Photo: John Kuntz/Cleveland.com

For most of the game, LeBron James was content with sitting in the passenger seat of the Cavaliers offense. However, with traffic getting heavy in the fourth quarter, King James took charge, jumping back into the driver's seat and giving his short-handed team the late push over the short-handed Utah Jazz at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers improve to 7-3, they have won 7 of 8, and their win streak stands at four.

Parking the Diesel: The Cavalier coaching staff chose to sit Shaquille O'Neal for the first time this season. The official reason was a shoulder strain, but it was most likely a precautionary measure to ensure O'Neal's long-lasting health. The Cavaliers have had a fair share of back-to-backs already, and O'Neal has never been one to hit the 80 game benchmark anyway. Besides, the Cavaliers have one of the most capable backup centers in the league in Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who got the start in Shaq's place. In increasingly less breaking news, Delonte West missed his third straight game. The Jazz were shorthanded as well, with Deron Williams missing the game due to a personal matter. In all, the Jazz dressed just nine and played eight.

Video Game Offense: It looked like two experienced NBA Live players going at it in the first quarter, as offense ruled and defense was barely visible. Cleveland shot 15-for-21 (71%), while the Jazz shot it at a 58 percent mark (11-for-19). LeBron James and Mo Williams each made their first three shot attempts, and the Cavaliers used well-balanced scoring and multiple assists to take a 12 point lead after one. The Cavaliers ended the quarter on a positive note when a James miss was corralled by J.J. Hickson with some help from Jamario Moon, who went flying sky-high over the Jazz defenders to tip it forward. Hickson then put it back in before time expired.

Good Moon Rising: Speaking of Jamario, he had a solid evening with an increasing workload of minutes in West's absence. While James sat for the first five minutes of the second quarter, Moon gave the Cavaliers a lift by hitting three shots for eight quick points. He also continues to be one of the Cavaliers most active defenders, and his athleticism is such a great benefit on the floor. In just 16 minutes, Moon hit 4-of-6 shots for 11 points and 4 rebounds. It's important that Moon is beginning to figure things out in the Cavalier system, because without West, he is the team's seventh or eighth guy in the rotation.

Young Backcourt Guns Cause Turmoil: They may have been without All-Star Deron Williams, but Utah was not without capable guards, albeit inexperienced. The rookie starting backcourt of Eric Maynor and Wesley Matthews did significant damage as they were the main reason, Maynor especially, that Utah shot 53 percent tonight. Their dribble penetration sliced the Cavalier defense, and the Jazz were hot, but they were taking mostly short jumpers and making interior buckets. I remember watching Maynor at VCU in the NCAA tournament and thinking to myself, "how did this guy not get recruited by a bigger program?". Maynor is just one of the many points guards from this draft class, including Ty Lawson, Johnny Flynn, and Ricky Rubio, that is going to be formidable in this league in the future.

The sky's the limit: J.J. Hickson took no time in increasing his career-high in points. After setting it at 18 on Thursday against the Heat, he topped that with a 20-point performance tonight. I find it comical, because sooner or later, opposing defenses are going to have to pay attention to him. Hickson continues to refine his post game, getting more comfortable with basic post moves, and not getting it sent back in his face quite as often. Of course, it helps that at least a few of the buckets were easy dunks or layups thanks to LeBron, but J.J. is developing quite a chemistry with James. In fact, as Fred McLeod and Austin Carr pointed out, it resembles the relationship between James and Anderson Varejao when it first began. In all actuality though, Varejao was much more limited offensively than J.J., but Andy did the little things better at first. If J.J. continues to improve on the little things (rebounding, boxing out, post defense, running the floor), then the sky is the limit.

Cavalier balance: With LeBron playing quite passive for most of the evening, the Cavaliers needed and got solid, balanced scoring. Six Cavaliers reached double figures, and the team got 21 bench points from just three guys (Moon, Gibson, Varejao). Three of them (James, Williams, Hickson) had 20 or more, and Parker's 14, Moon's 11, and Z's 10 were key as well. The team's 25 assists on 39 field goals is a good indicator of how well the Cavalier offense is running. Tonight, there was very little bogging down, and some of that may have been because O'Neal was out. Granted, Shaq brings many positives with his interior game, but like it or not, it slows things to a grinding halt. However, James is just as guilty or more guilty than Shaq. It looks like offensive coordinator Michael Malone is starting to branch out a little bit and get more comfortable calling more complicated sets. I'm sure some of it is familiarity between players as well.

Late Game Heroics: With under five minutes left, LeBron had just 11 points. With the Jazz hanging close and closing the margin, it was time for LBJ to take over. After Utah took its first lead with 1:56 remaining, LeBron attacked the hoop and got to line multiple times, scoring eight points in the final minute. His drive for an and-one with :28.8 seconds remaining over Carlos Boozer gave the wine and gold the lead for good.

Critical brain fart for AK47: When the Jazz took the ball out of bounds after the LBJ 3-point play, Ivan Drago, err, Andrei Kirilenko was the inbounder. After some trouble getting the ball in, where Varejao almost stole the ball away from Boozer, the ball was kicked back to AK47, who lived up to his nickname, and rapidly fired a 30-foot chucker up as if there were tenths of a second remaining. The ball missed the mark, and Parker came down with the rebound. That terrible decision ruined Utah's chance to tie the game and swing the momentum back in their favor. The Jazz would get the ball back with one more chance, down three this time, but Mehmet Okur's contested three missed the mark as well.

The Boozer Blues: Oh, I almost forgot. Carlos Boozer had a solid night tonight with 25 points and 12 rebounds, but he is now 0-6 as a member of the Jazz in Quicken Loans Arena. He was also embarrassed on a fantastic block by his former teammate LeBron. He was also showered with boos almost every time he touched the ball. Once again, thanks Carlos, it looks like you made the right decision.... not.

 goes to: LeBron James and J.J. Hickson. This tandem is beginning to have quite a working relationship. James deferred to Hickson and others most of the game, but turned it on in the game's final minute. LBJ finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Hickson continues to grow into his starting role, finishing with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, adding four rebounds, and two assists.

Team Grade: B-

The offense looked solid tonight, with the role players playing key parts in the victory, but the defensive gameplan was not executed well at all. The Cavaliers must get back to defending as they once did to truly get where they want to be. It was, nevertheless, a nice win in the absence of Shaq.

The Cavaliers take on the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night in the Q. Perhaps, it won't be the last time Stephen Jackson plays in Quicken Loans Arena this year.

All for one. One for all.

Kirk

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