Crippled Cavs

Questions frequently asked: Is Brett Favre really retired? Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame? Can the Cavs really win without LeBron James? The answer to all three should be a resounding YES. I believe Favre is done. I think Rose should be in the Hall no matter how many times he placed bets on the game. And, yes Cleveland can most certainly win a championship without James…it might just take an enormous effort and colossal changes. One man does not make a team. However, one man’s absence does impair one.
If Cleveland excels at anything, it’s losing. The crippled Cavs are on the verge of breaking a single season record for consecutive losses. Memphis handed the Cavs their 23rd straight loss in a Friday night 112-105 drubbing at FedEx Forum. The Grizzlies turned a one point fourth quarter deficit into a 13-0 run to seal the deal. It seems only fitting that the Cavs lost 23 a year after #23 exited for sunny skies in Miami. Zach Randolph propelled the Grizzlies with 29 points and 13 rebounds against the league’s worst team. The Cavs are now just 8-42 on the season. Cleveland hasn’t won a game since beating the Knicks in overtime on December 19th. Friday’s win gave Memphis a season best five in a row and eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Grizzlies roared back after Cleveland controlled the game for most of the first three quarters. J.J. Hickson tied a career high with 31 points for the visiting team. Hickson had a hard time handling Memphis’ monster front line. The 6’9” Cavalier brought down nine defensive rebounds and finished with a total of 15, but his team failed to close it out in the end. The Cavs forced eight first quarter turnovers and held the Grizzlies in check for most of the half. Rudy Gay drained 26 points and Mike Conley added 21 in the win. Ramon Sessions had a big game, with 20 points, for Cleveland. Antwan Jamison tallied 19 in the loss, but made just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Cleveland took advantage of the Grizzlies’ 2-3 zone and the absence of Marc Gasol. Gasol sat out with three fouls as he watched his team fall behind by ten points midway through the first period.
The Cavs closed out half number one with a 6-2 run despite the Grizzlies hitting their first ten shots of the night. Cleveland led 59-52 at halftime and carried a 12 point advantage into the third quarter before allowing it to slip away. The Cavs committed 10 turnovers that proved costly and cost them the lead. Meanwhile, Memphis out-rebounded the visitors and dominated the free throw line. The Grizzlies shot 90% from the charity stripe. The home team rallied to take an 83-80 edge late in the third stanza. The Cavs fought back fiercely to maintain the lead and succeeded in re-taking it heading into the fourth quarter on Jamison’s layup. Cleveland crumbled from there, allowing the Grizzlies to put up 13 straight points. Randolph collected 11 fourth quarter buckets to help Memphis coast to their eighth win in nine tries.

Parting Points: Kevin Love is replacing Yao Ming on the All-star team. Wow, really? Ming can’t play?

Congrats to the NFL Rookies of the Year- Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh.