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CHARLOTTE -- Yes, it really is possible to win a basketball game while missing your last 13 shots. The Charlotte Bobcats proved that to a sellout crowd Friday.
They built a 24-point lead early in the third quarter and needed just about every bit of it to survive, 94-87, over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And they did it in front managing partner Michael Jordan, who seldom gets to see them beat an elite opponent in person.
"He's just like every other fan,'' said Gerald Wallace (31 points and 14 rebound), "except this fan happens to be the boss.''
A boss who should be elated over this three-game winning streak, following seven straight losses. The Bobcats (6-9) pulled this off by getting Cleveland superstar LeBron James into early foul trouble, then exploiting that advantage by continuously attacking him with drives.
"After he gets three or four fouls, he's going to be kind of tentative,'' Wallace said. "That's our best chance to go at him.''
Remarkably, James (25 points and six rebounds) was called for two first-half charges. He was also pestered into a traveling violation on a drive to the basket and tied up to force a jump ball.
Cleveland (11-5) has been the Bobcats' toughest matchup the past few years but this was the first meeting with the Cavs since Charlotte acquired shooting guard Stephen Jackson (17 points and four assists).
That made a huge difference, Wallace said, for Jackson's playmaking ability. Wallace recalled a sequence where the Bobcats successfully ran the same play through Jackson five straight times.
"We've never been able to do that against Cleveland – make them adjust to our offense,'' Wallace explained.
That was good for a seemingly safe 74-50 lead with 20 minutes left. But the Cavaliers cut that deficit to 11 entering the fourth quarter, exploiting four Bobcats turnovers.
And then the shots stopped falling; their last field goal – a layup by Flip Murray -- came with 9 ½ minutes left. They scored just two points in the next nine minutes, off two Wallace free throws, before getting four more trips to the foul line in the last 21 seconds – Murray and Wallace each missed one of two.
"We've got to be more selective in the shots we're taking, particularly late,'' coach Larry Brown concluded. "But Gerald, I don't know how you can play better than he has lately.''
