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Round #1 Game #4
CAVS LEAD 2-1
IN SEARCH OF THIS
Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1) VS Washington Wizards (1-2)
Sunday, April 27th, 2008
1:00pm ET
Radio : WTAM 1100
Television: ABC
Head Coaches
Mike Brown / Eddie Jordan
Probable Starters
Delonte West / Antonio Daniels
Wally Szczerbiak / DeShawn Stevenson
LeBron James / Caron Butler
Ben Wallace / Antawn Jamison
Zydrunas Ilguaskas / Brendan Haywood
Cavs Bench
BOOBIE / DEVIN / ANDY / JOE
Wizards Bench
Mason Jr. / Blatche / Songaila / Arenas
In the Murder Capital of the United States, Washington D.C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Washington,_D.C.
INSIDE
Lolly the Trolley decided to make an appearance....
GAME NOTES
· The Cavaliers have won eight of the past nine games against the Wizards in the playoffs. Cleveland’s eight straight wins from May 3, 2006-April 21, 2008 tied for the sixth-longest winning streak against one opponent in the playoffs in NBA history.
· The Cavaliers are a perfect 3-0 in series in which they have taken a 2-0 series lead (2007 Conference Semifinals versus New Jersey – won series 4-2; 2007 First Round versus Washington – won series 4-0 and 1992 First Round versus New Jersey – won series 3-1). Cleveland won the first two games of this series.
· Since the start of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, Cleveland is a perfect 2-0 in games following a loss to the Wizards. In those games, LeBron James has averaged 43.0 points on 30-51 (.588) shooting and 6.0 rebounds per game.
· Over his last seven playoff games against the Wizards, Zydrunas Ilgauskas has averaged 17.6 points on .545 (48-88) shooting and 9.7 rebounds per game.
· The Cavaliers are 5-3 in the game following a loss in the Eastern Conference playoffs dating back to the start of the 2006 Playoffs.
· LeBron James is 15 points shy of reaching 1,000 in his postseason career. James and Tracy McGrady are the only two active players with at least 975 career postseason points in fewer than 40 career playoff games. As of April 25, McGrady had 992 points in 35 games while James had 985 points in 36 games.
GAME ARTICLES
Rough road ahead for Cleveland Cavaliers in D.C.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter
Washington- A common notion among players and coaches is a playoff series does not start until the visiting team wins on the road.
If true, the Cavaliers can count their blessings since they own homecourt advantage in this first-round series against the Washington Wizards.
The Cavs have been inconsistent on the road since the late-season trade for Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, Delonte West and Ben Wallace.
The beatdown the Wizards inflicted in Game 3 Thursday was a small example of how terrible the Cavs can be away from home. That's why owning the homecourt advantage in the first round could prove vital.
"There's a reason why teams fight for six months because home court matters, especially if it gets to a Game 7," Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. "In playoff history, most of the series have been won by teams with homecourt advantage. Everything is easier at home."
Especially for the Cavs.
The Cavs have won only three road games since the trade. They have victories over the lowly Charlotte Bobcats and New York Knicks. Their third was a controversial victory at Philadelphia. Defensively, the Cavs have held opponents to a scoring average of 87.4 points and a field-goal percentage of 41.7 percent at home.
On the road, the Cavs give up 101.8 points and a 47.9 field goal percentage. On the offensive end, the Cavs shoot 44.2 percent from the field and average 12.1 turnovers at The Q and shoot 43.3 percent from the field and average 14.9 turnovers on the road.
The Cavs lose their edge somewhere between the airport and the visiting locker room. Eric Snow, who is out for the season due to a knee injury, said the biggest source of motivation for most teams comes from their home crowd, something Washington surely used in Game 3.
"The homecourt is that source of familiarity and comfort and it's easier to get something from within because of the enthusiasm from the crowd," Snow said. "That's why teams usually need to play extremely well or be extremely chiseled and tested to go in and win road games consistently."
Winning on the road is certainly a mark of a champion. Last year's Finals champs, the San Antonio Spurs, won 27 road games. The Cavs won 18 road games this season and 20 last year. Some of the biggest challenges on the road are adjusting to the crowd and the "hometown" calls.
"At home, it's a lot easier to get your energy up because you have 20,000 people cheering for you," Ilgauskas said. "A lot of [referee] calls go your way at home and if they don't, the crowd is booing. On the road, you have everyone against you. The crowd's going against you and the calls are different. You can't get away with what you did at home on the road."
The crowd at the Verizon Center certainly went against the Cavs on Thursday, from the whiteout T-shirts, to the constant chants of "overrated" directed at LeBron James. Gilbert Arenas compared it to the enthusiasm of college basketball crowds.
"Everything is magnified in the playoffs," Ilgauskas said. "When we came [to the Verizon Center] during the regular season, the crowd was not as enthused as they were last night."
Enthusiastic crowd or not, the Cavs must fight through the adversity of a road game or this series gets tied with Game 5 back at The Q. Since ear plugs are not an option, the Cavs have to utilize their execution on offense and defense to quiet the crowd and escape with a rare road victory.
"We have to be more conscious on the road and know it's going to be a hostile environment," James said. "We have to have that same aggression as we have at home and be able to counter some of those attacks from the home team."
James vs. Stevenson:
Following Game 3, LeBron James said there was no rivalry between himself and DeShawn Stevenson. Stevenson, however, said otherwise.
"Obviously there is [a rivalry] if you're doing my moves," Stevenson said. "Obviously he's worried about us. The only thing we're going to do is play basketball."
The playoffs have become so intense Stevenson does not leave his hotel room in Cleveland until game time.
"I don't go out of my room in Cleveland, but I did one time and this [clerk from] FootLocker got mad at me," Stevenson said. "It's pretty tough there."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1209198747136090.xml&coll=2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Injured Gilbert Arenas keeps hopes up for Game 4 against Cleveland Cavaliers
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Mary Schmitt Boyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
Washington- Gilbert Arenas said he had a bone bruise and a pinched nerve in his troublesome left knee, but he didn't rule himself out of Sunday's Game 4 against the Cavaliers, who lead the best-of-seven first-round playoff series, 2-1.
"You've got to make sacrifices, and if I have to play three or four minutes to get everybody excited, then that's what I have to do," Arenas said Friday.
Arenas, who had surgery on the knee just before Thanksgiving, didn't practice Friday, but he missed practice before Game 3 also and then made a surprise start - his first since returning from surgery. He played only 10 minutes and had 2 points and 3 assists and was noticeably limping before he left the court for good late in the first half.
"They said I should try to go out there and warm it up and see how long I could last," he said, referring to the Wizards' medical and training staff. "I knew I wasn't going to play more than 10-15 minutes. . . . While I was out there I was just trying to energize the crowd by getting everybody excited about being home and getting people fired up."
He did that, firing up the crowd and his teammates, who responded with a 108-72 rout of the Cavs, the biggest playoff victory in franchise history.
According to Arenas, the problem was not starting or playing six minutes in the first quarter. It was in trying to come back in the second quarter.
"I was just trying to ride the bike to keep my body heated," Arenas said. "Once I got back out there, I could feel the pain and I couldn't handle it anymore. Once I go out, it's a question of whether or not I can go back in. Once I'm already warm, I'll be able to take the pain. When I sit down and stiffen up, that's when I have my problems."
Arenas said he could take a shot to numb the pain, but he's afraid of needles.
"If we were on the road, I'd take the numbing shot," he said. "But since we're at home, our confidence is a lot higher so I can risk going out there for 10 or 15 minutes. If the game gets close, I'll just play through the pain."
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan told reporters he'd wait until Sunday to see how Arenas feels. In the meantime, the coach appreciated what Arenas did on Thursday.
"I thought it meant a lot," Jordan told reporters. "He got us out on the break. He did some good things. He was like Willis Reed in reverse. We saw him walking out limping instead of walking in."
Crowd control:
The Wizards were still raving about their raucous crowd in Game 3.
"That was the best environment," Arenas said. "That was better than when we were down 0-2 to Chicago [in 2005.] It was like college. Everybody was excited to be coming home. We've been in that position before with the Bulls. The fans responded well . . . better than we expected. We shut up the critics just for a little bit."
Added DeShawn Stevenson: "Our crowd was good. You feel good at home - sleep in your own bed, you've got your same routine. Cleveland is kind of tough. There's nothing to do. It's a tough city."
Team player:
Stevenson led the charge with 19 points on Thursday. The Wizards shot 52.1 percent and had 20 assists.
"We can win like that all the time if we play like we played [Thursday night]," Stevenson said. "Everybody shared the ball. Everybody got his shots. The last game when we got blown out, we were playing one-on-one basketball. We're not good like that. Certain guys on this team are good like that, but you don't win ballgames like that."
The last word:
From Arenas (who else?) on LeBron James, "It has been going his way this series. He's a phenomenal player. You can't really contain him. He only contains himself. Stopping him is like trying to stop Kobe Bryant. You really can't. You've just got to hope he stops himself."
Show stopper:
TNT analysts Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley took note of Arenas' return to the starting lineup Thursday.
"Gilbert Arenas plays better when the attention is on him, he's an attention seeker," Smith said during the TNT pre-game show. "He's got blogs, he's got everything else that goes on to draw attention to himself. He plays better when the spotlight is on him. He's back in the lineup so it may give [the Wizards] an extra jolt."
Added Barkley, "The thing Gilbert has got to understand is that he's got to pass the damn ball. Gilbert is a ball-stopper."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1209198698136090.xml&coll=2
---------------------------------------------------------
LeBron: 'There is no rivalry'
James scoffs at matchup with Stevenson
Saturday, April 26, 2008
By JOSEPH WHITE
AP SPORTS WRITER
WASHINGTON When LeBron James arrived for practice Friday, he spotted Gilbert Arenas in the hallway near the locker room. The two high-profile stars shared a hug while Arenas' father, standing nearby, gave James some good-natured banter about the ongoing series between Cleveland and Washington.
"Off the court, me and Gilbert are really, really good friends," James said. "I'm not going to let some trash talk get in the way of our friendship."
When the subject turned to DeShawn Stevenson, however, James struck a totally different tone.
"I don't know DeShawn Stevenson at all," James said.
James might not know Stevenson, but he certainly knows about him. As odd as it seems, the Cavaliers-Wizards first-round playoff series has evolved into a grudge match of sorts between one of the NBA's biggest stars and a role player who — until now — was arguably the least prominent starter on his own team.
"It's a lot of antics going on," said Stevenson, who is quickly earning the title of Most Hated Man in Cleveland.
The first indication of bad blood between the two came March 13, when they jawed at each other during a game in Washington. After James missed a potential game-winning shot in the Wizards' 101-99 victory, Stevenson was more emotional than usual in the locker room. He managed to bite his tongue until he started to walk out the door, when he told a Washington Post reporter: "He's overrated, and you can say I said that."
LeBron? Overrated? He's been called lots of things, but that's nowhere near the top of the list. James' response came a few days later: "With DeShawn Stevenson, it is kind of funny. It's almost like Jay-Z saying something bad about Soulja Boy. There's no comparison. Enough said."
Translation: "DeShawn, you are not on my level." It's an attitude James has since maintained whenever Stevenson's name has been raised.
There's more. When Stevenson makes a big shot, he often waves his hand in front of his face, a gesture he calls "can't feel my face" because he's so hot. He started doing it spontaneously last season, then quit for a while because some people thought the gesture was gang-related. Arenas talked him into bringing it back.
"Gilbert got on me, the fans loved it, and ever since then I've been doing it," Stevenson said.
Sure enough, when the Wizards were getting routed by 30 points in Game 2 on Monday, James and Cleveland's Damon Jones mockingly copied Stevenson's gesture.
Then, when Washington pounded Cleveland by 36 in Game 3, Stevenson not only did the gesture but added a nice little strut to go along with it as he scored a team-high 19 points.
Stevenson, therefore, doesn't buy it when James claims there is no "DeShawn-LeBron rivalry."
"Obviously there is," Stevenson said after Friday's practice. "If he's doing my move in Cleveland."
James, speaking a few minutes afterward, again was dismissive of such talk.
"There is no rivalry. Seriously," James said. "There'll never be a rivalry between me and DeShawn."
Now that the playoffs are well under way — Cleveland takes a 2-1 lead into Sunday's Game 4 — neither player wants to talk about the details of their tiff. Stevenson, though, took some satisfaction when the Verizon Center crowd chanted "Ov-er-rated!" at James during Thursday's game.
"It feels good. LeBron had his fans behind his back, and I had my fans behind my back," Stevenson said. "And that's what it's all about. Home-court advantage. And I think our fans did a great job."
James laughed at the chant, but great players have a way of coming back strong after such moments, so Game 4 could offer another dramatic chapter to the soap opera.
Then there will be Game 5 in Cleveland, where Stevenson can no longer walk the streets.
"I don't go out of my room when I'm in Cleveland." Stevenson said. "I've been one time, and the Foot Locker guy got mad at me. They're supposed to do that, though. He's the franchise of that team."
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=409580&Category=17&subCategoryID=27
CAVS LEAD 2-1
IN SEARCH OF THIS
Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1) VS Washington Wizards (1-2)
Sunday, April 27th, 2008
1:00pm ET
Radio : WTAM 1100
Television: ABC
Head Coaches
Mike Brown / Eddie Jordan
Probable Starters
Delonte West / Antonio Daniels
Wally Szczerbiak / DeShawn Stevenson
LeBron James / Caron Butler
Ben Wallace / Antawn Jamison
Zydrunas Ilguaskas / Brendan Haywood
Cavs Bench
BOOBIE / DEVIN / ANDY / JOE
Wizards Bench
Mason Jr. / Blatche / Songaila / Arenas
In the Murder Capital of the United States, Washington D.C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Washington,_D.C.
INSIDE
Lolly the Trolley decided to make an appearance....
GAME NOTES
· The Cavaliers have won eight of the past nine games against the Wizards in the playoffs. Cleveland’s eight straight wins from May 3, 2006-April 21, 2008 tied for the sixth-longest winning streak against one opponent in the playoffs in NBA history.
· The Cavaliers are a perfect 3-0 in series in which they have taken a 2-0 series lead (2007 Conference Semifinals versus New Jersey – won series 4-2; 2007 First Round versus Washington – won series 4-0 and 1992 First Round versus New Jersey – won series 3-1). Cleveland won the first two games of this series.
· Since the start of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, Cleveland is a perfect 2-0 in games following a loss to the Wizards. In those games, LeBron James has averaged 43.0 points on 30-51 (.588) shooting and 6.0 rebounds per game.
· Over his last seven playoff games against the Wizards, Zydrunas Ilgauskas has averaged 17.6 points on .545 (48-88) shooting and 9.7 rebounds per game.
· The Cavaliers are 5-3 in the game following a loss in the Eastern Conference playoffs dating back to the start of the 2006 Playoffs.
· LeBron James is 15 points shy of reaching 1,000 in his postseason career. James and Tracy McGrady are the only two active players with at least 975 career postseason points in fewer than 40 career playoff games. As of April 25, McGrady had 992 points in 35 games while James had 985 points in 36 games.
GAME ARTICLES
Rough road ahead for Cleveland Cavaliers in D.C.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter
Washington- A common notion among players and coaches is a playoff series does not start until the visiting team wins on the road.
If true, the Cavaliers can count their blessings since they own homecourt advantage in this first-round series against the Washington Wizards.
The Cavs have been inconsistent on the road since the late-season trade for Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, Delonte West and Ben Wallace.
The beatdown the Wizards inflicted in Game 3 Thursday was a small example of how terrible the Cavs can be away from home. That's why owning the homecourt advantage in the first round could prove vital.
"There's a reason why teams fight for six months because home court matters, especially if it gets to a Game 7," Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. "In playoff history, most of the series have been won by teams with homecourt advantage. Everything is easier at home."
Especially for the Cavs.
The Cavs have won only three road games since the trade. They have victories over the lowly Charlotte Bobcats and New York Knicks. Their third was a controversial victory at Philadelphia. Defensively, the Cavs have held opponents to a scoring average of 87.4 points and a field-goal percentage of 41.7 percent at home.
On the road, the Cavs give up 101.8 points and a 47.9 field goal percentage. On the offensive end, the Cavs shoot 44.2 percent from the field and average 12.1 turnovers at The Q and shoot 43.3 percent from the field and average 14.9 turnovers on the road.
The Cavs lose their edge somewhere between the airport and the visiting locker room. Eric Snow, who is out for the season due to a knee injury, said the biggest source of motivation for most teams comes from their home crowd, something Washington surely used in Game 3.
"The homecourt is that source of familiarity and comfort and it's easier to get something from within because of the enthusiasm from the crowd," Snow said. "That's why teams usually need to play extremely well or be extremely chiseled and tested to go in and win road games consistently."
Winning on the road is certainly a mark of a champion. Last year's Finals champs, the San Antonio Spurs, won 27 road games. The Cavs won 18 road games this season and 20 last year. Some of the biggest challenges on the road are adjusting to the crowd and the "hometown" calls.
"At home, it's a lot easier to get your energy up because you have 20,000 people cheering for you," Ilgauskas said. "A lot of [referee] calls go your way at home and if they don't, the crowd is booing. On the road, you have everyone against you. The crowd's going against you and the calls are different. You can't get away with what you did at home on the road."
The crowd at the Verizon Center certainly went against the Cavs on Thursday, from the whiteout T-shirts, to the constant chants of "overrated" directed at LeBron James. Gilbert Arenas compared it to the enthusiasm of college basketball crowds.
"Everything is magnified in the playoffs," Ilgauskas said. "When we came [to the Verizon Center] during the regular season, the crowd was not as enthused as they were last night."
Enthusiastic crowd or not, the Cavs must fight through the adversity of a road game or this series gets tied with Game 5 back at The Q. Since ear plugs are not an option, the Cavs have to utilize their execution on offense and defense to quiet the crowd and escape with a rare road victory.
"We have to be more conscious on the road and know it's going to be a hostile environment," James said. "We have to have that same aggression as we have at home and be able to counter some of those attacks from the home team."
James vs. Stevenson:
Following Game 3, LeBron James said there was no rivalry between himself and DeShawn Stevenson. Stevenson, however, said otherwise.
"Obviously there is [a rivalry] if you're doing my moves," Stevenson said. "Obviously he's worried about us. The only thing we're going to do is play basketball."
The playoffs have become so intense Stevenson does not leave his hotel room in Cleveland until game time.
"I don't go out of my room in Cleveland, but I did one time and this [clerk from] FootLocker got mad at me," Stevenson said. "It's pretty tough there."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1209198747136090.xml&coll=2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Injured Gilbert Arenas keeps hopes up for Game 4 against Cleveland Cavaliers
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Mary Schmitt Boyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
Washington- Gilbert Arenas said he had a bone bruise and a pinched nerve in his troublesome left knee, but he didn't rule himself out of Sunday's Game 4 against the Cavaliers, who lead the best-of-seven first-round playoff series, 2-1.
"You've got to make sacrifices, and if I have to play three or four minutes to get everybody excited, then that's what I have to do," Arenas said Friday.
Arenas, who had surgery on the knee just before Thanksgiving, didn't practice Friday, but he missed practice before Game 3 also and then made a surprise start - his first since returning from surgery. He played only 10 minutes and had 2 points and 3 assists and was noticeably limping before he left the court for good late in the first half.
"They said I should try to go out there and warm it up and see how long I could last," he said, referring to the Wizards' medical and training staff. "I knew I wasn't going to play more than 10-15 minutes. . . . While I was out there I was just trying to energize the crowd by getting everybody excited about being home and getting people fired up."
He did that, firing up the crowd and his teammates, who responded with a 108-72 rout of the Cavs, the biggest playoff victory in franchise history.
According to Arenas, the problem was not starting or playing six minutes in the first quarter. It was in trying to come back in the second quarter.
"I was just trying to ride the bike to keep my body heated," Arenas said. "Once I got back out there, I could feel the pain and I couldn't handle it anymore. Once I go out, it's a question of whether or not I can go back in. Once I'm already warm, I'll be able to take the pain. When I sit down and stiffen up, that's when I have my problems."
Arenas said he could take a shot to numb the pain, but he's afraid of needles.
"If we were on the road, I'd take the numbing shot," he said. "But since we're at home, our confidence is a lot higher so I can risk going out there for 10 or 15 minutes. If the game gets close, I'll just play through the pain."
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan told reporters he'd wait until Sunday to see how Arenas feels. In the meantime, the coach appreciated what Arenas did on Thursday.
"I thought it meant a lot," Jordan told reporters. "He got us out on the break. He did some good things. He was like Willis Reed in reverse. We saw him walking out limping instead of walking in."
Crowd control:
The Wizards were still raving about their raucous crowd in Game 3.
"That was the best environment," Arenas said. "That was better than when we were down 0-2 to Chicago [in 2005.] It was like college. Everybody was excited to be coming home. We've been in that position before with the Bulls. The fans responded well . . . better than we expected. We shut up the critics just for a little bit."
Added DeShawn Stevenson: "Our crowd was good. You feel good at home - sleep in your own bed, you've got your same routine. Cleveland is kind of tough. There's nothing to do. It's a tough city."
Team player:
Stevenson led the charge with 19 points on Thursday. The Wizards shot 52.1 percent and had 20 assists.
"We can win like that all the time if we play like we played [Thursday night]," Stevenson said. "Everybody shared the ball. Everybody got his shots. The last game when we got blown out, we were playing one-on-one basketball. We're not good like that. Certain guys on this team are good like that, but you don't win ballgames like that."
The last word:
From Arenas (who else?) on LeBron James, "It has been going his way this series. He's a phenomenal player. You can't really contain him. He only contains himself. Stopping him is like trying to stop Kobe Bryant. You really can't. You've just got to hope he stops himself."
Show stopper:
TNT analysts Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley took note of Arenas' return to the starting lineup Thursday.
"Gilbert Arenas plays better when the attention is on him, he's an attention seeker," Smith said during the TNT pre-game show. "He's got blogs, he's got everything else that goes on to draw attention to himself. He plays better when the spotlight is on him. He's back in the lineup so it may give [the Wizards] an extra jolt."
Added Barkley, "The thing Gilbert has got to understand is that he's got to pass the damn ball. Gilbert is a ball-stopper."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1209198698136090.xml&coll=2
---------------------------------------------------------
LeBron: 'There is no rivalry'
James scoffs at matchup with Stevenson
Saturday, April 26, 2008
By JOSEPH WHITE
AP SPORTS WRITER
WASHINGTON When LeBron James arrived for practice Friday, he spotted Gilbert Arenas in the hallway near the locker room. The two high-profile stars shared a hug while Arenas' father, standing nearby, gave James some good-natured banter about the ongoing series between Cleveland and Washington.
"Off the court, me and Gilbert are really, really good friends," James said. "I'm not going to let some trash talk get in the way of our friendship."
When the subject turned to DeShawn Stevenson, however, James struck a totally different tone.
"I don't know DeShawn Stevenson at all," James said.
James might not know Stevenson, but he certainly knows about him. As odd as it seems, the Cavaliers-Wizards first-round playoff series has evolved into a grudge match of sorts between one of the NBA's biggest stars and a role player who — until now — was arguably the least prominent starter on his own team.
"It's a lot of antics going on," said Stevenson, who is quickly earning the title of Most Hated Man in Cleveland.
The first indication of bad blood between the two came March 13, when they jawed at each other during a game in Washington. After James missed a potential game-winning shot in the Wizards' 101-99 victory, Stevenson was more emotional than usual in the locker room. He managed to bite his tongue until he started to walk out the door, when he told a Washington Post reporter: "He's overrated, and you can say I said that."
LeBron? Overrated? He's been called lots of things, but that's nowhere near the top of the list. James' response came a few days later: "With DeShawn Stevenson, it is kind of funny. It's almost like Jay-Z saying something bad about Soulja Boy. There's no comparison. Enough said."
Translation: "DeShawn, you are not on my level." It's an attitude James has since maintained whenever Stevenson's name has been raised.
There's more. When Stevenson makes a big shot, he often waves his hand in front of his face, a gesture he calls "can't feel my face" because he's so hot. He started doing it spontaneously last season, then quit for a while because some people thought the gesture was gang-related. Arenas talked him into bringing it back.
"Gilbert got on me, the fans loved it, and ever since then I've been doing it," Stevenson said.
Sure enough, when the Wizards were getting routed by 30 points in Game 2 on Monday, James and Cleveland's Damon Jones mockingly copied Stevenson's gesture.
Then, when Washington pounded Cleveland by 36 in Game 3, Stevenson not only did the gesture but added a nice little strut to go along with it as he scored a team-high 19 points.
Stevenson, therefore, doesn't buy it when James claims there is no "DeShawn-LeBron rivalry."
"Obviously there is," Stevenson said after Friday's practice. "If he's doing my move in Cleveland."
James, speaking a few minutes afterward, again was dismissive of such talk.
"There is no rivalry. Seriously," James said. "There'll never be a rivalry between me and DeShawn."
Now that the playoffs are well under way — Cleveland takes a 2-1 lead into Sunday's Game 4 — neither player wants to talk about the details of their tiff. Stevenson, though, took some satisfaction when the Verizon Center crowd chanted "Ov-er-rated!" at James during Thursday's game.
"It feels good. LeBron had his fans behind his back, and I had my fans behind my back," Stevenson said. "And that's what it's all about. Home-court advantage. And I think our fans did a great job."
James laughed at the chant, but great players have a way of coming back strong after such moments, so Game 4 could offer another dramatic chapter to the soap opera.
Then there will be Game 5 in Cleveland, where Stevenson can no longer walk the streets.
"I don't go out of my room when I'm in Cleveland." Stevenson said. "I've been one time, and the Foot Locker guy got mad at me. They're supposed to do that, though. He's the franchise of that team."
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=409580&Category=17&subCategoryID=27
