Live Thread: Cavs @ Thunder
2014-12-11
This is always one of my favorite match-ups of the year. I’ve Aunts and Uncles and cousins in Wichita and OKC, and they pull big-time for KD and the gang. It’s fun to send some trash talk across the great plains. The Tacoma City Plunder, as I call them, come into the game finally healthy and winners of five of the last six, now that reigning MVP, Kevin Durant has returned along with All-Star, Russell Westbrook. KD hasn’t lost much in his four games back, with shooting splits of .492/.316/.889 to go along with 22 points, 5.5Â rebounds, and four assists in 29 minutes a night. Westbrook has been similarly stellar, posting a 31.5 PER so far this year, and adding 24.5 points, seven dimes, and six rebounds in 28 minutes a night with splits of .433/.306/.814. Contrast that with LeBron and Kyrie… The head-to-head position battles tonight will be epic.
James Vs. Durant, Irving Vs. Westbrook, Marion Vs. Roberson?, Varejao Vs. Adams… One can’t ever forget block machine, Serge Ibaka when talking of the Thunder. Kevin Love will have his hands full. Jeremy Lamb has also emerged as a solid bench scorer for the Zombie Sonics, averaging 12 points off the bench with a 58.5 TS%. A lanky 6’5″, Jeremy will be a tough match-up for the Cavs bench guys. Add Anthony Morrow, Reggie Jackson, Perry Jones, and all-time-tough-guy, Kendrick Perkins, and this Thunder bench is intimidating. Cleveland is going to need big contributions from everyone.
Oklahoma City is still on the outside of the Western Playoff race, looking in. At 8-13 they’re three games back of eighth place Phoenix and 11 games back of the NBA best Warriors. So every game is huge for them right now. The Cavs, meanwhile, are waiting on a “Game Time Decision” to determine if LeBron James plays tonight. Fortunately, the Cavs have shown they can win without him, taking three of the the last five contests from OKC during the LeBronless years, including one of the biggest Cavs victories last season, a stunning 114-102 February victory in OKC. Given the burgeoning rivalry, I’d be shocked and concerned if the King missed a showdown this big.
Update: LeBron will sit out this game with “general knee soreness.” Matthew Dellavedova will start in his place.
Good three by delly. When he doesn’t dribbke and he shoots well he’s good.
Fundamentally sound but not an elite athlete. I think cavs are blown out of the building without delly
Andy needs to stop going up soft.
Durant is a pteradon out there
Second time Love has passed up a wide open three for a pass inside for a blocked shot
Delly cuts it to 9!
Yeah it’s only his career high. No big deal… Keep hating haters
Looking forward to Cols giving praise for that Delly 3.
Only if it was miller or jones
Put it on the glass first joe
WOW! That was a pretty impressive block by Durant. Rookie will learn
That’s why you don’t lead with the right hand on the left side.
Tough game for us. Okc is really good. If we lose I wouldn’t read anything into it
Especially with LBJ out and Kyrie banged up
Message is “winning on the road when elite west teams are healthy is tough”
Agree. I don’t think they’ll pull this out, but I’m encouraged that they haven’t given up.
Getting chippy out there with Andy and the dirty Kiwi
Kyrie needed to finish that one
Buh-bye Ibaka. Not sorry to see him go
Really needed waiters to be better tonight.
Delly shouldn’t dribble ever. Just shoot threes and pass.
Ugh. Kyrie. That was Byron Scott offense. 1 on 3 is a bad idea.
Turnovers killer. No room for error.
Excellent move by Kylie to trick ibaka.
2 straight turnovers by delly doom us.
First one was bad pass, but second was great anticipation play by Westbrook
Kyrie and Dion are 10-30 tonight, but it’s Delly’s 2 turnovers that have completely doomed us.
AV playing sloppy tonight
Terrible pass by delly.
Like TTs energy here.
They’ll take our land, but they’ll never take our… FREEDOM!
Delly never says die.
That’s cause he’s a Goonie!
Delly is 4 of 5 from the 3.
Huh, back to back Delly Trey’s cause an OKC timeout. Guess they should bench him now huh Kevin??
Haha. Delly in Jackson’s head.
why is kyrie / starters still in there—-REST THEM !!
Agree. I think it’s best to get him stretched out and iced down. This game is all but over. Let delly and dion finish.
Guys… It’s a 12 point game with 8+ to go. Not time to surrender yet
Another 3 by Delly!!!!
Minus LeBron, facing a good western conference team on the road, Cavs are the Brooklyn Nets.
Then Delly gets Jackson to draw a foul.
That was a chump move by Jackson. Delly just recovering on defense. Delly must be in his head.
A nice Delly Trey!!!!
Yeah Morrow can shoot
And Waiters still can’t finish at the rim
Dion sucks at finishing. It’s so frustrating watching him trying to finish around the rim.
Fuck Love, I’m so sick of seeing him waiting for rebounds not contesting a shot.
Love had 16 or 17 rebounds
Kyrie needs to take over. Or else we are doomed.
Going to be a challenge with the gimpy knee. I’m sure it can’t feel good
Need waiters to shoot more.
All for that if he’s going to take shots that have a prayer of going in
Or dribble around for 16 seconds and lose the ball.
This game is over.
If Durant is going to hit 35 footers like that, it might be tough
Dion with a TO.
How was that a foul on Kyrie. If anything it seemed like a no call.
TT keeping cavs close.
Bad Dion chuck right there. Step back fall away no hoper
Amazing pass from Kyrie. He’s even telling TT he’s got to go up with that right away
Cavs ice cold. Also that was a crap interference call.
I agree but it did look like he touched the net.
Time to make a run guys!
James Jones missing the FREAKING tonight. Shot just not going down. Could use one though
OKC demonstrating why a rim protector is crucial.
That wasn’t offensive interference was it?
Good hustle and rebounding by TT and Love on that possession
Thunder 8-0 run with Delly on bench. Better bring him back. Sorry i jinxed us.
I’m sure Kevin and Cols would blame it on something else conveniently.
Are we watching the same game?
I don’t know Kevin, are we? You and Cols are the ONLY ones bagging on Delly. SMH
You vilify anyone with a dissenting opinion. I’m not saying Delly is horrible. But he should not be starting. Otherwise, I’m all about some Delly time. And Kyrie has been stinking since the New York game. Westbrook putting up 20 and 7 with a busted paw. Kyrie bruised his knee.
Dude, I haven’t even begun to “villify” you. Trust me you’d know it.
TT has to go up stronger than that against guys like this
Ibaka and Adams are killing us. TT should know the personel and pass the shot out to the perimeter.
Cavs scrapping. Good to see them hanging in this
We shouldn’t be “scrapping” because one starter is out. I don’t care who it is, other guys need to step up and play. Kyrie is not getting it done tonight.
Yeah he should get over that knee thing. What a wimp. SMH. Do you watch many basketball games Kevin??
Cavs hanging tough with this OKC team, even though they are heating up and starting to push the tempo.
LOL did anyone notice Damon Jones cheering Love on that three? Dude’s beer gut is bigger than my old man’s.
Man Ibaka is just a BEAST
Love is awesome.
He does have a terrific touch from the perimeter. Would like to see them get him in the post more too
He gets eaten by Ibaka in the post
Yeah, but who doesn’t get eaten by Ibaka in the post? He’s a MONSTER
Need more waiters and irving.
Delly is killing us. This guy should not be starting.
Kevin are you just Cols double posting?
Nope, just someone who is sick of looking at his squinty-eyed mug as he attempts to make an athletic play and horribly fails. That fast break and his first half attempt at a running floater are two examples of not knowing what you’re good at and what you should never attempt.
You take the good with the bad. He’s had just as many good plays as bad if not more tonight.
Yeah he’s only got the best +/- of +7 for the team.
Marion couldn’t throw a beach ball into the ocean
He’s a good free throw shooter in his career. It’s an ugly shot but effective
Not lately he’s not. His shot looks really off
Horrible fast break by delly.
Great save and pass by Delly there
Steven Adams is killing us.
Steven Adams is a dirty Kiwi…
Dion for Adams?
Why would OKC need Dion?
Smart play by KLove right there
Nice move Love!
WOW! That Roberson dunk was RIDICULOUS! I thought Andy had him blocked but he moved the ball in midair and still dunked it!
“Daniel Larusso is going to fight? Daniel Larusso is going to fight!!”
Miyagi is the Cavs trainer.
LOL. Guess Westbrook didn’t “sweep the leg” well enough
The Matrix’s unorthodox sh*t looks so much worse when he misses it like that.
Well, he looked pretty good on that drive and shot
Looked like more than a “contusion” but that’s promising news
@JasonLloydABJ: Irving officially diagnosed with a knee contusion. Expected to play second half.
Just because he CAN play though doesn’t mean he SHOULD. They should be careful with him.