Playoff Live Thread: Cavs @ Pacers, Game 3
2018-04-20
Well, we didn’t expect to be here, did we? The Cavaliers head to Indiana to face a Pacers squad that had shocked many by splitting the first two games of this playoff series. Now, as the series moves to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, a place where the Cavaliers have seemingly always struggled, the question is whether or not LeBron James‘s supporting class can step up and give The King some help. Things don’t look great, but if there’s one thing we know about the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s to expect the unexpected.
They need Nance STAT>
More of that, please, George…
Fantastic drive!!!
Korver needs to ball fake that pass and shoot it. Too tentative there.
HILL YES!
Someone needs to start boxing out Thad Young…
LBJ working that spin cycle like a washer and dryer.
This new comment section is making me crazy.
Yeah… sorry about that. Only Nate knows how to fix and he’s occupied tonight…
No real pace right now…
jr now bad jr grumble grumble
Can’t relax now. Keep
Attacking!!
No energy to start the 3rd. Rage sub Cedi!!!
T up Turner… you tripped him punk!!!
James taking long two pointers to start the quarter not the best plan. Need that timeout
Don’t understand why Bron won’t just drive on Bodgan…
No kidding. Although Bodgan just straight up fouling him every time he’s guarding him and getting away with it. But still… I agree just gotta do it.
JR just hates those open 3s.
Don’t lose your aggressiveness George!
God, I love him driving like that…he usually gets fouled…he needs to do that 8-10 times a game…
Please, Cavs…come out with fire in the third…you know the Pacers will…step on their throat…
Figures JR playing big on 4/20…he really is playing solid D…
Good call!
Medicinal reasons only
This is a really good take.
Cavs with 7 offensive boards vs 2 for Indy. Long time for that disparity with an opponent
Nance on pace for nearly a double double in 20 minutes.
Great half. Dipo getting all ticked. 40 pts at half for Indy. We were giving that up per quarter not too long ago.
+17. Bron, Love, & Hill all in double figures. Only had 3 guys in doubles last GAME.
Love looks relatively OK. Good offensively. Got the ball ripped away a time or two. Nance a real plus. Clarkson & Hood not big negatives & mostly good on D (Hood a tad late on Bogdonavic a couple times).
awesome first half….felt defense was biggest adjustment for this team going into this game….Pacers are emotionally upset about this half….love the trapping on defense….oladipo can’t do anything…if not for bogDan hitting 30 footers this would be full on blowout…come out strong second half and don’t give an inch….use your depth Lue!!!
They seem committed to making other guys beat them and swarming Dipo…
that should have been their plan from Game 1…no one else scares me on that team….get Dipo to barely handle ball and we are in good shape
Causing confusion…. other Pacers don’t know where each other are going to be once the ball leaves the trap.
Can’t even remember when the Cavs played such a solid half of defense. And as AC just said….it’s a beautiful thing
Bron not even the leading scorer… Hill and Love have been very good offensively… Nance, JR, Korver really helping on D…
sure, that was a ‘foul’, and you get teeth knocked out in the paint and it’s play on…so glad they didn’t call that…worst thing about the current era is all the cheap fouls that get called on perimeter shooters.
On the replay… Larry did slide his foot in there… but I agree, that should never get called at the end of a half…
Right, that kind of contact would never, ever get called close to the rim (except for IT, since he got calls in the paint when he wasn’t touched), so don’t call it out there…
Agree 100% on the call & perimeter v post discrepancy.
Such a sick first half.
GREAT BALL MOVEMENT! KLOVE 3!!!
Pretty impressive first half… some of the best D the Cavs have played in a while…
Insanely good. and they survived that lineup with a -1 at the beginning of the 2nd Q.
Cedi! Gets 4 seconds.
That is the first time i’ve ever seen lebron hustle to close someone out. that was sick.
Ball movement leads to another three by Love!
FANTASTIC DEFENSE!!!!!
Trick or Treat Jeff Green for three…
I guess we’ll have to take it.
At least it was in the flow and from the corner.
Cannot believe how well the Cavs are defending…but double Dipo, and Pacers look lost…
yup… they’re going to have to learn what their secondary passes and cuts are.
Great D that time… they are swarming Dipo…
THAT was the best use of a planned flop i’ve ever seen. lance is just dumb enough to fall for it
Nice toughness there Hill. Way to take the hit.
https://twitter.com/cavs/status/987482072263491584
guys…take the damn shot.
Nice o-rebound LBJ.
Sit down Lance!
Let’s win the last 3 minutes here and at least take a double digit lead into half.
Ahh.. nice cut KLOVE…. Korver pass slightly off-target.
WHAT A MOVE LBJ!!!
LeBron with the spin move AND the adjustment coming out of it to avoid the second defender.
If Dipo wants to raise it another level, he needs to hurt teams when they double team him…
Yup he’s holding onto the ball too long.
yeah that’s where lebron’s height is such an advantage
Freakin turner sets illegal screens just about every time. extends his arms.
Squeeze that, Larry!
Lebron comes in and immediately slows things down and gives it away cuz he waited too late in the shot clock to move. honestly…movement makes stuff happen. not standing.
C’mon LBJ… back Collison down and finish!
Way to be aggressive, George!
LBJ FOR THREE!!! Nice pass Hill!
Nance is eating them alive.
Cavs bailed out by that foul.
Crowd getting feisty…
Nice defense by Nance… going straight up!
KLove stepping up big tonight
Just a different player tonight…
Hood and clarkson showing more aggression….nice!!
THERE’S STILL NO PG…. SMH
Love finally getting going…he needs to be more aggressive….his two hesitations led to two shot clock violations…he is best player on floor right now, gotta play like it
This lineup did a nice job…really helps when Love is there with Nance…
Disagree… they got lucky several times on tipped balls.
They kept the spread at 11…I’d say that is pretty effective…especially with no point guard…
Let’s be real… that was really ugly offense… lucky on the Hood drive, lucky on the KLOVE 3, and Clarkson drive was nice for a no-pass possession.
Wow! This lineup is somehow working!
helps when the pacers seem unable to collect a rebound…but we did give up 5 straight buckets before that lance malfunction
Green with terrible post defense.
Love could learn a lot about setting screens from larry nance. goodness
Clarkson going all the way to the rim… nice.
Zizic would be helpful on Sabonis…
Agreed. played bully ball twice and won each time.
Green should have pulled the chair there on Sabonis…
WOW… that was scary… nice comeback Hood and KLOVE.
It would be so helpful if JC has a good shooting game…