Live Thread: Celtics @ Cavs
2016-02-05
The Celtics are in town to battle the Cavs tonight. Cleveland is coming off a lackluster performance against the Hornets and an undeserved overtime win against the Pacers. Tyronn Lue’s guys are starting to look like the David Blatt team that would take ill-advised shots, dribble the life out of the ball, and forget that defense is half of a basketball game.Â
However, it’s not all bad. In the overtime win against the Pacers, the Cavs looked transcendent through two quarters. In the loss against the Hornets, they looked amazing through two quarters. In the first half in Charlotte, the Cavs hit 53.5% of their shots and had 11 assists. However, they shot 37.5% in the second half and had just five assists. The Wine & Gold have been falling into old habits the second half of games lately.
Tonight’s game is about following a game plan for four full quarters.
The Celtics have won 10 of their last 13 games and Isiaih Thomas will be looking to score. Thomas is averaging 21.4 points this season and is Boston’s whole offense. Last game against the Cavs, Thomas scored just 12 points. Cleveland will need to keep him from going off. Kyrie Irving can’t be playing from behind on defense or Thomas will make him regret it.
The Cavs also need to move the ball against the Celtics. Boston is in the top ten for points allowed and sports the 2nd best defensive efficiency in the league (98.7). Cleveland will have to get the ball up the floor quickly and get into their offense early in the clock, so Boston isn’t able to set their defense.
And, finally, Kevin Love needs to play like he’s one of the Big Three. He scored 12 points against Charlotte and it took him 12 shots to do so. If Kevin is on, the rest of the team has a lot more room to work with.
I’m predicting a bounce back win, 110-93.
Matthew Dellavedova will miss his second straight game due to hamstring soreness.
Allie says Love has a leg/thigh bruise. Won’t return tonight.
At least it isn’t a joint problem.
R.J. has played some good and productive minutes tonight…
Like how RJ is playing.
Except for his Deandre Jordan foul shooting
Cavs finally wind up with a decent third quarter after it looked pretty bad early… hope KLove is okay…
Maybe KLove just shouldn’t play against the Celtics…
Second that motion!!
Well Cavs didn’t lose the lead in 3rd quarter. Damn, Lebron sure made it damn difficult .
It’s clear that the key to reviving the dreadful offense in that quarter was benching LeBron.
Sorry, Cols.
The old kyrie would have taken that three in transition without blinking.
Nice flop Marcus…
Lebron seems like he’s TRYING to make basketball difficult.
Lebron looking very old in this quarter
How come you never hear of Kenneth Fareid anymore?
Do you hear of anyone on the Nuggets?
Good point. I remember all the Fareid hype his first few years in the league. Now, nothing
Weird injury. Sullinger’s big butt hit. Must have daggers implanted in there.
Looked like Smart to me…I think he has a stinger. a literal stinger.
It was in there. You must not realize just how large and oblong his butt is. It morphs like a superhero.
Charlie horse I bet.
Hope that is it.
Can’t tell…
Oh crap oh crap oh crap
Are you kidding me celtics? gonna dislocate love’s HIP now?
Maybe just a stinger for Love? I hope…
Cmon lebron…please play off the ball a bit. We are shooting sooo terribly from 3 it’s silly.
REfs hate Mozzy. LoL
Bron was benched I think.
GOOD!!!! He should do that.
Nope He’s back.
Okay is the secret to 3rd quarter more JR less Lebron?
Moving the ball better since Bron went to,the bench
Absolutely. Maybe in the future LeBron can start the third quarter on the bench.
YEAHHHHHH More Like it Mozzy! JR being the LEADER Tonight!!
Not et tu Kyrie?
LBJ thinks his three is a market inequality. It’s always open for some reason…… I wonder why. Guys goad him into that step back it’s sad.
Yep, just like Dion could always get open for those long 2’s.
LeBron on the bench…
Not even Mike Brown era third quarters were this bad. I don’t understand it. They miss a few baskets and everyone gives up. WEAK
That is saying something.
I really don’t get why LBJ keeps taking threes… especially of the step back variety…
His HIGH basketball IQ tells him so…
LBJ putting up some craptastic numbers tonight.
Lebron is sabotaging this quarter
JR SWISH! At least he doesn’t stop…
With Delly out, JR has to be the rock for the Cavs.
He sure is. He is the smartest player out there.
Did that basket not count?
More than a 3D guy, Cavs need a third point guard.
Why are the Cavs trying to kill Austin Carr.
Shoulder in the chest — Leb lucky to get the call.
That was not bright.
Killed on the O boards again
TT making that 80 million tho…
Kyrie needs to be benched. He’s only thinking about scoring , LBJ too. the MR shot isn’t good. it’s lucky right now.
Lebron 1st. At least Kyrie has been passing when he gets 2 or 3 on him tonight.
This team is mentally weak
Good subs. Hope it works
Jesus h. Stop shooting threes, LeBron.
Rotations and minute distributions are still strange this game.
STOP IT LEBRON!! PASS IT!!
Allie interviewing our new assistant coach is like…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-450500/The-BBC-reporter-caught-short-.html
Maybe they could play Moondog in the third quarter?
TT leaves his feet WAY too much…
Our 3rd quarter woes ………. Shm
Allie has to sit down to interview Mike Longabardi… I think he’s still standing up tho…
Linsanity isn’t so insane tonight. Two pts in 11 mins after 3 quarters.
Yeah, but Kemba’s back…
After three quarters in Charlotte… Chris Bosh has zero three pointers…
Cavs getting out-rebounded again… not by as much, but still…
Jepeto is getting more rebounds than Mosgov? Jimmy Crickets, say it isn’t so!
Jesse Owens dedication at halftime… sometimes League Pass is pretty cool… (sorry JoeyB!)
AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man Lebron lost all the ability to manage the clock or run some plays closing the half this season.
He’s been doing that since Year 1. Its been my pet peeve of him for 13 years. That and never improving his free throw percentage for 13 years. The Free throw thing is the worse. A guy of his skill should be able to make 85% of his FT easy.
So many turnovers in 2nd quarter. Mostly from Lebron . Guess who’s back?? Captain ISO
One nod to Lue: By leaving Kyrie in to start the second quarter, I’m pretty sure he avoided having the entire Big Three on the bench at the same time at any point that half.
I noticed that right away too. He introduced bench in there rather quickly. He didn’t space them in 1 at a time. It worked out though.
Only took him 8 games to figure that out. Didn’t Blatt at least leave some notes for him?
Just knew that last shot would clank. Maybe 0/15 or so on LeBron for 3s.
If I was a stat geek I would look up LBJs three point attempts and percentage on end of quarter shots, not including the fourth quarter, that are preceded by at least 5 seconds of dribbling. I would then take out a billboard in front of his house publishing the results.
7-13 on free throws is the difference between up by double digits and a tight game. Cmon guys…they’re FREE
We don’t take free throws. We take Foul Shots.
Wow… Bron dribble out the clock for an off balance three that doesn’t go… how original… /s
But that play works so often!!! He makes it at least 9% of the time.
We treat end of quarters the way I treat shooting around at the Y. As I’m walking away, I throw up a three from half court just for the hell of it.
I bet you make that shot more often than Bron makes his tho…
Maybe. But I’m pretty effing terrible. It would be a close one.
Ugh with LeBron dribbling into a 3. Shooting about 1% on those.
When was the last time LeBron hit a three?
2013………………….
I know I was thinking pass to Kyrie for that shot and then I remembered he’s not much better at the 3 either.
I wonder if our third quarter crapping of the pants will happen again. This game is starting the way the last two did.
We’ll find out in 12 minutes…
man love really takes a beating. Anyone who calls him soft doesn’t pay attention. With his lack of elevating ability, his 11 rebounds a game are about the best big man achievement i’ve ever seen
I agree, the guy is a lumberjack down there
I’m with you on that, man.
AC: Cavs with “fifth-grade offense” on that semi-break — all three players going to the basket.
Cavs with another steal… but no fast break points to show for it…
hahaha that was the ugliest break of the season.
what the heck? no shooting foul??
Cavs w/15 pts this quarter. @ 1:45
They’ve missed literally five bunnies at the rim though…
Bron got back on D that time…