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Powe shines as Cavs drub Pistons in Cleveland 79 - 104
March 21, 2010
Leon Powe wasn't the only reason Cleveland turned the fourth quarter of Sunday's 104-79 win over visiting Detroit into 12 minutes of garbage time, but he certainly played a role. Powe scored a team-high 16 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and spent more time at the free-throw line in one game than most people do in an entire lifetime. Not really, but it sure seemed that way. Most importantly, Powe is starting to resemble the player the Cavs hoped they were getting after signing him back in August. Powe spent his first three seasons with Boston, but his second major knee injury (and impending surgery) prompted the Celtics to let him become a free agent at the end of last season. The Cavs (56-15) took a chance, inking him to a free-agent deal, despite the fact he wouldn't be recovered until mid-February. At worst, they figured they were landing a 6-foot-8 power forward who seems to cherish contact underneath the basket. At best, well, Powe's performance in Sunday's win over the Pistons (23-47) is more than the Cavs likely expected. "It's amazing that he has given us what he has right now, so soon (after the injury)," said Cavs coach Mike Brown. "It's good to see him on our side, having that physical toughness and playing that grinding basketball."
Brown is right, as Powe will never be confused with high-flyers such as Julius Erving or David Thompson or the Cavs' own LeBron James. In fact, Brown said it perfectly when he described Powe's game as "grinding." It basically consists of receiving the ball directly underneath the basket, turning and giving a head fake, and maybe drawing a foul. But if Powe doesn't draw a foul, there are no guarantees. He has played in just 10 games this season, and is still considerably rusty. "Each game the knee gets better and the rust comes off," Powe said. "I'm getting my timing and rhythm back. Everything is coming into place right now. In probably three weeks or a month, I'll be able to do a little bit more." James, who sat out the entire fourth quarter but scored 15 points anyway, was also impressed with what he saw from Powe. "He adds an intimidation factor to our team," James said. "He's very comfortable out there in getting to the line, and that's a good trait to have." Delonte West added 15 points off the bench for the Cavs, and J.J. Hickson scored 13. Starting point guard Mo Williams not only scored 12 points but passed for eight assists without committing a turnover.
It's numbers like those that explain why the Cavs have won seven straight -- and seem to be well on their way to clinching the league's best regular-season record for the second consecutive season. They also swept the four-game season series from the Pistons for the first time since 1979-80, having burst to leads of 53-41 at halftime and 81-59 at the end of the third quarter. Also, including last season's first-round playoff sweep, it was the Cavs' 11th straight victory over their longtime Central Division rival. "It means a lot," James said. "We turned the corner when we beat them in the Eastern Conference finals (in 2007), and since then we've been working to be the best team in the conference and the entire league." Jason Maxiell led the Pistons with 16 points, and Charlie Villanueva came off the bench to add 11. They were the only two Pistons to hit double-figures, as regular standouts Tayshaun Prince (4-for-11 shooting) and Richard Hamilton (1-for-8) struggled mightily. "The aggressive team is the team that's going to win a basketball game, and they were the aggressors at the end," said Pistons coach John Kuester, who spent last season as an assistant on Brown's bench. "Every game is a challenge for us."
Kuester also questioned the Pistons' effort, saying that they "can't just be going out there," that they have some talented young players on whom to build, but they need to consistently play with passion. "I agree with him," Villanueva said. "We're still professionals and we still got a job to do. We get paid a lot of money to do it. So, you have to ride it out until the end."