Despite loss, Cavaliers still East's top team

SALT LAKE CITY — Thursday night's 97-96 loss to the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena marked the exact midway point of the 82-game for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was a game that saw the Cavaliers going from being in control, to falling behind by double digits in the fourth quarter to rallying for a lead in the final seconds before a last-second 3-point shot by Sundiata Gaines gave the Jazz the improbable victory.

Gaines' buzzer-beater followed the inspired play by reining league MVP LeBron James late in the game.

James scored 18 points during a 20-2 run late in the fourth to help the Cavaliers regain the lead. James finished with 36 points.

Despite the loss, Cleveland still has 30 wins, which ties the Cavaliers with the Lakers for the most wins in the NBA. Mike Brown, the Cavaliers' coach, said earlier Thursday that he has been pleasantly surprised at how well things have gone this season as his James-led club has tried to work in veteran big man Shaquille O'Neal.

"I didn't think we'd be sitting where we are this early," said Cleveland coach Mike Brown. "I thought we'd have a chance to get there, but when you add a guy like Shaq to the team when you already have LeBron and you've got Mo (Williams) and you've got (Zydrunas Illgauskas), there were some questions and pressure and it could make a team splinter. We haven't done that at all."

O'Neal, a former league MVP in the twilight of his hall of fame career, hasn't balked at being just another cog on a team that has a clear leader in James. The Cavaliers have been getting Shaq more involved in the offense of late, but that wasn't the case against the Jazz. O'Neal managed only five points against Utah, breaking a streak of 10 consecutive games of double-digit scoring for the 7-foot-1 big man.

"We're getting a little better offensively with (Shaq), knowing when to give him the ball, where to give him the ball and how to space the floor," said Brown. "So I like the progress with Shaq."

Former Jazz draft pick Mo Williams, meanwhile, has turned into one of the best point guards in the Eastern Conference, averaging 16.9 points per game, second on the team to James. He scored 10 on Thursday against the team he played for as a rookie during the 2003-04 season. Despite playing just one year in Utah before signing with Milwaukee as a free agent, Williams still has good things to say about the Jazz.

"It was a great experience my rookie year, playing for a great coach that I really admire and I really love," said Williams of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "I definitely enjoyed playing in Salt Lake."

But Williams now is enjoying playing with James.

"(LeBron) always does things that surprise you," said Williams. "He obviously does things on a daily basis that you just can't teach."

While there is still half the regular season remaining, the Cavaliers are already looking ahead toward the postseason. But the pressure will be on, as anything less than an NBA title will be seen as a disappointment to many Cleveland fans.

"I'm excited about this team's potential going into the playoffs," said Brown.

And the good news for the Cavaliers is that they won't have to play Utah — and Sundiata Gaines — again unless both teams make it to the NBA Finals.

e-mail: lojo@desnews.com