KEIONDRA
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Joined: Nov 21, 2003
Posts: 289
Location: I'M HOMELESS
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 Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2003 4:35 pm Post subject: sixers vs cavs |
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Rookie LeBron James scored 12 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers snapped their franchise-record 34-game road losing streak with an 88-81 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Cleveland had not won on the road since January 12 at Seattle - tying the second-longest road slide in NBA history. The Cavaliers finally ended the skid against the 76ers, who continue to play without Iverson - the league's leading scorer.
"Let's be serious. You can't be the same team without (Iverson)," Cleveland coach Paul Silas said. "It would be a much tougher game with Allen because he puts so much pressure on you offensively and defensively.
"It was going to happen sooner or later," he said of snapping the streak. "That wasn't what was paramount in my mind. Of course, you always want to break that kind of streak."
Playing its first road game since acquiring Tony Battie, Eric Williams and Kedrick Brown in a six-player trade with the Boston Celtics on Monday, Cleveland was carried by its 18-year-old leader down the stretch.
"My team is coming to me now," James said. "They know that I'm a natural-born leader and I like to lead my team. I've always been a leader. That comes from being an only child. I'm a natural-born leader and it shows."
"It's all coming in to place for him," Silas said. "He's understanding what he can do out there. He's just letting it come to him. He's not forcing anything. He's getting confident that he can make those shots. He wants to make them and take them and that's huge for us."
The game was tied, 64-64, when James scored all of the Cavaliers' points during an 8-2 run. He sank a pair of 3-pointers around a jumper for a 72-66 edge with 6:27 remaining.
"Great young player, that's only going to get better," Philadelphia coach Randy Ayers said. "He came in here, in a tough environment. We threw two or three guys at him, and he was able to handle everything. So give the young man credit."
Carlos Boozer scored eight of his 12 points in the final 5:04 for Cleveland, which made 9-of-18 shots and 6-of-8 free throws in the final quarter.
Philadelphia made 8-of-13 shots in the fourth but also committed six of its 22 turnovers and lost for the third time in four games.
Glenn Robinson had 18 points and Derrick Coleman had 15 and eight rebounds for the Sixers, who lost despite shooting 52 percent (33-of-64) from the floor.
Philadelphia led by as many as 14 in the second quarter but went scoreless for more than three minutes as Cleveland reeled off eight straight points to pull within 40-34 with 4:09 left in the first half.
"We had our opportunities in the second quarter," Ayers said. "I thought that was the turning point of the game, where we were up 14 and didn't score on four straight possessions. That gave them life."
The Cavaliers, who shot 48 percent (35-of-73), took advantage of every opportunity, scoring 18 points off 12 offensive rebounds and 20 off the Sixers' miscues. |
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WTF!!
