Cavs make powerful statement with win over Lakers

GAME TIME: Cavs 93, Lakers 87

This game, pitting the best team and the best player in the East against both counterparts in the West, certainly lived up to expectations. If one game in midseason cannot definitively decide who’s the best of the best, it certainly looks as though the Cavs have the stuff to stuff the Lakers.

And the essence of that “stuff” is power.

Here are the particulars:

Even though Shaquille O'Neal  tossed up three bricks and had a shot blocked, his strength absolutely intimidated Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. L.A.’s defensive game plan called for Shaq to be played — and contained — by a single defender. But with Bynum AWOL and Gasol playing as if he were made of straw, the Lakers were compelled to double-team Shaq, a tactic that was shredded when the Diesel neatly delivered the ball to dive cutters and open perimeter shooters.

LeBron James didn’t have his shooting shoes on — he was only 7-for-19 from 15 feet and beyond — but he made the shots he had to make, including three consecutive buckets in the fourth quarter. Also, even though the Lakers switched on virtually every high screen/roll that involved LeBron, they still couldn’t prevent LBJ from turning the corner and storming to the rim.

Early in the game, James powered his way through three defenders and registered an easy layup. And he was still ready, willing and able to overwhelm any and all defenders in the endgame. LBJ, who finished with 37 points, is simply too young, too strong and too competitive to ever get tired.

On the several occasions when James was guarded by Kobe Bryant, the King of Cleveland blitzed the basket with minimal resistance. No contest here.

Otherwise, Anthony Parker made a pair of critical treys and also played physical, chest-to-chest defense against Kobe.

J.J. Hickson’s relentless hustling resulted in layups, loose ball recoveries and terrific defensive rotations.

Zydrunas Ilguaskas had trouble finding the basket, but his late-game double-teaming of Kobe helped to shut down L.A.’s offense.

In the end, Cleveland’s power advantage wore the Lakers down. Moreover, the Cavs routinely made clutch plays at both ends of the court.

Up until crunch time, the Lakers were mostly able to counter the Cavs' strength with slickness. For example, if Gasol torched Hickson in the low post, he was subsequently forced to endure disadvantageous face-offs against either Shaq or Anderson Varejao when Bynum picked up too many fouls.

In the first half, Kobe was 7-for-12 from mid and long range. True, he had trouble getting to the rim, but his jumpers were falling consistently enough for him to score 20 points before the intermission. However, having to furiously battle for every shot while getting out-muscled by Parker and James eventually took its toll. In the second half, Kobe missed eight of the 10 jumpers he lofted and wound up with “only” 31 points on 12-for-31 shooting overall.

Whereas Ron Artest was expected to bang on equal terms with LeBron, Ron-Ron played unusually soft defense: going under screens whenever possible, never trying to deny LBJ, rarely making forceful contact and not even fouling James hard. In the absence of the aggressive, macho defense that has characterized his career thus far, Artest exhibited severe diminishment of his lateral movement.

The Lakers' screen/roll defense was inadequate, but this has been a continuing problem. More surprising were their deficient baseline rotations. Weak-side screens and skip passes easily generated uncontested shots for the Cavs' baseline shooters. All game long, the Lakers failed to make adjustments here.

And what can be said about Gasol’s performance?

Only that he wimped out. Getting a pair of attempted layups blocked with the game on the line. Missing two free throws that could have knotted the score with 23.8 seconds left in the game. And generally tiptoeing around the Cavs' bigger, stronger, tougher bigs.

If the Cavs made plays when the game was up for grabs, the Lakers didn’t make any.

So which of the Lakers was the primary culprit?

Kobe can’t be blamed for getting worn down. Neither can Gasol be faulted for playing with more finesse than power. And after 10 1/2 seasons of throwing his weight around, it’s only natural Artest has lost his quickness.

The onus falls on Bynum. For being totally reactive and never forcing the action. For reverting to the tentative and confused state of his early seasons. And, mostly, for playing scared.

Assuming they will come out of the West, the Lakers have to hope and pray that either Boston or Orlando can terminate Cleveland’s season some time in late May.

If you have a question or comment for Charley Rosen, please email charleyrosen@gmail.com and he may respond in a future column.