Whether it is the Raptors, who hit The Q as winners of 10 of their last 13 games Tuesday night, or not, it is pretty clear that when that time comes the role of Shaquille O'Neal is going to grow.
It wasn't exactly a playoff style game, but the Cavs' 108-100 victory with O'Neal as a valuable difference maker showed how such an affair might unfold later.
LeBron James was remarkable in his across-the-board production. Mo Williams shrugged off a shoulder injury and his recent slump with a strong all-around performance. But it was O'Neal who provided the wedge that brought victory, the same sort of role the Cavs (32-11) are hoping for in the postseason.
The numbers are rather impressive. James had 28 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and three blocks. Williams had 22 points and tied a season high with 10 assists. O'Neal scored 16 points with five rebounds and in the first quarter became just the fifth player in history to reach 28,000 points.
"I'm happy being No. 5, there's some great names in front of me and some great names behind me," O'Neal said. "I've always been a player to only get happy about the big picture."
That big picture was more important than all the night's numbers and O'Neal was the centerpiece.
With the Raptors (21-21) blitzing the Cavs' interior defense and racking up huge points during the first half, it was O'Neal who helped stem the tide. Not only did he pick up his defense but twice during the third quarter he body slammed Raptors who were trying to drive to the hole.
Once it was Jarrett Jack and then it was DeMar DeRozan, both of whom will probably wake up sore on Wednesday. In the first half, the Raptors scored 60 points overall and 24 points in the paint and Chris Bosh, their star forward, had 16 points. In the second half with O'Neal and others making an effort and sending messages, Toronto got just 40 points, eight in the paint. Bosh, meanwhile, went quiet and finished with just 21 points.
"We had to get stops in order to win this game," James said. "It was a good performance for us in the second half."
Yet the game was very much in doubt when O'Neal reported in with 5:59 left in the fourth quarter and the Cavs ahead by just one point. Then he made five key plays on top of each other and did it all without even taking a shot. It was precisely the impact the Cavs are planning for in the postseason.
First he grabbed a long rebound that looked like it was headed for a Raptor. Then at the offensive end he worked in the middle of a play with James and Williams. With James setting a screen and O'Neal getting attention, Williams was freed up to receive an O'Neal pass for a 3-pointer.
Moments later at the defensive end, the Raptors ran a pick-and-roll for Hedo Turkoglu, the type of play the Magic ran with Turkoglu that the Cavs couldn't stop last spring. This time O'Neal switched and then followed him down the lane and denied his layup attempt and ended the possession.
Then he ran down to the offensive end and again set himself up in the post as a wheelman with Williams and James flanking him. This time the Raptors covered Williams and O'Neal dumped a pass off to James for a dunk.
"Coach called a couple of my plays and I don't like to force shots," O'Neal said. "I've been known to be able to do something with the ball."
After getting a rebound at the defensive end, O'Neal finally took a shot. He finished off the game's defining 9-2 rally with a dunk after James drew a double team.
"It is great to have that luxury," James said. "Shaq is an unselfish guy and it is great to have that interior presence."
That sort of finish, along with defense that held the Raptors to 35 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, is what the Cavs hope becomes commonplace. And O'Neal postgame jokes, of course.
"Only fallback for me is I missed 5,000 free throws [actually 5,218]," O'Neal said of his scoring mark. "If I would have at least hit half of those then I'd be at 30,000 right now."
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