Commisioner Stern is fixing a Cavs win tonight.

[Snowball]

I believe Stern wants Cleveland to win.
Why ?
1. to maintain strong fan support of the franchise.
2. as a consolation prize of sorts, we know he did not favor LeBron's "decision" show.
3. to dissuade bad behavior in and around the Quicken Loans Arena.
4. to further press Pat Riley, press loves talking about Heat problems.
5. the low line tells us this is the plan.

let's see who the refs are.

[Snowball]

have fun with the drama guys..

i'm going with the FIX.

[linedrivr]

Always love a good fix. Interested to see who the refs are as well.

[gshock1]

Agree 100% with this post. A Heat blowout will hurt Cavs attendance. A win on the other hand, gives its fan base a glimmer of hope.

[Landscaper]

Nice!!! Nothing like a good old fix in the NBA.

[Whippit]

stern mite even suit up for heat himself

[InTheRed]

Wrong. Crawford has the night off.

Ref's for the game are: Fitzgerald, Willard, and Zarba. Willard is the only homer ref in the game the other two are not significant in their difference.

The three refs do favor the over though. Which helps promote the sport for the casual fan or a fan that has left since the "golden age" of the 80s and 90s. More pts. More exciting.

Nothing is going to happen except for boos. Nothing is going to be askew. Nothing is going to be different.

The fans will boo their hearts out. The team will lose. They will hate LeBron. The league will benefit from the press of the game, the continued perception of LeBron as the "villian". The league will also use the game as a PR move and spin it to say that how great and respectful the fans were during the game. How well behaved they were and how they expressed themselves vocally and non-violently.

Everyone wins.

There's more for the league in Miami winning than the vindication of the Cavs and their fans. If you were to rig it as you put it, you'd have the Cavs make the playoffs and knock out the Heat. And you do it in Cleveland. More impact. Bigger story. And at a time you need it more; playoffs and in April/May when baseball is the king.

[gshock1]

Wrong. Crawford has the night off.

Ref's for the game are: Fitzgerald, Willard, and Zarba. Willard is the only homer ref in the game the other two are not significant in their difference.

The three refs do favor the over though. Which helps promote the sport for the casual fan or a fan that has left since the "golden age" of the 80s and 90s. More pts. More exciting.

Nothing is going to happen except for boos. Nothing is going to be askew. Nothing is going to be different.

The fans will boo their hearts out. The team will lose. They will hate LeBron. The league will benefit from the press of the game, the continued perception of LeBron as the "villian". The league will also use the game as a PR move and spin it to say that how great and respectful the fans were during the game. How well behaved they were and how they expressed themselves vocally and non-violently.

Everyone wins.

There's more for the league in Miami winning than the vindication of the Cavs and their fans. If you were to rig it as you put it, you'd have the Cavs make the playoffs and knock out the Heat. And you do it in Cleveland. More impact. Bigger story. And at a time you need it more; playoffs and in April/May when baseball is the king.

This is the Cavs playoff game.

[Snowball]

This is the Cavs playoff game.

the script goes: Cavs win tonight, and lose at Miami December 15.

[biker1284]

Nothing is going to happen except for boos. Nothing is going to be askew. Nothing is going to be different.

The fans will boo their hearts out. The team will lose. They will hate LeBron. The league will benefit from the press of the game, the continued perception of LeBron as the "villian". The league will also use the game as a PR move and spin it to say that how great and respectful the fans were during the game. How well behaved they were and how they expressed themselves vocally and non-violently.

Sounds about right to me. I highly doubt anything but this scenario plays out, although it'd make things a lot more interesting if it did.

[krazey47409]

nah i think lebron turns it up on his old squad tonight and cavs get trashed

[305GURU]

Lebron lights it up OR the crowd gets to him and clev shocks miami...flip a coin miami have been brutal to wager on!

[Snowball]

as if there is something surprising about a 5.5 pt home underdog winning an NBA game ?

[GTS925]

Remember that this is a team sport, and LeBron's not alone. He has Wade, Bosh and the insignificant bench.

[playit]

This is the Cavs playoff game.

And knowing cleveland teams in the playoffs that is an even better reason to bet on the Heat

[gshock1]

I heard Delante West and Lebron's mom have courtside seats! Part of Stern's plan to distract "The King"

[Borat38]

The Cavs don't need Stern to fix it to win.

The Heat will fix themselves. Watch them wilt away after demolishing DET just yesterday.

[Borat38]

Delonte IS LeBron's dad

I heard Delante West and Lebron's mom have courtside seats! Part of Stern's plan to distract "The King"

...and I thought only high school athletes had their parents come watch them play.

[Nuggz]

I feel this is blown way out of proportion, once the ball is tipped it's just another game..

[Snowball]

NBA commissioner David Stern expects a “warm” reception for LeBron James when he makes his eagerly-anticipated return to Cleveland this evening.
James, the reigning two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, made headlines across the globe last July when he announced he was leaving his hometown team for the Miami Heat in a live television special watched by millions.
“I am going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat,” he said at the time, bringing an end to one of the biggest transfer sagas in US professional sports.
The 25-year-old superstar chose to join forces with fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at the Heat in the hope of winning an elusive NBA championship after seven fruitless years with Cavaliers.
Needless to say, his decision caused outrage amongst the ‘Cavs’ fans who once adored him, with many expressing their disgust by taking to the streets to burn their #23 James jerseys.
Such was the ill-feeling towards ‘King James’, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert went on record describing him as “selfish” and called his departure from the team a “cowardly betrayal”.
And Stern, speaking exclusively to Sport 360°, expects fireworks this evening when a sold out Quicken Loans Arena greets public enemy No.1 in Cleveland.
“I think the reception will be, and put this word in quotes, ‘warm’,” said Stern with a wry smile. “And I will leave it for you to interpret how that warmth will be expressed!”
The NBA supremo, 68, was also unequivocal in his view that the Cavaliers are actually “doing better this season” without their former talisman, while delivering a rather damning assessment of the Heats’ thus far.
Miami have failed to live up to pre-season expectations, and with coach Erik Spoelstra under increasing pressure and talk of in-fighting amongst the players, the wheels appear to be falling off the Heat juggernaut.
It comes as no surprise to Stern, however. He said: “What it proves is individuals don’t win championships…teams win championships.
“Teams don’t get created instantly and without much work and much integration and, even in some cases, some amount of sacrifice.
“I would say the Heat are very much a work in progress.”
By Chris McHardy

(Catch 'David Stern: The Big Interview' in Sport 360° on Friday when he discusses the growth of the game in the UAE; gives us his take on the season so far and reveals his favourite NBA player of all time.)

[lyon804]

Snowball,you think Stern will have this wired,ah?

[freeVICK]

i like this angle. packed house, fans will be screaming bloody mary, refs dont wanna get shot after..... this game will be called in favor of the cavs for sure

[Snowball]

Snowball,you think Stern will have this wired,ah?

yeah, for reasons in my first post.

of course if Miami plays a fantastic game, they are capable of beating
the refs lean. But they would have to be near flawless to do that.