You're right. That draft was the building blocks to some very good Cavs teams in the late 80's, early 90's. Unfortunately though, we always ran into Michael Jordan and the Bulls who knocked us out of the playoffs on four separate occasions. The first and most notable happened in 1989. The Cavs were actually favored and were a perfect 6-0 against the Bulls in the regular season. The Cavs were considered one of the best teams that season. The Bulls took us to 5 games in the best of 5 series. The buzzer beater shot by Jordan has become known as "The Shot" and was one of the most dramatic sports endings in modern history. In retrospect, it also symbolized the beginning of a dynasty in Jordan's Bulls.
Recalling the play that lead up to "The Shot"....
Jordan hit a jumper with six seconds left to give the Bulls their first lead at 99-98. Following a Cleveland timeout, Craig Ehlo inbounded the ball, received a return pass, and scored on a driving layup to retake the lead with 3 seconds left, 100-99. Chicago then called a timeout.
Jordan was guarded by Craig Ehlo. To get open, Michael Jordan pushed off Ehlo, clearing the way for him to receive the inbound pass. Jim Durham, calling the game on the Bulls' Radio Network, narrates what happened next:
Thus was the beginning of many woeful Cleveland sports moments for me throughout my childhood.
What a GREAT offensive team this Bruins team was. Of course, led by the incomparable Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito.
