Live Thread: Cavs @ Grizzlies
2015-03-25
The Cavs are facing a team going the opposite direction of most NBA teams. The Grizzlies play at a bottom five pace (92.1 possessions per 48 minutes). They run the ball through two true post behemoths, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. And, defensively, they hold teams to 95.2 points per game, which is second in the league.
Memphis has won their last three games just like the Cavs. Tonight there are two groups of guys I’ll be watching:
1. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol Vs. Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov, and Tristan Thompson- Can the Cavs bigs stop the Memphis guys from scoring without getting into foul trouble. The one nice part about this matchup is that Love should be able to stay on Randolph if he plays his mid-range game. Gasol might be able to just outsmart Mozgov down low and confuse him when he starts passing out near the foul line.
2. Tony Allen and Mike Conley Vs. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving- Conley is able to appropriately funnel guys where they need to be for one of the Memphis bigs to shoot some shots down. Tony Allen can simply make Kyrie and LeBron miserable whenever they touch the ball. Who will Allen cover? Will Allen be moved onto Kyrie if Kyrie starts playing video game ball?
I think this game is going to be decided by how fast it’s played. If the Cavs push and play their pace, they will win. However, if Memphis gets the game slowed down, it will be a battle between Grizzlies post play and Cavs shooting. Memphis can get points in the paint (46.8, which is number one in the league) when the game is slowed down to half-court play. The Cavs can’t get paint points against a set Grizzlies defense, so they would have to rely on their 3-ball. Fortunately, they make that shot. The Wine & Gold are first in that area since January 15th. Memphis also gives up a middle of the pack 23 three point attempts a game and eight makes a game.
What are your thoughts?
That Delly pass to Kyrie to end the quarter was BEAUTIFUL. That was PLAIN SEXUAL.
DELLY TO KYRIE TO BEAT THE CLOCK!!
blatt is known / has a reputation —when given time to study/ prep for an opponent — HE IS A SURGEON —GREAT JOB OF DISECTING THE GRIZ TONIGHT —-ANYBODY HUNGRY FOR SOME BEER AND ( GRIZ ) BURGERS ?
Lol @ Griz burgers. Love it.
I also think that Cleveland should pass this much every game. We’d be unbeatable. When we pass like we are tonight and nobody goes iso ball, we’re unbeatable. Period.
Or some Grizzly BBQ… Memphis style
Delly going Korver again lol.
Other teams gotta be looking up at the scoreboard at this game saying holy #$%&!!
Delly pretending not to suck recently. I love it!
DELLY TREY!!
I’m basically like Cols only with David Blatt. Loved him since day 1.
With you on that JMay…
Delly has really really improved lately. This team looks like its coming together very very well
The Griz don’t know what hit them!
Exactly. Cavs are playing one of their best games of the season IMO.
They look like they just took a strong right from Joe Louis…
This is INCREDIBLE!!
Folks, behold, what David Blatt can do for you with some practice time….
This ^^^^^^^^^^
That ^^^^^^^^^^
The Cavs are pitching a perfect game so far. There’s nothing the Grizzlies can’t do right now.
THIS GAME
DUDE! This is AMAZING.
Tom, I think KLove read your piece!
SMITH WITH THE SWIIIIIISHHH
DELLY IN ON THE ACTION!!
EVERYONE passing tonight, and making some incredible passes. When Love is 8-11 halfway through the third quarter, we are absolutely unbeatable.
The passing has been phenomenal
Unbeatable when we do this.
Oooooh KLove. Sexy pass. His best game as a Cav?
Blatt’ best game as a coach…give him a couple days of prep time and all is light.
This is the perfect type game for Mozgov going against another skilled big men in Gasol. I will be really surprised if he doesn’t get some PT in the 4th.
KLove starting to look REAL good. Cavs making yet another statement tonight..
One of the best passing games I’ve seen us have this year. Mozgov has made some excellent passes, too.
KLove is destroying them, WHATTUP ESPN????????
LBJ taking practice shots out there…
He took so long on that three my wife thought there was a whistle down low.
Klove is smiling today…interesting. It’s as if he enjoys being a part of the flow of the offense. Fantastic preparation by Blatt for this game.
The Ball Movement when Kevin Love is on the floor is incredible tonight
That was like a free throw the way he dribbled in place before taking it!
Oh my goodness, they are breaking them!
LBJ had ALL DAY to shoot that three!
GREAT pass from Moz to KLove for the EASY layup!
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!
KLove looks pretty locked in tonight…
Vinsanity struck during the break… two techs and you’re out Vince!
What just happened?
Didn’t see since it happened during TV timeout… sounds like he didn’t like the Moz foul on Gasol and went crazy on the sidelines… Refs T-d him up twice and ejected him…
Mozgov needs to be a bit sharper mentally. Sometimes gets lost on defense
Probably takes a little longer to get the blood to your brain when you’re 7’1
JR was absolutely fouled on that fast break score!
Without a doubt. Just because you put your hands up doesn’t mean you dont throw your body into someone…
Love “fitting-in” just fine… 9 pts, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 3 asts, 4 rebs
Not to mention some really good D tonight!
Gotta say… it warms my heart to see KLove getting his arms up on D…
JR with the great D on the fast break!
agree with arch on his opinion that Miami ” wants to face the cavs “—how/ why do you blow a 14 pt lead with wade playing and with wade / whitehead out tonight playing at boston —destroying them —IF THEY WANT THE CAVS —BRING THEM ON –IF WE PLAY LIKE WE DID THE 1ST HALF —IT WILL BE A 4 GAME SWEEP AND MAMI GO HOME TO SOUTH BEACH —-BULLS ROOKIE MIROTIC IS STARTING TO PLAY SOLID BASKETBAL —IF HE WOULD HAVE STARTED SOONER HE WOULD BE PUSHING WIGGINS FOR ROY—–GO CAVS CONTINUE THE SAME PLAY THE 2ND HALF !!!
They have blowned many leads. They even blew one against the Sixers. They played to win but they just didn’t. Look at how mad they were at the end of the games. Beasley face was priceless.
Tough second half coming up. They should be pissed.
great first half of basketball, started a bit sloppy but Cavs making plays and really crashing the boards….fortunate Grizzlies can’t shoot and are missing like 10 layups but hey gotta convert….kyrie really tearing it up and lebron making plays when needed….vince carter trying to box out TT is hilarious…and grizzlies have two random white dudes I’ve never seen in my life like #19 and #12…can’t believe thats their bench and they are 2nd best and possible title favorite out of west….also if not for gasol we would be up by 20+
Seems like part of Blatt’s game plan was for Kyrie to be aggressive, attack Conley and get into the paint. Wonder if that was to open up the game more now, coming into the second half.
If Memphis adjusts by putting Tony Allen on Kyrie, I see Lebron putting this one away.
Excellent first half by the Cavs. The defense is as good as its been in a while, though the non shooting Grizzlies help. Love especially has turned Gasol into a high volume low efficiency scorer instead of a facilitator where he would really hurt us. So kudos to Love and Blatt for putting him on the Spaniard. The offense is running cleanly (save for some Kyrie heat checks) and the pace is right where we want it to be. Great job in semi transition by the Cavs because if Memphis’ D sets, it’s pretty hard to score upon. Also, another… Read more »
JR not shooting well so far (1-5), but he has 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. Not just JR Swish anymore!
Evil beat me to it.
As much as I don’t want to face Miami in the first round, I think it could be a very fun series.
Lol…..right when I post a reply to you….
Miami is destroying Boston right now.
Need them to move up to the 6th seed, can’t believe they lost at the buzzer to Milwaukee…
I kind of feel like Miami wants to face us in the first round.
Lol and I kind of feel like I don’t want to face them in the first round…
Eh, if we didn’t take them out in 5 I’d be surprised. I know Wade would battle and give us fits, but we’d crush them IMO. They simply don’t have the personnel to match us in the playoffs.
They probably feel like they’ve got us figured out and they are certainly in Lebron’s head…
How about JR? Even though he’s only 1-5… he’s got 2 boards, two highlight assists, two steals and one AWESOME block of Gasol… oh yeah, and he also won a jump ball with Gasol…
Guys, Memphis is one of the best teams in the league. Like without a doubt. Up by 13, great half of basketball, hard to remember a basketball team that was this fun to watch..
That was a fun first half. The Cavs look nearly unstoppable when they get this kind of rest.
Cavs only gave up 8 points in the paint that quarter after 16 in the first… clamping down
A couple days of rest + practice and we’re making the West’s #2 team look amateur in the first half, on the road. LOVE IT!
13-1 against the West in our last 14 games.
And the one loss was in Houston in OT and it was almost a win but for the free throws by LBJ… oh yeah, and Kyrie didn’t play…
KYRIE! What an awesome finish to the first half. Beautiful!
Kyrie’s and-one to close the half gives him 18 points. Conley has 2 points. Cavs by 13 at the half.
I’ll take double nickels against the Griz on their home floor at half any day!
Wow really impressed at the Cavs effort today! Go Cavs!!!!
Much better attempt that time by Kyrie as clock winds down…
Wow, absolutely just wow!
So much great effort, man can’t stop applauding
TT cleaning the glass!
Forget H&R Block we’ve got JR Block!
See above…
You beat me to it!
Great minds!
Is this real life? Are the Cavs so good that JR Smith is blocking Marc Gasol?
That JR block was sick!!!!
What a terrific sequence by JR!
JR in transition with a nice lob to Love.
The JR block on Gasol was sick.
J&R BLOCK!!
I guess even Tony Allen can hit a wide open three…
Trick or Treat Tony!
LBJ with a buzzer beater!
James with the 3 at the shot-clock buzzer.
This is a physical but not chippy/cheap-shot game (so far). Good prep for the playoffs.
Grizz really playing the passing lanes.
Huh? How’s that a foul on Moz?