Playoff Live Thread: Cavs vs. Pacers, Game 4 (#BroomsOut)
2017-04-23
The Indiana Pacers has never been swept in four games in a best-of-seven series in NBA franchise history. The Cleveland Cavaliers have gone on to sweep an opponent all seven times they’ve lead 3-0 in a playoff series. Something’s gotta give.
Following the biggest second half comeback in NBA playoff history that the Cavs hung on the Pacers Thursday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, it would be understandable if Indy was too demoralized to put up much of a fight in Game 4. However, if Jeff Teague has anything to say about it, the Pacers will refuse to go quietly. And, while it would also be understandable if the Cavs took their foot off of the gas, and the Pacers’ collective necks, especially given their propensity for not finishing off opponents in the regular season… they could make things easy on themselves with a clean sweep. After all, the early round sweeps last year seemed to really benefit the wine & gold by affording them more energy in the tank to pull of their epic Finals comeback.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love should be plenty well rested for this one after sitting out the fourth quarter of Game 3. We’ll see if that development winds up being an outlier or a trend today.
Cavs probable starting lineup: Kevin Love, LeBron James, J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, Kyrie Irving. Pacers probable starting lineup: Paul George, Jeff Teague, Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young, C.J. Miles.
Prediction: It isn’t easy, but the Cavs sweep their way into the second round 122-118, and get a full week to prepare for whoever survives the Raps and Bucks series.
Catch all the action starting at 1pm (EST) on ABC, and don’t forget to chime in here…
[Editor’s note: The InstaCap for today’s game will be posted later this evening]
Seems like a large portion of indys points are long twos
Oh that crossover was sick
I wish they’d get more looks for Korver…
They’re running that wing screen with Frye but Frye screwed it up last time.
Saw that… rare Frye miscue this game…
That LeBron eurostep earlier was nuts
These old guys, korver, frye, and dwill are playing way better d than love, Irving, smith, why? Korver and Williams fighting through screens like crazy, frye bounding and blocking shots. Bizarro world.
First unit always trying to defend 5 guys with 4 players. Kyrie always puts us a step back on d
D-Will in full on attack mode.
CJ a total no-show in this series.
I love these second unit line ups with Lebron! Effort, passing, defense
The comeback lineup is doing it again. Ball just doesn”t stick with this group. Deron looks like a new player from the late regular season
I like this lineup.
Is it blowing anyone else’s mind that a lineup with Channing Frye, Kyle Korver, and Deron Williams is playing superior defense?
Couldn’t get away with this zone against the dubs, but it could get them to the finals. Maybe this is the secret weapon.
Shump & James out there with them helps. Still, their mistakes are usually physical rather than mental. Or effort. Also, they play vs mostly reserves.
Yep, bizarre. Their effort is far superior to our starters.
Who is this guy wearing number 8??
Yo Hubie straight up hates the cavs
http://dallaspenn.com/pics/albums/album02/skeletor08.jpg
Still lobbying for a Seraphin foul on LeBron’s drive though.
Channing with a bug block!
FRYE BLOCK!!
LeBron is isolation with no help is not a good look for the Pacers
D-Will looks awful good.
Cavs matchup zone totally stymied the Pacers there.
D-WILL HEATING UP
Old man bench unit plus Lebron gives us the lead
Frye looks like a different player this series…
Deron playing harder than kyrie
D-Will with a dime to Frye for 3.
CFRYE!!
That’s what I like to see, backdoor cut. No bucket but I’ll take the foul with frye on the line
Hyper-force line up on the floor
They just keep daring Lance to shoot…
Cavs 0-6 from three and 0 assissts. Only down by 2. Really good effort so far, both assissts and threes will come
KLove needs to bring it
He does have 8 boards though and a good block on PG…
Ty seems fine with it…
Cavs playing at 3/4 speed and still hanging. Switch still in reserve.
Thought Cavs played well, especially defensively. Like this game thus far
I think my grandpa’s first step is quick enough to get past Irving
Allright. Kyrie will sit & the offense & defense are going to get better.
Wow… first quarter all season with 0 assists…
Yeah, that’s not gonna do the job later on in the playoffs.
Ky and Teague playing one on one…
Zero assists this quarter.
Kyrie with a tough shot and a block on Teague…
Let’s see how the non-LBJ lineup does for a minute…
So, 48 min LeBron game?
Ha, unless it goes to ot, I doubt it. But, I think he probably plays around 45 yet again. Has to for defensive purposes with the starters.
Like I said… JR needs to shoot more…
Cavs shooting just 33% and 0-4 from three… but still down just 2 thanks to LBJ…
Irving playing like hot garbage. Lazy getting back in transition, throwing up shots that have almost no chance of going in and not making second effort closeouts in the half court.
No man, he’s attacking, hit some crazy shots, keepin us close.
I would say lbj is the one keeping us close.
Also four of those shots were horrific. See aforementioned d as well.
Looking like bad Kyrie again this game
Great effort on the o boards on that putback
Kyrie’s “why not” 3s are getting old
That was a nice defense by Kev that time though…
Nice Block by K Love!
So I guess Kev just can’t make layups anymore….
Why does Irving jack up theees so early in the clock?
Because he’s a flat-earth moron?
Of course Hubie loves Seraphin… makes total sense…
I don’t understand why TT can’t handle Seraphin…
That was a good acting job by Bron…
This is irritating. Lebron is out here trying to be aggressive and J.R. and Kyrie can’t even create a good entry pass
Bron getting aggressive. Good move. Everyone else is moving as if covered in molasses.
Would probably bench JR after that nonexistent close out
https://twitter.com/JoeNogaCLE/status/856195452747882496
I’m not sure why they would give PG-13 five seconds to tee up a three pointer…
I’m not sure if Kyrie is completely healthy
He looks better than he did on Thursday…
Then sit him & play Williams.
Finally… an and one for LBJ
Sluggish start on O. Missed bunnies, missed FTs, some TOs. Solid D.
JR needs to start shooting again…
Turnover bug biting again in first quarter
Tristan is awful today. That one put back attempt was so embarrassing,
Got a steal though…
Low scoring, defensive game thus far…
Bron still missing free throws…
Kyrie going to have to step his game up to cover Teague today…
Pacers contesting everything at the rim early…
I expect a decent Kyrie showing. He will not want a narrative of “Are the Cavs better off with Deron Williams as PG” developing. This is assuming he’s not going slow due to his dodgy knee.
I expect the sweep too but by a larger margin. If we can go up early I can’t see the Pacers having the energy to come back.