5.mérkőzés
Ez a Lakers Shaq nélkűl egy sima középcsapat. Most bízonyíthattak volna a többik is ( Kobe is ).
Hát sikerült a bízonyítás.

Cleveland clamps down

Cavs hold Shaq-less Lakers to lowest total in L.A.
Posted: Tuesday November 05, 2002 9:48 PM
Updated: Tuesday November 05, 2002 10:45 PM

Zydrunas Ilgauskas was head and shoulders above the crowd Tuesday. AP
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Darius Miles couldn't help himself. Caught up in the euphoria of a home-opening win over the Lakers, one of the newest Cavaliers spoke his mind.

"We're going to put on a show every night," Miles told the Gund Arena crowd. "We're going to surprise the world."

Well, they've already stunned the Lakers.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 23 points for Cleveland in an 89-70 victory over the Shaq-less Lakers, whose point total was the franchise's lowest since moving to Los Angeles in 1960.

The Lakers scored just 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Ricky Davis added 24 points and Tyrone Hill had 17 rebounds for the Cavs, who dazzled a crowd of 19,833 -- including high school phenom LeBron James -- by blowing out the three-time defending NBA champions.

"I love proving people wrong," said Miles, who had 13 points in his home debut. "They say we're the 29th team in the league? Maybe we'll just go out and make the playoffs."

With Shaquille O'Neal missing his fifth game while recovering from off-season foot surgery, the Lakers had no inside game and only Kobe Bryant as an offensive threat.

Bryant finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in 40 minutes, and just missed becoming the first player since Grant Hill in 1997 to have three straight triple-doubles.

"We didn't hit shots and fell in love with the outside shot too much and they didn't fall," Bryant said.

Previously, the fewest points the Lakers had ever scored in a game since moving from Minneapolis was 74. Los Angeles shot just 32 percent, including 4-of-20 on 3-pointers. In the fourth, the Lakers went just 5-of-22.

"We got good shots but we didn't knock them down," said Robert Horry. "Tonight, everybody shot it bad, everybody."

After Davis' reverse dunk put Cleveland up by 20 with 3:30 left, fans began chanting, "Beat, L.A." and saluted the Cavs with several standing ovations.

It was an ideal start at home for the young Cavs, who are coming off three straight 50-loss seasons and aren't expected to be much better this season.

"It was a good win," Miles said. "But they didn't have Shaq. Shaq is 30 points. Shaq is 20 rebounds. Shaq is five blocks. He'll be back when we go to Los Angeles (Jan. 10). He told me he owes me one."

The 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas, whose career has been sidetracked by foot injuries, showed why if he stays healthy he could be the Eastern Conference's top center.

Ilgauskas showed an assortment of power moves underneath and a soft touch from the outside while working against Samaki Walker and Soumaila Samake.

And as the Cavs' big man dominated, the Lakers' big man sat helplessly on the bench with his arms crossed.

Davis' three-point play and a 3-pointer by Bimbo Coles helped the Cavs open a 73-60 lead with 11:03 left, and as the Lakers misfired, Cleveland built its lead to 82-64 with 5:54 remaining on Ilgauskas' final basket.

The Cavs are carefully monitoring his minutes, and coach John Lucas pulled Ilgauskas with 4:53 to play and Cleveland comfortably ahead 88-66.

"If Zydrunas can continue to improve, we have a chance in the Eastern Conference because of his size," Lucas said.

Miles fed Davis for a one-handed, alley-oop dunk to key a 10-2 run that built Cleveland's lead to 61-51 in the third quarter and got Cavs fans as pumped up as they've been in four years.

"We're playing the game and selling tickets," Miles said.

Notes: O'Neal is eligible to be activated for Thursday night's game in Boston, but it's unlikely he will make his debut until next Tuesday in Atlanta. ... Bryant reiterated his desire to play on the U.S. Olympic team in the 2004 Athens Games. He's also trying to talk O'Neal into joining him on the American squad. "He said, 'If you do it, I'll do it'," Bryant said. ... Cavs rookie guard Dajuan Wagner has gained back half of the 15 pounds he lost while hospitalized with a bladder infection. The first-round pick began practicing Monday and will travel with the club to Philadelphia and Washington this week. He was disappointed at missing the home opener. "This is my dream," he said. "I just want to play."