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Big Z makes return to Cleveland, brings win to The Q 90 - 97
March 28, 2010
In some NBA cities, playing down to your competition might be reason for concern. In Cleveland, it's merely a way to survive the final weeks of the regular season before pursuing a much larger goal. The Cavaliers were far from effective, or for that matter, overly interested, during Sunday's 97-90 home win over the struggling (and aching) Sacramento Kings. Yet they did enough to move one step closer to clinching the best record in the Eastern Conference, as well as the entire league. For the Cavs (58-16), that's all that really matters. It was expected to be an emotional day filled with energy and passion, as longtime center Zydrunas Ilgauskas played his first game at Quicken Loans Arena since being traded to Washington in February as part of the Antawn Jamison deal. Ilgauskas' contract was quickly bought out by the Wizards, freeing him to return to the only team for which he's ever played. While the Cavs' energy never really surfaced, Ilgauskas' presence did add an element of excitement. On Sunday, the team honored him by handing out posters with his picture on one side, a large "Z" on the other. Fans displayed the signs repeatedly, giving Ilgauskas a standing ovation and watching numerous tributes to him on the scoreboard above center court.
As LeBron James joked, "It was the second-most anticipated comeback besides Michael Jordan." Of course, while Ilgauskas was solid in scoring four points and grabbing six rebounds off the bench, it was James who lifted his team from the ashes with the day's biggest plays. No surprise there, as the league's reigning MVP has been more clutch this season than ever. He scored 34 points, passed for eight assists, corralled seven boards and hit the game's final basket -- a 3-pointer with 2:02 remaining -- to put the Kings' dreams of an NCAA Tournament-like upset to rest. And in the event James' 27-foot bomb wasn't enough, he also pulled down a key defensive rebound and made a steal in the moments that followed. "You don't even know where to start with him," Kings coach Paul Westphal said of James. "He doesn't ever seem to get tired and he does it at both ends. You really just sort of hope he's off, because there's not much you can do to make him have a bad game. He can pretty much pick his spots and inflict his will whenever he wants." At the same time, it's clear that the Cavs are much more than just a one-man act. Jamison continued to show why the team was willing to risk losing Ilgauskas in the first place, as he scored 26 points and admitted he's feeling as comfortable as ever with his new team.
"My teammates have done a good job of getting me the ball where I can be successful," Jamison said, referring to his ability in the low post. "And talking to LeBron and the coaching staff, they want me to be aggressive and do the things I have been doing my whole career." All of that said, no one else on the Cavs scored more than 10, with the Kings' bench holding a 36-12 advantage in points. That likely had something to do with the fact the Cavs were without wild man Anderson Varejao, who sat out to rest a tight hamstring. It probably also had something to do with the fact the Kings (24-50) were trying to prove that they're playing for more than a lottery pick. What made their effort particularly impressive was the fact they had even more injury issues than the Cavs, as rookie sensation and leading scorer Tyreke Evans remained out with a concussion. Also out were key rotation players Spencer Hawes (back), Francisco Garcia (wrist) and Jon Brockman (knee), and starting forward Dominic McGuire, who left in the first quarter with a foot injury of his own. Still, the remaining Kings tried to make the best of it, with Beno Udrih (18 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds) compiling a triple-double, Jason Thompson (16 points, 14 boards) a double-double, and Andres Nocioni coming off the bench to score a team-high 21.
The Kings trailed just 58-52 at halftime and 78-76 at the end of the third quarter. And with just more than 2:00 left, they were down by a 94-90 count. Then James hit the three and the Kings ran out of steam. Then the Cavs and their fans breathed easily, remembering that this day was really all about Z. "It was something that I will remember for a long time," Ilgauskas said. "People appreciate what I have done over the years and I have appreciated what they have done for me and my family. ... We got a win so it was a good day."