CLEVELAND, Ohio – After the Cavaliers put the New York Knicks away with a dominating performance Monday night at The Q, the wine and gold found themselves going up against another New York team that was in the same boat as the one the Cavs handled previously, and it was the same results as before.

The Cavaliers comfortably handled the New Jersey Nets, 111-92 to win the season series against the Nets and finishing off their final trip to the Izod center in New Jersey with yet another route of a New York team. Both teams whom are expected to make a big push towards LeBron James, didn’t really help their chances in the recent week.

Although this game wasn’t as bloody as the massacre the Cavs handed the Knicks Monday night, it was rather a quick blow to the knees that the Nets could never catch their balance afterwords. The Cavs’ 20 point lead after the first quarter did the damage, but the only thing that surprised many was the Cavs’ ability to the hold down the sizable lead they built.

“That’s something in the past that we struggled with,” coach Mike Brown stated about maintaining the lead. “When we’ve gotten big leads, we haven’t really closed teams out.”

But the Cavs didn’t have many issues closing out the Nets, especially LeBron James who put up his usual 26 points, 14 assist, and 7 rebound performance in front of a dead crowd who only manged to fill seats because of No.23 being put on display.

“I played here when they were really, really good — my rookie year when they had Jason Kidd and they had all those guys who were really strong.” James said of the Nets’ franchise. “I’ve played here in the worst times of their team. I think it’s a really good franchise, though. They’ve got a bright future. We’ll see what goes on in the future.”

LeBron wasn’t the main headliner in this eventful blowout though. It was second year forward, now center, JJ Hickson who had yet another night of production while filling in for the injured Shaquille O’Neal and currently the departed Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Hickson must enjoy playing against the New York teams as he dropped in 20 points and 13 rebounds, and played solid defense on the Nets’ Brook Lopez, who did however finish with 21 points and 14 rebounds – but that didn’t spell how well Hickson played on both ends of the floor while being as active as possible.

The Cavs’ Antawn Jamison keeps on pouring in good night after good night as he put up 19 points and 9 rebounds for the Cavaliers, Mo Williams also chipped in with 16 points and 6 assist as the Cavaliers had themselves five players in double figures to end the night.

The Cavs will have a night off before going into a double header Friday and Saturday, taking on the Detroit Pistons at home and traveling to Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night to end the week.

Notes: The Cavs’ Daniel Gibson was inactive once again tonight, he and soon to be wife Keyshia Cole gave birth to their first son, Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr March 2nd…Delonte West was inactive for tonight’s game with the New Jersey Nets for something the Cavs called a “recovery process step”. West is set to be in trail later on this month… Several sources have stated the Cavs and Zydrunas Ilgauskas could be becoming close to an agreement on a deal to bring the former Cavalier back. However, Ilgauskas wouldn’t be able to sign on he dotted line until March 22nd.

Filed under: Cleveland Cavaliers News