Live Thread: Cavs @ Raptors (Game 4)
2016-05-23
Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer
The Cavs are in Toronto again looking to bounce back after a 15 point loss. In game three, the Raptors caught Cleveland snoozing. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined for just 16 points on 4-28 shooting. The team was out rebounded by 14 boards.
The Raptors morphed into prehistoric beasts. Bismack Biymobo was a T-Rex at the top of the rebounding food chain, without the short arms of course, sucking up 26 boards. DeMar DeRozan utilized his prehistoric game perfectly. He went 9-20 from mid-range.
In games one and two, the Cavs had 22 and 24 assists, respectively. In game three, the Cavs had just 15 assists. When the Raptors squeezed them, they froze up and quit playing the quick passing offense that helped them win ten straight in the playoffs.
Despite the Raptors scoring just 99 points, they posted an offensive rating of 114.2, and although they had just 15 assists, their offense was running well. The Cavs will find out the answer to this question tonight: Did the Raptors just make shots or is the offense they witnessed on Saturday something truly sustainable?
Cleveland will pull out the win tonight. In game three, they were sluggish, didn’t fight as hard as they needed to on defense until the second half, and let their offense stall out from too much isolation play. Tyronn Lue‘s film session for this game will be pretty simple. He will start by showing them clips of failed possessions at the rim because they forced shots (instead of passing).Then he will show them the wide open looks they had in games one and two from all over the floor because of their ball movement. Cleveland knows the way to win against Toronto, they’ve done it twice now. I’m picking the Cavs, 113-90.
The Cavs will be without Dahntay Jones. Jones is suspended for one game after hitting Bismack Biyombo in the groin. LeBron James is paying Jones’s $80 fine.
Jonas Valanciunas is a game time decision for the Raptors.
I dont like how KEV is limping….
James a great play to get the ball out to Love who makes the extra pass to JR for a 3
https://vine.co/v/i9Bg2HdjETv
The hell?! Friggin Patterson ran into Lebron…Lebron hugs him on instinct…and it’s a foul on bron?!
Wtf was that foul call?
Irving with another bad decision to drive into two guys, saved by james hustle on the break. Irving needs to get rid of tunnel vision.
JR didnt need to shoot that 3 on the break with no one for rebounds, leads to a 3 point foul and swing
Now the 3-point shooting is keeping the Cavs in the game. They’re 6-7 this quarter, including this Love make, his first since the game’s early moments.
https://vine.co/v/i9BgXL0Q6Vz
If they defend for 3 minutes they will win the game
Cavs need to start this trapping and forcing other Raptors not named DeRozan and Lowry to beat them
Lue suck
Lue hasn’t missed 20 threes…he’s fine. He only has so many levers
Let’s go CAVS! Down 8 after playing crummy. We got this! Positive thoughts cavs fans
BIG MAN rebound by Bron that lead to the 3, live and die by the 3 I see.
Lebron keeping the team afloat.
Might be the worst playoff D I’ve ever seen from LeBron.
Need more d like that and need the freakin kraken to deal w bizmack
When did Lebron become scare of attacking the basket???
James makes from the corner
https://vine.co/v/i9B6xWHlFuZ
Irving ugh.
Big shot by Bron
This is just embarrassing…
To the point that Caroll is roaming off LeBron on defense.
Wow it’s amazing how the Cavs went from appearing to be the team to beat to whatever it is that we are witnessing now.
cavs need the full court defense here with delly harassing lowry…Cavs giving waaaay too much space
How Love can score inside
https://vine.co/v/i9Bv3KMvbZ6
My team sucks at shooting.
Going home tied 2-2 with all momentum with Toronto. Not great Bob.
At least take a freaking foul, Kyrie! Cripes.
Lue coaching himself out of the league….but it was all Blatts fault
who the hell is guarding Derozan and Lowry ? come on Cavs, cant be matching scoring when we are down 15
They are just unconscious. Making shots like they are alone on court practicing. And we have kevin freakin love…
why is TT still in the game? why was even on the floor to begin with?
what is the defensive strategy??
Our offense is our defense
James cuts to the rim, good things happen
https://vine.co/v/i9BvnqKqYWe
K love looks like a little boy getting schooled by his daddy when he tries to finish against Biyambo.
JR doesn’t square up until he’s in midair. This cut the lead to 7.
https://vine.co/v/i9B1Hbj0VlA
Scola is sooooo annoying
Kyrie a minute ago…
https://vine.co/v/i9B1OQi3tKP
We are making bizmack look amazing…will someone learn to pump fake?!
KLove is the softest big man I may have ever seen
Like Raptors scheme for covering james with demarre in post and having biymabo and the corner defender lurk in or near bucket and in baseline passing lane to corner.
Klove paying price for no left hand.
F$$$$ turnovers
1/5th the price of TT…
KLove you are way too soft in this series
God damn Love you have to make that bunny. Really pathetic.
Get through the gd screen, Bron.
Why the heck is kevin love not taking that’s the 15 feet man?
Irving found his 3pt touch at least temporarily.
https://vine.co/v/i9B1BIiBVT7
A lot of really open 3’s missed in that montage by Doris.
And then all of a sudden they start dropping.
I disagree about Lebron and taking 3’s. He’s wide open, they are cheating way off him, to win in the next round he has to hit wide open shots otherwise the paint will be a road block.
He isn’t the one who has to make 3’s. And he should only shoot them from the left wing. His % everywhere else is bad.
Terrible decision by Irving, not sure if that was supposed to be a shot or alley oop.
Why isn’t LeBron in the middle of the D? Why is he in perimeter?
Irving step-in jumper…
https://vine.co/v/i9B5X5IHQqe
TT has become so useless IMO.
It’s just unbelievable the shots they are getting. LeBron going under the pick n roll and DeRozan just missed the wide open shot.
Nice heads up play from Irving. Just seem scared to penetrate
TT needs to see the bench ASAP…killing Cavs
Lue just won’t play Moz who the last two games could not be worse.
Lebron needs to stop taking 3 ???
They are giving him totally wide open 3’s
They are kind of forcing to by completely walling off the lanes with three guys every time he gets ball on perimeter. Smart and his shooting may finally officially be a serious problem for this team. Of course so is the streakiness of Irving and Love.
Let’s go cavs! You gotta learn to win ugly!
Lebron said they have a diff game plan… What is the game plan? Get beat worse than Warriors did against OKC?
Be more aggressive on defense…. Use your fouls.
Good test for the Cavs here. Let’s go Cavs!
Get Delly to stay with Lowry on defense at all costs and make the others beat you.
Not sure his ankle is healthy enough to count on his D.
Horrid first half by the Cavs. Completely scare of Biyombo and letting the Raptors dictate the rhythm of the game.
I hope Lue gets this team back on the right track and firing in all cylinders after the half.
Go at Biyombo and make him foul out of the game. Bypass Love and take your chances with Frye and Thomson. Love is not mentally in it. This is a must win for mental stability.
https://twitter.com/CavsTheTweets/status/734923648461590529
Never hang your hat on three point shooting. Cavs 3-22 from the arc.
Always hang your hat on defense and rebounding. That’s what wins ball games.
+1000000000
Make or miss League. We keep missing.
Our d is not great, and the raptors actually have been flying around the court on d. I give them credit where credit is due.
Therefore, we suck.
can’t figure out how Cavs can’t defend basic pick and roll…thats basketball 101 you learn at lowest levels….also if TT doesn’t fight for every rebound then he needs to see the bench for eternity…also Love needs to grow a pair
I will say raptors generally scrambling to close out on shooters. Still getting some open looks but less time to shoot. Biyambo beasting again to contest everything at the rim when he is near.
We have scored 78 pts our last 4 quarters of basketball. Now that is unbelievable.