O’Neal scores 16, protects Cavs in scrum
December 16, 2009
CLEVELAND (AP)—Shaquille O’Neal(notes) vowed to protect LeBron James(notes) when he wasacquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason.
Apparently, that goes for the rest of the King’s men, too.
O’Neal had 16 points and stepped right in when Jamario Moon(notes) was taken downby a hard foul in the fourth quarter, helping the Cavaliers beat the New JerseyNets 99-89 on Tuesday night.
With Cleveland leading by 11 with 3:48 left, Devin Harris(notes) was called for aflagrant foul and ejected after wrapping his arm around Moon’s face and neck andpulling him to the ground when Moon went up for a breakaway basket. James, whofinished with 23 points, immediately tried to quiet the incident by putting hisarms around Harris, while O’Neal began jawing and pushing his way toward aforming scrum.
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Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBro… AP – Dec 15, 8:00 pm EST
New Jersey Nets' Courtney … AP – Dec 15, 8:00 pm EST
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Cleveland Cavaliers' Shaqu… AP – Dec 15, 7:52 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 8; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.9ef70b05ce6b4c7e801905c28b4b5bc7.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd108.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=279&hc=310&q=70&sig=vhgGT5_7u5XsVcC46lwqfg--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.0ab246e973994ba2ba320e70e3958991.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd107.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=321&hc=357&q=70&sig=.mI8ZDb8_Pt9qeJx4WF9Bw--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.097a58e12f4e49f68beaa2819676be3f.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd105.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=33&yc=1&wc=347&hc=385&q=70&sig=8AkmZSph5y9.UIQkS80SRA--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.2ed41004b02f492d85c981c4c687113f.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd106.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=39&yc=1&wc=333&hc=370&q=70&sig=xSHKon_yoB5xukjORroYxg--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.45b752f6ad8b4d488a6278ab2fa438e5.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd104.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=368&hc=409&q=70&sig=4Xtob6sAdzDXBKId0uw8tw--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.12e43cb80df04e5ebc547e5cc7003a60.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd103.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=72&yc=1&wc=267&hc=297&q=70&sig=hTNEswMZ_QIV7t1VjHhsOA--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.2b89942e711f4897ac6f9376ab0c32d7.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=293&hc=326&q=70&sig=4uA3sHadRQDqHAT6b5.RgA--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091216/capt.b9902d807719495298fc52bfc7be7de1.nets_cavaliers_basketball_ohmd102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=55&yc=1&wc=301&hc=334&q=70&sig=.zp_SWBgfotrgYxeOP3AVg--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 9 NJ-Cle Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
“It was a hard foul,” O’Neal said. “I just wanted to make sure nobody gotinto a squabble. A grab here, grab there, everywhere a grab-grab.”
No punches were thrown and order was quickly restored. Harris, who said hedidn’t intend the foul to be malicious, was the only player ejected.
It was another ugly moment in a frustrating season for the Nets (2-23), whoopened the year by losing a league-record 18 in a row.
“I tried to not let him get a layup,” Harris said. “He did fall kind ofhard. What can you do at that point?”
Moon thought it probably looked worse than it really was.
“I don’t think it was intentional,” he said. “He went for the ball andjust missed it, I guess. I have no hard feelings.”
For all their struggles, the Nets were within two midway through the thirdquarter when James started taking over. His steal and basket prevented NewJersey from tying it and came in the midst of a furious five-minute stretch,when he scored 10 of the team’s 12 points to end the third and start the fourth.
James also had seven assists and six rebounds. He said he doesn’t believeHarris is a dirty player, but he still felt compelled to defend a teammate.
“I don’t think he intentionally went for his head, but he caught it,”James said. “That’s a play we cannot have in this game.”
Cleveland was 39 of 67 (58 percent) from the floor to tie its best shootingpercentage of the season, but couldn’t shake New Jersey because of eightfirst-half turnovers and constant fouls. The Nets were 18 of 23 from thefree-throw line in the first half, but finished 24 of 29.
The sluggish play against sub-.500 teams continues to frustrate Cavalierscoach Mike Brown, who made it a point during the morning shootaround to tell hisplayers that five of Cleveland’s seven losses have come against teams withlosing records.
“It’s something we have to continue trying to figure out,” Brown said.“We don’t need to play at a high level, but at a consistent level throughoutgames.”
Cleveland centers O’Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) had identical nights—16points on 7 of 9 shooting and five rebounds.
Brook Lopez(notes) had 22 points and 15 rebounds for New Jersey, but 20 of thosepoints came in the first half. He did not make a basket in the second half.Harris finished with 22 points and reserve Rafer Alston(notes) had 20.
Lopez insists the team is making progress, despite falling to 1-15 on theroad.
“You don’t see the benefits of it on the scoreboard,” he said. “We didn’tclose out. We’re getting there, as tough as it is to hear, game in and gameout.”
Cleveland’s Delonte West(notes) was inactive, missing his ninth game as hecontinues to bounce in and out of the rotation. West has been dealing withpersonal problems all season, but had played in nine consecutive games prior toTuesday.
The Nets played without Chris Douglas-Roberts(notes) and Keyon Dooling(notes).Douglas-Roberts, who is averaging 16.2 points, missed his second straight gamewith a sprained left knee. Dooling missed his third straight game with strainedhip flexors.
NOTES: The Cavaliers have reached a deal to sell Tsingtao, a popular Chinesebeer, inside Quicken Loans Arena. The team is close to finalizing a sale of 15percent of the franchise to Chinese investors. … Cleveland has won eightstraight at home. … Tony Battie(notes), battling a strained groin, did not dress forNew Jersey. … The Nets hit their average after entering last in the league(89.3) in scoring.