Live Thread: Cavs Vs Trail Blazers
2015-01-28
The Cavs come home tonight for the second game of a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers will be unusually rested because their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday was postponed due to snow. Portland last played on Saturday and beat the Wizards.
The Blazers are trying to play through a few injuries right now. Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has been averaging 24 points and nearly nine rebounds a night during January, has a torn ligament in his thumb but will still play. Nicolas Batum* and Robin Lopez, however, will be sitting on the bench for the evening. Lopez is recovering not only from a fractured hand, but also a fractured ego. After trying to go after the Moon Dog, he got bit. Check out this tweet from the feisty Cavs mascot:
No offense @rolopez42, but I only feud with the more high profile of twin brothers. No one remembers the mascot fights with Ed Mikan.
— Moondog (@CavsMoondog) January 26, 2015
I’m excited to watch the the match up between Kevin Love and LMA. Both players love playing from the elbow area and are not exactly known for their defense. I hope Kevin recognizes Aldridge is having some issues with his hand tonight and plays especially physical down low. Maybe when he slaps at the ball for a rebound, he can “accidentally” tap LMA’s thumb.
It will also be exciting to see Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard duel. Kyrie managed to hold DJ Augistin of the Pistons to 19 points last night after Augustin had a 35 point performance against Chicago on Sunday. Irving is going to have to fight over screens to stop Lillard from shooting the three ball. Lillard is taking 7.2 threes a night and hitting 37% of them. He’s averaging 22 points a game. If he goes off, the Cavs could be in trouble.
Also watch for LeBron James to do some serious damage if he plays. He is currently listed as questionable and is a game time decision. Nic Batum normally takes on the task of covering the King and for the season has caused players to average 1.2% less than their typical field goal percentage.
Finally, this is another revenge game. The last time these two foes met on November 4th Portland won it easily, 101-82.
I’m picking the Cavs tonight, 105-99.
*In a turn of events, Nicolas Batum actually started after experiencing less pain in his wrist during shoot around.*
KLove with ZERO confidence in his shot right now…
He looked like Sam Perkins taking that three.
With every Love shot I just cringe.
Get some movement off the ball please. I’m not sure Kyrie can win this one by himself.
Blatt has shown he can adjust to plan A (let Lebron and Kyrie play ISO ball) but he has yet to show he has a plan B for the other guys.
Kyrie must just have no faith in his teammates right now. But as long as he keeps hitting…
As AC said, no ball/man movement like the 1st quarter. Defense looking better, however.
Yeah hate to keep harping but I remember too many games from the first obj stint where they just ran ISO and he would go off but they would eventually lose the game bc that is the easiest play to defend and none of the other players get into a rhythm.
Wtf is Irving doing. Two needless 3s in a row. This is what I was terrified of, too much reliance on one players hot shooting
Uncle Drew with the silky smooth lefty lay in off the glass
This isn’t a model for winning many games.
True, but hopefully it’s a model for winning THIS particular game
Of course. Kyrie needs to get to 60.
Just wait… he just might…
I hope they have a better model for future games.
True but this is a game without Lebron
“Lose every game without Lebron” is also not a model.
Cavs need to bring the D up.
TT brought it that time on LMA
Come on refs! Don’t be like that.
Kyrie is really going to drop 50…
It’s all Kyrie Irving tonight.
Are you watching Love on offense? He seems to hide behind LMA and Leonard in the post, away from the ball action. It’s weird.
Can’t understand why Love can’t hit a shot after the first quarter…
Meyers Leonard should realize what an idiot he looks like right now…
Leonard is outta control.
A TT Leonard brawl
CJ Miles had 10 triples a year ago. irving has 9 right now.
Love, do something, anything
Worst defensive quarter for the Cavs, need to pick it back up there. Offense is running to slow, they were moving the ball well in the 1st quarter, need to get it going. Hopefully the worst is over.
Blazers picked it up. Lillard found his shot and Portland got some good/lucky bounces. But someone other than Kyrie needs to step up and score…
Need to run plays not just pass to someone and wait for them to to do something.
Kyrie needs to play the entire fourth. Suck it up, youngblood, it’s time to get buckets.
Someone needs to at least box out Aldridge please.
This gonna be a shoot out. Would be nice if our PF stepped up his game a bit.
Agree. Love HAS to get going in the fourth to counter LMA’s scoring…
He’s gotta be injured or completely out of confidence. He looks clueless!
wow Kyrie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just imagine if Kyrie didn’t start 0-7
HOLY COW THIS KID IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES!!!!
It can’t be all Kyrie!
But it completely is….
Playoff atmosphere at the q
Alridge and Lillard are going off.
And here comes Lillard…
KYRIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Damn it Kyrie. Holy Bologna!
MOZ with the sweet move!
MOZ with the block on LMA! but Lillard gets the three
Is going to be a tough 4th and we know what happened with the Cavs on 4th quarters when LeBron was missing games.
Mozgov will defenend LMA and shumpert on Lillard until the end if cavs want the victory
Love’s body language isn’t good right now, he’s playing hot potato with the ball as soon as he gets it.
This is what really hurts the Cavs when LeBron is out. Cavs don’t know what to run.
You mean as opposed to 80% ISO… sorry that was just low hanging fruit ;)
I know Cols can’t accept it, but that’s the glaring flaw with an offense that consists of nothing but Lebron/Kyrie ISO ball. If they go cold or either are injured there is nothing to run. As this game exemplifies.
Completely agree. While it’s awesome to see them have games where they just go nuts like this, they HAVE to get other guys involved or it will hurt in the long run…
Good D by JR Swish.
MOZ with the fallaway!!!
They need to get him the ball, they haven’t stopped him all night!
And they need to keep him on Aldridge. I suspect they didn’t earlier so he wouldn’t get in early foul trouble…
Good point EG about the early foul trouble.
Moz with the LMA stroke.
Moz with really good D on Aldridge. More of this please!
Shump has our last 4 points.
If Love is injured they need to sit him. No excuses for his poor play.
It’s too bad LBJ missed this one because he’d be getting drives at will inside on these guys…
Umm Portland is the 3rd best team in the West.
Not lately… They’ve lost 5 of last 7
Ha, still are in the standings.
True, but they haven’t been playing like it…
So by that logic the Cavs are the sixth best team in the East?
Cavs need to speed this game up… Bring out that 7 seconds or less offense.
Agreed…. passing the ball better in the 1st quarter.
Good idea to put Mozgov on LMA, Need to get through this rough patch, looking like Shump is getting his feel back?
Yes please drive to the basket please. The 3’s are not fallin.
SHUMP! He can do that all night! Portland is soft in the middle
Horrible possession otherwise, looked like some miscommunication between Kyrie and Love
Nice drive by Shump.
MAN that whistle came about three seconds late!
JR having a tough time with Matthews on him…
JR is obsessed with the 3 point line.
They bailed Cavs out with that foul on Moz…
There was a foul on them, just didn’t call until way after it happened, or make up call for what they had just missed because he got shoved in the back initially.
Yep this getting ugly.
Can’t let Matthews start getting hot
Can we trade Love for Aldridge?
anybody know why the tattoos are blurry ? Lillard and smith most noticeable.
Really nice drive from JR!
Ball has really been stagnant this half, nice drive by JR.
I get so angry about the Wiggins trade when I see Love play like this.
Mozgov is doing all he can do against LMA. Quite a duel
Aldridge is smokin hot too.
Just keep feeding Kyrie. KLove only plays well during the first quarter. He’s a first quarter all-star.
Really convinced he needs an excellent play making point guard to set him up, eg Rubio. Definitely a system player, unfortunately we don’t seem to run sets that play to his strengths. I never saw him as a stretch 4.
TGIK!!! Thank G-d it’s Kyrie!
Cavs need to double Aldridge at all times make someone else on that team beat them
This is what the Blazers will do to get back in the game.
Yes. Get it into Moz
Man KLove is so overrated it’s not funny.
No answer to Aldridge.
They should run these Allie Clifton during halftime.
I could be wrong, but other than DW starting us off on the thread, I haven’t seen any other C:tBloggers on the thread tonight. Are you guys out there? I thought for sure we’d at least have a Nate KLove rant in the second quarter…