It was basketball time in Cleveland last night. That wasn’t just Joe Tait’s signature opening line, used just prior to tip off. It occured on two different venues, one in the Alamo City, San Antonio, home of the NBA champions. The other site was in downtown Cleveland, at The Wolstein Center, home of the Cleveland State Vikings. Forget about who should start at quarterback for the Browns next season, don’t worry about who will play left field for the Indians this season, for at least one night, basketball was on everyone’s mind. Or at least, it should have been.
In Texas, the Cavs continued their improved play of late, winning for the second time in two tries on the current road trip, defeating the Spurs for the third consecutive time in the regular season. Of course, for now let’s forget that little event last June, the NBA Finals. After trailing early, the wine and gold put together a spurt to open the second quarter with LeBron James on the bench, opening up a seven point advantage at the half. They stretched the lead to eight after three quarters, and then withstood a Spurs rally to win when Manu Ginobili missed a 15 footer as time ran out.
James was the star, scoring 27 points, gathering 9 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists, but he had plenty of help. Zydrunas Ilgauskas hit 7 of 11 from the floor to score 17 points, and Anderson Varajao continued his tremendous play of late, scoring 12 points and getting 14 boards. Daniel Gibson hit a huge three late to give the Cavs a lead, and Devin Brown provided solid defense. Even Damon Jones was solid, hitting all three of his shots in scoring seven points. The only disappointment was the Disappearing Trio in the starting line up, as Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, and Drew Gooden combined for just 12 points on 5 of 18 shooting.
Meanwhile back at home, Cleveland State continues to surprise, knocking off 12th ranked Butler 56-52. It was CSU’s first ever regular season win over a nationally ranked opponent, and runs their record in the Horizon League to a perfect 6-0. It was undoubtedly the biggest win for the program since their two wins in the NCAA Tournament in 1986, with Kevin Mackey at the helm. After winning just 10 games a year ago, the Vikes are now sitting at 13-5 and have a chance at post season play for the first time in a long, long time.
Coach Gary Waters has been able to do what Mike Boyd, Rollie Massimino, and Mike Garland could not. That is, build a legitimate basketball program in downtown Cleveland. Prior to last night’s victory, CSU knocked off Florida State on the road early in the season, and in case you haven’t noticed, the Seminoles of the fabled ACC are currently sitting at 12-6. They also defeated South Florida of the Big East. Yes, this team is for real, and Waters deserves all the credit. And he is doing it with a mixture of local talent and those recruited from out of the state.
Yes, basketball was king in Cleveland for at least one night. Hopefully, the Cavs can continue their winning ways and have put the first two months of the season behind them. Also, with Cleveland State’s win, here’s hoping more fans in the area discover what a good squad they have put together.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 