Challenging King James: Cavs expecting to get Bulls' all

Don't be surprised if there is heavy emphasis in Cleveland placed on the LeBron James-Joakim Noah relationship.

Remember late in a Dec. 4 loss to the Cavs, Noah yelled at James from the Bulls bench. The Bulls center took exception to James dancing on the sideline long before the game was over. James walked over to confront Noah briefly before several players and coaches stepped between the two.

That incident hasn't been forgotten. Here's an excerpt from a blog by former Cavs star Austin Carr on the team's Web site:

"That's why this is a good team for us because it'll shake us back into that killer instinct," Carr wrote. "Everyone knows about the bad blood between LeBron and Noah. And Noah has diarrhea of the mouth anyway. So it's going to be a good situation for us."

In the meantime, some of the Cavaliers shared thoughts on the Bulls after Wednesday's loss in Atlanta.

Coach Mike Brown: "Chicago is a physically tough team. They are a tough-minded team. It's going to be challenging for us. I'm looking forward to it. They won some big games down the stretch to get there. They have everybody healthy. They probably feel pretty good about themselves coming into the playoffs."

Veteran center Zydrunas Ilgauskas: "It's going to be tough. They play with a lot of energy. They are athletic. They will have nothing to lose. We'll have to play smart against them."

Series rewind: It's tough to use any of the four regular-season games between the Bulls and Cavaliers as a playoff predictor.

The Bulls won 86-85 in Cleveland way back on Nov. 5, when the Cavs were struggling to incorporate Shaquille O'Neal into their lineup. On Dec. 4, the Bulls lost on the road 101-87, the start of a brutal four-game losing streak that included a pair of 30-point losses and a home defeat against New Jersey, which was 1-19 at the time.

When the Cavs won at the United Center 92-85 on March 19, the Bulls were missing Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng with injuries. The Bulls won 109-108 on April 8 while LeBron James rested for the playoffs.

Shaq backs Ohio: Even though he hasn't played since Feb. 25 because of a thumb injury, Shaquille O'Neal started lobbying for a second season with the Cavs on Wednesday night.

"I must say I'm very, very impressed and surprised at how Cleveland has been," O'Neal said. "Me only having been in a sunny environment, I wasn't sure how it would go. But I'm having a fabulous time. If they want me back, I'll be back. For us to win a championship for Cleveland, that would never be forgotten."