http://www.ohio.com/sports/cavs/80183822.html
Shaq's rare dunk is big treat for fans in Cavs' 108-83 win over Rockets
By David Lee Morgan Jr.
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 11:02 p.m. EST, Dec 27, 2009
<!-- ( Date ) -->CLEVELAND: It's a good thing a rare sighting was witnessed by the 20,562 fans at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday night or no one would have ever believed it even happened.
And it had nothing to do with the game-high 29 points that LeBron James scored in the Cavaliers' 108-83 win over the Houston Rockets.
Nor the 20-point performance by Cavs point guard Mo Williams, on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
It was Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal taking a long pass from Delonte West, then dribbling the ball in the open court all alone and going in for an uncontested dunk in the fourth quarter.
That feat was just one of many highlights for the Cavs (24-8), now winners of 10 consecutive home games. They also avenged a loss to the Rockets (18-13) earlier this month.
''It was fun,'' O'Neal said about the dunk, which excited the crowd. ''I'm kind of a big man that prefers to take the ball off the glass and dribble the ball under control. But I always had the ability to do that. I had a couple of those with Phoenix last year.''
O'Neal finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 12 points for the Cavs.
The other highlight for the Cavs was the team defense. The Rockets shot just 33 percent from the field and the Cavs held the Rockets to just 16 points in the paint.
''I like more than anything else that [Houston] only got five offensive rebounds,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''We did a good job of boxing out because that's a good offensive rebounding team. They're athletic, energetic and give a lot of effort to get second-chance points.''
The Cavs were a bit sluggish in the first quarter and trailed by 12 points midway through the quarter. But they rallied to tie the score at 24 to start the second quarter.
''You can't shy away from the fact that the [West Coast] road trip can take a toll on you when you come back home,'' James said.
But the third quarter was the difference. The Cavs, behind the outside shooting of Williams and James, outshot, outhustled and outworked the lethargic Rockets.
''It was just a very poor second half,'' Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. ''We just ran out of energy and they got very aggressive. They came out making shots and pretty much ended the game.''
Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks lit up the Cavs for 18 first-half points but he was contained in the second half. He finished with 23 points.
Trevor Ariza and Carl Landry added 11 points each for the Rockets.
The shots that Brooks was knocking down in the first half, Williams was knocking down in the second half.
''Like I said at the end of [last] year and before the season started, they asked me what I learned from the playoffs, and what I said, it's confidence,'' Williams said. ''I've been here and done that now. I've been in those tough situations. When I get in big-game situations, I have to step up with the ball.''
Rockets forward Shane Battier said they couldn't match the Cavs' intensity in the second half.
''We didn't have the juice to answer them,'' Battier said.
James said it was important for the Cavs to open the third quarter strong.
''In a game like [tonight], you definitely don't want a team to hang around coming off a back-to-back, even though they are as good as they are,'' James said. ''Mo and I definitely came out aggressively on the offensive end and knocked down some threes. We just turned the game around.''
Brown added: ''[Mo] has done a nice job of running our team, getting guys in the right spot and getting the ball to guys in the right spot. Often, he's going to shoot and score and you kind of expect that. Right now, you just like the way he's running the team. He's bringing a physical presence at both ends of the floor in that point-guard spot.''
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Houston Rockets' Carl Landry, center, puts up a shot between Cleveland Cavallers' LeBron James, right, and Shaquille O'Neal during the second quarter in an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
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<!-- ( Date ) -->CLEVELAND: It's a good thing a rare sighting was witnessed by the 20,562 fans at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday night or no one would have ever believed it even happened.
And it had nothing to do with the game-high 29 points that LeBron James scored in the Cavaliers' 108-83 win over the Houston Rockets.
Nor the 20-point performance by Cavs point guard Mo Williams, on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
It was Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal taking a long pass from Delonte West, then dribbling the ball in the open court all alone and going in for an uncontested dunk in the fourth quarter.
That feat was just one of many highlights for the Cavs (24-8), now winners of 10 consecutive home games. They also avenged a loss to the Rockets (18-13) earlier this month.
''It was fun,'' O'Neal said about the dunk, which excited the crowd. ''I'm kind of a big man that prefers to take the ball off the glass and dribble the ball under control. But I always had the ability to do that. I had a couple of those with Phoenix last year.''
O'Neal finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 12 points for the Cavs.
The other highlight for the Cavs was the team defense. The Rockets shot just 33 percent from the field and the Cavs held the Rockets to just 16 points in the paint.
''I like more than anything else that [Houston] only got five offensive rebounds,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''We did a good job of boxing out because that's a good offensive rebounding team. They're athletic, energetic and give a lot of effort to get second-chance points.''
The Cavs were a bit sluggish in the first quarter and trailed by 12 points midway through the quarter. But they rallied to tie the score at 24 to start the second quarter.
''You can't shy away from the fact that the [West Coast] road trip can take a toll on you when you come back home,'' James said.
But the third quarter was the difference. The Cavs, behind the outside shooting of Williams and James, outshot, outhustled and outworked the lethargic Rockets.
''It was just a very poor second half,'' Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. ''We just ran out of energy and they got very aggressive. They came out making shots and pretty much ended the game.''
Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks lit up the Cavs for 18 first-half points but he was contained in the second half. He finished with 23 points.
Trevor Ariza and Carl Landry added 11 points each for the Rockets.
The shots that Brooks was knocking down in the first half, Williams was knocking down in the second half.
''Like I said at the end of [last] year and before the season started, they asked me what I learned from the playoffs, and what I said, it's confidence,'' Williams said. ''I've been here and done that now. I've been in those tough situations. When I get in big-game situations, I have to step up with the ball.''
Rockets forward Shane Battier said they couldn't match the Cavs' intensity in the second half.
''We didn't have the juice to answer them,'' Battier said.
James said it was important for the Cavs to open the third quarter strong.
''In a game like [tonight], you definitely don't want a team to hang around coming off a back-to-back, even though they are as good as they are,'' James said. ''Mo and I definitely came out aggressively on the offensive end and knocked down some threes. We just turned the game around.''
Brown added: ''[Mo] has done a nice job of running our team, getting guys in the right spot and getting the ball to guys in the right spot. Often, he's going to shoot and score and you kind of expect that. Right now, you just like the way he's running the team. He's bringing a physical presence at both ends of the floor in that point-guard spot.''
Shaq's rare dunk is big treat for fans in Cavs' 108-83 win over Rockets
By David Lee Morgan Jr.
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 11:02 p.m. EST, Dec 27, 2009
<!-- ( Date ) -->CLEVELAND: It's a good thing a rare sighting was witnessed by the 20,562 fans at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday night or no one would have ever believed it even happened.
And it had nothing to do with the game-high 29 points that LeBron James scored in the Cavaliers' 108-83 win over the Houston Rockets.
Nor the 20-point performance by Cavs point guard Mo Williams, on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
It was Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal taking a long pass from Delonte West, then dribbling the ball in the open court all alone and going in for an uncontested dunk in the fourth quarter.
That feat was just one of many highlights for the Cavs (24-8), now winners of 10 consecutive home games. They also avenged a loss to the Rockets (18-13) earlier this month.
''It was fun,'' O'Neal said about the dunk, which excited the crowd. ''I'm kind of a big man that prefers to take the ball off the glass and dribble the ball under control. But I always had the ability to do that. I had a couple of those with Phoenix last year.''
O'Neal finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 12 points for the Cavs.
The other highlight for the Cavs was the team defense. The Rockets shot just 33 percent from the field and the Cavs held the Rockets to just 16 points in the paint.
''I like more than anything else that [Houston] only got five offensive rebounds,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''We did a good job of boxing out because that's a good offensive rebounding team. They're athletic, energetic and give a lot of effort to get second-chance points.''
The Cavs were a bit sluggish in the first quarter and trailed by 12 points midway through the quarter. But they rallied to tie the score at 24 to start the second quarter.
''You can't shy away from the fact that the [West Coast] road trip can take a toll on you when you come back home,'' James said.
But the third quarter was the difference. The Cavs, behind the outside shooting of Williams and James, outshot, outhustled and outworked the lethargic Rockets.
''It was just a very poor second half,'' Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. ''We just ran out of energy and they got very aggressive. They came out making shots and pretty much ended the game.''
Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks lit up the Cavs for 18 first-half points but he was contained in the second half. He finished with 23 points.
Trevor Ariza and Carl Landry added 11 points each for the Rockets.
The shots that Brooks was knocking down in the first half, Williams was knocking down in the second half.
''Like I said at the end of [last] year and before the season started, they asked me what I learned from the playoffs, and what I said, it's confidence,'' Williams said. ''I've been here and done that now. I've been in those tough situations. When I get in big-game situations, I have to step up with the ball.''
Rockets forward Shane Battier said they couldn't match the Cavs' intensity in the second half.
''We didn't have the juice to answer them,'' Battier said.
James said it was important for the Cavs to open the third quarter strong.
''In a game like [tonight], you definitely don't want a team to hang around coming off a back-to-back, even though they are as good as they are,'' James said. ''Mo and I definitely came out aggressively on the offensive end and knocked down some threes. We just turned the game around.''
Brown added: ''[Mo] has done a nice job of running our team, getting guys in the right spot and getting the ball to guys in the right spot. Often, he's going to shoot and score and you kind of expect that. Right now, you just like the way he's running the team. He's bringing a physical presence at both ends of the floor in that point-guard spot.''
<!-- end printDesc --><!--endclickprintinclude-->
View more photos>>
<!-- ( Date ) -->CLEVELAND: It's a good thing a rare sighting was witnessed by the 20,562 fans at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday night or no one would have ever believed it even happened.
And it had nothing to do with the game-high 29 points that LeBron James scored in the Cavaliers' 108-83 win over the Houston Rockets.
Nor the 20-point performance by Cavs point guard Mo Williams, on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.
It was Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal taking a long pass from Delonte West, then dribbling the ball in the open court all alone and going in for an uncontested dunk in the fourth quarter.
That feat was just one of many highlights for the Cavs (24-8), now winners of 10 consecutive home games. They also avenged a loss to the Rockets (18-13) earlier this month.
''It was fun,'' O'Neal said about the dunk, which excited the crowd. ''I'm kind of a big man that prefers to take the ball off the glass and dribble the ball under control. But I always had the ability to do that. I had a couple of those with Phoenix last year.''
O'Neal finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 12 points for the Cavs.
The other highlight for the Cavs was the team defense. The Rockets shot just 33 percent from the field and the Cavs held the Rockets to just 16 points in the paint.
''I like more than anything else that [Houston] only got five offensive rebounds,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''We did a good job of boxing out because that's a good offensive rebounding team. They're athletic, energetic and give a lot of effort to get second-chance points.''
The Cavs were a bit sluggish in the first quarter and trailed by 12 points midway through the quarter. But they rallied to tie the score at 24 to start the second quarter.
''You can't shy away from the fact that the [West Coast] road trip can take a toll on you when you come back home,'' James said.
But the third quarter was the difference. The Cavs, behind the outside shooting of Williams and James, outshot, outhustled and outworked the lethargic Rockets.
''It was just a very poor second half,'' Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. ''We just ran out of energy and they got very aggressive. They came out making shots and pretty much ended the game.''
Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks lit up the Cavs for 18 first-half points but he was contained in the second half. He finished with 23 points.
Trevor Ariza and Carl Landry added 11 points each for the Rockets.
The shots that Brooks was knocking down in the first half, Williams was knocking down in the second half.
''Like I said at the end of [last] year and before the season started, they asked me what I learned from the playoffs, and what I said, it's confidence,'' Williams said. ''I've been here and done that now. I've been in those tough situations. When I get in big-game situations, I have to step up with the ball.''
Rockets forward Shane Battier said they couldn't match the Cavs' intensity in the second half.
''We didn't have the juice to answer them,'' Battier said.
James said it was important for the Cavs to open the third quarter strong.
''In a game like [tonight], you definitely don't want a team to hang around coming off a back-to-back, even though they are as good as they are,'' James said. ''Mo and I definitely came out aggressively on the offensive end and knocked down some threes. We just turned the game around.''
Brown added: ''[Mo] has done a nice job of running our team, getting guys in the right spot and getting the ball to guys in the right spot. Often, he's going to shoot and score and you kind of expect that. Right now, you just like the way he's running the team. He's bringing a physical presence at both ends of the floor in that point-guard spot.''
