NBA Power Rankings: Cavs Finally Reach the Top

Cleveland's win over the C's coupled with L.A.'s loss was enough to get the Cavs into the number one position for the first time all season. The struggling Celtics fell another spot from last week, and there's also a new team occupying the basement at number 30.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-6) - The Cavs get my top billing thanks to a pair of convincing wins, including one over the Celtics. I'll try not to jinx it, but this team absolutely has what it takes to go undefeated at home.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (30-6) - I bumped the Lakers down after losing to the Hornets and barely surviving close calls against the Warriors, Pacers and Heat. Next week's...read full article

James to appear on GQ cover in February

LeBron James has raised his fashion game. “You look good, you play good,” James said Monday after practice. “I was brought up that way.” James, who takes great pride in his wardrobe and tries to stay ahead of the style curve, will appear on the February cover of GQ Magazine—another first for the NBA superstar whose career has been defined by firsts. Posing in a slate gray suit, pink shirt and gray tie, James added the GQ cover to his run of magazine fronts from Sports Illustrated to Fortune to Vogue, in which he was the first black male to...read full article

Dwight to coach with LeBron in all-star show

Dwight Howard is headed to the NBA All-Star Weekend as the defending slam-dunk champion and likely starting center for the Eastern Conference. And as a coach. Coach Howard? Howard told the Sentinel on Sunday that he and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers have been asked to "coach" in the rookie-sophomore exhibition game in some fashion. The top rookies and second-year players are chosen to play in the exhibition that will be held Friday night of All-Star...read full article

Cavs get statement win over Boston; Orlando looms

While the Cavaliers were beating Boston in a matchup of East powers, the Orlando Magic were busy showing that the conference could well be a three-team race to the top. LeBron James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cavaliers improved to 19-0 at home by beating the staggering Celtics 98-83 on Friday night. Boston (29-9), which started the season a league-record 27-2, is just 2-7 since. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds...read full article

Celtics beaten but not defeated

Are the Celtics overrated? The Cleveland crowd expressed that opinion as they chanted in the late going of the Cavaliers' 98-83 win over the Celtics Friday night. In any case, a fourth successive defeat has forced the Celtics to take stock of themselves as they visit Toronto today and play host to the Raptors tomorrow. Coach Doc Rivers believes there are positives to this downturn in the Celtics' fortunes. "Sometimes you have to go through something to get something," said Rivers. "Last year, we didn't have this, at all. And I was extremely concerned going into...read full article

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert fires back on Darius Miles issue

The Cavaliers aren't planning on signing free-agent Darius Miles, but team owner Dan Gilbert leaped into a controversy surrounding him Friday. Late Thursday, the Portland Trail Blazers sent out an e-mail that basically threatened legal action against any team that signs Miles with the intention to harm the Blazers. Gilbert, perhaps speaking on behalf of other owners, fired off an angry e-mail to Portland on Friday. Last year, Portland got Miles declared "disabled" by the NBA because of a knee injury and had the $18 million owed to him this season and...read full article

This NBA season belongs to LeBron

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ complete dismantling of the Boston Celtics on Friday night made it clear what the rest of the NBA season is about. It’s about LeBron James and his quest to lead Cleveland to an NBA title. Barring injury, James has already wrapped the MVP award. He is playing at such a high level that almost nobody in the NBA can match his talent. The first month of the season focused on the Celtics’ ability to repeat as NBA champions, but at times, James’ hard drives to the basket made Boston look like a midlevel NCAA Division I team. It is becoming...read full article

Pumped-up LeBron James leads Cavaliers over Celtics

For days, LeBron James insisted that facing the NBA champions in January was no ordinary regular-season game. He and the Cleveland Cavaliers proved it Friday night, beating the Boston Celtics, 98-83, in a game filled with playoff-like intensity. James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and continued to make his case for the league's most valuable player as the Cavaliers improved to 19-0. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks. After the Cavaliers had built their lead to...read full article

James inspires Cavs to big win over slumping Celtics

An inspirational LeBron James scored 38 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to an emphatic 98-83 home victory over the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics on Friday. The All-Star forward filled out the stat-sheet with seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks as Cleveland improved their league-best record to 29-6. The struggling Celtics (29-9) were led by Kevin Garnett, who had 18 points and 15 rebounds, but could not prevent his team from losing for a fourth straight game and for the seventh time in the last nine contests. Last...read full article

LeBron James scores 38 points as Cavaliers rock Celtics 98-83

They circled this game on their calendar months ago. On Friday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers checked it off as another win. Their biggest in a season getting special. LeBron James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cavaliers, playing with a bottled-up intensity reserved for the playoffs, improved to 19-0 at home by beating the staggering Boston Celtics 98-83 on Friday night.
James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four...read full article

LeBron James scores 38 as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics

No, officially the contest Friday night at The Q does not count for the postseason. Psychologically? Emotionally? Physically? Yes, yes and yes. To a man, the Cavaliers treated their matchup with the world champion Celtics like a playoff game. For weeks they'd been eyeing Jan. 9 on the schedule. And as soon as it was acceptable -- about five minutes after their win Wednesday night -- they started focusing on it. They didn't feel like they gave Boston their best shot in last season's playoffs or in this season's opener. It had to wait until Friday, when the frustration was...read full article

MVP Statement: LeBron, Cavs rock Celtics 98-83

For days, LeBron James insisted facing the NBA champions in January was no ordinary regular-season game. He and his teammates proved it. James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 19-0 at home by beating the staggering Boston Celtics 98-83 Friday night in a game oozing with postseason intensity. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks. After the Cavs had built their...read full article

What we learned: Celtics-Cavaliers

With a little over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the game no longer in doubt, a demonstrative Kevin Garnett huddled with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Sam Cassell on The Celtics bench. The topic: how to get the team out of the worst funk The Big Three have experienced in their 1½ years together. "We were trying to work things out," Cassell said. "Trying to regroup. We're tired of talking about it. This [(expletive] is getting old now. We're tired of excuses. This is what we have in our locker room right here. Hakeem Olajuwon ain't coming...read full article

Quote of the Day

"It's still in the back of our mind, but you've got to move on. You can't harp on last year in this league." -Lebron James

Cavaliers vs Celtics Highlights

Cavaliers cruise past slumping Celtics

The Cleveland Cavaliers claimed the momentum in the NBA's Eastern Conference race with a 98-83 win over a slumping Boston Celtics on Friday, in a game foreshadowing their potential playoff showdown. LeBron James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 19-0 at home. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks as the Cavaliers surged to a 20-point lead in the second...read full article

NBA Haier Play of the Day

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I can't sit here and say it's another game

"I can't sit here and say it's another game. We're just looking forward to the challenge. If we want to be the best team, we have to beat the best. Boston is the best until somebody takes their crown." - Lebron James

Celtics, Cavaliers ready to rumble

As little LeBron James Jr. practiced writing his name on the dry-erase board in Cleveland's locker room, his famous father was busy a few feet away. The Boston Celtics were on the flatscreen TV and LeBron James was watching them, studying them, breaking them down. Stepping away from his work, the youngster examined his penmanship. "Daddy, my 'n' looks like a 'w'," he said. On Friday night, his father wouldn't mind seeing a different 'W.' The Cavaliers, owners of the Eastern Conference's best record and the league's only unbeaten team at home, will host...read full article

James, Cavaliers, set for rematch with Celtics

When the NBA champion Celtics take the court in Cleveland on Friday night, LeBron James expects to see the Boston team that opened the season 27-2, not the one that has lost six of its last eight games. "It's not the end of the world. They've lost a few. They'll get it together," James said. "I bet they won't come in here on Friday sluggish." After scoring 21 points in Cleveland's 111-81 home victory over Charlotte on Wednesday night, James gave a running commentary as he watched the final minutes of Boston's 89-85 loss to Houston on television. The...read full article

Cavaliers vs Bobcats Highlights

Bring on the Celtics: Cavaliers prepare for champs with a rout of Charlotte

The Cavaliers may not have been looking ahead to Friday's game with the Celtics while they were playing the Charlotte Bobcats Wednesday night, but it sure didn't take them long to shift focus. In the minutes after their 111-81 blowout of the Bobcats, players huddled around the televisions in the locker room to watch and comment on the Celtics' battle with the Houston Rockets. LeBron James' son, LeBron Jr., raced around his dad's legs as he studied each possession. Other players peeked in from the shower room and the training room, hearing the bellows...read full article

Cavs Dominate Charlotte Beating Bobcats 111-81 at the Q

The Cleveland Cavaliers put on a thorough display of their best basketball Wednesday night and extended their home win streak to 18 games as they crushed the Charlotte Bobcats 111-81. It was a performance that should terrify most of the NBA. The Cavs had been in a bit of a funk the last few games, looking more like last year’s ill-fated squad. This game marked a return to the form that helped them establish a 28-6 record to start the season and put the rest of the league on notice that their great start was no fluke. LeBron James led the way with...read full article

LeBron has easy night, Cavaliers rout Bobcats

LeBron James scored 21 points before grabbing an early seat on the bench as the Cleveland Cavaliers warmed up for their highly anticipated matchup with Boston Celtics by blowing out the Charlotte Bobcats 111-81 in the NBA on Wednesday. Mo Williams added 15 points to help the Cavaliers improve to 18-0 at home. On Friday, the defending champion Celtics will arrive for a game between the Eastern Conference's premier powers, a rematch of last season's heated seven-game conference semifinal and a possible tease of what could come this spring. Boston...read full article

Final Dime - Cavaliers 111, Bobcats 81

One of the Cavaliers’ biggest concerns coming into Wednesday night’s matchup was that they might look past the 13-22 Bobcats with Friday night’s heavyweight showdown with The Celtics on deck. But the Wine and Gold put that concern to rest one stanza into the affair, jumping out to a 29-12 first quarter lead behind LeBron James’ 15-point period. The Cavaliers didn’t shoot less than 55 percent in any quarter after that, and eventually ran away with the 111-81 win over the Bobcats. The lopsided victory – Cleveland’s third over Charlotte already this...read full article

Cavs blow out Bobcats, set up showdown with Celtics

Start the hype. After pounding the Bobcats by 30 Wednesday, the Cavs officially turned their attention to Friday’s showdown with the defending champion Celtics. And it took point guard Mo Williams just a few moments to do so after the 111-81 rout of Charlotte at Quicken Loans Arena.
“They got us up there,” Williams said during the on-court postgame interview, referring to the Celtics’ win over the Cavs on opening night. “It’s our turn. It’s payback time.” The Cavs made sure they headed into Friday’s 8 p.m. game at The Q the right way, by destroying...read full article

Cavs stay focused on Bobcats

So much for looking past the Charlotte Bobcats. Instead, the Cavaliers just ran them over 111-81 en route to their biggest game of the season on Friday against the Boston Celtics. The Cavs opened the game on a 6-0 run to signal to the Bobcats just exactly how things were going to be. To put an exclamation point on it, the Cavs conjured up a 28-3 run from the end of the first quarter into the second. In the first half, the Cavaliers led 43-14 and looked well on their way to embarrassing the Bobcats, who came in winners of two consecutive games, the last one coming...read full article

LeBron James has easy night, Cavaliers rout Bobcats 111-81

LeBron James and a few of his teammates hung around after their post-game showers and watched the final minutes of Boston's game against Houston on TV. They'll see the Celtics in person soon enough. The NBA champions are coming. The Cavaliers are ready. James scored 21 points before grabbing an early seat on the bench, Mo Williams added 15 and Cleveland warmed up for its highly anticipated matchup with Boston by blowing out the Charlotte Bobcats 111-81 on Wednesday night, raising the Cavaliers' record at home to 18-0. 19-0 isn't a...read full article

Bobcats-Cavaliers Preview

LeBron James can't stop talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers' latest loss, and his team has a showdown with the defending champions looming later this week. In the meantime, they might want to pay some attention to the Charlotte Bobcats. With a highly-anticipated home game against Boston Celtics on the horizon, the Cavaliers will first try to improve upon their 17-0 record at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday against Charlotte, which is coming off a thrilling overtime win over the Celtics. Cleveland (27-6) had won 17 of 18 games in dominant...read full article

NBA Today: Cavs Better Not Look Past ‘Cats

Everyone is talking about the big showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics coming up Friday night, and how that will be the biggest test yet to the Cavs’ home court dominance. The only problem is, Cleveland faces Charlotte Wednesday night – the same team that just beat Boston the other night. Talk about a situation ripe for an upset. Add to this the fact that the Cavs have dropped two of their past three games, including a loss to underwhelming Washington, and you could see how Cleveland looks very vulnerable suddenly...read full article

Cavaliers coach Brown gladly makes decisions by committee

With the third-best record in the NBA at 27-6, the Cleveland Cavaliers have hit few rocky spots this season. Coach Mike Brown is prepared to keep it that way. Using a tip from St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, Brown has formed a group of veteran players with whom he confers — through good times and bad. He refers to his foursome of LeBron James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace and Mo Williams as "The Committee." They offer Brown feedback and police the team. "It helps me out," Brown says. "I don't have all the answers. They have a better...read full article

NBA Action Bobcats @ Cavaliers

The Charlotte Bobcats (13-22 SU, 20-15 ATS, 14-20-1 O/U) picked up their biggest win of the season on Tuesday, surprising the defending-champion Boston Celtics in their 114-106 overtime win, easily covering the spread for BetUS NBA sports betting backers in the process. The Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6 SU, 23-10 ATS, 15-18 O/U) have dropped two of their last three overall, including an 80-77 loss to the Washington Wizards on Sunday in which they failed to cover the spread as a 9-point road favorite in the BetUS Sportsbook. The Bobcats got 25 points from...read full article

Almost-Jayhawks: Which ones still make you wonder?

Last summer, Washington Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson made quite a ruckus for calling out the Cleveland Cavaliers and mighty King James during the Wizards’ playoff series against LeBron’s gang. Stevenson, who emerged as a bona fide NBA star down the stretch last year, was unconscious during the playoffs, scoring at will and making famous his “You can’t see me” gesture after every long-range dagger. The whole time I watched, I couldn’t help but wonder if Stevenson would be the same player he is today had he honored his commitment to come to...read full article

Award Watch: Coach of the Year

This week's Coach of the Year rankings are almost identical to last week's with one major exception: Gregg Popovich has shot up to #5. This was inevitable as the production San Antonio's role players could not go unnoticed forever. Portland's Nate McMillan took a slight dip this week as did Houston's Rick Adelman. Boston Celtic's Doc Rivers however maintained his spot at #3 despite the recent losses.

#1 (1) Mike Brown – Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6) – Owners of the best record in the East, Brown's Cavaliers are still chanting the same mantra: Efficiency. I say this...read full article