by It was a gutsy move by Ferry, but one he had to make to strengthen the team for another run deep into the playoffs. Hughes had been too injury prone and inconsistent, making him expendable. He wasn’t the solid number two scoring threat that they needed him to be when they signed him to the large free agent deal in the summer of 2005. Drew Gooden had never quite reached his potential many thought he had when he was picked fourth in the draft several years earlier. He was loved by fans and teammates, but Ferry knew that the trade wouldn’t be possible unless he included Gooden in it.
Mary Schmitt Boyer gives her re-action to the blockbuster trade, “It was quite a shock, it brought in some toughness. Wallace was a tough presence to have around in a positive way. He was scary and intimidating but at the same time made for a great interview because he was always willing to talk. Delonte West may have run into some problems later on, but when he was on the court he really helped the team and played well. Danny Ferry didn’t believe that the current roster before the trade was going to be good enough to reach the finals and this move was needed. I think he wanted to mix up the chemistry and he was not afraid to do so. It was new blood and new toughness and the fans were excited.”
They reacted well to the new cast of players as they won their first seven of nine games after the trade. It was going to take time to mesh, but they new players showed they were hungry to play well and contribute right away. They finished the regular season at 45 – 37 and looked poised for another run at the Eastern Conference Championship.
Their first round opponent was a familiar foe in the Washington Wizards. It would be the third straight season they had to face Washington in the opening round. The Wizards had their big three ready with Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison poised to do everything they could not to get beat again. The Cavaliers were ready for the Wizards to come out strong and fight them hard the entire game. In the end, it took a 32 point performance by LeBron James, but the Cavaliers took game one 93 – 86. The Wizards had led after the first and third quarters, but the Cavaliers used a 28 point fourth quarter to overcome them for good. Delonte West helped out with 16 points in his first playoff game as a Cavalier. West also chipped in with five rebounds, two steals and five assists.
Game two was not nearly as close and the Cavaliers blew out the Wizards 116 – 86. It was a 30 point victory that proved how good Cleveland could be when running on all cylinders. LeBron James had another incredible night with 30 points, 12 assists, 2 blocked shots and 9 rebounds. It was an impressive night for the king. Wally Szczerbiak hit two three pointers on his way to a 15 point night. He was starting at shooting guard while Delonte West ran the point. They would travel to Washington with a commanding 2-0 lead in the best of seven series.
Washington returned the favor in game three and blew out the Cavaliers at home by a score of 108 – 72. LeBron James had 22 points, but only one other player was able to score in double digits. It was a poor effort that allowed Washington back in the series.
Game four was a back and forth affair that would come down to the wire once again. The Wizards held a four point lead after the first quarter of action. The Cavaliers outscored them in the second quarter 30 – 16 to take a ten point lead into halftime. Washington cut into the lead in the third quarter and only trailed by seven heading into the fourth. They continued to make it close but in the end the Cavaliers managed to hang on for a 100 – 97 win. It gave them a stranglehold on the series heading back home for game five.
It was another impressive effort by LeBron James as he scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. James was becoming an unstoppable monster in the playoffs once again. Delonte west once again showed that he could be a great number two scoring threat behind LeBron as he chipped in with 21 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Game five back in Cleveland saw Washington slip by with a razor thin win by a score of 88 – 87. James scored with ease again, finishing with 34 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. The effort by James was amazing but not enough and the series was headed back to Washington for game six.
Washington used a 31 point first quarter at home in game six to take an early four point lead. The Cavaliers held the Washington offense in check in the second quarter only allowing 17 points and took a 56 – 48 lead into halftime. They were only 24 minutes away from reaching the next round and they came out of the half with the full intent on shutting Washington down for good. They outscored the Wizards 23 – 16 and took a 15 point lead heading into the final frame. Washington managed to cut into the lead a tiny bit, but the Cavaliers were just too much to overcome and won the game 105 – 88. They were headed back to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals for the third straight year.
The game six clinching win was highlighted by a 27 point scoring effort from LeBron, but also Wally Szczerbiak scored 26. Szczerbiak hit an incredible six three pointers and broke the spirit of Washington and its fans. Daniel Boobie Gibson also scored 22 points off the bench, including four three pointers of his own. The Cavaliers would need the momentum and positive energy as they were about to face the team with the NBA’s best record in the next round.
With the major acquisitions of perennial All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the offseason, the Celtics finished with a record of 66–16 and posted the best single-season turnaround in NBA history, improving by 42 wins from the previous season. Kevin Garnett was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, while Danny Ainge, who executed “the most dramatic NBA turnaround ever”, was named NBA Executive of the Year. With Paul Pierce already there, they were known as the original, “Big three”. They were the first team to form a super group of talent in free agency and trade. They also had highly talented rookie point guard from Kentucky, Rajon Rondo.
The Cavaliers were going to have their work cut out for them as Boston was the heavy favorite to win the NBA Championship. The Celtics were coming off a surprisingly grueling seven game series against the Atlanta Hawks, the Hawks shocked everyone by pushing Boston to having to play all seven games before Boston was finally able to put them away. Boston showed signs of fatigue in game one and the Cavaliers hung in there until the very end. A clutch shot by Kevin Garnett in the closing minute was enough to seal the win for Boston, 76 – 72.
Cleveland couldn’t recover in time from the close game one loss and got blown out in game two 89 – 73. The physical play by Boston was too much for Cleveland to overcome, as LeBron James was just 8 for 42 in their first two games. The series was on its way back to Cleveland and the Cavaliers would have to find the answer quickly.
Cleveland entered game three in full desperation mode for a victory. A three game deficit would be too much for any team to come back from , let alone against the league’s best team. Cleveland was taking no chances by jumping out to an early first quarter lead of 32 – 13 and never looked back. They steamrolled the Celtics all night in route to a 108 -84 victory. Lebron James and Delonte West both had 21 points each in the win. LeBron stayed hot in game four with another 21 points and the Cavaliers pulled off the victory 88 – 77 to even up the series at two games apiece.
The pivotal game five of this epic series returned to the TD Garden in Boston. Cleveland was suddenly full of confidence and the series was up for grabs. Cleveland used a high energy strong defensive effort to take a 46 – 43 halftime lead. They were shutting down the big three and looked to have an excellent chance to steal one on the road. A familiar problem then creeped up on them, they once again failed to come out ready for the second half and couldn’t keep pace with the Celtics after Bostons coach Doc Rivers made some key adjustments. Boston outscored the Cavaliers 29 – 17 in the third quarter and took a nine point lead into the final quarter.
Lebron and the Cavaliers fought hard to make it close, but in the end, they dropped game five to the Celtics, 97 – 89. It was a frustrating loss for Cleveland as they fought hard all night but the weak third quarter effort was their downfall. LeBron scored 35 points and West had another 21 in the losing effort. They received almost no help at all from the bench, and dropped the pivotal game.
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