Live Thread: Cavs @ Pacers, Game 4
2018-04-22
The Cavs are back in Indiana again tonight. After giving up an 17 point lead in the 2nd Half of game 3, the Cavs are down 2-1 to the Pacers. This game isn’t a must win, but having to play a must win game in Indiana would be a poor position to be in for game five.
One has to hope the Cavs can right their play. They are making just 9.7 3s a night (12-16) at a 30.9% rate, which is second worse in the playoffs. During the regular season, the Cavs made 12 3s per game (3-30) at a 37.2% rate, which was sixth in the league. The shooting will hopefully return to normal. No one on the team is getting buckets outside of the King.
LeBron James has scored 98 points this series, he’s averaging 32.7 per game. The Cavs have scored just 270 points in three games. James has essentially score 37% of all those points. There’s not much more to say. Cleveland simply needs more guys to make shots.
Defensively, the Cavs haven’t allowed the Pacers to score over 100 and are second in defensive rating for the post season. The struggles haven’t gone away and the their trapping scheme hasn’t been the most effective, but the defense isn’t to blame for the losses.
Tyronn Lue has mentioned Tristan Thompson will probably see minutes this game because of “toughness.” George Hill will miss the game because of his back. This means the Cavs will have to figure out some way to slow Victor Oladipo. Jose Calderon is probably not the answer to that. He’s starting anyways though.
Right now, I’m not confident the team can figure the offense out. At least with Jose starting, LeBron will be have some help creating shots, but it may not be enough.
FLAGRANT…. NAILED HIM ON THE HEAD!
Lance is such a fraud.
Should be a flagrant 1. Get Lance’s cheatin’ *** out of here.
Lance is a punk. He needs a hard foul for sure
Nice defense though…. great hustle!
HOOD SHOOT THAT FLOATER…. DON”T PASS TO NANCE!!! and Clarkson wide open in the corner.
GREAT HUSTLE, NANCE!
Thought the rotations were solid that first quarter.
Cleveland needs to REBOUND….. gave up 4 o-rebounds in the 1st quarter.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/988225759629201408
JR nails it.
There is a God.
Bog looks like angry, sweaty Charles Grodin…
ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?! JR PIPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PAYBACK YOU FREAKING INDY CHEATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Just like Ty Lue drew it up!!
JR with a miracle shot!!!!
SWISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Freaking phantom call…NBA needs to address this nonsense…
Another awful call.
Danger time…. Green in and Clarkson at PG…. wonder how long this lineup lasts.
Terrible call on JR. Cavs got jobbed in this quarter
Wow awful call on collison acting job. Didn’t even touch him. Refs are falling for flops bad. Missing other obvious calls.
and then he blows it by fouling Oladipo on the midrange.
Great hustle, swish. Then another absolute horse shit call, the third Dipo has gotten this call.
quarter
JR makes up for it though nice D there.
Rodney Hood sets the weakest screens I’ve ever seen
JR caught napping there, nearly disastrous.
Cavs offense is completely reliant on threes against this scheme. We are screwed if they stop falling. Despite being up, I am a little terrified for the rest of the game. They need to find a way to get easier buckets at the hoop.
Nice… floater for Hood is good.
Nance screws the pooch on FT miss.
7-0 run.
Whoo! Clarkson and Hood creating for back-to-back hoops.
Nice J Clarkson.
It’s all good in the hood!
Stephenson straight trucked Nance there. No call. Cavs getting absolutely jobbed by the refs .
OVER THE BACK!!!!
A not awful stretch by TT…
TT is so bad at finishing. Nance dunks that.
Clarkson had the option of passing to either TT or LeBron on that fast break…
How did Clarkson miss LBJ on the break? TT was awful.
Never pass the ball to TT on the break…
ARGH!!!! TRISTAN WTF was that. Clarkson gave it to him too soon.
and should’ve given to streaking LBJ on the right side in the first place.
TT can’t finish at the rim SMH. Dunk that!
Some things never change.
Really wonder if Korver’s foot is bothering him…his shot looks lousy…it would be nice to have a full squad…
Even without the circle (could be argued drive started outside) that’s a block on oladipo. Horse crap call.
Terrible call there. Dipo in the restricted area. Should have been his second.
Looked like the ball went off JR’s leg on Indiana’s possession right before so maybe a make up call?
Yeah, but that is a huge call. Dipo with two is a huge impact on the game.
Except JR was fouled by sabonis
Looked like a bad call…
Oladipo in the circle there. wow. Awful call. Oldadipo gets so GD many star calls.
Blocking! In restricted! How does that get missed?!!!!
BS call on TT, Refs are asleep
This is good… LBJ with Clarkson is probably the way to go.
Nice subs. Get Hood in for KK. Got a break on that last ob call.
Crowd getting pissed but that was foul the refs didn’t call.
Let’s hope Lance isn’t scrub fuego tonight…
Nice double team on sabonis.
Sabonis fouled Smith. Ref gave ball to Cavs bit didn’t call foul
Two on Turner.
Man… Korver misses AGAIN. Great pass LBJ tho. and nice and 1!
I’m just going to assume we see law of averages for Korver this game. or else we cooked
Just keep getting him shots if he’s open. HE’ll start hitting.
Agreed… that’s what they’re paying for.
I remember several consecutive games vs the Cavs KK went like 2/12. Hope you are right
Korver struggling. JR not.
Dipo missed the slam!
Cavs so lucky with dipo dunk. Offense seems to be jack threes and pray they go in.
Calderon great pass…. Korver off again.
Swish is 2-2 from deep.
Korver, though, is 0-3…
His presence is opening the lane though.
Swish!!
Five pint swing there.
Nice D even though turner made that shot. Terrible transition D on that Dipo trey though.
Yup… all cave into the paint.
Korver is killing the team
Nice pass LBJ… Calderon misses a J he needs to make.
Damn gotta make fts tonight
Korver needs those FTs… that’ll get him going!!!