LeBron James dominated in an early season rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic with 36 points, as the Cleveland Cavaliers went on to win 102-93 yesterday at the Amway Arena.  Lately the 5-3 Cavs have started to find their rhythm after starting the season slower than anticipated. “I think we just played with a sense of urgency,” said James. “We’re in attack mode. The whole game we put pressure on their defense.”

Shaquille O’Neal as always was a huge presence down low with 10 points. Even though his numbers weren’t necessarily through the roof, he contained Orlando’s premier center Dwight Howard to just 11 points and 7 rebounds. It’s not unusual for Howard to walk off the floor with a 20/20 stat line, so for Shaq to cut that in half and get him in foul trouble was key to Cleveland’s success.

LeBron and the Cavaliers can smile about their victory in Orlando following their dismal performance in the playoffs last season. James knows as a veteran that a lot of work lies ahead for his squad, saying “It’s just one game. We will see them later on this season.” The teams will meet again on Thursday, February 11th at the Quicken Loans Arena.

Vince Carter first checked in to start the second quarter and proceeded to contribute for 15 points as the Orlando Magic cruised by the Charlotte Bobcats 93-81 Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena. Carter decided he was ready to compete yesterday since having ankle problems for the past week or two. “I was totally surprised,” Stan Van Gundy said. “He made the decision, not me. He had a good run extending the lead in the fourth quarter.”

Orlando was up 35-23 in the first and continued to build their lead throughout the second. The Bobcats made a run soon after which continued into the second half, but they lost control down the stretch in the final minutes. “We played the last four minutes of the first half with a lot of energy,” said Charlotte coach Larry Brown. “We had to fight uphill and they’re hard to guard, especially when Vince is in there.”

The Magic and Bobcats have no time to rest up with games scheduled for tonight. Orlando is set to host the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Amway Arena. Charlotte is now traveling to Detroit for their game against the Pistons.

The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have already proved themselves as top contenders in the Eastern Conference while approaching this year’s regular season. They will open up their 2009-2010 campaigns against each other October 27th at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH.

The C’s have now moved to a 4-1 preseason record after defeating the Toronto Raptors last night.  Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett led in scoring with 17 and 16 points apiece.  Glen Davis contributed with 13 points for Boston. Lester Hudson added 12 and Kendrick Perkins and Eddie House each scored 11.

All Big-3 members have looked healthy and sharp all week heading into the final stretch of exhibition games. “That was nice,” said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. “Unexpected, actually, because Kevin got kneed in the calf in the first half so I didn’t think he was running well. And all of a sudden out of nowhere, he becomes the old Kevin.”

The Cavs (3-1) although suffering their first preseason loss yesterday have been performing quite well. They fell to the Washington Wizards 109-104 without franchise player LeBron James who was out battling the few. Mo Williams (groin) and Delonte West (personal problems) were also sidelined for the game.

Despite missing a few starters their role players remained competitive.  Forward Jawad Williams scored 21 points and pulled down five boards. Shaquille O’Neal came up with 13 in his 19 minutes played. Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker added 12 and 11. The Cavs will now head to San Antonio to face the Spurs before playing the Dallas Mavericks back to back.

Lets not forget the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic, a team that so far has yet to be defeated. They just showed as dominant two days ago after coasting by the New Orleans Hornets 121-86.  Dwight Howard has handled all opponents, racking up double doubles game by game.  It seems as though the 2008 top teams in the East have plans to stay there for the upcoming season.

Tickets for 2009-2010 Boston Celtics regular season games are now available! Celtics players are definitely eager for the upcoming year and hope to put themselves back in top contention for another championship run.  Expect All-Star forward Kevin Garnett to come back healthy to complete the big three once again.  Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo have another year under their belt and will only show improvement for next season.  Big Baby is back along with newly acquired Rasheed Wallace and Shelden Williams off the bench.  With this said, the Celtics front office has done more than enough to give the team a fighting chance to campaign for Green 18.

The Celtics will open up the regular season against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena October 27th.  They will then match up against the Charlotte Bobcats at home before hosting the Chicago Bulls October 30th.  Boston will look for revenge against the Orlando Magic at the Garden on November 20th and again on Christmas day at the Amway Arena.

Boston Celtics tickets are now available with us at Aceticket.com!

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said earlier this week that his aged veterans Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have been taking it easy and should be more than 100% heading into the upcoming season.  Duncan struggled with knee problems during their short lived playoff run last year.  The All-Star forward has rested well since then and plans to start working out next week.  Ginobili, who played just 44 games last season due to ankle problems has been limited to treadmill workouts.  “He is healthy,” Popovich said. “He’ll come back out of shape but healthy.” 

The Spurs front office has really put in work lately, acquiring Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess to give floor general Tony Parker more options down the court.  If Ginobili and Duncan can really come back like trainers and coaches are suggesting, the Spurs may be looking at another championship run ahead of them.  Overall San Antonio has made the most improvements heading into the 2009-2010 season.  They will certainly show as top contenders in the West with the LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets.  The scary part about the this off-season is it seems like all of the best teams just got better. 

The Lakers only re-signed Lamar Odom and also added one of the best defensive players in the league (Ron Artest) to their championship roster.  The Cleveland Cavaliers kept their core intact and were simply able to make room for future hall of fame center Shaquille O’Neal.  The Boston Celtics clearly have their front court in line after acquiring Shelden Williams, Rasheed Wallace, and re-signing Glen Davis.  The Orlando Magic seemed very pleased after signing Vince Carter and Jason Williams to go along with a healthy Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard.  It will be interesting to see how the season will pan out, because virtually no predictions can be made at the present moment.

All NBA regular season tickets are available with us Aceticket.com!

6-foot-6 swingman Quentin Richardson has just been traded to the Miami Heat, marking the fourth time an NBA team has dealt him away.  Despite the fact that he hasn’t been able to really unpack anywhere, he manages to keep a positive attitude about the situation.  “The funny part about it was I didn’t even get any of the jerseys,” said Richardson. “I have a Knicks jersey and obviously I have a Clippers jersey because I played there before. I don’t have a Minnesota jersey and what was the other team?”  “The other team” was the Memphis Grizzlies; where he stopped after New York before arriving to LA.  From there he went to Minnesota, and after filling out the necessary paper work for the T-wolves, he wound up in Miami.  Best of luck to Q-Rich, who at this point is on pace to be acquired by every single NBA team by the end of the 2010 season.

Knowing the amount of times Richardson has changed locations, some teams have certainly made their fair share of deals this off-season.  The Los Angeles Clippers recently traded for Rasual Butler to fill their outside shooting weakness.  The 6-7 small forward averaged 11.2 points per game last year, shooting 39% from behind the arc during the regular season and 53% in the playoffs.

The Orlando Magic just signed free agent guard Jason Williams to add more depth and experience to their backcourt.  Williams hasn’t laced up since September of 2008, when he retired after a season with the Miami Heat.  He averaged 8.8 points a game in that season.

One of the most interesting developments this offseason has been talk of where veteran guard Allen Iverson will end up. Iverson is currently waiting for offers and has stated: “my people just informed me that we are getting close to a deal. I asked them to call me when it’s done. I am so ready to know!”  The eight-time All-Star is expecting calls from Charlotte, Miami, and New York.  After coming off the worst season of his career with the Detroit Pistons, AI feels as though he should address his new found work ethic through his twitter page. “When you see me again you will think that I am fresh out of Georgetown,” said Iverson. “Getting in shape, running, lifting and thinking about which team that I will help compete for a championship! Whoever gets me will be happy.”

 Look for more NBA updates to come!

All NBA regular season tickets can be found here at Aceticket.com!

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis has recently tested positive for an elevated testosterone level and will be required to serve a ten game suspension.  Lewis is the sixth player to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs since the NBA began testing ten years ago.  The reported drug found in his system was DHEA, which is considered a definite precursor to steroids.  Lewis did not think he was taking any type of illegal substance, and clarified that what he took was all purchased over the counter.  The suspension will cost him $1.6 million of his $18 million earnings this season. 

Lewis has already decided to speak out on the subject.  “First and foremost I take full responsibility for the situation and accept the corresponding penalty,” said Lewis. “I apologize to Magic fans, my teammates and this organization for not doing the research that should come with good judgment.”  Lewis will definitely be back in action when the Magic take on the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden Friday, November 20th.

Tickets for the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics are available here at Aceticket.com!

Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu will be opting out of the final year of his contract. The 6′10″ native of Turkey helped the Magic top the defending Champion Celtics and the conference-favorite Cleveland Cavaliers along the way to a loss in the championship series against the Lakers. Turkoglu was 3rd in team scoring with 16.8 per game, and led the Magic in minutes on the floor with 36:36. With the team attempting to avoid paying luxury tax next season, it may be difficult to bring back one of the most integral parts of the Magic championship run.

Sign up to be notified as soon as Orlando Magic tickets are available!

Orlando led after the first quarter of game five; but like the rest of the series it was all Lakers from there on. Kobe Bryant had 30 points, nearly playing the entirety of the game. Seven years since his last ring, Kobe finally proved that he could do it without Shaq. The finals MVP averaged over 32 points a game, with 7.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds in five games against the East’s best. After losing the 2004 finals to the Detroit Pistons, and a humiliating 38-point loss to the Celtics in game 6 last year, Bryant and company dominated the Orlando Magic.

Sign up to be notified as soon as 2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers tickets are available!

League MVP LeBron James had a benign growth removed from his jaw on Tuesday. The Cavaliers superstar had tissue removed from his parotid gland, where the body produces saliva. The procedure took five hours; requiring delicate work in an area filled with blood vessels and nerves. Doctors say that the procedure was a success, and that James should make a fast and complete recovery. Reports seem to indicate that the condition should not have affected his play. James averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 8 rebounds in a losing Conference Finals series against the Orlando Magic.

Orlando Magic tickets and Los Angeles Lakers tickets are available now!