Live Thread: Cavs @ Lakers (#TheBusiness)
2017-03-19
The Cavs are in Los Angeles for a second consecutive night, as they go about their business of getting through the stretch run of the regular season in taking on the Lakers. Apparently, the League called the team out yesterday to give them the business for damaging their business by resting stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love against the Clippers. Reportedly though, the Cavs feel like it’s none of anyone’s business what they decide to do with their own players to ensure they’re rested and healthy for the impending post-season.
It should be back to business as usual tonight, however, as the big three are all expected to be back in the lineup, and the Cavs can officially clinch a playoff spot with a victory. The only remaining missing pieces for the wine & gold are Kyle Korver (still recovering from a sore foot) and Larry Sanders (getting in basketball shape in Canton). Sanders did play for the Charge last night, scoring a basket with one rebound, three blocks and five fouls in just 11 minutes of play. By all reports though, it sounds like even though he was rusty, he still had some presence when he checked into the game.
The Lakers have been resting former starters for a much different reason. They are clearly tanking to try and prevent their number one pick from going to Philadelphia this year, and have designated Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng as healthy scratches for the rest of the season, while also moving D’Angelo Russell to the bench. They’ll also be without Nick Young (flu), so the Cavs will see a steady dose of youngsters in Luke Walton’s lineup.
Cavs probable starting lineup: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, Kyrie Irving.
Lakers probable starting lineup: Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Nick Young, Ivica Zubac.
Prediction: The Cavs probably give the Lakers the business on their way to a 127-108 win.
Catch all the action (if you’re in the business of staying up late) at 9:30 EST on NBATV. If you don’t, then that’s none of my business…
RJ off the cut all quarter
RJ baseline jam game is lit right now…
https://twitter.com/cavs/status/843663154676551680
D’Angelo’s career high is 39… he already has 37…
Just caught up. What happened to TT?
Got an elbow sandwich from Julius Randle…
I saw did they say what was wrong with him?
Just “mouth injury”
Love is back out there… good to see him getting more minutes…
KLove alert
I don’t get why Bron took that three…
Tired. Doesn’t feel like getting hacked.
Who is this Nwaba guy? I live out here and don’t know…
Bron going to have to play the entire fourth for chance to win…
I toyed with going to this game after last night… I’m glad I didn’t…
Big 3 ok with rest, but everyone else looking dead on back to back.
Well. I hope they pull it out.
I think we all do… just depends if they can get some stops…
Duke upset alert: down 9 to South Carolina with less than a minute to go.
Austin Carr: “Cavaliers need to look at each other in the mirror”….
That’s hard to do…
Lue need to look at himself in the mirror
So shocking that an opposing point guard is having a career night against Irving.
I’ve never been to pinks
Come on EG. Can’t I say it?
Nope… because it’s just not true…
JR terrible on both ends tonight…
Kyrie gets picked and nobody picks up Russell… another wide open three…
Do we roll over, or get angry?
They’ve run out of big men and it’s become a D’Angelo v. Kyrie duel so probably roll over…
Unless we’re down 3-1 in the Finals, the answer is roll over.
Lakers with two turnovers for the game… Cavs not hounding them at all…
TT out for game.
Well, probably no more Love (minutes restriction) or TT (teeth) for the rest of the night… not going to help defense and rebounding efforts…
JR off
Good to see DWill back out there… JR still can’t hit…
If you can’t be good, be physical and dirty and hurt good players#Boston Celtics
Poor Thompson.
Cols, you have used up your quota on “three point variance” for this thread…
Ok. What about Keri russels butt?
You can look at that all you want… but it still won’t actually be her…
Friend of mine was on that show for a couple seasons. His opinion: Keri Russel is hot as hell and has aged unbelievably well.
She is hot. Keep it classy and intelligent ctb. Again, fts and sb nation blogs are a wasteland of stupidity I would prefer this blog not to turn into.
https://twitter.com/NikkiGoelCavs/status/843658988503928832
And that’s why mouthguards should stay in the mouth. Not be thrown around the court aimlessly.
Great point Simmo!
TT now headed to lockerroom… bad injury karma this year…
He needs a night or 3 off, hopefully nothing serious.
Looks like he got nailed in the teeth with Randle’s elbow…
Two open three misses there…
LBJ layup out of the timeout…
The Anderson’s got tickets to the game
FYI for the complainers. The Cavs are 2nd in the NBA in offense efficiency over the last two weeks.
Could be better in last two weeks and season even with the injuries.
But the defense is dead last in NBA…
https://twitter.com/cwmwrites/status/843657911150743552
2002-2003 lakers. Except we try even less.
But nobody played… so the Andersons got robbed…
Three point variance
Not really… only one different…
Defensive intensity variance…
Maybe Cavs should have taken tonight off as well…
we all know what a night off on the road means. Gotta shake the LA nightlife off and do work.
They’re not running anything right now… this is a mess
We’re basic. Put our talent in a different system, one of the most efficient offense of all time. Underachieving, at least during the regular season. We are great on offense but could be even better, a lot. No doubt. None at all. None.
LeBron with no desire to rotate on the weak side D…
Shump used the glass… has he done that ever before?
Cavs shooting guards suck tonight. JR should start soon.
Shump finally scores on a transition dunk…
Zubac constantly moves his pivot foot…
Lakers are trying so hard. It’s almost comical.
TT is a rebounding machine…
Darn about the shower scene then. Back to cavs
Lucky shot by Ingram… nice lob to TT by Kyrie…
I think Cavs will pull it out… Lakers want to compete, but don’t want to win so they can keep their draft pick…
EG. Find out if they used a butt double in the latest Americans.
For who? Keri?
Yeah. Shower.
I’m sure it is, she doesn’t typically do nudity…
Come on bro (condescending tone in the use of bro) let’s not turn this blog into fear the sword. We don’t need to be broskie dum dums.
https://twitter.com/mcten/status/843650259762868224
PhantomCam is still awesome…
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/843652572095307776
Prediction: Lakers 120-118
Don’t think the Cavs are trying at all on D… the problem with not trying though, is that the other team gets hot and then you have to expend more energy later in the game to catch up and get stops (if you want to win)… I just don’t get the logic…
Very few of us have gotten that logic all year. It is or I thought was who they are until they seemed to lock in against the pistons and jazz.
Even worse is that DWill got hurt… hope it’s nothing serious…
Yeah.
He’s cracking jokes on the sidelines – don’t think it is.
That’s good
Is Sam Adams the best named brewery in America?
Dogfish head is a pretty sweet name.
And great beer.
True that, maybe my favorite ipa and possibly beer in the world, 120.
I prefer the 90. The 120 is too much.
I get that. A sipping beer to be shared for sure.
All but 7 points came from LBJ, KI and KLove… Shooting guards are 0-7/0-4 from three… come back soon KK…
The rest of the teams needs a night off after last night.
The first two Americans are really good this year.
There goes the d. What happened? Haven’t been able to watch til now.
haha how are we loosing to the Lakers!!
Because Cavs are giving them all about a five foot cushion when they shoot…
That was a disappointing first half given who the Cavs are playing… They make it hard on themselves by not playing even a semblance of defense…
Effort or focus and mental mistakes, or both? See my comment above.
All three… plus Cavs getting nothing outside of big three… shooting guard is particularly weak at 0-7
Good d or just cold for jr/shump?
Cold shooting… JR has missed three wide open threes…
Well seems to be standard this season for him, hot and cold, jr of old.
Not watching the game, but box score says 7 turnovers for the Cavs vs 2 for Lakers.
Channing shoulda passed that…
Lue with the hockey line substitution….
I guess this Zubic guy can take as many steps as he wants…
Derrick Williams just has to get minutes. If he is on the pine th entire first half we need a Free Williams shirt
I hope he has some minor injury. There shouldn’t be any reason for him not to play.
I seriously hate this at&t commercial.
There’s this awesome invention called a TV remote…
Irving
I think Zubac took four steps for that runner…
Yep
Kyrie heat check goes!
Yum
Are you talking about Allie again?
Big three from Kyrie… Shump looks out of control though…
That Kyrie free throw line pullup shot has become almost automatic…