Wolves vs. Cavaliers Gameday

Final: 93-70 Cavs
James scored 14 points in the fourth with a variety of shots that earned a standing ovation from the Minnesota crowd. Cleveland dominated the final period as James finished with 32 points, three assists, and six rebounds. The impressive performance left the Wolves roster searching for answers. Minnesota could not respond to the onslaught and dropped to 4-21 on the season. Cleveland improved to 21-4 by winning 12 of its last 13 games. Jefferson shot 10-of-19 to lead Minnesota in scoring with 20 points. The schedule does not get any easier with a contest against Houston on Saturday night as the Wolves try to snap an 11-game losing streak.

More postgame coming soon...

Third Quarter: 63-56 Cavs
Just when the Wolves started to gain a little momentum heading into the final quarter; James erupted. Minnesota battled to cut the lead to just one after a Jefferson turn-around jumper in the paint. Around the 1:06 mark of the third, James sprinted out on the fast break and threw down a monster dunk as the crowd gasped. With that basket, Cleveland extended its lead to seven points. James has 18 points for the game with West adding 16. Miller was successful in the beginning of the quarter by driving to the basket. Despite the sore ankle, Miller has scored 12 points in the contest and has looked effective throughout the game. Both teams have combined for 16 free throw attempts and the Wolves are 87 percent from the charity stripe. Minnesota is within shouting distance if they can contain James in the pivotal final period.

Halftime: 44-38 Cavs
The shooting percentage plummeted for Minnesota while the Cleveland fireworks show began. At the 5:30 mark, the Cavs raced out to a 3-on-1 fast break and West threw the ball off the backboard as an alley-oop to James. The attempt thrilled the crowd but James could not execute the play. James scored 11 points in the half and seems to get to the basket with ease while providing scoring each time Minnesota makes a run at the Cavs. Cleveland’s defense halted any momentum from the Wolves with only 17 points in the second quarter. Smith leads the Wolves in scoring with nine points and Jefferson has kicked in eight in the first half.

First Quarter: 24-21 Cavs
James lived up to all the billing as he led the Cavs with seven points on 3-for-3 shooting. Cleveland looked to run the break following a Minnesota turnover. Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field in the first period. Mike Miller scored six points to give the Wolves a good start from the perimeter. Most of the offensive sets were called for Miller as he tried to rub off screens, looking for open looks. He also snagged three boards in the first quarter.

Pregame News and Notes 6:45 PM
The Cavs will sport their alternate blue uniforms tonight and look to jump back on a winning streak after 11 straight victories before the loss Saturday night. James addressed the media about ten minutes ago and there is a completely different aura around the arena tonight. His superstar status is growing with each spectacular performance on the court. James is one of those transcendent players that only come along every 20 years or even a lifetime. Magic, Bird, Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, and now LeBron. Some players are so special, they only need one name for recognition. Minnesotans can surely understand this notion...just think of a pretty popular figure in the area...I think his name is Prince.

Cavaliers Pregame
LeBron James

Voice of the Opposition
Cavs.com beat writer Joe Gabriele

Cavaliers Shootaround
Head coach Mike Brown

Wolves Shootaround
Kevin McHale

Al Jefferson

Craig Smith

Scouting Report
The Cavaliers are one of the few teams in the league that can claim to be a championship contender. The offseason acquisition of Mo Williams has made an instant impact on the team as Cleveland now features a high-scoring offensive attack. Then there is LeBron. The 6-8, 270-pound small forward is a highlight reel player with the best all-around skills in the league. James dominates games and is the catalyst behind three consecutive playoff appearances for the Cavaliers. With a 20-4 start this year; Cleveland ranks fifth in scoring at 102.7 points per game. The defense has been equally as impressive with Cleveland atop the NBA by only allowing 90 points a game. The Mike Brown led squad is also efficient by ranking fourth in field goal percentage while only committing 12.2 turnovers a game. Cleveland tied a franchise record by winning 11-straight games, which was snapped in a loss to Atlanta on Saturday night. This season, the Cavaliers only sit behind Boston and Los Angeles as the three best teams in the league. LeBron and the Cavs supporting cast will be fresh with four days rest and motivated after their fourth loss of the year.

Cleveland added a scoring point guard that could be considered the best offseason deal of the year. Williams is the Cavs second leading scorer at 16 points a game and is shooting 36 percent from the 3-point line. After playing last season in Milwaukee, Williams provides an offensive threat for Cleveland when James needs to rest on the bench. He is not only a clutch shooter but also a quick guard that can effectively run the fast break. If the Cavs have any aspirations of reaching the NBA Finals, Williams will be the key component to a playoff run. The backcourt trio of Randy Foye, Sebastian Telfair, and Kevin Ollie will have a difficult task in defending Williams. Delonte West is an average shooting guard and should not be a concern for Minnesota. Most likely McHale will match up Mike Miller on West, which will allow an extreme size advantage for the Wolves at the two spot.

Fans at the Target Center will be treated tonight to watch an electrifying, future Hall of Fame player. James is an athletic marvel with incredible size, speed, and agility. Ryan Gomes will most likely draw the match up against James at the small forward position. However, James can play positions one through four on the floor and will require a team defensive effort from the Wolves. Through 24 games, James averages 27.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.8 rebounds on his way to a possible MVP season. If there is one flaw to find in his game, one must look at his shooting from the perimeter. At 28 percent from the 3-point line, James at times can struggle from the arc. The best defensive gameplan is to keep him off the free throw line and his opportunities in the open floor. The big difference this year for James is his focus on defense. James leads the Cavs in steals and ranks seventh in the league at 2.0 rips per night. As evident of several appearances on ESPN's Top Ten Plays, James can catch opposing players on the fast break and swat balls off the glass. He averages 1.2 blocks per game to help lead the No. 1 defense in the league. At the center position, the Wolves catch a break with Zydrunas Illgauskas missing games due to a sprained left ankle. A week ago, Illgauskas stepped on Donyell Marashall's foot and there is no timetable for his return. Anderson Varejao moves into the starting lineup and Ben Wallace shifts to the power forward spot. The Wolves can expect a smaller frontline tonight, which could allow for more scoring opportunities from Al Jefferson. With Varejao and Wallace, the Cavs receive two gritty, defensive-minded forwards that will challenge every shot from Minnesota. Cleveland ranks second in the league in opponents field goal percentage, only allowing 42 percent from the field.

The good news for the Wolves tonight is the Cavs have lost all four of their games on the road this season. The bad news; the losses were against quality opponents with a combined record of 65-27 record. Minnesota should try to slow down the pace tonight to avoid a track meet. Cleveland is a strong defensive team that will take advantage of every mistake from the opposition. Minnesota is a battled tested team at this point with games against the Jazz, Spurs, and Lakers in this past week. The schedule does not get any easier tonight with the Cavs and Houston on Saturday night.

Projected Starters
Cleveland
Mo Williams, PG
Delonte West, SG
LeBron James, SF
Ben Wallace, PF
Anderson Varejao, C

Minnesota
Randy Foye, PG
Mike Miller, SG
Ryan Gomes, SF
Craig Smith, PF
Al Jefferson, C