Playoff Live Thread (Game 3): Cavs vs Celtics
2024-05-11Happy Saturday, Cavs fans. After an unexpected throttling of the Boston Celtics, Thursday, the Cavaliers return to the banks of Lake Erie to host the Boston Celtics in front of what promises to be a raucus crowd. After breakout games from Evan Mobley (21/10/5 and three stocks) and Caris LeVert (21/6/3) which centered around relentlessly attacking the rim, the Cavs have found a weakness in the Boston D. The wine and gold also got out on the Celtics shooters. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN noted. (Thanks for pulling the quote, Sweetchi.)
Boston was just 8-for-35 from 3-point range — though Second Spectrum tracking data showed that 77.1% of those triples were heavily contested shots, the highest percentage in any game the Celtics have played with Joe Mazzulla as coach over the past two seasons.
Expect a lot more screening to open up Boston shooters and to force mismatches on Cavalier switches.
As far as the injury watch goes, the word as of 7:30 is maybe Wade, but Allen less likely. TY Jerome and Craig Porter Junior are out.
Expect Dean Wade to get a huge ovation if he checks in, and given Mobley a success starting at the five, Wade getting some minutes as a quality four might be even more important for Cleveland. For Boston, only the Zinger remains out.
Cleveland has to keep doing what they’re doing, keep the turnovers now (just 10 in game 2!), set screens, and run the offense. Boston is going to try to do what Denver did last night: turn the tables on the home team in their own building. So just don’t get lazy and bored with success. Go Cavs.
OK. Now Mobley gotta keep the ball moving.
Doing so well and then let Brown waltz to the hoop…
SAM MERRILL HE WILL SAVE THE GAME
Wtt you doing Lavert?
Sam in
DEAN WADE AT THE 5 >>>>>>>> LET CARIS COOK!!!!
Let Caris cook!
Keep ATTACKING THE HOOP
Sam coming in..
Get Sam open.
Creeping back.
Good patience dg.
Good hard foul.
They’re roasting the p/r coverage of Boston but no one can hit a shot.
Exactly shooters are off. They’re doubling Donovan up top. Take advantage of it.
We’re not even trying to run an offense. We are running around on the 3 line setting high screens. Attack the hoop
We have to start making wide open shots. We also have to get it to within 10 by the 4th
Assuming Mobley can go, I’d love to see some DM-Merrill-Strus-Wade-Mobley minutes. Would love to put 4 shooters around Mobley with still having size/D
Expectation is that he will be back
Keep pushing cavs. The celtics get tight and start jacking. This is still so winnable
Yes!
LeVert sooo lucky.
Alright Levert!
Play merrill
He can’t be worse.
Exactly. If Ice comes back in Ima vomit.
Cut it to 10 by the 4th
Strus is not a starter.
You’re probably right.
Oof. Now Mobley is limping.
Boston starts the 3rd on a 14-0 run
Get Okoro off the floor.
fucking hilarious to run this unit out after shitting the bed so bad
It’s ridiculous.
They’re committing 2-3 guys to stop Mobley in the post.
Woof down 20
Strus, Okoro, and DG have been worthless. Bench them!
Boston with a 17 point lead. Need to change the lineup. Really missing Allen now.
W pts from whom, Tristan, Niang? Ok maybe Sam
Okoro, DG, and Strus don’t have it. Anyone at this point.
From in the house, Ugh.
Appreciate the update.
Hopefully things will improve.
Yeesh this is going poorly
Cavs need to win one of these home games or my 5 game prediction is going to play out.
Oof.
Mobley had got to start seeing that double team.
Taking the crowd out of it. This could be over quickly.
Game slipping away
Tatum finally showing up doesn’t help
Bad start…
Would have loved to see Mitch with LeBron.
I know this is nuts, but I consider 5 out, Morris, Niang, Wade, Merrill, DG/DM lineup for the deepest bench lineup.
No Mobley?
Deepest bench unit for when Mobley sits.
I’m the opposite. We crushed them with paint points and boards in Game 2. Need to get back to winning there
Donovan mocking Jaylens left after that TO was very funny to me
Let’s also cut off Holliday’s production
Him posting Evan twice bothered me. Evan’s generally been good but I hated that
Critical
Geesh. What is with the national media’s obsession to move Donovan Mitchell to New York or another market?
Has he ever said or done anything to demonstrate he isn’t fully committed to this franchise???
I get a random thought or question here or there but the pervasiveness of it is downright insulting to the culture that we’ve built here.
We’ve seen what guys look like with a foot out the door. This isn’t that.
It was the same thing with LeBron. Stephen A. is a Knicks fan so naturally he wants him in NY.
His comment is what “triggered” me this time. But it’s not just him. That junk is everywhere for some reason. Ugh
It’s noise. DM may end up leaving but he hasn’t made his decision today.
Hopefully DG and one bench player can give us more in the second half.
You just need one DG quarter
2/15 from 3 for non-DM guys.
Killing us
Jrue beating the shit out of us is not ideal
Good process-ish. Probably shooting a few too many 3s.
DG and Vert gotta do something
Well the good news is that was “terrible” first half for the majority of the rotation and they’re only down 9.
They need to play Merrill.
Mitchell needs help in the second half. Mitchell: 23 points, Mobley: 11 points, DG: 6 points
Exactly! Not that bad given under-contributions from DG, Max, Caris. Plenty of energy in the field house. Let’s roll in second half.
Cavs getting absolute zilch from everyone not named Donovan ir Evan
Okoro is killing this team
Come on Okoro. Prove your damn worth!
Okoro come on.
C’mon Ice….
Wide open, in rhythm…
At least 3 times so far.
Strus should’ve let Mobley take on Tatum. Why did he waive him off?
That should have been a no-call, DG got ball
Strus got him.
JFC Boston bitches a lot.
Good chance they will get T’d up in the 2nd half if it’s close.
What happened to role players stepping up at home?
DG had an open 3, that he should’ve taken.
Boston daring role players to shoot
Killing tue Cavs in the paint.
Boston omitting everyone to help on Mobley. Three has to be open.
Money gotta pass pit of triple teams.
Why can’t Cleveland get a call?
Gotta close the gap.
Let Wade play a bit more before Niang. Please