Jones played a key role in Game 6 of the Finals a year ago when the Cavs got in foul trouble. Superstar small forward LeBron James racked up a triple-double on the night with 41 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for Cleveland, while IN star small forward Paul George led all scorers on the night with 43 points.
The understrength Cavs led for much of the game, with Channing Frye and Deron Williams stepping up impressively with 21 and 35 points respectively. They would have clinched a playoff berth with a Miami loss to Cleveland, but the Heat's rally means Chicago will have until its final regular-season game. Well, those don't matter now. When asked why he is so confident, he just said, "I've got the answer", and made a decision to keep it a secret. "I'm not giving it to you".
"The most important thing is for us to give those guys a rest", said Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, amid reports that James has a slight calf injury and Irving has been bothered by a knee issue. Even with George at his best, the Pacers are in over their heads against the Cavs.
James might very well succeed and get his team to a seventh straight Finals.
James doesn't know how to be anything but confident.
CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James scored 32 points and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, looking to flip the switch after a shaky regular season, began the National Basketball Association playoffs by escaping with a 109-108 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday in Game 1. The Pacers finished the season 5-0 after losing four straight before that.
They are defending champions in name only. "At the end of the day, I'm not going to harp on what happened in the regular season through injuries, through bad losses, through good wins, through whatever the case may be". "Win, and we still might go home". "That's all you can ask for".
UK's Labour vows to take on "cosy cartel" that protects wealthy
May's Conservatives now hold 330 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons . "We need a general election and we need one now". Forty-two per cent said they would vote Conservative , 40pc Labour , 2pc Liberal Democrats, 4pc Ukip and 12pc were unsure.
If any team can flip the switch, it might be this one. The Bulls' point guard, Rajon Rondo, is laboring with a sprained wrist, but backup Jerian Grant has been "terrific", in the opinion of coach Fred Hoiberg, as the replacement down the stretch of the season. "I would never say that (the Cavaliers are vulnerable) - ever". They're the champs. Every team out there has to beat them to become the champs. The soap-opera aspect of a baseball season is something fans are looking forward to as opposed to many Cavs' fans who wanted to observe the ring ceremony and then immediately begin the playoffs and bring on Golden State for a repeat title battle.
All season long, as the Cavaliers skipped practices and rested stars and scuffled through January and March, I wrote and said this team had earned the benefit of the doubt.
It will be a lot of fun to see Paul George face off against James in the series. Those are they types of plays we have to take away.
James recognizes the Cavs' flaws and understands why they appear susceptible to an early-round upset.
Game 3: Thursday, April 20, 7 p.m.
"The present is the only thing that matters", he said.
"I'm ecstatic to be here, my first time to watch the Cavaliers".
Comments