Cavs forward LeBron James left the building in a huff.

He didn't talk to the media after the game. He put on his headphones and walked to the bus.

Late in the game, he was upset on the bench during a time out.

He often times blows off the exit interviews with the media. We might not hear from him until media day. Maybe at his bike-a-thon in Akron.

Many national media guys pondered after the game whether he would be fined by the NBA for blowing off the media. I would guess not.

It will fuel speculation that he's not happy. And, God knows, everyone wants to keep him happy. This time next year, he could be close to becoming an unrestricted free agent.

MISS SOME SHOTS - After making 17 3s in Game 4, the Magic banged in 12 on Saturday.

The Cavs kept waiting for the Magic to miss some shots in the Eastern Conference finals. It never happened.

They kept banging in 3-point goals like they were going out of style. Center Dwight Howard had 40 points and 14 rebounds. So, basically, they didn't stop either facet of the Magic's game.

REMOTE CONTROL CAR - Cavs guard Mo Williams was brought to the postgame press conference area after James' exit.

He likened losing in the Eastern Conference finals to being disappointed as a kid on Christmas Day. If you opened 10 presents on Christmas and still the remote control car you were dying for hasn't appeared.

"You’re disappointed," Williams said.

"I guarantee you, I never thought we’d win 66 games this season and be in the Eastern Conference finals. We had a hell of a year. We were confident we were going to the NBA Finals and thought we were going to win it. We thought we had the team to get it done."

CLEAN OUT LOCKERS - The players will be available at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Coach Mike Brown and GM Danny Ferry will meet with the media on Monday.

There's no real update on Cavs guard Delonte West, but he was kicked in the hip with 3:33 remaining in the game. He didn't return to the game.

There's no reason to think he won't be available for Game 6 in Orlando.

West wasn't available for comment after the game. Perhaps he was getting treatment.

He's a tough guy. They'd have to hog tie him to the bench to keep him from playing on Saturday.

The Cavs sent out an injury report late on Thursday and said West had a hip pointer and he'll be evaluated on Friday.

The Cavs weren't expected to practice today. They flew to Florida after the game on Thursday.

NEW VIDEO:

You don't need me to tell you the Cavs are in major trouble.

Admit it, we've all seen signs of this happening in the Eastern Conference finals.

I tried to caution everyone that would listen that this could happen against Orlando. Well, the Magic are up 3-1 and have a chance to close it out on Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Since 1947, teams that have a 3-1 lead have won 182 of 190 series. For those of you who don't have a calculator, that's 95.6 percent of the time.

The Cavs might win Game 5, but the Magic are a better team. They have too many weapons, too many deadly shooters and the best big man in the game. It adds up to a possible championship team.

But this was supposed to be the Cavs' year. They have the best player in the league, the best record in the league and set a bushel full of franchise records. What does it all mean? Not a thing if the Magic go to the NBA Finals.

The Cavs have said all season that if they don't win the title, it will be a disappointing season. The way it's coming to an end, there's going to be much disappointment.

The Cavs have been grasping at straws for a couple games. They've tried every defensive tactic possible. He's tried Sasha Pavlovic and now Wally Szczerbiak off the bench. Nothing has worked.

And, now, the season is close to being over. It's going to be difficult to put a capper on the 2008-09 season, but it's almost here, like it or not.

Often in situations like the Eastern Conference finals, players have a way of giving politically correct answers.

Williams didn't exactly hold anything back in his post-game address in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday.

First, he said he thought the Cavs were giving the Magic too much respect. That's going to get a lot of play, especially from a team that might be on its last leg in the series.

It might not be the wisest thing to say right now. It's not like they need to add any more fuel to the Magic players.

Also, when asked if it was a dirty play when Magic guard Anthony Johnson elbowed him, he replied, "Absolutely."

JUST WIN, BABY - Borrowing a phrase from Raiders owner Al Davis, the Cavs just need a win in this series. A win in Game 4 on Tuesday would even the series at 2 games apiece heading back to Cleveland.

All would be good in the Cavs' world. But a loss in Game 4, forget it. It's over.

The Cavs aren't practicing today.

DEADLINE PRESSURE - The networks used to worry about the late games affecting papers in the East time zone. Not any more. Game 3 started about 8:47 p.m. It almost lasted 3 hours - 2:58 to be exact. Then people wonder why stories aren't stocked full of flowery quotes.

DIVINE INTERVENTION? - In the playoffs, NBA TV announcers ask questions in the post-game press conference from their studio. The players on the podium don't have any idea where the questions are coming from.

When NBA TV's Eric Snow asked Dwight Howard a question, he replied, "Is that God?"

PRICELESS REACTION - WEWS Channel 5's reaction to LeBron James' shot is priceless:

Cavs forward LeBron James suggested that maybe it was time to dust off swingman Sasha Pavlovic, who has become an afterthought to Coach Mike Brown.

While Brown was driving to the arena before Game 2, he decided it was time to insert Pavlovic in his rotation. Do you think James' words carry some weight around these parts?

Pavlovic was big in the first half with seven points, one rebound, two assists and one steal. He finished with nine points and looked like he should have been in the rotation all along.

The Cavs are getting absolutely nothing from Boobie Gibson. Wally Szczerbiak is playing his butt off when he's getting into games, but there's been little production. Why not go with the hot hand?

Pavlovic needs to play in this series against the Magic. He can guard the Magic's stretch bigs - Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis.

The Cavs' bench has been totally outplayed by the Magic. They've been outscored in the first two games, 51-19. Brown has been defending his team's bench play. But he'll definitely welcome some scoring and more production off the bench.

WKNR'S KENNY Roda cracks me up sometimes. He has been calling Orlando center Marcin Gortat "Borat" in the Magic series. Gortat is a native of Poland.

JAMES IS averaging 42 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the first two games of the series. He's also shooting 60.4 percent from the field.

GUARD MO Williams has made 13 of 40 shots from the floor in the first two games. He checks in at 32.5 percent. It's even worse from the 3-point line - 3 of 14 for 21.4 percent. This guy has the ability, though, to break out of it at any time. He's never been this far in the playoffs in his career. The Cavs need him to snap out of it. On the positive side, he's averaging 18 points in the first two games.

This is going to get a lot of play, at least until Game 2 starts.

A reporter asked Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis a innocuous question: "What did Coach Stan Van Gundy say at halftime?"

Howard looked at Lewis and asked, "Should I say?"

"Go ahead," Lewis said.

"He said, 'We are all witnesses,' " Howard said, obviously mocking Cavs forward LeBron James.

James didn't seem mad about it when I asked him after the game.

"That's reverse psychology," James said. "That's to get the guys to play harder. 'You guys are in the NBA for a reason.'

"You know how he is. He's funny."

Do you think James will remember that comment for Game 2? You can be sure of it.

Of course, after scoring 49 in the Game 1 loss, how many more points can he score?

We'll finally know tonight who the Cavs will play in the Eastern Conference finals.

In the News-Herald's Cavs playoff edition, I was asked to predict the outcome of all the playoff series. I even consulted with a front-office executive and disagreed with many of his picks.

The point? I have yet to miss one of my predictions. I'm sure there will be a bonus in my next paycheck.

I picked Orlando to win its second-round series over Boston. The Magic has had every opportunity to win this series already, but have crumbled down the stretch in a couple of those games.

If I had to predict right now, though, I'd have to go with the hated Celtics (at the expense of my perfect slate!). They are mentally strong, which makes a big difference in Game 7s. I can't say the same thing about the Magic, from the head coach on down.

It should make for some good viewing at 8 tonight on TNT.

I'll be on WKYC-TV tonight following the news at 11:30 p.m. to discuss the Eastern Conference finals matchup. I'll be on with Channel 3's weekend sports anchor, Dave Chudowsky.

Also, I'll be joining Marc Steenbarger on the popular internet show, Moohead Radio, at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Fans can access it by clicking on: http://mooheadradio.com. Listeners might hear me "moo" at the end of the segment.

I'll try to check in again on this blog-o-sphere before Game 1 on Wednesday.

P.S.: I got a mild complaint from my buddy, Cavs PR guy Garin Narain, the other day. "Every time I go to your blog, it's only two or three sentences long," he said.

Just so you know, when we set up this blog, I was asked to blog on game days. I've been doing many "bonus" blogs since the Cavs have been going NINE days in between series. Expect more action on this blog in the coming weeks.

I have to admit this cracks me up. It's the LeBron-Kobe puppet show. It's actually a Nike commercial.

Cavs forward LeBron James was lauded for his leadership after the game by Coach Mike Brown.

James directs the Cavs' offense and defense when he's on the floor. He's constantly talking to the bench about adjustments, matchups and bad calls.

When Cavs forward Anderson Varejao was slapped with a technical foul by official Scott Foster - who seemed to be making 85 percent of the calls on the night - James approached his teammate.

"Get your head in the game," he said.

Varejao was miffed that he didn't draw a charge when Hawks center Zaza Pachulia crashed into him seconds later. After earning the technical, he sat for a long period in the game.

"I was telling the guys to keep their poise," James said. "It looked like we were getting unraveled a few times."

The following are some other tidbits from Game 4:

-- James shot 55.6 percent in the 4-game series vs Atlanta, the best he has shot in any postseason series.

-- The Cavs held Atlanta to 31.5 shooting, the lowest in franchise history for a Cavs opponent.

-- The Cavs are the first team to sweep the first two rounds since Miami in 2005.

-- This will be the Cavs' fourth appearance in the East finals ('76, '92 and '07 are the others).

-- G Delonte West tied his career postseason high with 21 points.

-- C Zydrunas Ilgauskas recorded his 2nd double-double of the 2009 postseason (12th postseason career).

-- The Cavs won the rebounding battle in all 8 postseason games.

-- Monday's win extends the Cavs' NBA record for winning 8 postseason games by 10 or more points.

-- The Cavs fired in 10 of 18 3-point goals (55.6). That's the most 3s and the best percentage in the postseason this year.

-- The win extends the Cavs' franchise postseason mark of four consecutive road wins and 8 wins in a row overall.

I was fortunate enough to watch Michael Jordan play in the NBA. I'm starting to see some similarities in Cavs forward LeBron James.

In seven postseason games this season, James is now averaging 33.7 points, 10 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.1 steals. What's amazing is that he's shooting 55.1 percent from the field.

He also made the media wait almost an hour after the game. But, hey, how could you write your story without James' quotes after his 47-point output?

If you say you can't, you're right.

This guy keeps getting better as the playoffs progress. He looks for reasons to go off. It could be his pregame chicken tenders weren't warm enough. It could be anything.

On Saturday, it was some loud mouth in the front-row seats at Philips Arena. He was chirping a little too much. That's all James needed. He wanted to show up that guy, and 47 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists later, he accomplished his job.

Who knows what the guy was saying? James did that one time in Toronto when Chris Bosh's then girlfriend made some unflattering comments. That's all James needed to hang a 50-point night on the Raptors.

James celebrated his big night on Saturday with a party in Midtown Atlanta. After his big night, he deserved to relax a bit and have some fun.

If Joe Johnson's ankle injury is serious - he left wearing a boot on his right foot - the Hawks will not win a game in this series.

The Cavs are up 2-0 and are playing at a high level. Johnson sprained his ankle in the third quarter, but he was having another pedestrian outing - 5 of 15 from the field.

The Hawks were already hurting with center Al Horford and forward Marvin Williams sidelined. Johnson's injury could be the death blow.

THROWING THE HAMMER DOWN - Wally Szczerbiak's dunk in the second quarter sparked the overflow crowd.

"The team gets a kick out of it when I throw one down," he said. "That's No. 4 or 5 on the year."

DANCING USHERS - You had to see it to believe it. Hip hop star Usher attended the first two games of the series. On Thursday, when the Dancing Usher got up and did his thing, the real Usher joined in. It was quite a scene.

How dominant have the Cavaliers been in the 2009 postseason? They have won all five games by 10 or more points.

They are just the fifth team in NBA playoff history to win their first five games by that margin. The last team to accomplish that feat was the 2004 Detroit Pistons.

Here are some other playoff tidbits:

-- The Cavs are now 40-24 all-time in the playoffs at home.

-- Since the 2006 playoffs, the Cavs are 19-1 when scoring at least 94 points.

-- The Cavs had just seven turnovers and have had nine or fewer turnovers seven times in the postseason since 2007.

-- In five playoff games this year, forward LeBron James is averaging 32.4 points, 11 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.0 steals.

The Atlanta Hawks had a chance to close out the series with Miami on Friday. Unfortunately, they didn't even show up. The Heat jumped on them in the first quarter and never let up.

Every game in that series has been a blowout, quite a contrast to the Boston-Chicago series, where there have been four overtime games.

Here's the official schedule for the second round, as of 8:09 a.m. on Saturday.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Eastern Conference
Cleveland vs. Atlanta/OR/Miami

Game 1 - Tue May 5 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland 8PM 8PM TNT
Game 2 - Thu May 7 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland 8PM 8PM ESPN
Game 3 - Sat May 9 Cleveland at Atl/OR/Miami 8PM 8PM ABC/R
Game 4 - Mon May 11 Cleveland at Atl/OR/Miami 7PM 7PM TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 13 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 15 Cleveland at Atl/OR/Miami TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Mon May 18 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland 8PM 8PM TNT

Boston/OR/Chicago vs. Orlando

Game 1 - Mon May 4 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando 8PM 8PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed May 6 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando 8PM 8PM TNT
Game 3 - Fri May 8 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD 7PM ESPN
Game 4 - Sun May 10 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD 8PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue May 12 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Thu May 14 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 17 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD TBD TNT

Western Conference

L.A. Lakers vs. Houston

Game 1 - Mon May 4 Houston at L.A. Lakers 7:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed May 6 Houston at L.A. Lakers 7:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Fri May 8 L.A. Lakers at Houston 8:30PM 9:30PM ESPN
Game 4 - Sun May 10 L.A. Lakers at Houston 2:30PM 3:30PM ABC/R
Game 5 * Tue May 12 Houston at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Thu May 14 L.A. Lakers at Houston TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 17 Houston at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD TBD

Denver vs. Dallas

Game 1 - Sun May 3 Dallas at Denver 1:30PM 3:30PM ABC
Game 2 - Tue May 5 Dallas at Denver 8:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Sat May 9 Denver at Dallas 4PM 5PM ESPN
Game 4 - Mon May 11 Denver at Dallas 8:30PM 9:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 13 Dallas at Denver TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 15 Denver at Dallas TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 17 Dallas at Denver TBD TBD TBD

PAT ON MY BACK TIME: I picked two upsets in the first round of the playoffs: Houston over Portland, and Dallas over San Antonio. I also took Atlanta over Miami. We'll find out if the Hawks can prevail Friday night.

* * *
SCHEDULE UPDATE: I just received this schedule from the NBA office. I figured you'd want to see the schedule for the second round.

Eastern Conference

If Atlanta-Miami series concludes in 6 games:

Cleveland vs. Atlanta

Game 1 - Sun May 3 Atlanta at Cleveland 1:00PM 1:00PM ABC
Game 2 - Tue May 5 Atlanta at Cleveland 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 3 - Sat May 9 Cleveland at Atlanta 8:00PM 8:00PM ABC
Game 4 - Mon May 11 Cleveland at Atlanta 7:00PM 7:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 13 Atlanta at Cleveland TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 15 Cleveland at Atlanta TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Mon May 18 Atlanta at Cleveland 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT

If Atlanta-Miami series concludes in 7 games:

Cleveland vs. Atlanta/OR/Miami

Game 1 - Tue May 5 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 2 - Thu May 7 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland 7:00PM 7:00PM ESPN
Game 3 - Sat May 9 Cleveland at Atl/OR/Miami 8:00PM 8:00PM ABC
Game 4 - Mon May 11 Cleveland at Atl/OR/Miami 7:00PM 7:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 13 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 15 Cleveland at Atl/OR/Miami TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Mon May 18 Atl/OR/Miami at Cleveland 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT

Boston/OR/Chicago vs. Orlando

Game 1 - Mon May 4 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed May 6 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 3 - Fri May 8 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD 7:00PM ESPN
Game 4 - Sun May 10 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD 8:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue May 12 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Thu May 14 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 17 Bos/OR/Chi vs. Orlando TBD TBD TNT

Western Conference

L.A. Lakers vs. Houston

Game 1 - Mon May 4 Houston at L.A. Lakers 7:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed May 6 Houston at L.A. Lakers 7:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Fri May 8 L.A. Lakers at Houston 8:30PM 9:30PM ESPN
Game 4 - Sun May 10 L.A. Lakers at Houston 2:30PM 3:30PM ABC
Game 5 * Tue May 12 Houston at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Thu May 14 L.A. Lakers at Houston TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 17 Houston at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD TBD

Denver vs. Dallas

Game 1 - Sun May 3 Dallas at Denver 1:30PM 3:30PM ABC
Game 2 - Tue May 5 Dallas at Denver 8:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Sat May 9 Denver at Dallas 4:00PM 5:00PM ESPN
Game 4 - Mon May 11 Denver at Dallas 8:30PM 9:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 13 Dallas at Denver TBD TBD TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 15 Denver at Dallas TBD TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 17 Dallas at Denver TBD TBD TBD

*If necessary