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The Cavaliers looked like an offensive juggernaut on Monday night. The Knicks just have that effect on them.

The visitors from New York were little match for the NBA’s best, suffering a 124-93 rout that allowed LeBron James to watch from the bench for the entire fourth quarter. After jumping out to a huge halftime lead, the Cavaliers used the opening few minutes of the third period to embarass the ‘defenseless’ Knicks.

LeBron James and Co. outscored Mike D’Antoni’s team 27-11 in the third period, allowing them to head into the final 12 minutes with a remarkable 42-point lead.

“I thought that after getting up big, we did a nice job of staying focused, coming out in the third quarter and trying to close and finish the game the right way,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said after the game. ”Give everybody in that locker room credit for trying to string a game together for 48 minutes, even though we were fortunate to get off to a big lead.”

The strong start was possible through the Cavaliers’ biggest strength, teamwork.

They tallied 20 assists in the opening half, including eight from Mo Williams and five from James. Taking advantage of the Knicks inability to get back defensively, the Cavaliers were able to get plenty of easy baskets.

Whether it was a New York turnover or missed shot, it seemed there was always a Cavalier looking to find a teammate up ahead for a dunk or layup.

“We have athletic guys who can get out on the break and finish at the rim,” James said. “It’s not something that we practice a lot, but we do practice throwing the ball ahead and getting into our sets early.”

The Cavaliers finished with 74 points in the opening half, tying their season high set last month against, you guessed it, the New York Knicks.

At this point the Cavs must be salivating every time the Knicks come up on the schedule. They simply do not have the defensive mindset or athletic ability to deal with some of the physical specimens the Cavaliers can throw at them.

“We just couldn’t guard them,” D’Antoni said. “They’re just too big, too fast. … In a game like this, somebody like (Wilson Chandler), who at least has the athleticism, can match up a little bit. Otherwise, we just couldn’t match up with them.”

At halftime 10 Cavaliers had already scored. By the end of the game the total was up to the maximum 12 players, including Darnell Jackson, who just a few days ago was playing in the NBA Developmental League.

The final tally of 124 points marked the 10th time in the last 12 games that the Cavs have scored 100 or more points.

The team appears to be getting into a nice rhythm offensively as they continue to get used to two-time All-Star Antawn Jamison being in the lineup.

“We’re moving the ball, getting up and down the floor,” James said. ”We’re playing together. We aren’t saying (to ourselves) ‘let’s go out and score 120’, it just happens in the flow.”

James finished the game with 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists , while Jamison pitched in 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Neither player had to move a muscle during the final quarter as Mike Brown went to the team’s bench to finish the game. The Knicks did outscore the Cavs 34-23 in the fourth, but by then it didn’t really matter what happened. The Cavaliers had already run them out of the arena.

“They are playing for something bigger than what we are really playing for,” Tracy McGrady said. ”They just pretty much outplayed us across the whole board.”

The Knicks got the league’s first taste of the Cavaliers new, smaller starting lineup. With Shaquille O’Neal out 6-8 weeks due to a thumb injury, Brown decided to pencil J.J. Hickson into the middle, allowing Anderson Varejao to continue his role as sixth man.

Although Hickson is a fairly short center at just 6-foot-9, he held his own well against a team that starts an undersized center, David Lee, as well.

Hickson finished with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting and also added nine rebounds.

“I’ve been getting a lot more comfortable with this unit going forward with me just getting more playing time,” Hickson said. ”Also the fact that I’ve been playing with (Williams) and (James), it’s made my job so much easier where I just have to run the floor or set a pick and roll to the basket and I know it’s going to be there because our whole team is unselfish.”

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Although Austin Carr owns the title of Mr. Cavalier, Zydrunas Ilgauskas has to be a close second.

Maybe that is why the realization that, for the first time since 1996, Ilgauskas is not a part of the Cavaliers’ organization is leaving so many fans uneasy.

There is little question the Cavaliers, who are currently at the top of the NBA standings with a 43-11 record, needed to pull the trigger to acquire Antawn Jamison on Wednesday night. Jamison embodies exactly what the team’s starting lineup was missing — a stretch forward — and will fit into the locker room perfectly.

Still, giving up Ilgauskas was not easy, even for Cavaliers’ general manager Danny Ferry, a teammate of the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian for a few years back in the late 1990s.

“The guy is a world-class person and world-class player and he has been incredible for this organization and city,” Ferry said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. “But in order to add a player, you need to make some tough decisions.”

Ilgauskas has been a fan favorite in Cleveland for years.

From the chants of ‘Z’ when he enters games, to the ovation he got earlier this season when he broke the team record for games played, it seems the lanky center do no wrong in Northeast Ohio.

That is precisely why trading him, especially in a season where the Cavaliers look like the favorite to win the NBA Finals, is so difficult.

Ilgauskas has been a mainstay here in Cleveland, no matter how successful or pathetic the team has been.

Fans have seen him at his best — when he made the All-Star team in 2003 and 2005 — and at his worst — when he went through foot surgery after foot surgery early in his career.

He was there when the Cavalier made the 1998 playoffs. He was there when Ricky Davis tried to ’steal’ a triple-double against the Jazz. He was there when the Cavaliers went 17-65. He was there when LeBron James scored 29 of the Cavaliers’ last 30 points against the Pistons. He was there last season when the team won a franchise-record 66 games, only to be ousted by the Magic in the Conference Finals.

He has been there this season too, although in a lesser role than ever before.

The addition of Shaquille O’Neal during the off season severely decreased the 34-year-old’s playing time (he is averaging just 20.5 minutes per game) and moved him out of the starting lineup. The result has been career-low averages in nearly every statistical category, including points (7.5), rebounds (5.3) and blocks (0.8).

Through everything that has happened within the Cavaliers’ organization over the past 14 years Ilgauskas has been the ultimate pro, even upon hearing of his trade on Wednesday.

“(Spoke to) Zydrunas last night to let him know what was going on, that he was going to be traded,” Ferry said. “It was not a fun conversation. But he was very professional, like you would expect.”

There has been talk that the Wizards plan to buy Ilgauskas out of his contract, which would save them money and allow him to sign with a contender. The buy-out is not something new to the NBA — see Joe Smith and Antonio McDyess last season — so it would not be surprising if Ilgauskas is on the open market soon (There is a 30-day waiting period once a player is bought-out). This would open up the Cavaliers to signing their former first-round pick and reuniting him with the city that came to think of him as one of their own.

Here’s hoping for a parade through downtown Cleveland in June, especially one that includes Big Z.

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The New Jersey Nets may be on pace for the worst NBA season ever, but that doesn’t mean they can’t compete with the best the league has to offer on any given day.

Exhibit A: Tuesday night’s game.

The Nets – now 4-47 on the season – didn’t seem intimidated by the league-leading Cavs, and although Cleveland led from the second quarter on, they failed to build up a comfortable lead until late in the fourth quarter. The final outcome was a 104-97 Cavaliers’ victory, not exactly the blow-out win that you would expect over a team with a 1-27 record on the road.

Still, a win is a win.

“It wasn’t quite there in the first half, it wasn’t quite there in the second half,” Cavs coach Mike Brown said after the game. ”But with other guys stepping up, especially offensively, we found a way to get the W.”

The Nets may be a struggling franchise, but the Cavs knew it would be a tough game.

“They’ve been in a lot of games that they haven’t been able to win,” Daniel Gibson said. “We knew they were going to play hard and we just wanted to stick to our game plan and finish the game the right way.”

The Cavs actually trailed by one after the first quarter, even though LeBron James put up seven points and five assists in the period. They picked things up slightly in the second quarter and headed into halftime leading 55-49.

Although it was a game where the Cavaliers never really seemed in danger of losing, they definitely lacked focus in the opening 24 minutes.

“I thought that in the first half, we didn’t have as much grit as we normally do,” Brown said. ”That’s something we have built our reputation on.”

Superstar James made sure the Cavaliers didn’t have the same problem in the second half. After sitting back and allowing his teammates to do most of the scoring in the first half, he came out firing after halftime. He scored 23 points and five assists in the half, including a 13-point outburst in the fourth.

“You know he’s going to have the ball in his hands at the end of the game,” Hayes said. ”And, he’s such an elite player in this league, that he’s going to make a play.”

James was crucial in a 20-11 run by the Cavaliers to open the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach. By the time the Nets stopped the bleeding, the home team had built up a 15-point advantage (98-83). They would never look back.

“I think the Cavs showed why they are such a great team, especially at home,” Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe said. ”They finished the game well.”

In all, five of Vandeweghe’s players finished the game in double figures. Leading the way was center Brooke Lopez, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds.

The Cavaliers have now won 12-straight games, the longest streak in the NBA this season.

“It’s all about us trying to get better every day,” said James. ”If we do that, we give ourselves a chance to win. We have to continue the flow.”

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Danie Gibson was fashionably late, leaving LeBron James to fill in at point guard until his arrival. As usual, The King didn’t disappoint.

James scored a game-high 36 points in the first half, out-dueling fellow superstar Dwyane Wade, to lead the Cavaliers to a 102-86 victory over the visiting Miami Heat.

The 25-year-old started at point guard for the first time in nearly two years and played to rave reviews.

With the ball in his hands to begin most first-half possessions, James took it upon himself to attack the rim.

He scored 19 points in the opening half, including an 11-12 performance from the free-throw line, and also added three rebounds and four assists. The big half from James sent the Cavaliers into halftime with a 56-52 advantage.

“With me being able to get the ball off outlets and rebounds, I can go coast to coast,” said James after the game. “I can do a lot of things point guards can’t do, so I was aggressive and they fouled me.”

Although he played the point with great success, James moved back to his normal small foward position in the second half.

Gibson arrived to the Cavaliers bench midway through the second quarter and started at point guard to begin the second half. He had been at an area hospital with his pregnant fiancee, recording artist Keyshia Cole, who had a false labor.

“She (Cole) was pushing me to get here just as much as I was trying to get here myself,” said Gibson. ”It was all in fun and good spirits.”

Cavs coach Mike Brown made sure to take advantage of his ’fresh new’ point guard after halftime.

Gibson played nearly the entire second half, only coming out for the final 1:28 of the third quarter. In his 23 minutes of action, he scored 12 points, including two big fourth-quarter three pointers that helped put a Heat comeback out of reach.

Those two threes came after the Cavaliers used the third quarter and early fourth quarter to build up a sizeable advantage. They outscored the Heat 25-21 in the third and went on a 7-0 run to begin the fourth.

Hurting Miami’s hopes of a win was the early second-half struggles of Wade. He shot 0-7 from the floor in the third, leaving most of the team’s scoring up to his over-matched supporting cast.

“We try to see what type of rhythm he’s going to be in to start the game, said James. “If he gets into a really good rhythm, we try to switch the defense to put more pressure on him. We even double him sometimes to make him give up the ball and have other guys try to beat us.”

Jermaine O’Neal and Michael Beasley did combine to score 18 points in the third, but the rest of the team made just one shot in the period. Against a top team like the Cavaliers, that isn’t enough.

Outside of Wade, who finished with 24 points, O’Neal and Beasley, no Heat player scored in double figures in the game.

“I understand this team (Cavaliers) has NBA championship aspirations,” said Wade. “We don’t. We don’t have that. We’re focusing on trying to concentrate on getting to the playoffs.”

Wade’s teammate from the 2008 Olympics, James, is aware he has the players around him to make a deep run in the postseason. Two of those players, Shaquille O’Neal and J.J. Hickson, had big nights.

O’Neal finished with 13 points and eight rebounds as he continues to look more active since injuries to Mo Williams and Delonte West forced the Cavaliers to make a more conscious effort at getting him the ball in the post.

He is averaging 15.8 points per game during the Cavaliers current winning streak, which is now up to 10 games.

O’Neal counterpart down low, Hickson, who has also had some big games during the winning streak, finished with 12 points and five rebounds.

The energy Hickson brings to the Cavaliers continues to shine through.

He dunked on Wade in the first half, then blocked a dunk attempt by the former Finals MVP in the second half.

“I thought that he did a nice job playing off of others, especially in pick and roll situations, rolling and finishing at the rim,” said Brown. ”Defensively, he was late a couple of times on rotations, but you could see his athleticism come into play tonight by changing or blocking shots at the rim.”

With Hickson and O’Neal playing well and James — who added seven rebounds and eight assists in addition to his 36 points – continuing to lead the way, it seems there’s nothing that can slow the Cavaliers down.

“Guys just step up,” said James. ”It’s tough when you have all three of your point guards out. Gibson came back in the second half and played a great game. Everyone’s role just has to increase.”

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Feeling confident after a home victory against the defending champion Lakers the previous night, the Memphis Grizzlies were looking to come into Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday and spoil the Cavaliers’ eight-game winning streak.

LeBron James and his ‘crazy court vision’ quickly foiled that plan.

James tied a career high with 15 assists to lead the Cavaliers to a lopsided 105-89 victory over the Grizzlies. In addition to James’ flurry of smooth passes, the game featured a strong defensive effort by the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.

The Grizzlies were held to just 38 percent shooting in the contest as the Cavs did a superb job of holding two of Memphis’ top three players in check.

Zach Randolph, who will make his first NBA All-Star appearance later this month, came into the game averaging 21 points per game, while teammate O.J. Mayo is currently the Grizzlies third-leading scorer at 18.1 points per game.

The two combined to shoot an ugly 7-29 from the floor against the Cavaliers.

Randolph has done most of his damage this season in the post, but was forced into perimeter jump shots most of the night by Anderson Varejao. Varejao got the assignment on the ninth-year pro for most of the game.

Randolph managed just 1-5 shooting in the paint and also had five turnovers.

“Anderson Varejao’s job was off the charts,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown after the game. ”If he is not on the First Team All-Defense this year, or even get votes for Defensive Player of the Year, I’m going to be floored. He does some amazing things for us that just don’t show up on the stat sheet.”

The eight points scored by Randolph is his lowest output since he scored just five points against the Clippers in late November. Although Randolph missed some shots he normally hits, the defensive prowess of Varejao surely had a lot to do with his offensive struggles.

“He works hard,” said James about his teammate. “He’s always determined to not let his guy score. He loves team concept.”

The Grizzlies have been of the top offensive teams all season, thanks to their bevy of scorers, but the Cavaliers gave them few opportunities for quality shots. Their help-side defense rotated smoothly, forcing Memphis into challenged jumpers rather than shots near the bucket.

They finished with 34 points in the paint, nearly half what the Cavaliers accumulated.

“They’ve got a lot of very good players on that team,” said Brown. ”…For us to play the way we did defensively was extremely, extremely fun to watch.”

An argument could be made that the Cavaliers were even more impressive offensively.

They shot just under 50 percent for the game. That number would be even higher if not for some bad shot selection in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.

The Cavs shot 64 percent in the first half, led by a perfect 5-5 half from James that also included seven assists.

James continued his dominance in the second half to finish the game with 22 points, in addition to his 15 assists.

Each of the 25-year-old superstar’s assists was nothing unusual to his game.

Varejao and J.J. Hickson got layups. Jawad Williams and Daniel Gibson got open threes. Zydruas Ilgauskas got mid-range jumpers and Shaquille O’Neal got dunks.

James set his teammates up in places where they could succeed. And they did.

“You don’t get assists if your guys don’t knock down shots,” said James. ”I’m just finding my open man, and everybody, from the first guy to the 15th guy, is knocking down shots when they come into the ballgame.”

Shaquille O’Neal also finished with a double-double as he scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

He scored seven-straight Cavalier points midway through the second quarter when James came out of the game to rest.

O’Neal has now scored in double-digits in nine-straight games as the Cavaliers continue to run more of their offense through him with injuries to Mo Williams and Delonte West.

“He’s motivated,” said James. ”When Mo and Delonte went down he decided to step his game up, which we knew he could do.”

O’Neal was also solid defensively, holding center Marc Gasol to 10 points and three rebounds, both well below his season averages.

The Cavalier victory avenges an overtime loss to the Grizzlies in early December in which the Cavs had trouble containing Randolph, who scored 32 points, and the rest of the Memphis team.

“It’s a very explosive team,” said James. ”A team that we gave up over 110 points (to) last time we played them.To come out with the mindset that we did tonight, to get stops and do it consistently, was good.”

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When used correctly, the three-point shot can be a vital tool for NBA teams.

Just ask the Cavaliers.

Yes, two of the biggest reasons the 38-11 Cavaliers are sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference have to be the broad shoulders of reigning league MVP LeBron James and the teams’ defensive effort. But their ability to hit three-pointers at an impressive rate has to be up there as well.

If you happened to catch the Cavaliers stomp all over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, you understand why.

The Cavaliers made 11-13 three-point attempts in the opening period en route to a 46-point quarter. Leading the way was James, who made 5-6 from beyond the arc.

The 25-year-old wasn’t just making threes, he was making deep threes. Even a 30-foot three wasn’t out of his range during the period.

“You wanna force him to shoot shots,” said Daniel Gibson at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Monday. “But if he’s shooting three-pointers at half court, there’s nothing you can do. That’s when he becomes unstoppable.”

For the game the Cavaliers shot 16-27 from the three-point line, an astonishing 59 percent. Four of those threes came from Gibson, including two in the critical first quarter.

“Shooting is contagious,” said Gibson. “I’ve never been a part of a quarter like that, the way we were shooting shots and everybody was making them.”

Although the team’s performance from beyond the arc on Sunday was something incredible, the Cavaliers are no stranger to shooting threes.

They are second in the NBA in three-point accuracy at 40.7 percent, just behind the Phoenix Suns (40.8). The Cavs are 7-1 this season when they make 10 or more threes, with their only defeat being a 111-109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Leading the three-point barrage have been Gibson and Anthony Parker.

Gibson is first in the league in three-point percentage at 48 percent. Parker is fifth at nearly 45 percent.

Just outside of the top ten, at number 11, is injured point guard Mo Williams at 43 percent. Their high shooting marks have helped James average a career-high eight assists per game this season.

Many team have been forced to double-team James because of his ability to punish defenders who try and guard him one-on-one. This has led to open shots for Gibson, Parker and Williams, among others, who have been mostly successful in making the opposition pay.

All opposing teams seem to be able to hope for when Cleveland comes up on their schedule is that the Cavaliers will have a rough shooting night, which has happened on occasion this season. The Cavaliers have shot just 37 percent from the three-point line in their 11 losses this season, well below their shooting clip in victories.

Even if they are able to stop the supporting cast from hitting threes, defenses must still defend the three-point line against James.

The Cavalier superstar is shooting a career-best 36 percent from the three-point line and is ninth in the NBA in made threes.

James has had some cold streaks from the three-point line this season. He shot 0-7 from beyond the arc against the Raptors earlier this month and then 1-9 two nights later against the Lakers.

But he can be absolutely deadly when he gets hot, as shown by his performance against the Clippers the other night when he scored 23 first-quarter points.

“LeBron came down and hit a couple of deep threes, which you’re okay with because he’s a great player, he’s feeling it and doing that thing that they call a ‘heat check’,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown after the game. They were all at the right time, they were all in the flow of the offense and that’s what makes making those threes so special; they weren’t bad ones.”

James has come a long way from the 18-year-old rookie who had little confidence behind the three-point line. He has turned it into another weapon in his arsenal, which is bad news for the rest of the league.

“He’s gotten so much better as an outside shooter,” said Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy after Sunday’s game. “He can create his own shot any time and he is so strong.”

Like the dunk, the three-point line isn’t just a highlight play, it is a valuable shot.

A valuable shot that the Cavaliers will look to utilize all the way to The Finals.

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 The Cavaliers have been known to get hot from the three-point line, but what they did Sunday night was, in the words of Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, “spectacular.”

Playing infront of a rowdy Cleveland crowd, the Cavaliers tied a league record by shooting 11-13 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter and never looked back, blowing out the visiting Clippers 114-89.

The Cavs led 46-20 after the first quarter thanks to their plethora of long balls. LeBron James scored an incredible 23 points in the period, hitting 5-6 of the three-point line.

The All-Star forward made four of those threes during a two-minute spurt midway through the quarter. Most of his attempts were several feet behind the three-point line, including one from 30 feet.

“There’s no description for a player getting in a zone like that,” said James after the game. ”It just happens. I was doing it in the flow and not forcing anything. When it happens, you just know and it feels great.”

Daniel Gibson, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Jawad Williams also got in on the long-ball action as each of them made at least one three in the historic quarter.

“It was just a matter of us moving the ball and guys were getting open,” said Gibson. ”When it’s rolling like that, shooting is contagious. Everybody just started letting it fly.”

The Cavaliers shot 76 percent from the field during the quarter, and although they would cool down as the game went on, their early efforts were enough to cruise to a victory.

“They hit some shots in that first quarter that, I know in 30 years of being in the NBA, I have not seen a team shoot and make some of the shots they made,” said Dunleavy. “Our guys tried to fight back, then LeBron did what he does.”

James didn’t do a whole lot of scoring the rest of the night.

He finished with 32 points and 11 assists and didn’t take a single three-pointer after the opening 12 minutes.

At halftime the Cavaliers held a 67-39 and appeared to be on cruise control. Although the game never got closer than 11 points in the second half, the Clippers did their best to make things interesting.

They outscored the Cavaliers 28-16 in the third. Baron Davis scored 11 points in the quarter, mostly on open jumpers or layups, and the Cavaliers went a chilly 1-5 from the three-point line.

“I thought that obviously in the third, we slipped up a little bit,” said Brown. ”The Clippers made their run, but it was good because in the huddle, I just kind of stood back and watched to see how our team would react.”

The Clippers made the score 92-81 on an Eric Gordon free throw midway through the fourth quarter, but that was as good as things would get for Los Angeles.

The Cavaliers went on a quick 10-0 run spearheaded by James and Shaquille O’Neal to put the game out of reach.

O’Neal scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in the final quarter to bring his game totals to 16 and 12, respectively.

The 7-foot-1 center has now scored in double-figures in eight-straight games, all Cavaliers wins.

With Chris Kaman missing his second-straight game due to an ankle injury, O’Neal was guarded by second-year pro DeAndre Jordan, who was no match for the three-time Finals MVP. The Clippers double-teamed O’Neal most of the game to try and take some pressure off their young center, resulting in some open jump shots for the Cavaliers.

“They doubled Shaq and we swung the ball and got it to our shooters,” said James. ”We’ve got some great shooters on this team, and it was great to see what we were able to do.”

O’Neal finished with three assists, two of them coming on first-quarter threes.

“I was always taught to make your teammates better,” said O’Neal. ”At the tender age of 38, I don’t really like to take bad shots. A lot of times I could have shot over the top, but I have some of the best shooters in the game on my team.”

The victory gives the Cavaliers a 13-2 record in the month of January as they continue to lead the way in the Eastern Conference, even with the loss of several key players to injury.

“To have two main guards, one all-star and one that started all last season, go down with injuries and guys step up to fill their shoes is great,” said James. ”We just kept flowing.”

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By now you’ve heard the trade rumors surrounding the Cavaliers.

Several forwards, including Antawn Jamison and Troy Murphy, have been mentioned as possible acquisitions. The most intriguing name, however, seems to be Amar’e Stoudemire, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Stoudemire was recently named a starter for the upcoming NBA All-Star game and would appear to be a great fit for the Cavaliers, at least on paper.

The 27-year-old averaged 20 or more points per game in five of his first seven NBA seasons and is on pace to do it again this year.

His numbers for the 2009-10 campaign are gaudy, to put it frankly. He is averaging 20.6 points and 8.2 rebounds a night and is ninth in the league in field goal percentage (55 percent).

Sure his numbers are inflated slightly because he plays with one of the best passers the league has ever seen, Steve Nash, in the Association’s most fast-paced offense –the Suns average a league best 109.9 points per game– but that doesn’t change the unquestionable fact that Stoudemire is one of the most explosive big men the NBA has to offer.

But would the former Rookie of the Year be a good fit for the Cavaliers?

The Cavaliers, behind the instruction of coach Mike Brown, rely heavily on defense. They are third in the league in opponents points per game (94.5) and first in opponents field goal percentage (43 percent).

The Suns have only put an emphasis on defense once since Stoudemire joined them, last season, and it was a disaster.

In fact, the team was so ineffective during the experiment that coach Terry Porter was fired 51 games into the season and replaced with Alvin Gentry. Genty brought back the uptempo style that the Suns had grown accustom to and, just like that, the team was trying to outscore opponents once again.

Maybe Brown could convince Stoudemire to put more more effort into defense, like he has down with J.J. Hickson.

But is it worth messing with a 36-11 team that is currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference?

The Cavaliers were in a similar position last season. They appeared to be the best team in the East during the regular season, even earning the number one overall seed in the playoffs, but decided not to make a trade at the deadline.

They cruised past the Pistons and Hawks in the first two round of the postseason, then ran into the buzz saw that was the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals.

A mid-season trade might have made a difference against Dwight Howard and the Magic, but the Cavaliers elected to stand pat.

Fool Danny Ferry once, shame on you. Fool Danny Ferry twice, shame on Danny. Right?

Not necessarily.

This isn’t the same Cavalier team from a year ago. Shaquille O’Neal may be an aging 37-year-old center, but the last few games have shown he still has something left in the tank.

The three-time Finals MVP has scored in double-figures in 16 of the Cavaliers’ last 17 games and is shooting 64 percent from the field in January.

The Cavs can actually run their offense through Shaq from time-to-time, especially when he is guarded by a smaller, less-physical center, such as Jermaine O’Neal.

The addition of Anthony Parker has also helped. Parker has guarded the oppositions best perimeter scorer on a nightly basis, with much success. He has also been a consistent spot-up three-point shooter, something the Cavaliers needed desperately.

But are the Cavs still missing something?

Yes. A stretch forward.

Someone, such as Jamison or Murphy, who can force power forwards out of the paint, which would open up the middle for O’Neal and James.

Currently the Cavaliers play J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao at power forward. Neither can be counted on to make a shot outside of several feet.

Stoudemire is an inside scorer, not a jump shooter. He and Shaq played together in Phoenix last season and it didn’t work out. The paint was too crowded and both players game’s suffered.

Jamison and Murphy, on the other hand, are two of the best outside-shooting power forwards in the league.

Murphy shoots a better percentage from the three-point line, but Jamison is much better defensively.

Either would be a quality addition to Cleveland.

But what would the Cavaliers need to give up to make a trade happen?

Hickson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Jamison/Murphy would work financially.

The Cavaliers would then look for Washington/Indiana to buy Ilgauskas out of his current contract, permitting him to return to Cleveland after 30 days.

So would gaining Jamison/Murphy be worth losing Hickson?

Hickson scored a career-high 23 points against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, but he has been inconsistent all-season long.

Still, he is just 21 years old and is the most athletic player, outside of James, on the roster. The Cavaliers feel they have a future All-Star on their hands so giving him up would be a difficult decision.

Trading Hickson would make short-term, but not long-term, sense (Jamison is 33 years old and Murphy is 29 years old).

Because of this Ferry and the rest of the Cavaliers’ organization have some important decisions ahead of them in the coming weeks (the trade deadline is Feb. 19th).

The team seems to be in good shape for a strong playoff run, but they don’t want to end up second guessing themselves like last season.

One thing is certain.

The trade rumors will continue to swirl, and fans will continue to eat them up.

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The Cavalier reached double-digit victories back in November. Their opponent on Wednesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves, came into the match up sitting on nine wins.

There’s always next game Minnesota.

The Cavaliers fell behind early in the first period but quickly righted the ship to win 104-95 in front of a sold-out crowd at Quicken Loans Arena.

Leading the way in the victory was not LeBron James or even Shaquille O’Neal, who both sat comfortably on the bench for most of the uneventful second half. Instead J.J. Hickson took the scoring reigns most of the night, registering a career-high 23 points and also grabbing eight rebounds.

“He was really active, slashing to the rim, grabbing offensive rebounds and just making plays,” said James after the game. ”It was good to see him with his legs up under himself tonight. He was excellent.”

Hickson shot 8-10 from the floor, with all of his field goals coming in the paint. James assisted on four of Hickson’s shots as the second-year pro continues to benefit from the lack of attention opposing defenses give him when the ball is in James’ hands.

“I’ll take the open shots if they’re going to keep leaving me open,” said Hickson. “I’ll take the easy looks, easy layups and dunks.”

James tied a season-low with just 12 points, well below his season average of 29.6 points. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month didn’t attempt a single dunk or layup in the game. He opted, instead, to let Hickson and others do the bulk of scoring, resulting in 11 assists for the 25-year-old.

“He has an unselfish personality,” said Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis. ”He really understands the game and he knows how to keep his teammates. If he wanted to, he could dominate the ball all the time, take all the shots.”

James, along with O’Neal, became a spectator by the start of the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers held an 85-66 lead when the final period began so Cavs coach Mike Brown opted to let his two superstars ride out the final 12 minutes of the game on the bench. That didn’t seem to bother either O’Neal or James, who have both logged big minutes as of late as injuries pile up for the team.

“A win is a win,” said James. ”We’re okay with having ones where our starters don’t have to play a lot.”

A total of six Cavaliers scored in double-figures for the game, including Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jamario Moon off the bench.

Moon finished with 14 points, while Ilgauskas poured in 13.

Even rookie Danny Green got in on the scoring as he finished with six points in 10 minutes of play.

Our team is deep,” said Brown. ”There is a lot of versatility on our roster. …This team is built to play at any type of size.”

Although the Cavaliers controlled the entire second half, the Timberwolves weren’t always playing from behind.

Minnesota led several times during the first quarter, although their biggest advantage was just four points. They trailed by just one after the opening period, but the Cavaliers’ advantage ballooned to 12 (60-48) by halftime.

“We kind of got off to a slow start,” said O’Neal. ”But whenever this team gets off to a slow start, I know were going to come back.”

The Cavaliers continue to play well without guards Mo Williams and Delonte West. They are now 3-0 since West went down.

“We’re a good team from LeBron all the way down to the last man on the bench,” said Hickson. “Our whole team is prepared to play anytime, so when someone gets hurt the next man has to step up. We’ve been doing a good job of stepping up.”

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LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each did their share of scoring on Monday night, but it was James’ defense late in the game that separated the two.

James intercepted a pass by Wade in the final minute, leading to two game-winning free throws for the Cavaliers’ superstar.

Wade attempted a behind-the-back pass to Udonis Haslem with under 10 seconds remaining, but the risky pass was swiped up by James. The reigning league MVP proceeded to sprint the other way and attempt a layup before being tackled by Quentin Richardson. James remained on the floor for several minutes holding his head and wearing a pained looking on his face. 

Still, it didn’t seem to faze him once he headed to the stripe as he knocked down both of his free-throw attempts, giving the Cavaliers a one-point advantage.

After the steal and free-throws, the Heat still had a chance to win the game with the Cavaliers holding just a 92-91 lead. As expected, Miami put the ball in the hands of Wade, who missed a mid-range jumper over the outstretched hands of James as time expired.

“I hadn’t guarded (Wade) all night, but in that position I have to take it,” said James after the game. ”I feel it’s my responsibility to guard him on that last possession.”

It was a game marred by offensive struggles as both teams shots under 46 percent from the field and under 7o percent from the foul line.

The result was added pressure on James and Wade to deliver, which they both did with great success.

James finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Wade finished with 32 points, 1o rebounds and five assists.

Although statistically they put up very similar numbers, when it mattered most James outdid his friend.

In the final minute James scored two points, Wade scored zero.

“Who ever got the last stop was going to win the game,” said James. “Luckily it was us.”

The Cavaliers’ victory is impressive, not only because they continue to win without guards Mo Williams and Delonte West, but because of how poorly they played out of the gate.

There were few bright spots in the opening quarter for the Cavaliers, aside from an eight-point quarter by Shaquille O’Neal. They repeatedly dribbled off their own feet, threw lazy passes and stood around in the period and headed into the second trailing 34-24.

“We started off slow,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown. ”This is probably about as slow as I’ve seen us start any game.”

The Cavs quickly woke up in the second quarter and began playing inspired basketball at both ends of the court.

They began the period with a 15-4 run, during which time the Heat shot 0-12 from the floor.

It wasn’t until a Wade jumper nearly nine minutes into the period that Miami made their first field goal of the quarter. By that time their comfortable lead had been virtually wiped away by the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.

The last few minutes before halftime became a shootout between the two stars, who put on a brilliant show for the fans at American Airlines Arena.

James and Wade scored 32 of the half’s final 36 points, matching oneanother shot-for-shot several times over that time.

At halftime the Heat held a 54-50 lead, with the Wade-James tally at 30-24.

The third quarter was a bit of a snoozer as the two teams combined for just 32 points.

The main reason was the lack of scoring from James and Wade. They focused on getting others involved during the third, resulting in just four third-quarter points for James and zero for Wade.

In the fourth James didn’t have to rely on himself to do it all, contrary to what has happened late in games all-season long, as O’Neal, Daniel Gibson, Jawad Williams and Anderson Varejao all hit big shots. Gibson and Williams weren’t getting serious playing just a few weeks ago, but injuries have forced them into crunch-time minutes.

“We got guys that can step in,” said James. ”It gives a lot of confidence to the guys who are coming in.”

Gibson finished the game with 15 points, including 4-6 from beyond the arc, O’Neal scored 19 and Varejao added 13.

O’Neal has now scored in double-figures in 15 of the Cavaliers last 16 games as he continues to grow comfortable in Brown’s system.

“He got some great looks for us, whether it was for him scoring, especially late, or for others,” said Brown.

The Cavaliers have now won five games in a row.

“Our guys picked it up as the game went on,” said Brown. “It was a great team win. We had a lot of guys with great individual performances.”