Game 17 | Dallas @ Cleveland | November 28, 2009 | 7:30 PM EST

[DDJ7777]

CLEVELAND STARTERS:

DALLAS STARTERS:

CLEVELAND BENCH:

BOOBIE | DANNY | D BLOCK | J MOON | WILD THING | DELONTE | JAWAD | BIG Z | COBY

DALLAS BENCH:

JJ | JET | ROSS | HUMPHRIES | DAMPIER | CARROLL | SINGLETON | THOMAS | WILLIAMS |

INJURIES:
CLEVELAND:

POWE |

DALLAS:

HOWARD |

OBLIGATORY DALLAS CHEERLEADER PICS/VIDEO:

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FAST FACTS:
• LeBron James tied a season low with four assists against the Bobcats 11/27.

• Cleveland is 6-4 when Shaq plays this season and 5-1 when he doesn't.

• Cleveland and Dallas are both 8-2 over their last 10.

• Dallas is 7-2 on the road so far this season and have won their last five in a row.

• Dallas' Jason Terry, the reigning sixth man of the year, is averaging 18.1 points but has been held to 8.7 on 24.2 percent shooting during the Mavericks' three-game losing streak to Cleveland.

• Dallas has won seven of eight, with the only loss coming against Golden State on Nov. 24.

• JJ Hickson currently leads the Cavaliers in FG % at 57.8%.

You can watch the RCF post game show here!

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[JJ Smooth]

Great looking preview DDJ, I always rep those who spend time with the photoshop.

I urge Cavalier fans to not give up on this game before tip-off due to the Bobcat setback. Let us not forget that many of us were predicting two losses from those Florida teams earlier this month, and we know what happened there. Support your team and let's see what can be brought to the table against a Western Conference A-level team.

I'm not going to guarantee steak and lobster, but I'm expecting some improvements, because quite frankly there has to be and the Cavaliers (especially Lebron) are too cognizant of their goals this season to not work harder for a big time game like this. If they bring the same Bobcat effort then this game will get ugly, but I'm positive that will not be the case. This needs to be 48 minutes of basketball and playing through the bullcrap. No more "bring in the closer" or "turn the pressure up in the 4th quarter" BS. Go out and compete, and if the Mavs are still a little better, then take a little pride knowing all was given and there still lies a near full season for growth. Harder, better, faster, stronger; Cavaliers, just win baby.

 

[Powerslave]

Great looking preview DDJ, I always rep those who spend time with the photoshop.

I urge Cavalier fans to not give up on this game before tip-off due to the Bobcat setback. Let us not forget that many of us were predicting two losses from those Florida teams earlier this month, and we know what happened there. Support your team and let's see what can be brought to the table against a Western Conference A-level team.

I'm not going to guarantee steak and lobster, but I'm expecting some improvements, because quite frankly there has to be and the Cavaliers (especially Lebron) are too cognizant of their goals this season to not work harder for a big time game like this. If they bring the same Bobcat effort then this game will get ugly, but I'm positive that will not be the case. This needs to be 48 minutes of basketball and playing through the bullcrap. No more "bring in the closer" or "turn the pressure up in the 4th quarter" BS. Go out and compete, and if the Mavs are still a little better, then take a little pride knowing all was given and there still lies a near full season for growth. Harder, better, faster, stronger; Cavaliers, just win baby.

NOW LET'S GO GET THESE BASTARDS!

 

[Mr2400]

Should be interesting to see how we match up with Dirk. I'd say we might want LeBron on him for stretches, though that'd put Hickson on Marion. Moon should see some time in this game because he can match up to both Dirk and Marion.

 

[blank964]

I want to see a team that looks like it cares about playing starting with the leader Lebron James. Because this is a good team I'm sure we'll come out with more intensity but we can't expect to just coast and shoot jumpers against this team.

 

[ChicagoCavFan]

Great looking preview DDJ, I always rep those who spend time with the photoshop.

Rep 'em anyway. When I used to do them (and I did nothing with photoshop), it would take upwards of 2 hours....

 

[PIP]

Maybe it's just me, but if you look at the Mavs Cheerleader video, it looks like it says "dick to play"... Like, KEEP OUT !!!! ladies... :chuckles:

Again, could just be me...I haven't had my coffee yet...

 

[JJ Smooth]

Rep 'em anyway. When I used to do them (and I did nothing with photoshop), it would take upwards of 2 hours....

I always do anyway CCF, because I know personally how much time the preview takes to get done. The photoshop rep thing goes for anybody, preview or not. I'm amazed by some of the stuff posters put up; just one of the reasons why this is the best forum group on the net.

 

[Chardon]

I think we will see a preview of last night, we start off slow, and pick it up at the end... Which scares me.

 

[Backstage]

Z's big night...50-10-10 from the big fella? If only.

Big grats to the big guy. He's earned it, no doubt!

 

[Andrew]

neutralize Dirk and you got this. Parker can defend the only other scoring threat in Terry and have Shaq dominate Ericka.

 

[Tony_The_Calf]

Rodruigue Beaubois is going to be a superstar in this league

 

[Andrew]

Rodruigue Beaubois is going to be a superstar in this league

yeah no...no one can pronounce his name, every superstar has an easily pronounced name or nickname, ie: Shaq.

 

[Gunther]

Windy beat blog:

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Dallas Mavericks: Windhorst Beat Blog
By Brian Windhorst
November 28, 2009, 6:30PM

CLEVELAND -- Updates from The Q:

Starting lineups

Mavericks: Jason Kidd, Rodrigue Beaubois, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Drew Gooden.

Cavs: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, LeBron James, J.J. Hickson, Shaquille O'Neal

Officials

Joey Crawford, Scott Wall, Zach Zarba

* Erick Dampier is out and look at that starting lineup for the Mavs. There's matchup problems everywhere for both sides. Not sure who is going to cover Shaq, Gooden I suppose. Also Beaubois has amazing speed and he's going to be tough from outside in, unlike last night when the opposing shooting guard was hard to deal with from the inside out. Meanwhile, the Hickson-Dirk matchup is worrisome to say the least. J.J. is going to really have to work in the pick-and-rolls.

* The Mavs are a good road team and they do it because they have several different scorers who can get hot. Marion, Jason Terry, Dirk and Gooden. When they get Josh Howard back you can see why I picked them as one of the top five teams in the league. Also both Tim Thomas and Kris Humphries are loads coming off the bench. This is such a deep team and they can play a lot of different ways, not unlike the Cavs frankly.

* Last night the Cavs found a groove with Shaq in the second half, finding some offensive sets that worked and finding some good spacing. Had they been able to make some more shots they probably would have pulled it out. Let's see if it carries over, especially because the Mavs have a weakness at center. They don't really have any rim defenders right now and that is a weakness Shaq, Hickson, Anderson Varejao and LeBron are going to have to exploit.

SOURCE

 

[DougHeil]

Establish Shaq early inside. He should be able to rule in there tonight.

Come out with some fire and intensity. Don't rely on LeBron to carry the team. Take responsibility for your own fire and intensity. LeBron won't have great games EACH game. It shouldn't be up to him as to how the team plays.

Even if LeBron is not totally on his game, if each player is playing with desire, LeBron will come around. I know many say, including W & G, that the team goes as LeBron goes, but I feel it SHOULD be the opposite. If EACH player actually wants to play for MOST of a game, LeBron will filll in and do the same. The Cavs should not be relying on LeBron being great in order to win.