LeBron and Z Still Upset with Brown's decision not to play Z Saturday Night
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Zydrunas Ilgauskas never got off the bench during his first attempt at history. Given another chance, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown assured it will happen.
Ilgauskas will become Cleveland's all-time leader in games played when he enters Wednesday's game at home against Phoenix. He currently shares the record of 723 games with Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry.
Ilgauskas was expected to break the record at home last Saturday, but Brown didn't play him during a 111-95 win against Dallas.
The perceived snub upset both Ilgauskas and LeBron James. Ilgauskas hasn't spoke to reporters since the game and James criticized Brown for it on Monday.
"I definitely thought he should've played," James said. "As a friend of his, I was very upset and I know he was, also."
Brown explained on Monday that he liked the smaller, quicker lineup that was playing well against the Mavericks. But he said on Tuesday if he had it to do again, he would have played Ilgauskas against Dallas. He won't start Ilgauskas against the Suns -- an idea first floated by James -- but said he will play.
"I'll be just as happy as anybody when the record is accomplished," Brown said.
Ilgauskas declined interview requests for the second straight day Tuesday, while Brown stopped short of apologizing for keeping Ilgauskas from the record. He said he hadn't spoken to Ilgauskas yet about the incident, but that he would. He wasn't sure what he would say.
"I don't know. I haven't wrote anything out," Brown said. "We'll talk. I don't know when."
Ilgauskas has spent his entire 14-year career in Cleveland. He battled foot problems early on that forced him to miss essentially three full seasons. He is one of James' favorite players on the Cavaliers roster and the only holdover from when James was drafted. James was a big proponent in Ilgauskas receiving a five-year contract extension during the summer of 2005. Ilgauskas, now in the final year of that deal, has hinted at retiring after the season.
"I'm not trying to stir up anything with coach or whatever is going on with the organization, but sometimes one game is the smaller things," James said Monday. "What was on the line was something way bigger than us playing the Mavericks. That was 'Z' breaking the record."
Brown was not upset with James for speaking out.
"LeBron is a loyal person," Brown said. "That's big on his agenda. That's what has made him the type of person he is today. You respect and understand that he was being loyal to Z. I have no problem with that at all."
NBA Power Rankings Dec. 2, 2009
www.sportsline.com
Current Team Previous
1 Lakers · Trends 1
Knicks, Warriors, Nets -- it's been a while since Lakers faced a real team. ... Best passing big man in game? Pau Gasol averaging 4.2 assists.
2 Magic · Trends 2
Battle of Florida, Round 1, ends in controversy; no Magic in referee's non-call. ... Last road loss: Nov. 8 at Oklahoma City.
3 Suns · Trends 5
Tweet: NBA blows whistle on multitasking Amare Stoudemire, but he says he's innocent (and $7,500 poorer). ... Average score in four-game win streak: 119-98.
4 Cavaliers · Trends 3
LeBron in the NFL? Might be great tight end, but why take paycut?. ... No consistency: Inexcusable losses at Toronto, Washington, Charlotte.
5 Celtics · Trends 7
Truth has $30,000 price: Rasheed Wallace labels "Turkododo" a flopper. ... Time to get serious: Kevin Garnett ties season-high with 35 minutes in win at Miami.
6 Hawks · Trends 4
First crack: Joe Johnson shoots 23 for 66, club loses three of four. ... Easy to figure out these guys: 9-1 when scoring 100 or more, 3-4 when held to double digits.
7 Mavericks · Trends 8
Wrong side of history: Warriors play just six players, win at Dallas. ... Blowout loss to Cavs nothing new: That's four straight by average of 17.5 points.
8 Nuggets · Trends 6
M-V-P? Fans shout it out as Carmelo Anthony scorches Knicks for 50. ... Shocking end to 17-game home streak; club had beaten Timberwolves 10 straight.
9 Jazz · Trends 11
Carlos Boozer averaging 23.7-11.1 double-double in club's six-of-seven march up standings. ... Jazz have 36 assists, Blazers 34 hoops in 16-point drubbing.
10 Spurs · Trends 14
Room for improvement: Richard Jefferson has nine field goals last four games. ... Softies devoured, three heavyweights (Celtics, Nuggets, Jazz) await in five-day stretch.
11 Trail Blazers · Trends 9
Last quality win (at home vs. Spurs) now almost month away. ... Zach Randolph (remember him?) enjoys homecoming at Blazers' expense.
12 Heat · Trends 13
Too much stuffing? Heat among seven home losers (to Wizards) on day after Thanksgiving. ... Hope to avoid you in April: Club has lost nine of 10 to Celtics.
13 Rockets · Trends 10
Honeymoon's over: Early surprise team hasn't won back-to-back in a month. ... Where's Tracy McGrady? Club shoots 71 of 175 in home losses to Mavericks, Spurs.
14 Thunder · Trends 15
Giant-killing continues: Add Jazz to list that includes Magic, Spurs, Heat. ... He can pass, too: Kevin Durant has at least a handful of assists in five of last seven.
15 Bobcats · Trends 19
Trade paying dividends: Stephen Jackson averaging 40 minutes for club that's won four straight. ... Gerald Wallace takes Michael Jordan's advice, outplays LeBron James in win over Cavaliers.
16 Bucks · Trends 12
Four-game losing streak includes two-, three-point losses. ... What's problem? Brandon Jennings since 55-point explosion: 59 of 160 (369).
17 Bulls · Trends 17
Time to move up: After 10 of first 15 on road, nine of next 11 at home. ... No laughing matter: Club now 10-61 last 10 "Circus Trips."
18 Kings · Trends 24
Bring on New England: Club sweeps three against New York, New Jersey, New Orleans. ... Another surprise for surprising team: Sergio Rodriguez impresses at point guard.
19 Hornets · Trends 18
Last four road games: 0-4, 15.0 average margin of defeat. Next visit: Lakers. ... Good time for Chris Paul to rest: Club follows two-game week with two-game week.
20 Raptors · Trends 16
Blown-out club glad Canadian Steve Nash (20 points, 16 assists) comes north just once a year. ... Only Warriors (112.4 ppg) worse defensively than Raptors (109.3).
21 Wizards · Trends 21
Antawn Jamison doubles up on double-doubles in two wins, goes double-single in loss to Bobcats. ... Time to make move: Celtics, Suns only elite foes in December.
22 Clippers · Trends 25
Marcus Camby climbing rebound list: 62 in last four games. ... Is .500 in their future? The 8-10 club gets next five at home.
23 Warriors · Trends 26
Short-handed travelers make total of seven substitutions in shocker at Dallas. ... Scorching Monta Ellis goes for 34, 37, 42, 45 in five-game stretch.
24 Pistons · Trends 22
Bloody Charlie Villanueva helps in win over Hawks, then has surgery on broken nose. ... TV truck catches fire, Pistons don't in viewer-less home loss to Clippers.
25 Pacers · Trends 20
League leader in free throws allowed puts Monta Ellis on line 16 times in loss to Warriors. ... Mike Dunleavy hits first 11 foul shots after nearly 10-month absence.
26 76ers · Trends 23
A.I. II: Ay yi yi. ... Knew it wouldn't be easy: Seven-game losing streak includes Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Spurs, Mavericks.
27 Grizzlies · Trends 27
Improvement noted: Club is 5-4 after 1-8 start. ... Jamaal Tinsley puts PT over W's, signs with Grizzlies.
28 Knicks · Trends 28
Double your pleasure: Sunday duel with lowly Nets one of two this month. ... Anthony adds to infamy: Four of last 10 to score 50 have faced Knicks.
29 Timberwolves · Trends 29
Don't want to make them mad: Club avenges home loss to Nuggets with stunner at Denver. ... Improving Ramon Sessions cutting into Jonny Flynn's playing time.
30 Nets · Trends 30
Frank-ly speaking, change needed after noncompetitive Western swing. ... Good news for new coach Kiki Vandeweghe: Bobcats, Knicks, Bulls, Warriors, Pacers in eight-day stretch
NBA Power Rankings Dec. 2, 2009
www.si.com
1 Last Week: 3 Los Angeles Lakers (13-3)
Five games with Pau Gasol. Five victories. With Gasol (18.4 points, 11.4 rebounds) re-asserting himself as one of the NBA's top low post players, the Lakers have been pummeling opponents by an average of 15.5 points per game, a margin likely inflated by feeding on cellar dwellers New York, Golden State and New Jersey last week. Sterner tests await this week with visits from Miami Friday and Phoenix Sunday.
2 Last Week: 2 Phoenix Suns (14-3)
Yes, a lack of an interior presence will probably doom the Suns in the playoffs but for now Gentry-ball (formerly known as D'Antoni-ball) is getting the job done. The NBA's top scoring team (112 points per game) will look to make a statement this week with games at Cleveland and Los Angeles.
3 Last Week: 4 Orlando Magic (14-4)
The Magic have been playing some dominant D lately in winning eight of their last nine games. On Thanksgiving night, the Magic flexed those defensive muscles for all to see, responding to a 51-point Hawks barrage in the first half by holding Atlanta to 25 points on 25 percent shooting in the second half. Dwight Howard has been crucial to the effort, pulling down 12.5 defensive boards a game while blocking 2.5 shots per game since asking coach Stan Van Gundy to not be so negative. It seems to be working for a club that has the fourth-best scoring defense (93.7 points) in the NBA
4 Last Week: 6 Denver Nuggets (12-5)
George Karl told the Denver Post that reporters should talk more about players' plus/minus. So, lets. One player who has come up on the plus side is Chris Andersen, who's fourth on the team with a plus-85. "He's playing quality basketball," Karl said. He has, in a quiet way, learned how to play the game better and more consistent than when he started here last year."
5 Last Week: 5 Cleveland Cavaliers (12-5)
Remember Mo Williams? LeBron's sidekick-turned All-Star who was shoved out of the spotlight when Shaq came to town? He's still here. Mo-Will racked up 47 points in back-to-back games against Charlotte and Dallas last week and is averaging better numbers (17.8 points, 4.7 assists, 1.1 steals) than he did last season. That's more than we can say about the Cavs' offense, which ranks in the lower half of the NBA at 99.1 points per game.
6 Last Week: 1 Atlanta Hawks (12-5)
Losing to Orlando? Somewhat understandable. But losing to the undermanned Pistons? Yeesh. The Hawks have had trouble on the glass recently: the Magic outrebounded them 53-41 and they gave up 24 offensive rebounds to the Pistons. "When you get beat like that on the boards," said Mike Woodson, "you aren't going to beat many teams in this league."
7 Last Week: 7 Boston Celtics (13-4)
Is it possible to win and look really bad doing it? The Celtics eked out a three-point victory over the battered Sixers last week and trailed the Raptors at halftime before blowing it open in the second half the day after Thanksgiving. The Green looked better in a win at Miami and will need to carry that into a tough back-to-back road set with San Antonio and Oklahoma City this week.
8 Last Week: 8 Dallas Mavericks (12-5)
It's difficult to discern much about a team that wins road games at Houston and Indiana but drops a head-scratching home game to a Golden State team that used six players. Still, one nugget emerged from the week: Tim Thomas can still play a little. Thomas missed all of training camp and the first 11 games of the season with a knee injury but came off the bench to score 23 points against the Rockets. But like the inconsistency shown by the rest of the team, he followed that performance up with a combined 5 points in his next two contests.
9 Last Week: 9 Portland Trail Blazers (12-7)
Back-to-back blowout losses to Memphis and Utah have the Blazers searching for answers. The biggest question is the uneven play of Andre Miller. He played 20-plus minutes in three games last week but played just six scoreless minutes in Saturday's loss to Utah. Nate McMillan said Miller looks hurt. Miller said he's fine. Somehow, we don't think we've heard the end of this.
10 Last Week: 10 Miami Heat (9-7)
There is some uneasiness brewing in Miami. The Heat dropped back-to-back home games to Washington and Boston to close the week and now head west for a brutal four-game road trip through Portland, Denver, L.A. and Sacramento. "The first thing is our energy and pace," Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "We do not want to play slow. We are not a slow team. Does that mean we are going to fast break like Golden State or Phoenix? Not necessarily, but we do not want to walk or jog up the court. It is allowing defenses to get set, to get multiple defenders in front of [Dwyane Wade]. There's got to be an energy, a pace, an enthusiasm the way we play offensively similar to the way we play defensively."
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