As gratifying as they come

In an 82-game season, a game or two hardly ever mean much, especially when your team is a team that is expected to be a cellar dweller for the season. However, over a 24-hour span, I don't think two meaningless regular season games have ever meant more for a city than the Boston/Miami game last night, and the Boston/Cleveland game from tonight did for Cleveland, Ohio.

Last night, the 'greatest team in NBA history' managed to play like trash and lose their season opener against Boston. Now, if you ask any Cleveland fan, they'll all tell you they enjoyed watching LeBron play like crap as his Heat managed to start off 0-1. That brings us to tonight, where Boston was facing our beloved Cleveland Cavaliers in the Cavs season opener. Now, coming into the game, we all knew our odds were very slim at even staying in the game, let alone winning. Midway through the 3rd quarter, the Cavs were down 11, and we all kind of expected the team to lay down and just take the loss. Then, something happened. All the players realized that that's what everyone expected. They wanted to prove everyone wrong. They wanted to show how much heart they have. They wanted to do the unthinkable and beat the Boston Celtics a night after Boston beat the crap out of LeBron's Heat.

And that's exactly what they did. They realized that without LeBron, they can actually PLAY in the 4th quarter of a big game. They don't have to just stand around and watch #23 jack up shots anymore. They went out there, hustled on every play, and ran an offense towards the end of a close game--something Clevelanders haven't seen in the past seven years. And look what happened. The Cavs went out and won the game by 8. The same exact differential that Boston beat LeBron's Heat by the night before.

Turns out there is life after LeBron. Turns out Cleveland Basketball isn't dead. Turns out pulling the knife out of our backs might not be as painful as we all thought. Turns out getting over LeBron might be easier than we all thought.

And that, my friends, is why two meaningless regular season games are as gratifying as they come.