Written by Rich Swerbinsky

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Cavs win! Cavs win! Just one more victory at home, and we've got ourselves a series. Swerb doesn't think a win in game four will be as easy, which he points out in his random thoughts recap of tonights exciting 86-77 Cavs win, which made this a 2-1 series.

Some random thoughts on the Cavs 86-77 game three win, which puts the team one more home win away from making this a series.

~Pistons did an incredible job on LeBron individually, as they have all series. They use the long Tayshaun Prince to check him, and then flank Prince with Big Ben and Rasheed, almost daring LBJ to drive at one of them. They broke down slightly in the fourth,and LeBron made them pay.

~LeBron refused to force anything early, and the paint was vacant throughout much of the game with three defenders constantly focused on LeBron. Gooden was the recipient of easy buckets early, Varejao in the 2nd, and Z with a couple big buckets in the 3rd. Then, in the 4th, LeBron took over. It’s almost impossible to sustain the level of team defense necessary to shut LBJ down for an entire game, and we saw the Pistons wear down late here in game three, much as they did in game two. Fifteen of his twenty-one in the fourth, and he finishes with a 21, 10, and 10 triple double.

~The Cavs dominated the action in the paint, as the Pistons hollowed out down low in their approach to stop LeBron. Conversely, he Pistons abused the Cavalier perimeter defense, again repeatedly abusing and exposing Flip and Damon Jones as the horrific defenders they are.

~With condolences to him and his family, did anyone even notice Larry Hughes was missing? Sure, he would have helped reduce the open looks Chauncey and Rip saw, but the Cavs are a better offensive team with him off the floor. You give Larry a mulligan for his anemic playoff performance due to missing 45 games with the finger, but let’s pray to our respective gods that we see a different Larry Hughes for these next 4-5 years than the one we saw this season, especially late,

~What a game by Varejao. He’s the only big (I no longer count Donyell as a big) currently on this team that I want to see back in wine and gold next season. He’s everything Z isn’t. He’s active, has good feet, is tough, and his offensive game is improving. I love when he fouls someone hard, then immediately stick his hand in the air as if he is proud. This team needs so much more of that attitude.

~Gooden and Z both stink, and all five of the Cavs playoff wins this year have been in spite of these two worthless pieces of shit. Gooden is as good as gone in a sign and trade, and here’s hoping someone is stupid enough to give us a nice package for him. And I hope Ferry has the balls to trade his buddy Z, who was exposed as a soft, old, overrated, over the hill has been this postseason.

~This was a game defined by runs. A 9-0 Piston run gave them a 42-36 halftime lead, which was frustrating as a Cavs fan, seeing how poorly Detroit played for most of the 1st half. The Cavs made a 9-0 run to get it to 54-53 just before the end of the 3rd. Then the Cavs, led by an inspired LeBron, outscored the Pistons 29-15 over the last ten minutes to seal the win.

~Let’s be honest. Outside of their defense of LBJ the first three quarters, and outside of the last six minutes of the second quarter, the Pistons played horrible. And the Cavs didn’t have the game in the bag until there was a minute left. The Pistons always play terribly in game threes, and it will be a different Pistons team for game four. I’d be very surprised if the Cavs win that game, but if they do, we’ve got ourselves a series.