And we're back

With the Cavs biggest game of the season (to date) less than 48 hours away, some fellow Akronites and I decided that this is as appropriate a time as any to revive the greatest blog this side of Swenson's. So forget the introductions. Let's get to the good stuff.

• The Game - The Cavs absolutely demolished the Bobcats last night, 111-81, completing a season sweep of the original #23's poker chips. Over the course of those three wins, the Cavs went from a solid beatdown by 17 on 10/30, to a JCC-style schooling by 20 on 12/6, to a downright humiliating ass-whooping by 30 last night. Sure Adam Morrison's moustache was sagging a bit one night after a big overtime win over the Celtics, but this one was over from the opening buzzer. I credit the new alternate jerseys.
  

• The Highlight - The highlight of the game was almost as unbelievable as voting for Sasha Pavlovic on the All-Star Ballot. OK, it was nowhere close as unbelievable as that. But with about six minutes left in the first half, Daniel Gibson swiped a bad pass from Adam Morrison, got out in transition and... wait for it... slam dunked. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself here (he gets the steal at about the 0:50 mark in the video). I couldn't resist some quick YouTube research, and it turns out, this has happened before. Freakin' sweet.

• The Rookie - J.J. Hickson turned in his most complete game of the season. He threw down a handful of nasty dunks, including a fast-break alley-oop from Gibson. You can see it right before Gibson's dunk in the highlight video. But more importantly, for the first time this year, he put forth a really nice defensive effort, harassing guards on the perimeter, nailing his rotations, and crashing the boards on both ends. It's good to see him getting these minutes early on. Let's hope it translates into another Boobie-like breakout come playoff time.
  

So make sure you wash your Wine & Golds (or better yet, your Blue & Orange), and get ready for Friday night. The Cavs 18-0 home record, a small cushion for the top-seed, and maybe even the Cavs' pride will all be on the line against Brian Scalabrine & Co. Should be a good one, to say the least.

One more thing before I go, a new feature in case this blog regains its legs. I present:

The Sasha Pavlovic Stat Line

6 MIN / 2 PTS / 1-2 FG / 0-1 3P / 0-0 FT / 0 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK
Highlight of the Game: 1:04 Sasha Pavlovic misses 25-foot three point jumper

Post-Game Quote: "Tonight I rest my arms. I have much clapping on Friday."