Live Thread: Cavs @ Jazz (#BackToBacksAreWhack)
2016-03-14
The Cavs finish up their four game run through the West Coast with one last stop in Salt Lake tonight against the Utah Jazz on the second night of a… you guessed it… back-to-back. For all the talk of the League trying to reduce the frequency of back-to-backs during the NBA schedule, this will be the Cavs’ 14th double-dip so far (with three more to go before the season comes to a close), and fourth just in the last two weeks. On the plus side, Cleveland has a 9-4 on the second nights of back-to-backs. They’ve had some of their worst defeats (the Portland game comes to mind), but also some of their biggest victories (like San Antonio) in them. On the minus side, it can’t be easy to get up for games on consecutive games… especially at the end of a roadtrip, against a team that is struggling to make the playoffs. Maybe the schedule-makers, or Adam Silver will find ways to trim the number back next year, but for now the Cavs will need a good effort to avoid one last potential pot-hole on the road before heading back home.
Fortunately, LeBron has fared pretty well on the second night of back-to-backs in his career…
Tonight will be @KingJames 224th game on 2nd night of BTB..his average of 27.8 is slightly higher than career norm..only Kobe 28.1 is higher
— Fred McLeod (@CavsFredMcLeod) March 14, 2016
And, the Cavs have built some terrific momentum over the first three games of this trip through most of California. Hopefully, they can continue their red-hot shooting from beyond the arc, so they don’t have to deal as much with the “Stifle Tower” Rudy Gobert in the paint. One guy they definitely won’t have to worry about is Jazz star and leading scorer, Gordon Hayward, who is going to miss this one with plantar fasciitis.
The Cavs probable starting lineup will be: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson (who reportedly gets the start tonight). For the Jazz: Shelvin Mack, Rodney Hood, Joe Ingles, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert.
Game starts at 10:30 p.m EST (for you night owls)/7:30 p.m. on the west coast. All the action will be broadcast on ESPN and Fox Sports Ohio, and can be heard on WTAM 1100.
Prediction: Weary from the back-to-back at the end of a long road trip, the Cavs let the Jazz play things close until the second half. Cavs find a way to win and head back to Cleveland for some home cooking 99-87.
Here is the fight I was talking about earlier..
Live by the three… die by the three…
Absolutely HATE Love playing center
C’mon Cavs! If the starters are out there, then we want to win! Let’s go!
That’s game!
This is ugly!
This is ridiculous… I hate back-to-backs…
Its over. Please take them out and not risk injury. The research just shows its a horrible idea.
JR really struggling!
I don’t know how to link a tweet, but J.A. Adande just noted how LBJ started out how and is now really struggling and how that is consistent with second night of back to backs.
Cavs shooting too many 3s!
I mean come on. These bunch of nobody’s are hittin crazy shots. Like come on
Cavs gonna break my unofficial win streak with this one…
Its the new website.
Another airball 3!
Hockey line substitution for Lue…
Lillard was traded, then cloned, for the Jazz?
Starters back in. Cavs in it to win it.
We shouldn’t even be in this game. They are shooting 48% from three and overall. we’re at 28/40%. We should be down 20
This unit isn’t cutting it!
Delly’s been off tonight.
Who the heck is guarding (or not guarding) Lyles?
Who the heck is Lyles?
You know the Crocodile . Smh Did you flunk pre-school? /s (lame joke for lame shooting)
Very winnable game. Would like to add this to the W column, if only so that we could rest/forfeit a game later in the season.
Raps already lost… so I guess the pressure is off… /s
Raps pose no threat. This is not a Cols substitute. We have no threats in the East.
I wish we just would have rested forfeited it from the tip. Why risk injury on this one? May end up losing anyway. Just give it away now.
Yeah Cavs need to run a play.
https://twitter.com/WeAreCavsNation/status/709596277034459136
Don’t put him back in. Got to learn the hard way, if necessary. we can’t rely on him all the time for everything.
Kyrie’s shaking and baking is half-baked tonight.
Ingles just pumped his fist. Shouldn’t that be a tech?
Run a play guys!
Thanks for breaking the streak Ky!
Cavs exclusively shooting threes now…
Second night of back to back? Sure. Fire away.
Even when you’re shooting 9-30?
Delly sucks (Cols went to sleep.)
Please NO Cols SUBS in the Game Thread!!
Just kidding. Couldn’t resist.
Oh I Know! Just joking back. A Cols backup would be a nightmare on the Delly comments
Yikes…. Airball!
Okay… so Delly shouldn’t take off the dribble threes…
Never. spot ups only.
Clock was down to 2-3 seconds
Then it was 2-3 seconds too soon to shoot for Delly.
Better to shoot it than get a 24 sec shot violation. Too late to pass….so…
Where was the foul?
Delly Trey!!
Delly pulling up!!!
MFQ needs to come alive.
I wonder what LeBron’s 3pt % would be if he eliminated taking heat check 3s…
That would boost his stats!
Almost like it’s a superstitious thing with him. Shoot until you clank a few.
LeBron hits a 3 AND preserves a 2-for-1 opp, but ends quarter with a miss on a toucher 3.
on a tougher 3…
I guess I don’t mind LeBron shooting that since he’s been hot from 3.
Ooh that last Lebron three was half way down too
Man, I really love that LBJ dribble out the clock and take an off balance three. Its so money, teams are helpless to stop it.
It was half way down. he’s been feeling it. I don’t have a problem.
If he was feeling it on this particular night, sure, but the problem is that he thinks he’s feeling it every single night on that shot. Teams know he’s going to do it and they happily watch him do it. No ball movement. No drive through an open lane for a 75% shot. Its sooooooo predictable and he always misses it. Its like he’s one of us in the driveway pretending the clock is running out just to see if it’ll go in.
https://twitter.com/CavsNationNet/status/709593890022494208
WHO?
I think most of the league has learned by now not to piss him off. He doesn’t normally play angry, its just not him, but when he does…yikes. I used to LOVE it when some opposing fan would start heckling him in his first Cleveland tour, because I knew it meant he was about to go supernova.
Hayward’s fill-in, who has yet to score tonight.
He’s on fryer!
Oh yeah!!!!!!
LBJ FOR THREE!!
https://vine.co/v/iwr7EZIhZwY
Booyah!
Frye really impressing. Especially on D.
Deep Frye’d Channing!
FRYE!
https://vine.co/v/iwr7tDi2LxY
I like Shump’s defense tonight. He has given us many possessions back!
The rims are getting bent from all the bricks smashing into them.
Interesting how the other day most of us felt that Love and Frye couldn’t be on the floor together for defensive reasons, yet they are showing toughness and holding up right now.
LBJ to the line… for the first time tonight… wow.
there have been 13 free throws total. For both teams combined. And one was a tec h.
Frye and Delly are passing up lots of 3 opportunities.
They heard you!
Utah getting away with all kinds of handchecking and jersey grabbing btw…
Delly should have taken that 3 when he had the chance
I actually like this game. Cavs showing fight. Two weeks ago they’d be getting blown out in a game that meant nothing yet required grit from them.
What’s up with Love ditching the headband lately?
He got a haircut.
Bout time. I saw some clips of him from last year and man, his haircut sucks this year. Frackin greg brady.
Haircut is awful! Hairline is receding . He looks 10 years older
Oh wait… I know what must have happened this game… Kyrie gameplanned for Hayward and that threw him off… /s
He’s such a master at game prep and film study that its hard to switch on the fly. He’s not good at improvising. /s
that really was a terrible call on J.R.
Like Kyrie’s energy tonight. Just can’t buy a bucket. But he has stayed engaged. If we can just get hot for a 3-5 minute stretch, we will win.
J.R. having a rough game. Musta been too hard to resist that Salt Lake nightlife last night.
Have Cavs been to free throw line this quarter? Just remember Moz once.
Nice move on the block by Frye!
https://vine.co/v/iwrzEVH33YW
Unreal. JR gets punched in the face and gets a personal, then a tech, which he earned but goodness
Cavs have apparently done something to irritate this officiating crew…
Maybe it’ll get them to stop complaining so much. Its so annoying.
BS call and BS technical!
F’ing BS tech. If I’m Dan Gilbert I’m about to go apesh*t on the league for its treatment of JR.
WELCOME BACK LOVE!!
https://vine.co/v/iwrzme7BtX6
There we go Love!!!
I think Coach Lue showed Kevin Love the CtB comment log during that last time out. Pissed him off.
Jazz can’t miss!
Needed this defensive effort a little earlier. Good it’s there
These refs are clearly overreacting to the Cavs complaining at them… and calling even less…
I don’t know who said what during the last time out, but the Cavs are at least playing with greater intensity.