Playoff Live Thread: Cavs vs. Pacers, Game 5 (#KeepIt100)
2018-04-25
If the Cavaliers want to do Whatever It Takes to win Game 5, to take a commanding lead in this see-saw series with the Indiana Pacers… they really only need to focus on one thing… scoring in the triple digits. As we’ve seen thus far, if all the Cavs had done in the first four games was Keep It 100… the series could already have been over (or at worst featured an overtime game). That’s right, the team that gave up an average of 109.9 points per game during the rocky road of the regular season, has been downright stingy in allowing an average of 96.7 to the Pacers thus far. They only gave up a hundo in Game 4, but it was exactly the century mark and no more.
Unfortunately, the same high-octane offense the Cavs ran in the first 82 games (good for 110.9 ppg), has also gotten tremendously bogged down by the Indy defense and it’s own weirdly plodding pace of play, averaging just 93.5 points per contest. Both victories have 100 in common… even though it’s only been just that or barely more than that. Still, this benchmark is key for the wine & gold. Very simply, if they continue to play defense at the level they’ve achieved in the first quartet of games… they just need to Keep It 100.
To do this, however, they need to keep their energy level, focus and determination also at 100%. That shouldn’t need to mean LeBron James playing all 48 minutes (or 46, or 44 or even 42). It should mean that the Cavs are getting contributions from other guys, as they did on Sunday. George Hill has been ruled 100% out again for this game, so 100 year old Jose Calderon (sorry, jk Jose!) will have to bear the starting PG burden once again. The Cavs should also expect Lance Stephenson to keep his antics at 100… so, perhaps a well-timed Angry Smurf elbow should be in his future (just sayin’).
Per usual, I won’t make an exact prediction… other than to say that I expect the Cavs to Keep It 100, which should be enough to edge the Pacers.
Catch all the action starting at 7pm EST on TNT… and as always chime in here!
Just one more point and then we can take a knee and run out the clock.
Lol this was funny
Another steal & a tie game!
Now lets blow by them & get some separation!
Love works his ass off underneath at least. Two possessions saved in a row
Yes.
I just don’t understand why Cedi doesn’t play. He has what we lack. EFFORT!!!
Because Lue.
Ty is a bit old school in terms of riding vets. Not trusting rooks. Or Euros.
This has been one of the least enjoyable playoff series I can remember.
It is above Boston 2010 so far… and way more enjoyable than Spurs sweep in 2007.
There was good basketball being played in 2007, plus we knew we were on the up.
Boston 2010 was bad, but that series was also crazy – huge blowouts each way. Ended terribly.
This series – every single game has felt like garbage.
At least the Cavs came out giving a crap.
5 chances to tie. All empty.
Bron with the steal and really awkward fastbreak, but it worked!!
Love doing work on the glass.
GREAT trap on the perimeter!
K love with a big o board and foul off good position
Nobody moving… Jose bailout… Love getting a second aggressive O board
Good D early this qtr.
Uugh. Claderon. Bad pass. I think or maybe love just fumbled
So far our point guards have logged 18 minutes without an assist.
Bron is the PG. But point taken.
Jose! Dang, though KK would hit that.
KLOVE can’t catch a simple bounce pass????
Honestly hope that we aren’t watching LBJ’s last home game as a Cav. Though I can’t see how this can all be turned around into an acceptable effort (not a championship, just an acceptable effort).
We could start by playing guys who give effort no matter what(Cedi, Zizic)
Turner joins the flop parade… Cavs get make up call lol
JR USELESS DEFENSE THERE>
Love with some solid D on Dipo…
CALDERON DON’T DOUBLE PUMP!!!! LMAO… STILL MAKES IT!
Claderon hesitates but still hits it
I think at this point I might be shocked if LBJ stays. What a difference a year makes. End of last year I assumed he’d retire here.
He has to know there was no way this team would have a chance once the injuries piled up. Zero time together in the regular season. Literally zero
But this is the Pacers they are going against.
Those are shots Korver just has to make…
On the bright side, LeBron seems to have figured out his FT stroke.
Yes, nice to see!
Good attack. Unlucky not to get an and one.
SHOOT IT JOSE!
Why the hell is Kanye West in my timeline? I can’t be arsed to investigate something so stupid…
Man, this is rough. Please, please fire Ty Lue.
And somebody has to make an effing shot besides Lebron. They had some open looks, hit them ya bums…
They aren’t getting layups like Indy though. Indy has gotten way easier shots comparatively. I don’t see that changing.
Nobody other than LeBron looks like they even want to play beyond this round… guys look overmatched, disconnected or downright scared…
I’m sure Cedi and Zz would love to be out there.
Yup….. Cedi plays for the love of the game.
LeBron is bound to lose to Oladipo and a bunch of G-League All Stars. He’s gone.
Yup… and the rest of the team is playing like they know it too…. except Korver. But Korver will just follow LBJ IMO.
The D in the second quarter was much worse than the D in the first…
Indy realized how to obliterate the Cavs switching.
I don’t crap on Lue that much, I just think he’s average at best, but he gets to own halves like that. Goes away from a defense that was working to a tire fire, still going with Love in post where it’s a turnover virtually every possession.
He’s below average and still has his job due to the miracle that was the ’16 finals. Should had gotten fired after last season.
7 assists for the Cavs…. they refuse to move the ball on offense…. and when they do, they turn it over.
Or miss shots mainly
Bron shooting 82% (9-11)… rest of team shooting 33% (10-30)
Indiana gets Turner mismatches constantly. We do…..nothing
We dont have anyone in the game to get their guys on…we have one on the bench but he isnt coming in
I wonder why. Maybe the coaches don’t have a cLue too..
Or Sabonis mismatches…
The irony. We can’t punish GS/SAS and the likes for going small therefore we match them firepower to firepower. But when it’s our turn that we go small and run the tables against the indiana’s of the NBA we can’t do anything.
I can’t remember a playoff team ever looking this completely unprepared. It’s astonishing. Two days off and a pivotal home game, and they are just completely unprepared to play. It’s shocking. It’s the type of performance that leads to blowing up every single part of the team, from the GM to the Coach to the players. It’s really really poor preparation.
Lebron went 9 of 11…good lord
Cavs defense stinks for first time all series, maybe outside of game 1….pacers running basic offense or less and getting wide open looks…cavs need to stop over thinking on defense and cover their man…pacers go through screens ALL the time…its their offense…bread and butter….some Cavs players don’t realize importance of this game…quite shocking and pathetic…if Love stinks up joint in first two minutes he needs to be benched for good…..no exceptions
Main problem is that Indy is exploiting Hood, JR, Calderon, korver, Clarkson. inside when the Cavs switch those guys onto Sabonis, Young, or Turner. That and turnovers leading to easy buckets. They also could do better at stopping intial dribble penetration
Cavs going to have to have one of the best 3 qtrs they have had all year and win it decisively. I don’t have much confidence in that happening.
Barkley exactly right…. Indiana getting anything they want inside… they just don’t milk it like they should.
Just caught up. Could our offense be any lazier? At least if you’re going to shoot mid range J’s have someone under the basket to rebound. arggh
It’s strange – we’re only down 7, but it feels like 30.
because they took a dump on the court and Indiana sucks.
Yes it does.
We are heading into our favorite quarter after all
JR atrocious….and he;’s gonna play 30+ minutes.
We have the talent to go against the Pacers but it is rotting away on the bench. Both Cedi and Zz will help, but our stupid, motherf’ing coach decides to let them be cheerleaders as oppose to help win a very important game.
It is unbelievable how sloppy the Cavs are with the ball this series. Yeah, Pacers have a couple good defensive players, but it’s mostly Cavs giving it away.
Mayday. Mayday. Gonna need a good 3rd quarter. Stop the TOs. Attack relentlessly. Stop the stupid cross matches caused by Bron not wanting to defend the 4.
Turn Love into a spot up shooter this series and stop trying to get him the ball in the high post, it’s not working.
They aren’t trying to get him the ball in the high post or elbow area at all. They should run elbow sets. They try to get him the ball in the low post below the foul line but he can’t get good position so he ends up getting pushed out towards the three point line. Still below the ft line so not high post.
Yup. Statistics support this statement.
Wow totally on point ! And btw he shouldn’t be posting for the entire playoffs he can’t compete against playoff caliber physical defense in the post
Let’s just leave Lue in the locker room at halftime. Just to see.
Maybe actually in a locker, just in case
underwater
Wasted last possession. Wish LBJ would go sooner/get the ball up the floor quicker at end of qtrs sometimes.
Yeah I dont understand trying to actually make a buzzer beater. You always want to shoot with 2-3 seconds left to give your team two chances. One on the shot, the other on a tip in. You can all hit the glass
I’m looking at the clock and looking at LeBron just shaking my head. WTF??
Same story tonight…. Indy bigs absolutely destroying the Cavs bigs.
Haha a shot of Tye Lue licking his lips on the sideline while seated. Totally engaged
Gonna take a big fourth quarter comeback if Cavs have their traditional awful third quarter…
Love has been so underwhelming.
9 TOS for the Cavs. Sloppy.
FFS, Bron has to man up & guard Young. Hood & Green are not strong enough.
Amazing how many bad shots, missed open shots and dumb mistakes the Cavs are making…
It’s like they never practice or something.
Word.
Totally checked out mentally.
Hood is so soft its ridiculous
Matchup issue caused by Bron not guarding the 4. Put Bron on Young & Hood on Bogdan. Or let Bron guard Turner & Put Love on Young.
Young is killing us inside
Yeah, this is a loss. This team just ain’t good enough.
Haha you have an amazing ability to see the worst
I’ll take it as a compliment.
Lol then why are you watching?
You’re asking a Cleveland fan why he watches when he knows we’re going to lose? If I wanted to watch winning, I’d be a Yankee fan.
Checkmate.
I’m with JoeyB on this one.
Nance’s legs looked ok on that rebound
Team looks like a mess.
Jeese korve and love just ran into each other on o and then love misses the hook. Cabs getting outmuscled inside
If Cavs happen to win & escape the series, they are going to get eaten alive in the next round. This D is atrocious.
Hood misses easy floater.
KLOVE with an ugly jump hook
Bench JR NOW and play Cedi. Jeez…..
Yup bring cedi out to begin 2nd half
Jim Brown in the house