http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/14226802.htm Hughes to return By Brian Windhorst Beacon Journal sportswriter CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers made a franchise-wide effort to take clinching a long-awaited playoff berth this week in stride. No fireworks or balloons, much less champagne. So when Zydrunas Ilgauskas stepped to the microphone at Quicken Loans Arena following the Cavs' 107-94 win Wednesday night over the Dallas Mavericks, he, too, tried to treat it like a matter of routine. Ilgauskas wanted to thank the fans, talk about the game and move on. The crowd wouldn't let him. The Cavs might not have made a big deal of the event, but the patrons did with signs and chants. When Ilgauskas tried to speak, the crowd swallowed his words with noise, recognizing his long journey from the last time he tasted the playoffs during his rookie season. The lone remaining player from that era and the symbol of all the Cavs have come through, he allowed himself to get caught in the moment. He raised his hand to the crowd, his face slightly turning red. It was for a such a moment that Ilgauskas agreed to take a $6 million pay cut to re-sign with the Cavs in the offseason. ``It's been a long time. The last time we made the playoffs I had a full head of hair, I was single, lived in a Dumpster apartment downtown,'' Ilgauskas said in the locker room after the game. ``I went through a lot personally on the court and off the court. ``To come back here and stay with the team and have this work out, it feels great not just for me but for the fans, because it has been a long time coming.'' The two-time All-Star center has been richly rewarded, signing contracts with the Cavs to pay him more than $125 million while battling through a series of foot operations. In 1997-98, the Cavs went 47-35 and Ilgauskas was among a group of young players -- Brevin Knight, Bobby Sura, Cedric Henderson, Derek Anderson and Vitaly Potapenko -- that showed huge potential along with All-Star Shawn Kemp. But Ilgauskas, who averaged 13.9 points as a rookie, played just five games over the next two years due to foot problems. The rest of that team encountered its own well-documented issues. It began a downward spiral that continued through the 2002-03 season, when they hit rock bottom with a 17-65 record. ``It was cloudy here for a long time,'' Ilgauskas said. ``Then it seemed like we got a ray of sun, and it was LeBron.'' James and Ilgauskas have bonded on the court in carrying the Cavs back to the postseason. It was James who went to management in the offseason asking for Ilgauskas to be re-signed, and it was Ilgauskas who came to James' defense Wednesday after the Mavericks administered two flagrant fouls against him. ``I'm happy for him,'' James said. ``To have `Z' come back and sign another deal, it has worked out for him, and it has worked out for us.'' Ilgauskas, who is averaging 16.2 points this season, has had a bumpy season to be sure. From battling knee soreness to taking a blow to the head from the Detroit Pistons' Rasheed Wallace, it has been rough physically. That, he's used to; it's the playoffs that feel new again. ``Hopefully, in a year or two clinching the playoffs will be meaningless,'' Ilgauskas said. ``We have a good team here now. Do we have enough to go all the way? Probably not, but we have enough to be competitive against anybody.'' Hughes to return Larry Hughes is expected to take part in a practice today for the first time since December. Doctors cleared him Tuesday to resume full workouts with his repaired right middle finger. Hughes could return to games in a week or so. ``Everything is healed, it is a matter of keeping the swelling down and getting ready to play,'' Hughes said. ``I was cleared to do whatever my body can do, and it feels good.'' Hughes has missed 43 games with the injury; the Cavs have gone 24-19 without him. Heat centerless? The Miami Heat, who visit the Cavs on Saturday, might be without star center Shaquille O'Neal, who hyperextended his left knee Monday in a game against the Indiana Pacers. O'Neal is listed as day-to-day. Heat center Alonzo Mourning is out with a torn calf muscle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Ming Yao ---Pos: C Draft: No.01@02 Hei: 7'5 Wei: 310 Born: 09.12.80 Elton Brand ---Pos: PF Draft: No.01@99 Hei: 6'8 Wei: 254 Born: 03.11.79 Andrei Kirilenko---Pos: SF Draft: No.24@99 Hei: 6'9 Wei: 225 Born: 02.18.81 LeBron James ---Pos: SG Draft: No.01@03 Hei: 6'8 Wei: 240 Born: 12.30.84 Dwyane Wade ---Pos: PG Draft: No.05@03 Hei: 6'4 Wei: 212 Born: 01.17.82 Boris Diaw ---Pos: 6th Draft: No.21@03 Hei: 6'8 Wei: 215 Born: 04.16.82 --

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