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On This Date in Cavs Playoff History - April 30

Rather than picking one of the top Cavalier postseason victories from this bountiful date in playoff history, let’s spread the wealth and include all three.

In 1989 … one year after Lenny Wilkens’ young, new-look took the Cavaliers’ to their first playoff appearance since 1985 before falling to Chicago in five games, they squared off for the second straight year against Michael Jordan’s Bulls.

After dropping Game 1 at the Coliseum, the Cavaliers fell behind early in Game 2. But they held the Bulls to just 59 points over the final three quarters. Naturally, Jordan led the Bulls – doubling-up with 30 points and 10 assists. But the man guarding Jordan – Ron Harper – was even better on this day, notching a double-double of his own, finishing with 31 points and 11 boards.

Larry Nance (16 points) and Mark Price (15) rounded out the Cavalier starters in double-figures and Hot Rod Williams added 13 points off the bench, going 6-of-8 from the floor as the young Cavaliers evened the First Round series with the 96-88 victory.

In 1992 … the Cavaliers bounced back from a 25-win season the previous year to win 57 games and entered the postseason as the 3rd seed in the East. In their First Round series against New Jersey, Lenny Wilkens’ now-veteran squad rumbled past the Nets in the first two games, averaging 119 points per contest.

The Nets bit back in Game 3 – taking the 109-104 victory at the Meadowlands despite a 28-point, 14-rebound effort by Larry Nance. But that year’s Cavs squad was on a mission, and they blew past New Jersey in Game 4 – outscoring Bill Fitch’s Nets by 15 points in the final quarter to seal the series.

In the series-clinching 98-89 win in Game 4, all five Cavalier starters notched double-figures, with Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance combining for 35 points and 27 boards. But it was Hot Rod who stole the show off the bench – finishing with 20 points, 13 boards, five steals and a pair of blocks.

In 2007 … the Cavaliers faced the Washington Wizards in the First Round for the second straight season – dropping them in six dramatic games, capped by Damon Jones’ dagger in overtime.

The 2007 series had all the bad blood from the previous season and some of the drama – but competitively, it was all Cleveland.

The Cavaliers won Game 1 by 15 points at The Q and pulled away late in Games 2 and 3 to put Eddie Jordan’s squad on the precipice of the sweep in Game 4 at the Verizon Center.

LeBron James didn’t have his finest playoff game – going just 8-of-22 from the floor. But he sank 14 of his 17 free throw attempts to finish with 31 points, adding 11 boards and seven assists. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 20 points and 19 boards and combined with Larry Hughes to score 18 of Cleveland’s final 20 points.

Antawn Jamison scored 31 points for the Wizards, but without the services of injured stars, Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, Washington had little chance against a Cavaliers team that would eventually make its first trip to the NBA Finals just over one month later.