Live Thread: Cavs @ Raptors (Game 4)
2016-05-23
Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer
The Cavs are in Toronto again looking to bounce back after a 15 point loss. In game three, the Raptors caught Cleveland snoozing. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined for just 16 points on 4-28 shooting. The team was out rebounded by 14 boards.
The Raptors morphed into prehistoric beasts. Bismack Biymobo was a T-Rex at the top of the rebounding food chain, without the short arms of course, sucking up 26 boards. DeMar DeRozan utilized his prehistoric game perfectly. He went 9-20 from mid-range.
In games one and two, the Cavs had 22 and 24 assists, respectively. In game three, the Cavs had just 15 assists. When the Raptors squeezed them, they froze up and quit playing the quick passing offense that helped them win ten straight in the playoffs.
Despite the Raptors scoring just 99 points, they posted an offensive rating of 114.2, and although they had just 15 assists, their offense was running well. The Cavs will find out the answer to this question tonight: Did the Raptors just make shots or is the offense they witnessed on Saturday something truly sustainable?
Cleveland will pull out the win tonight. In game three, they were sluggish, didn’t fight as hard as they needed to on defense until the second half, and let their offense stall out from too much isolation play. Tyronn Lue‘s film session for this game will be pretty simple. He will start by showing them clips of failed possessions at the rim because they forced shots (instead of passing).Then he will show them the wide open looks they had in games one and two from all over the floor because of their ball movement. Cleveland knows the way to win against Toronto, they’ve done it twice now. I’m picking the Cavs, 113-90.
The Cavs will be without Dahntay Jones. Jones is suspended for one game after hitting Bismack Biyombo in the groin. LeBron James is paying Jones’s $80 fine.
Jonas Valanciunas is a game time decision for the Raptors.
Cavs are 3-19 from deep, 16%.
They ga start driving the damn ball and get points on the line
LeBron refusing to roll hard. Too much standing around.
Stating the obvious but unless shooting returns Cavs are going to lose this game.
This team is caving in at the absolute worst time. Maybe they did peak in that Atlanta series…
The Cavs looking extremely slow again tonight.
Delly charge!
TT getting schooled on both ends
Delly’s first shot is flat off the bad ankle
Did I just see Delly dribble between his legs into a crossover?
Delly got. Away with that one.
Better looks tonight it seems to me. Love with at least 4 wide wide open looks. He needs to make at least half of them.
I don’t get why Lue has gone away from the rotation that was working best these playoffs…Resting LBJ with 2:30 left in the first and third and then having him open the 2nd and 4th quarters with the reserves…With the normal starters and RJ playing that 2:30…
We were better as the quarter wore on. The quality of our looks was great. If Kev hits some shots we are ahead. The defense leaves something to be desired. They made some very difficult shots, though.
Why do they give you that much space to DeRozan and much of the Raptors players on the perimeter?
I don’t understand that defensive strategy.
Because he cannot shoot.
Cavs can’t win with Kyrie playing defense like this. Turnstile D.
His defense has been the least of the Cavs issues tonight.
TT is invibcible so far in Canada. This isnt the olympics TT your loyalty must be ours.
Cavs 6-9 from 2, 3-14 from 3… Cavs u know what you need to do.
Did Lebron play the entire first quarter? Is it going to be an all bench lineup to start the second? Kyrie did too, I think.
solid quarter but pick and roll defense not good at all….at some point Cavs have to hit these open shots right?!
Are they NOT playing Lowry that much?
Kyrie lets Joseph ease past him to score, then answers with a little hero ball
https://vine.co/v/iEl3JwLMj0m
Starters played the entire quarter except TT. Who is going to lead the second unit?
Kyrie!!
Bron hasnt rested yet..
TT has to develop a 10 ft jumper in the off season. Raps just sagged off him
Is anyone else streaming using WatchESPN?
Quality is straight up awful…
does anyone have a link that I can stream it, the link I’m using is sticking every few seconds and I’m highly upset that I cant enjoy the game
LeBron makes the first free throw! And the second!
Damn it!!!
12 attempts so far from from 3, 3-12 …too much, drive the ball
Most are wide open looks though…The attempts are mostly from drives and dishes when the defense collapses…We were shooting 60% on those against ATL… They’ve just got to knock those down…
Agreed. Kevin has to get out of his own head.
Derozan looks like Kobe out there drilling that elbow jumper
JR should have taken that to the hole. No one on him
Alright Frye!
Tie score:
https://vine.co/v/iElV5UE2BTJ
Great ball movement and more important player movement off ball by cavs leading to several layups and open perimeter shots. Clinic on moving the ball in the last few possessions. Now keep cutting and finding cutters for the rest of the game.
The Cavs need to play harder than the Raptors. They need to want it more.
Not a good start. They are playing some great defense. We are not generating the same open looks we have generated all playoffs. Lebron on DeRozan takes away their best play from the prvious game. The DeRozan iso, in which he torched JR. All it takew is one screen though and JR id right back on him.
LeBron with the hang time to avoid Big Smack
https://vine.co/v/iEl9bUjbMwH
James blocks DeRozan
https://vine.co/v/iEl9zwpML9E
Ridiculous finish by Lebron, just incredible athleticism and strength
nice run here by the Cavs…need to tighten defense and rebound like crazy and they will get their shots
TT is getting outplayed in this series. The NBA has been and will always be about matchups. The question is, how do they match up with the remaining teams?
He has always done horribly against Toronto. He needs Mozzy with him
JR Whiff turns into a Love three
https://vine.co/v/iElEPvPdF3i
Irving finishes at the rim again!
https://vine.co/v/iElEXbw9xAa
Cavs locked in after that TO. Good stuff.
Two ridiculous plays by Lebron!
Now were talking.
An Uncle Drew sighting, with a nice finish
https://vine.co/v/iElEWe6dTEb
wow Bismack already filling up points rebounds and assists! Where are you Mr. $80 million?
Biz might make more next year. Cuban has to be salivating.
Good move bringing in Frye for TT. More room for LeBron to work.
Kyrie improvises to LeBron
https://vine.co/v/iEl06bP5IAh
The time Kev and Kyrie misses a lot of shots are the time you miss Kev’s strenght and Kyrie’s playmaking.
LeBron not fighting through screens to get to derozan.
Just like Tom said.
Not hitting open looks…The offense looks better but they gotta knock down the open shots…particularly kyrie and kevin…
Not what I expected from the Cavs. If you can’t hit shots then you need to play solid defense at the other end until you get your shooting rythm back.
But again the Cavs are being to casual. Disappointing to say the least.
defense is terrible as well and no one really rebounding besides Lebron
Who needs Valanciunias? Well so far, this feels eerily similar to game 3. So strange how Toronto is so so different at home.
And the Cavs are playing now the opposite of how they play at home.
Love looks out of place already…Kyrie not hitting anything…imitated on getting blocked by Biyambo
Love and Irving start 1/7. C’mom guys !!
Cmon guys. Dont get intimidated.
Cavs cold from outside to start. 1-6 from 3. Here’s the make:
https://vine.co/v/iElQTZhhEYX
Are we gonna give Demar that shot all series long???
Kyrie gets intimated by rim protectors. So ridiculous
He usually uses his body to protect the ball. Hasn’t been doing that the past two games.
Nice Kev…
https://vine.co/v/iElQzeDZB0T
gotta need a fast start here..
On the bright side, Green is 1 Flagrant away from an automatic suspension no matter what. Though, I’m sure the NBA will just rescind the flagrant so that nothing happens. Or just flat out change the rules…
LOL funny because it’s sad and true
The go 90 app from Verizon will soon be offering uncut coverage of Draymond Green kicking his dog between the legs.
Hmm.. Is it just a coincidence that Draymond commercial has him making a peanut-butter sandwich?
The silver lining: if Love and Kyrie had had a really really bad shooting night in Game 3 (like 10-29 bad), we win that game. They were unbelievably god awful at 4-29. That won’t happen again!
It’s up to Love to come out and dominate the glass. We can’t let Bismack freakin’ Biyombo dominate us again. TT and Love need to take it personally and come out with some fire.
Let’s go Cavs!!
Let’s go Cavs!
Green survives suspension. How does he get away and Jones gets suspended?
Because the NBA wants to see a Finals rematch…..
Literally every player who hit another player in the groin has been suspended EXCEPT Serge Ibaka (when he did it to Blake Griffin so it makes some sense) and Draymond Green.
I believe I called this a few threads ago. Disgraceful. I truly have lost a lot of respect for the NBA brass… I hope the Thunder come out even MORE hungry and destroy them the rest of the series. I have zero respect for the Warriors.
Thats a b.s move by the league. They really want to protect their golden babies..