Scanning the blogs and beats following the Cavaliers' 94-82 win over the Pistons in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals ... Fear The Sword: "The story of the game will be, at least in the eyes of the media that want to bring interest to the rest of the country, how the Cavaliers floundered a 27 point lead to start the 4th quarter, with the Pistons cutting it to 7 before Cleveland closed the door. That could be a story. Let me be the one to tell you. It is a non-story. The Cavaliers toyed with Detroit. Every time the Cavs focused as a unit, they stretched their lead. What has happened now, instead of a 'fat' Cavaliers team heading to Detroit, it is a mad Wine and Gold unit heading to Motown." Chris McCosky, The Detroit News: "As the Pistons continue to slide off the basketball radar, let's not lose sight of what's really happening here. LeBron James might be in the process of redefining the NBA's gold standard. He needs to win a few rings before he unseats Michael Jordan, obviously. But I am here to tell you, he's 6-foot-9, 270 pounds, and most of the time is stronger,2012 New arrival Nike Dunk SB heels Womens low top Purple, faster and jumps higher than anybody on the court. If he stays healthy and committed, he's going to be the best that's ever played before his time is done. The Pistons have been awful thus far, we aren't giving out any free passes. But James has been putting on a show. He' is dissecting them with the precision of a surgeon." Terry Pluto, The Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Here's what the Cavaliers need to remember every night, every quarter, every minute of the playoffs — the faster you end the series, the better. The Cavs are an elite team, but they must remember how championships are won in the postseason: Get it over quick. It means more rest for the weary and wounded, less chance of injuries. The Cavs need to remember that the Pistons may ooze out some last drops of the pride that has driven this team to six consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals. Don't let them pull it off. Go to Michigan to go for the sweep,NIKE AIR MAX 2012 WOMENS Dk.Gry Peach, as hard as that may be on the road." A. Sherrod Blakely, mlive.com: "You don't expect Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince to put up big scoring numbers against the Cavaliers, but to struggle like he has in Games 1 and 2 -- four points and two points, respectively — is unacceptable if Detroit is to have any chance of keeping this series moderately competitive. [...] No one gave the Pistons much of a chance in their first-round series with Cleveland. Two games into it, and you see why. Detroit coach Michael Curry is part of the problem. He knows this. So are his core players, who have carried themselves as if this series was over before it ever started. Not to worry, though. Cleveland should put the Pistons out of their misery soon enough." FanHouse: "Here's something else to consider: through two games, Prince has also combined for exactly two personal fouls. It's not necessarily his style,Nike Zoom Hyperdunk 2011 Low PE Mens Shoes Black Blue, but getting a bit more physical wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. What, can the free-throw disparity actually get worse? The Cavs attempted 43 from the stripe on Tuesday; the Pistons, 16. If more of the Pistons showed a bit more fire, maybe it wouldn't stick out so much when the big men police the paint." Dime: "Anyone else think this series is headed for a fight? In the second quarter, Amir Johnson and Anderson Varejao got into a little jawing that ended with Amir shoving AV. Later in the second half, Mo hit a three right in front of Detroit’s bench and turned around to give the Pistons a long stare and pose. Next time down the floor, Rodney Stuckey conveniently knocked Mo down with some off-the-ball contact. We’ll call it now: Varejao will end up in the middle of an 'incident' before this is over." Talk Hoops: "The Pistons lost this game because they didn't have any heart. They didn't have any fight and they showed that their fight or flight inner dial is definitely set to flee the scene. The Pistons ought to be embarrassed as a whole at the effort that was put forth by the supposed leaders of this team. Tayshaun Prince looks like a shell of his former self out there. Rasheed Wallace isn't even putting his hands up when he runs out at shooters. And Richard Hamilton looks to be swearing under his breath every time Rodney Stuckey doesn't get him the ball in a perfect chance to score like Chauncey used to do. If the Pistons starters put up a similar effort on their floor in Game Three, Michael Curry should make a statement that the culture and mentality will change next season by starting the second unit for Game 4." SLAM Online: "Seeing Big Z run the floor early on the break is crazy. At the start of his career he had some serious health issues that nearly sidelined his career but now he’s playing up to his potential, knocking shots down from just below the arc with consistency. He’s come a long long way. Why Sheed isn’t sticking him on defense is a mystery to me since McDyess isn’t really getting a hand in the big-man-who-never-smiles face. He’s still pretty awkward though because he still can’t move his feet well enough to recover off a broken trap when Sheed and McDyess peel off in opposite directions for wide open shots on the perimeter." Cavs: The Blog: "I don’t think you can say this series is in the fridge until we get one in Detroit — I mean, you can say it, and you might even be right, but it doesn’t do much. Think of the last two times we met this team in the playoffs, when they beat us twice on their floor and thought they were coming to Cleveland to mop up. Is the talent gap between the teams much, much, wider now? Yes. But karma is a bitch. So I’m not going to get too cocky. Hell, I’m not going to believe these Pistons are dead until the clock reads 0.00000000 on the fourth win. I’ve spent too many nights awake because I think I can hear 'Deee-troit BASKET-BALL' somewhere off in the dark recesses of my mind."
Related: The Internets are alive, 2009 NBA Playoffs
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