You totally read it anyway, didn’t you? Look, you have no place to say one word in the comments about it. We warned you, and you just couldn’t stop yourself.)
I actually didn’t find this annoying, though I appreciate all the disclaimers. This has been a great series. Lebron has finally found his jumpshot and he’s playing smarter on the frive. Gilbert is an absolute murderer…how he doesn’t draw a double whenever he touches the ball is beyond me. I want to see a game 7 too, but more than that I want to see a game where both teams play defense for 48 minutes. A layup to end the game after all that buildup just felt like a let down.
dude, i totally feel you, new mexico has never won a championship in anything either, i’m talking the whole state
The layup wasn’t what made it so insane though - it was the twinkle toes move to get there along the baseline. The layup, to me, was an afterthought.
Yeah say what you want about Jamison not cutting off the baseline, LBJ made a nice move and squirmed through 3 dudes.
beautiful. honestly as a CLE sports fan it got to a point where even if our teams sucked so bad at least we didnt have to go through the heartache in the postseason. but tasting the playoffs for the first time in a while then realizing..oh my god..we are going to lose again..i hated feeling that again last night. but like you said..the kid came through and things are different now.
and i would like to see us end it 6 games. one cause i will be there and 2 you know how we tend to choke in big games.
I just read the Wiz had 2 timeouts at the end!!!!!! Dummers!!!!!!!
It was by far the best game I’ve ever been too. It was the type of game where everyone in the crowd is in it together and at the end everyone is so happy you’re high fiving anyone with their hand in the air. It was a great scene.
New Mexico doesn’t count, b/c you aren’t constantly close!
Grandmama doesn’t count!
Awww Stang!
Seven is the only way to end this….
I can’t say that I am a big fan or a fan of the Cavs. I don’t have a problem with James and I think he is a great player but Arenas is one of my favorite players. He is great to watch and the man can knock down shots like a maniac. I think this series will go to 7 but I think the Wizards will pull off the win. The only problem is the team that wins is gonna be steam rolled in the next series so it’s a curse and a blessing.
If you can’t play defense, how can you beat Detroit?
Lets all just hope that the Spurs choke somewhere and don’t end up in the Finals. If the Kings can’t take em then Dirk better end the ridiculousness in the second round!
This one was emotional. I watched at work, and when my co-worker moved the TV so I could see better, I told her, “You probably just jinxed the game.” Just like that, a 7 point lead evaporated. She was also saying things like, “Wow it’s getting close.” Suddenly I was having flashbacks of Jeremiah Castielle. Back then a woman at our NFC/AFC Championship party wondered aloud, “Isn’t that reaching in?” How do I end up watching Cleveland playoff games with women who don’t care?
So, I moved to another office for the overtime. Finally, Cleveland has The Guy. The Guy who makes The Play. Admit it, from the original camera angle, your view so obscurred by defenders that you had no idea what he was doing, but suddenly, there he was in front of the rim.
Beautiful.
I dunno, man, James Gang is back on tour. And Joe used to pull a pretty sweet tone out of those mini-humbuckers.
aw cav…it’s ok buddy, we’re all happy for you. no need to qualify your excitement. come on now.
I only got to see the last 1:30 but at the end I went absolutely apeshit.
Seriously, the wiz had timeouts. What were they thinking.
Hey, Cavalier … What’s eating Gilbert Arenas? (tried to post a link - guess you have to click my name)
Damn that’s much better than my weak Pistons effort I just spit up. I’m such a hack sometimes.
I read the whole thing, despite your disclaimers. I’ll be honest with you, If I didn’t hate the Cavaliers with every ounce of my Gilbert-loving being at the moment, you would have me rooting for the Cavs. This series deserves nothing less than a Game 7 Gilbert/LeBron shootout.
just like you, i KNEW the cavs would blow that 7pt lead. i thought for sure they would lose, and told all my friends it was going to happen. they thought i didnt have faith in my team. they just dont know.
maybe im not a “true fan” of basketball, but i really want this series to end asap. cavs in 6 please. just get the win, so i know that theyre going to the next round (albeit theyre going to get killed). no messing around, though a game 7 lbj/arenas showdown would be amazing. id probably be more nervous than watching ohio state stare at a 4th and 14 in overtime against miami…
I’m a Clevelander as well, I was there. You basically described exactly how I felt, and how my buds felt at the game, too. Tentatively excited and deathly afraid.
For those who emailed to ask - I’m too young for Red Right 88, but I’m familiar with it.