Finals Live Thread, Game 3: Cavs vs Warriors (home cookin’)
2018-06-06
Welcome home, Cavs. I was tempted to lead with a picture of Andre Igoudala tonight, but I decided that a vision of what the Cavs are playing for ought to go up top. Make no mistake. This one’s for Cleveland. The Cavs are on the precipice of being down an impossible 0-3, and all we’ve heard about for the last few days is how inadequate this team, this region, and its fans are – that we’re all somehow unworthy of LeBron James and that he should move on to greener pastures.
I’m sure every team looking to woo Mr. James, from Philadelphia to Houston to Los Angeles is invested in the Cavaliers failure. I frankly, don’t know how he has the strength to conjure another performance for the ages, but if there was ever a time for one, this was it. And if there was ever a time for LeBron’s teammates and his coach to prove that they’re better than the criticism they face, this is definitely it.
The Cavs will start the same starters as last game: Thompson, Love, James, Smith, and Hill, while I assume the Warriors will keep their same lineup, though with Andre Igoudala returning to the bench fold. Speaking of the bench, Ty Lue has hinted that Rodney Hood may return to the rotation tonight. Also making an appearance? The NBA referees, who will be livetweeting the game tonight after the first two games, I’d be afraid to show my face in Cleveland if I were them. Be sure to give them a piece of your mind at @OfficialNBARefs.
This will be a crucible for James and the Cavs, and if they have any chance of winning this series, they must win tonight. Hopefully he, his coach, his teammates, and this city rise to the occasion.
Kerr vs Lue’s rotations. So apparent who is the competent coach.
Lue’s getting ready for a 48 min LeBron game…
Think they should rest Lebron right now…just keep Hill and Love in…
Good energy. Hopefully they can sustain it.
Nance should’ve fallen out of bounds to force a foul call.
feels like you shouldnt have to do that
It’s the Warriors. You have to match their thespianism.
Rodney blows another rotation for a Livingston bucket.
LeBron looking human, like the minutes have taken a toll.
No Kyle again.
Concerned about the lack of rest for the king.
Steph looks 40% to me…
Must be that pesky ankle.
Hey, Nance had a nice takedown of Draymond
mikeo you’ll hate this . my wife “huh, i kinda like facebook now after that commercial”
You’d better educate her ;)
This is from just a couple of days ago:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/03/technology/facebook-device-partners-users-friends-data.html
Rodney with some I’m not that scared plays!
This lineup redeems itself a little. Would’ve liked to seem some rest for Bron there though.
I may shoot my tv, Elvis style, if I see this Facebook commercial again.
The NBA officials’ live tweetfest on the West screen:
https://twitter.com/OfficialNBARefs/status/1004539839109320705
The Rodney Hood game!
I know he hit a corner three, but this looking like a lot of minutes for not much again for Jeff Green…
Lebron–>Livingston–>Bucket
Nice play, hood
James with the and-one, except for the no-call.
Hood on the scoreboard!
A free-for-all under the boards. Cavs come away with a hoop.
If your bench lineup is gonna be that crappy, you might as well sit LeBron.
If Lue plays Clarkson with Hood and Green…
h8 lue
well, i guess he tried hood which was fair. if he doesnt bench him again then im back to hating.
Leaving shooters wide open, committing silly fouls and LeBron not looking to score. I expected a better start.
The margin for error against this team is razor thin. 90 seconds of careless basketball and the lead vanishes.
Rodney with some quality scared minutes
Can we be done with the Hood experience? And holy crap Jeff Green. You are awful.
Jesus this bench unit sucks.
Hard to understand what Hood brings that Cedi can’t…Cedi can’t miss more open threes than Hood…
Well cedi getting roasted by Livingston going coast to coast? Not likely.
Not squared up at all. Illegal screen.
Not smart, Green…
Jeff Green, the human banana in the tailpipe
Run a pindown for Korver!
we no longer run that play; too good
Gah. This bench lineup is awful.
Jesus. What garbage D by Hood. What
Who lost Thompson?
Hood has to be able to hit an open 3 …wtf…
WHAT A LAYUP BY NANCE!
Terrible call on Hood.
Hill has to be more aggressive.
Cheapest foul all year on Hill…
Hood draws iron, barely
Hood in to kill the run.
A staple for beating Golden State is getting Curry in foul trouble. It throws him off his rhythm. Got to keep attacking him though.
Van Gundy calling out Green’s antics the last two games. Good to hear someone from the national media mention it. About time.
Oh my goodness, we are in for an all-time bitching game from Draymond. Everybody and their mother knows, he is not getting another tech.
He may finally murder someone on the court tonight…he knows he’s untouchable…
TT better be careful with what he says…they won’t give Bray another T, but I’m sure TT will have a short leash…
i like that jvg acknowledged that now draymond can literally do anything as the refs will never eject him. and then draymond proves it. id keep going at him and force the issue
Great D until no one helped love on that layup.
Yup. where’s TT on that?
JVG calling out the refs again for never calling a second T on Draymond
Green can do anything now…they won’t give him another T…
Love with a STRONG drive on Durant
Get Steph’s third…
KLOVE beasting on KD on the block!!!
Really hate Javale’s game…he can be functional on GS, because they are so loaded…
Every time I see him I think of the Gimp from Pulp Fiction.
JR now 1-3 on open threes
Cavs showing some pride and edge. Loving it!
I had no expectations for tonight exactly like Game 1. I hope after the terrific start, it doesn’t all come crushing down exactly like Game 1 again.
off the backboard tho you should be able to get an assist for yourself. or at least not a missed shot
Nice start!
Nice start. Hope they can sustain this energy.
Can I get a YEAH BABY! Breathless start.
https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1004532883942342656
Boom!
Let’s go Cavs!
https://twitter.com/SherwoodStrauss/status/1004528004322689025?s=19
I don’t care if they win or lose but I want to see Warriors on the floor.
No layups. Hard screens.
One or two very hard fouls on jump shots early.
No shimmy
Let there be BLOOD
I find myself surprisingly not worried. Don’t get me wrong, I want them to win 4 straight. But faced with the logical prospect that LBJ may not be here next year, I just want him to be great, like he is, and enjoy it. If these are the last two games he wears a Cleveland uniform, so be it. He did what he promised. Everything else is icing.
It’s funny because if the Cavs win tonight then I believe the narrative will change to “oh the Cavs could easily be up 2-1” “The Warriors can be beat blah blah”
Let’s see what happens.
Go Cavs!