Joe Cleveland would like to say that he is keeping his talents where they belong -- right here in Cleveland.
That being said, Joe Cleveland surely felt like every Cleveland sports fan did Tuesday night watching the Cavs dominate LeQuitter and his talent-stealing, shuckin-and-jivin, "Oh Yes We Did" Miami Heat, picking up their only double-digit win of the 2010-11 season in the process.
If it felt good for the Cavs to beat the Celtics in the season opener a night after the Celts beat the Heat, if it felt better that the Cavs shook off a 55-point loss on the road to the defending NBA champion Lakers by beating them at home, this one was for the soul.
Cavs 102, Heat 90.
Oh, Yes We Did! Let's shuck-and-jive, Cleveland fans, because if anyone deserves to hear about it, it's LeQuitter, his partners in crime and all the front-running fans that live in Miami and South Beach who have no idea what being a true sports fan is all about.
It was a thing of beauty. The smile on my face hasn't been wiped off, and I'll probably still be smiling come Wednesday, Thursday and even Friday.
And, how fitting was it that Joe Tait, in only his second game back in his radio perch, got to call this one. Anyone who's anyone had to feel good about that, and had to enjoy his call of this game (which I was able to do for two quarters).
Oh, Yes We Did!
To quote Dan Gilbert, "Not in our garage!!!"
Maybe it was a good omen that LeQuitter wasn't allowed in The Q for the morning session with his entourage in tow and had to stay in the garage.
Maybe it was a good omen that LeQuitter decided not to show up for his pregame introduction (and usual boos from the sellout crowd), instead walking to the bench under the cover of darkness while the Cavs were introduced.
Maybe it was a good omen that the Cavs were able to dominate the Heat despite a very quiet triple-double from LeQuitter.
I always thought that, in order for the Heat to be considered a legitimate team, they'd need someone other than Wade, Bosh or LeQuitter. They got that Tuesday night when Mike Bibby made a bunch of wide-open 3-pointers and scored 20 points. However, they didn't play defense, and the Cavs exploited it with a great team effort.
How about Anthony Parker making 7-of-9 shots, including all four from 3-point range. How about Baron Davis making his first start as a Cav and making a great buzzer-beating 3-pointer at halftime, finishing with 12 points and 8 assists. How about J.J. Hickson scoring 24 and pulling down double-digit rebounds.
And, how about Ryan Hollins giving LeBron some "love taps" tonight, setting the tone early that the Cavs weren't going to be pushed around and weren't going to be "pals" this time. Hollins outplayed the overrated Snoop Dogg lookalike Chris Bosh all night long.
And, is Z still a member of the Heat? Didn't notice him ... just like his final few years with the Cavs (ZING!)
Yes, the Heat will make the playoffs this year, and the Cavs are still the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. However, maybe a win like this is just what the doctor ordered. LeQuitter and his Heat embarassed the Cavs when they came to town on Dec. 2, which led to the 26-game losing streak and fans simply turning their backs on this team.
Tuesday, fans wanted to believe that the Cavs would give LeQuitter a taste of his own medicine. For that belief, we were rewarded with a victory.
Leave it to ESPN to throw in some digs about the Cavs' long losing streak and that bad Dec. 2 game as they threw up highlights of this game. ESPN always has to try to take Cleveland down a peg. Unfortunately, your weak attempts didn't work. ESPN should get off the Heat bandwagon, because there's no way that "team" is going to win an NBA championship this year. Dare I say it, I'll agree with Dan Gilbert on this one -- I don't think the Heat will win an NBA championship within the next six years (the length of the contracts of LeQuitter, Wade and Bosh).
Cleveland and the Cavs got the last laugh over LeQuitter in 2010-11. No one can take that away. It wasn't by a fluke buzzer-beater or anything like that. This was a beatdown, throughly.
And, with a healthy Baron Davis and Antawn Jamison next year, along with some impact rookies, you've got to be excited about 2011-12 for the Cavs. They won't be championship-calibur. But, playoff-calibur? As a lower-seeded team? Don't be surprised.
I'll leave LeQuitter with this one -- Ain't karma a bitch?
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
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