NBA Scoreboard - May 15, 2006

Some guarantee: LeBron, Cavs defy Rasheed, even series at 2

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Rasheed Wallace's right ankle was heavily
taped. Maybe his mouth should have been, too.

Wallace's perfect record of predicting Detroit playoff victories
was snappedMonday when LeBron James scored 22 points and the
Cleveland Cavaliers dug deep on defense to beat the Pistons 74-72,
evening their second-round series at 2-2.

"Everybody was counting us out," James said. "Even people in
our own backyard were counting us out. That's extra motivation for
us. We don't listen to nobody."

The Cavaliers, employing Piston-style defense and getting big
shots from everyone, are back in a series that began lopsided and
is as tight as it can be. For the second straight game, Cleveland
won a low-scoring defensive struggle -- the kind of game that has
typified Detroit for years.

"We're not feeling the pressure," James said. "The Pistons
are."

With the score tied 72-all, James was fouled by Hamilton with
1:02 remaining, and as Cleveland's forward lined up for his free
throws, Chauncey Billups came up alongside and said something.

"Hey!" Cavs coach Mike Brown shouted to the officials. "He
can't talk to him like that!"

James had done the same thing to Gilbert Arenas in the closing
seconds of Game 6 in the first round, icing Washington's guard who
missed two free throws that allowed the Cavs to win."Chauncey tried to give me what I gave to Gilbert last
series," James said.
James split the foul shots, but Detroit couldn't capitalize as
Prince missed before Ben Wallace was tied up underneath. The
Pistons controlled a jump ball but Billups was whistled for
barreling over Varejao with 29.6 seconds left.

James plans to leave the prognosticating to
Wallace and others, saying he would never guarantee a win. "Those
are very, very bold predictions," James said. "I let my game
speak for itself. I don't do too much talking. But that's part of
Rasheed's game, that's what motivates him."