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Ilgauskas steps up as Cavaliers beat Clippers

Feb 8, 2007 - 6:29 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers stepped up for superstar LeBron James.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16 points and a season-high 16 rebounds to lead five players in double figures as the Cavaliers coasted to a 94-77 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Reserve Sasha Pavlovic scored 16 points and Larry Hughes added 15 for Cleveland, which has won five straight games at Quicken Loans Arena against Los Angeles.

"We are trying to figure out ways to score and get stops when LeBron didn't have one of his normal nights," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "They have all done a terrific job of it. It's kind of been by committee."

"It's very tough when we have me, Larry and Sasha in the game," James said. "You can't key in on one guy. Defensively, we're a lot stronger also."

James netted just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting to record his second-lowest offensive output this season. The 6-8 All-Star scored only eight points in a win at Milwaukee on January 5.

"We won by 17 points and held a team to 34 percent shooting," James said. "That's what it comes down to. If I needed to take more shots for us to win, I would have. But I didn't need to."

"He (LeBron) didn't put up the points that he normally puts up, but I thought he did a terrific job running the basketball," Brown said.

In the second quarter, the contest was tied at 35-35 before the Cavaliers created an impressive cushion. Hughes poured in nine points during a 22-8 surge over the final 6 1/2 minutes for a 57-43 halftime bulge.

"It's no secret that I like to play that way," Hughes said. "I like to get out and run. I prepare myself in the summertime to run for 48 minutes. Whenever we can get out and attack a team from start to finish, I think it works in our favor. We have the athletes to do it."

Cleveland bridged a 9-0 burst in the fourth quarter, extending its advantage to 80-61 on Pavlovic's layup with 10:26 remaining.

The 24-year-old Pavlovic had been impressive off the bench over his last five games, reaching double figures in four of those.

"Anytime he's getting to the basket, it opens up his (Pavlovic) outside shot," James said. "He's a very tough cover. I guard him every day at practice and he's very tough. He's translating that to the game, which is great to see."

Elton Brand scored 21 points and Shaun Livingston chipped in 19 and seven rebounds for the Clippers, who have dropped three consecutive games.

"They looked like the team that was hungry for a win instead of us," Brand said.

Prior to this three-game slide, Los Angeles had won seven of eight games.

"I know it's driving (coach) Mike (Dunleavy) crazy," Clippers guard Sam Cassell said of the inconsistent play. "I know it bothers him. We can come out and win six out of seven or eight games one particular way and then lose three games in another particular way. To be a quality team in this league, you have to be consistent about stuff you do."