NOTEBOOK | Cavs vs. Wizards

Making history: At 21 years, 113 days old, Cleveland's LeBron James became the second-youngest player to record a triple-double in his playoff debut. At 20 years, 238 days old, Lakers rookie Magic Johnson was the youngest, posting a triple-double against Phoenix on April 8, 1980. The Hawks' Johnny McCarthy was the only other player to do it in his debut, getting a triple-double on March 16, 1960. "He had a breakout night," said Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas. "We said we would keep him off his right hand, he went right all night. If he is going to have a triple-double, they are going to win the game. We have to limit what he does to win this series." With 32 points (he also had 11 rebounds and 11 assists), James also set a Cavaliers record for most points scored in a playoff debut, breaking Roy Hinson's mark of 24 set in 1985 against Boston. "LeBron was great," said Cavs coach Mike Brown. "Again, he never ceases to amaze me. The things that he does offensively just blow you away. He does it in the flow of the game, which is what makes him special. He doesn't force anything and he doesn't go away from what we do team-wise." Two other Cavaliers were also making their playoff debuts: Ira Newble (who did not score) and Anderson Varejao (who had three points and five rebounds in 24 minutes).
Welcome back: Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes, who missed 45 games with a broken finger, played with the Wizards last season when they defeated the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs before signing with Cleveland in the off-season. Hughes struggled offensively -- he shot just 1-of-9 -- but played well defensively against Wizards All-Star Gilbert Arenas. "I stayed in front of him and made him take contested shots," said Hughes. "We ran everything through [James] tonight. He was able to score and distribute the ball. I'm here when the time is right."
Controlling the pace: Washington plays its best in an uptempo game and the Cavs did a good job of controlling the tempo and making it a half-court game. The Wizards were the third-highest scoring team in the NBA during the regular season, but were 21st defensively. "The three things that we always talk about when playing this team are: limit your turnovers [Cleveland had just 10], keep them off the offensive glass [the Cavs held a 20-9 edge in that category and a 52-36 rebounding edge overall] and get back in transition," said Brown. "If we do a decent job in those three areas, we'll have a chance to win the ball game."
Air time: The game was stopped at one point when an errant balloon floated toward the court. As one of the officials waited for it to come down, James (who was at least a foot taller) reached up and grabbed it, earning cheers. "I thought maybe if I grabbed it for him, I'd get a few more calls," James said.
Joe Scalzo