Cleveland Cavaliers

With the 79-61 loss, the Wine and Gold’s season comes to an end, a few days later than most experts could have predicted, after dropping the last two games of the seven-game semifinal series at Auburn Hills. The Cavaliers have no reason to hang their heads after taking the 64-win Pistons to the brink of elimination – especially after dropping the first two contests at the Palace.

Cleveland was within a bucket, 40-38, at the half and trailed by only two with 3:23 left in the third period. But Lindsey Hunter keyed a late Pistons rally and by the end of the quarter, Detroit’s lead had grown to 10, 58-48.

The Pistons held the Cavaliers to only 10 points in the quarter and limited the Cavaliers to only 13 more in the fourth. The Wine and Gold were good on only five field goals in the second half, shooting an anemic 19 percent from the floor. The Pistons pushed their lead to 18 points in the fourth period, and the Central Division Champs never looked back.

LeBron James had 21 points at intermission, but Detroit threw everything they had at him in the second half. James went just 1-for-9 in the second stanza, finishing with a game-high 27 points. James added eight boards and a pair of assists before being lifted late in the fourth quarter and the game in-hand for the Pistons.

“You’ve got to keep your head up,” said LeBron following the tough loss. “We did a wonderful job in this series and the playoffs, so we have no reason to hang our heads about anything.”

The Cavaliers played tough defense with Detroit the entire series, but they got a clinic in tenacious D on Sunday afternoon in Auburn Hills. The Pistons held the Cavaliers to 30 percent shooting – including a dominating 8 percent (1-12) from three-point range. They out-rebounded Cleveland, 48-36, and forced the Cavaliers into 12 turnovers.

Mike Brown’s squad scored 23 points in the second quarter and 38 in the other three combined. The Cavaliers’ 61-point output was a franchise low in the postseason.

“I’m not satisfied,” lamented Mike Brown, flanked by his two sons at the postgame presser. “This hurts me and it hurts everybody in that locker room. But I’m proud of every single one of those guys wearing a Cavs uniform.”

The only other Cavalier to notch double-figures was Larry Hughes, who played his first game for Cleveland in over a week, following the tragic death of his younger brother, Justin. Hughes finished with 10 points, but scored five of those from the free throw line. In what is hopefully a preview for next season, Hughes added six boards and five assists in just 25 minutes of action.

Only Zydrunas Ilgauskas flirted with success, scoring eight points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Aside from Hughes, the Cavaliers’ backcourt – Eric Snow, Flip Murray and Damon Jones – went a combined 2-for-14 from the floor. Their power forwards – Donyell Marshall and Drew Gooden – combined to go 0-for-9.

“There’s never satisfaction when we lose,” said Jones. “Especially when you had an opportunity to advance. We didn’t take advantage of those situations and when you’re facing a team like the Pistons that has championship experience, you only get so many chances.”

The Pistons boasted four of five starters in double-figures, led by Tayshaun Prince, who netted 20 points to go with seven boards. Prince and Rip Hamilton took turns guarding James, and did an admirable job on the young King throughout the second half.

“I knew the position we were in and we didn’t want to let it slip away once again,” said Prince.

Hamilton followed up with 15 points, Rasheed Wallace added 13 and Chauncey Billups pitched in with a dozen points and eight rebounds. Ben Wallace led both clubs with nine boards.

“In pressure situations, you always do what you do best and for us, it’s defend,” said Pistons coach Flip Saunders. “Sometimes it’s tough to play both ends at a high level in a high-intensity situation, but tonight we locked down.”

The Cavaliers should be proud of their postseason run – topping Washington in an emotional six-game series and giving the Pistons all they could handle after dropping the first two in convincing fashion. But they’ll have all summer to wonder what might have been and will point to the Pistons prolonged possessions late in Game 6, when Cleveland was unable to grab a defensive rebound.

In all, however, there is nothing but good things on the horizon for the Wine and Gold. They received an invaluable education in the 2006 postseason. And they have the best player in the game to build around.

The Cavaliers have a return engagement with the Orlando Magic on Friday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Cleveland topped the Magic 108-100 in overtime on Sunday in Orlando.
The Magic have two All-Star quality players in point guard Steve Francis (22 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the first meeting) and power forward Dwight Howard (21 points, 16 rebounds).

However, the Cavaliers are 4-0 at home this season and have won by an average margin of 21 points.

They waxed the Washington Wizards on Tuesday at The Q, 114-99, as forward LeBron James had 37 points and 10 rebounds.

"(We can be) very dominant (at home)," James said. "We've shown this isn't a fluke going on right now. Early on we weren't (a good team). I see us coming around. We are a very good team."

The Cavaliers harassed Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas, who finished with 18 points and eight assists. He shot 4-of-17 from the field and turned the ball over six times.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown credited luck and team defense in stopping Arenas.

Former Wizards guard Larry Hughes defended Arenas for most of the night. Hughes had 22 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two blocks. He fired in 12 points in a span of 3:18 in the fourth quarter.

"Larry Hughes was huge," Brown said. "Down the stretch, he made play after play after play."

The Cavaliers thought it was a big game despite being so early in the season.

"They came here 5-1 and riding high," James said. "One thing we wanted to do was protect our house. We dedicated this game to Larry. It was unbelievable what he was able to do in the fourth quarter."

The Wizards appear to be a team the Cavaliers will battle for playoff seeding in April.

"If we want to be a playoff team," forward Donyell Marshall said, "we have to beat teams like this."

Hughes, James key Cavs' victory over Wizards

"If LeBron is hitting 3-pointers, you've got to let him keep rolling," Jackson said. "Nobody has a problem with leaving him in when he's like that."

James scored a season-high 37 points and Larry Hughes added 22 in his first game against his former team as the Cleveland Cavaliers roughed up the Washington Wizards 114-99 on Tuesday night.

James, who helped recruit Hughes as a free agent to Cleveland during the offseason, scored just two points in the first quarter but followed with 14 in the second, 14 in the third and seven in the fourth before leaving with 2:32 left.

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown tried to substitute for James "three or four times" in the first quarter, but it seemed like as soon as Jackson vacated his seat and headed for the scorer's table, James responded with big plays.

"I hit a couple 3s and a dunk and I saw the guy who was coming to get me sit back down," said James, who added 10 rebounds in 42 minutes.

Brown felt bad for Jackson and tried to make him feel better.

"I kissed him on the forehead one time," Brown said. "But that's kind of embarrassing for an NBA player."

The Cavaliers won their fifth straight, and are 4-0 at home, winning by an average of 21 points at Quicken Loans Arena.

Hughes was only 7-of-19 from the field, but he added eight assists and made two 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the final 5:03 to thwart a Wizards rally. Donyell Marshall added 16 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas  12 for the Cavs.

Washington's Gilbert Arenas, who scored a league-high 43 on Saturday night against San Antonio, was held to 18 -- 10 below his average -- and shot just 4-of-17. Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 26 points and Caron Butler had 14.

"I couldn't get to the basket," Arenas said. "Every time we made a run, LeBron answered. We just didn't have it tonight."

With James resting on the bench, the Wizards pulled to 86-77 early in the fourth on a layup by Antonio Daniels. But James came back after sitting for only 1:12 and the Cavaliers immediately went on an 8-0 run.

"I felt I needed him back on the floor," Brown said. "LeBron is absolutely amazing."

Moments later, Hughes hit a 3-pointer and Drew Gooden scored on a putback as the Cavaliers opened a 101-86 lead and coasted.

Driving to the basket at every opportunity, James went 6-for-8 from the floor and scored 14 points in the third. His 3-point play in the final second gave the Cavs an 82-70 lead entering the fourth.

Hughes left the Wizards as a free agent this summer when the club low-balled him with their first contract offer, allowing the Cavs to sign him to a five-year, $60 million deal.

Before the game, Hughes was asked how much he was looking forward to playing the Wizards.

"I definitely want to win so I talk a little smack to those guys," Hughes said. "I was one of the oldest guys on that team and they kind of looked up to me."

Arenas came in as the league's hottest player after scoring 75 points in his previous two games, but he never got into a rhythm as Hughes and the Cavaliers chased him all over the floor.

"I was calling out their plays," Hughes said. "I was with them long enough that I knew where their guys were going."

Following the game, Arenas dressed quickly and came to visit Hughes in the Cavaliers' newly remodeled locker room.

"Man," Arenas said, admiring the state-of-the-art stereo equipment and TV screens in each player's dressing stall. "Was this part of the salary cap?"

Arenas arrived so quickly after the game, Hughes asked his good friend if he had bothered showering.

"Yeah, I took one," Arenas said. "Our meeting was quick."