Random dribbles on the Cavaliers, who own the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff chase with seven games to go:
1. Let's start with the Philadelphia game, because I'm still amazed by it and these are my dribbles. It was just a weird one, as the Cavs escaped with an 87-86 victory -- where neither team scored a single point in the final 3:57. I've followed the NBA for 25 years and have never seen anything like it. The Cavs shot 39 percent from the floor, and still won. It was the type of game in which good teams find a way to win, and really bad teams like the Sixers find a way to lose.
2. But LeBron James was right when he said every game is different, and the Cavs need to prepare accordingly. LeBron has seen it all, and as a guy who's played in five Finals, understands how to rally the team in every situation.
3. Either way, the Cavs have won 16 straight at home and are 2.5 games ahead of Chicago for the Central Division title (and second seed in the East).
4. The Cavs didn't practice Monday or Tuesday, giving them their first two-day-off spurt of the season. And man, they could use it. Their schedule in the middle months of January, February and March was brutal. While the Cavs have seven games left, a lot of other teams in the playoff chase have about 10. So the Cavs definitely could use the rest.
5. In fact, the Nos. 6-11 seeds in the East all have either nine or 10 games remaining. So lots can happen between now and the end of the season when it comes to determining the Cavs' first-round opponent.
6. If the playoffs started today, the Cavs would face seventh-seeded Miami in the first round. And guess who the Cavs have on the schedule this week? You guessed it -- the Heat (Thursday at home) and Bulls (Sunday at home).
7. As FOX Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said on the Cavs Insider radio show: "The most important week of the season is coming up. Gotta beat Miami and gotta beat Chicago. We worked too hard to get into this position to let it go now."
8. After Sunday against the Bulls, the Cavs will get another two days off before their next game. They are 12-0 when they get a day off, followed by a practice, followed by a game. That's big, because that's frequently the formula used in the playoffs.
9. Meanwhile, the Heat lead the season series, 2-1. So it would be nice for the Cavs to get the win Thursday just to show who's in charge here -- especially if Miami ends up being the first-round opponent.
10. Back to Carr. He played collegiately at Notre Dame and still owns the NCAA tournament record for points in a game with 61. So it was especially tough for him to watch the Fighting Irish in their close loss to Kentucky at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday. "It was a great weekend, except for the outcome of the Notre Dame game," he said.
11. Speaking of Kentucky, four Wildcats could go in the first-round of the draft, with three potentially being selected in the top 10. The names to watch are 7-foot centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein, power forward Trey Lyles and shooting guard Devin Booker.
12. For the first time in a while, the Cavs won't really be all that concerned with the draft. They'll likely be drafting in the Nos. 23-27 range of the first round, and eyeing another point guard. Duke's Tyus Jones, Maryland's Melo Trimble and Providence's Kris Dunn are point men who could be available and draw the Cavs' interest.
