Site Navigation
James' triple-double helps Cavs past upset-minded Pistons 113 - 101
March 16, 2010
LeBron James' instincts tell him that he should take over the game in the fourth quarter. Even in those moments, he knows deep down there are times when he ought to defer to a teammate. James showed maturity in his game Tuesday night by setting up Mo Williams for back-to-back 3-pointers, which helped to rescue Cleveland from a dicey situation. The Cavs' 113-101 victory over Detroit was much tougher than the final score would indicate. The Pistons kept it close until the final minute, when Cleveland scored the last nine points. After a slow start, James recorded his fourth triple-double this season with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists as the Cavs won for the 10th time in their last 11 games. James had 15 of his points during Cleveland's 38-point fourth quarter but his four assists were just as essential. "It's not easy for me, honestly," James said of passing up shots in the closing minutes. "It's deciding when you have guys that definitely can make plays for themselves. Ever since I learned the game of basketball, it didn't matter what talent level I had around me, I've always loved the success of my teammates more than me as an individual."
Williams' 3-pointers, which broke a 91-91 tie, came off set plays that freed him up in the right corner. James called the play, even though pint-sized point guard Will Bynum switched onto him prior to the first basket. "The first time he did it, they went zone and Mo ended up being wide open," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "It's a little flare we run with Mo to catch the ball in the right corner. Then they went back to man and Tayshaun (Prince) was on him. We ran the same thing, we set a solid screen again and Mo was open again." It still took nine points in the last 3:27 from James and a questionable officiating decision to finish off the Pistons, who have lost 10 of their last 12. After the Pistons pulled within 104-101, James blocked a fast-break layup attempt by Bynum. The Pistons screamed for a goaltending call to no avail. Replays showed that James pinned it after the ball was coming off the backboard. "They know it's a bad call," Pistons coach John Kuester said. "They know that. It's a shame. That was a momentum-breaker. So we had it going, but, hey, that's the NBA."
Even if the call had gone the Pistons' way, it probably wouldn't have prevented their third loss to the Cavs this season. James played passively in the first three quarters, shooting 3-for-9, but he wasn't about to let his team endure a bad loss. "It just happened like that these last couple of games where I haven't scored as many points in the first half," he said. "In the fourth quarter, the second half, when it's time for me to perform at a high level, that's when the games are going to be close and that's when it's closeout time for me." Achieving his 28th triple-double of his career made it even sweeter. "That means you're doing everything you need to win the basketball game," he said. "That's rebounding, giving guys opportunities to score and helping your team by scoring as an individual." Williams finished with 20 points, including five 3-pointers, while Antawn Jamison had 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Cavs' bench, which had averaged 32.2 points in the previous five games, was solid again with 34 points. Jawad Williams led the reserves with 10 points. All those contributions were needed against the surprisingly gritty Pistons, who were playing their fourth game in five nights and were blown out at Boston Monday. Richard Hamilton led six Pistons in double figures with 24 points.
"We knew they would play a lot better than they did in Boston," James said. "There's no way they could repeat that performance. We have a lot of history with this team." Prince epitomized the Pistons' toughness by playing 44 minutes after being helped off the court 24 hours earlier. Prince was kneed in the back by teammate Jason Maxiell while falling backward in the lane and appeared to suffer a serious back injury. He felt good enough to play 44 minutes and deliver 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds while chasing James around.