Last time the Cavs won a playoff game in Chicago, the Bulls' Michael Jordan was the NBA's best player. Jamario Moon in the spotlight; Cavs defend Cleveland; and more.
Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer LeBron James after making a fourth quarter shot against the Bulls on Monday night.The last time the Cleveland Cavaliers won a playoff game in Chicago was on May 21, 1992. The Cavs trounced the Bulls, 107-81, handing Michael Jordan the largest margin of defeat in his 179 career playoff games.
Circumstances are quite different tonight, when the Cavaliers again meet the Bulls in Chicago. First, the Cavs eventually lost that Eastern Conference Finals series, 4 games to 2. Tonight, Cleveland tries to take a 3-0 lead in a first-round series.
Chicago, 18 years ago, went on to win its second of three straight NBA titles, among the six overall for the Jordan-led Bulls teams. The Cavs are chasing their first championship.
And, the all-time great player, in his prime, is not Chicago’s Jordan. It’s Cleveland’s LeBron James. Other legendary performers - such as Scottie Pippen with Jordan and aging but valuable Shaquille O’Neal with James – play major roles. But it’s Jordan who made the Bulls an historic unit, and it’s James trying to do likewise for the Cavaliers.
Moon moves
Backup forward-guard Jamario Moon played a key role in the Cavs’ 112-102 Game 2 win with his four 3-point shots and superb defense. Chris Broussard writes for ESPN.com that Moon’s journey to playoff game hero featured odd stops along the way:
But the 6-foot-8 Moon is far from a neophyte trying to find his way in this world. Heck, he’s seen parts of this world that hardly anyone besides a journeyman hooper with dreams of making it big has seen.
Moon’s résumé reads like something out of “Gunsmoke.” While working his way through the USBL, the CBA, the ABA and the NBA D-League, he’s had stops in Mobile and Huntsville, Ala.; Dodge City, Kan.; Louisville, Ky.; Rockford, Ill.; Enid, Okla.; Marietta, Ga.; Fort Worth, Texas; Gary, Ind.; and Albany, N.Y. And that’s not even to mention his stints in Rome and Mexico or with the Harlem Globetrotters.
But that’s about what you’d expect from a guy who went undrafted out of Mississippi’s Meridian Community College before eventually landing with Toronto in 2007, Miami a year later, and finally Cleveland.
Cavs covered
Plain Dealer Cavaliers coverage includes Mary Schmitt Boyer’s look ahead to tonight’s game, her Cavaliers Insider and her report on how LeBron James “loves Chicago.”
LeBron edgy
LeBron James has the idea that people aren’t fully appreciating his unselfishness as a player. Writes Bob Finnan for the News Herald and Lorain Morning Journal:
James is coming off a 40-point effort against the Bulls. It was the ninth career playoff game with 40 or more points, and fifth in the last 10 games.
“It bothers me when I have big games and people say I didn’t get the other guys involved,” he said. “I still ended up with eight assists and eight rebounds.
“It doesn’t make sense to me. I’m the only guy in the league when I decide to have 30 or 40 points, then I’m not getting my teammates involved. I feel like my presence on the court will automatically get my teammates involved. No matter what’s going on throughout the course of the game, I’m always playing for the betterment of the team.”
Cavs answer Enemy No. 1
Bulls center Joakim Noah hasn’t been shy about his dislike of Cleveland, prompting Cavaliers players to defend the city. Writes Scott Sargent for foxsportsohio.com:
The Cavaliers in-game operations team was quick to use Noah’s unfavorable opinion of the town to their advantage, riling up the 20,000-plus fans each time the former Florida Gator toed the free throw line. But before Game 2 could even tip-off, several members of the Cavaliers were quick to stand up for the championship-starved city.
“I’m sorry if [Noah] doesn’t appreciate Cleveland,” said guard Anthony Parker. “We have enjoyed it – my family has enjoyed it. We don’t want Noah to enjoy the city too much. I think we’re doing our job in Cleveland if he’s not enjoying his time here.”
Around the web
Vaughn McClure writes for the Chicago Tribune that as much as LeBron James admires cities such as Chicago, he will likely stay in Cleveland with the Cavaliers.
George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal writes about Jamario Moon.
Rick Noland writes for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette about LeBron James.
For the Canton Repository, Chris Beaven writes his playoff notebook.
An NBCSports.com blog, Trash Talk, discusses the pressure on LeBron James to deliver a title to Cleveland.
