Playoff Live Thread: Cavs @ Raptors, Game 4 (#SpringCleaning)
2017-05-07Yesterday, I cleaned out my garage. It was great to get rid of all the old junk and make some room for the absolute necessities. The Cavs have done much the same thus far this spring, brooming out the cobwebs and dust bunnies of the regular season and shining up their offense and defense in the process. They find themselves on the threshold of yet another sweep today as they take on the Toronto Raptors in Game 4 of the Conference Semi-Finals. They’ve won 10 straight in the playoffs since dropping Game 4 of the Finals last June, and with the Game 3 victory at the Air Canada Centre LeBron has run his personal streak of consecutive playoff series with a road win to an incredible 28 in a row.
Two weeks ago, the Cavs were able to pull a clean sweep of a pesky Pacer team, and despite facing a more talented opponent in the Raptors, there’s a good probability they can wipe out Toronto and send them to an early off-season. For their part, the Cavs have taken their game to new sparkling heights, which would bode well regardless… but given that Toronto’s all-star PG, Kyle Lowry, will officially be out for a second straight game… it’ll be a tall order for the Raps to avoid the sweep.
Probable starters for the Cavs: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Kyrie Irving; For the Raptors: Norman Powell, Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas, DeMar DeRozan, Cory Joseph.
Prediction: The Cavs once again spray some threes, clean the glass, and sweep the Raptors off the floor… 113-99.
Catch all of the action starting at 3:30 (EST) on ABC… and don’t forget to chime in here.
Cavs sweep, Tribe wins… good Cleveland sports weekend!
https://twitter.com/Andrew_Dangerjr/status/861342601684930560
Love this one
These weeks off with no Cavs are tough to get through for me. Separation anxiety. But man, they come back strong, well rested, with lots of practice time. They are rollin.
Let’s hope they get better defensively for next round. They have improved on that facet but they need to be a little better if they want to have a chance again.
Especially if it is the Wiz. Wall, Beal, Porter, Morris, Gortat. You have to guard all those guys.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/861345154673913856
Man Canadians are the best people, great fans up in Toronto.
One more time…
https://twitter.com/espn/status/861341224447262720
LBJ played 46 minutes… which sounds like a lot, until you remember that he just saved himself 120 minutes more by sweeping…
believe conference finals are all TNT so we should luck out with solid commentary, but not sure we will avoid tony brothers
First time James has had six playoff games in a row with 30+ pts. Wow
Man, I really hope there isn’t another Hubie and Tony combo game… I might wreck my TV…
If Hubie said “they only rotate 8” again I was going to puke. Deron, Korver, Shump, Frye. That is 9, @sshat.
Nice contributions from Korver. Having 2 90+% ft shooters for closing out games is a luxury
Cavs 15/16 from the line and James has been great from the charity atripe
Another week off between games hope we don’t go through withdrawal
They were okay last year…
i was more talking about is fans :)
hahaha, that’s a good one
Leo was talking about us.
Ha… oh right!
My favorite moment is LeBron getting knocked down, slamming into the stanchion, bouncing off, and popping back up.
#RubberCityGoat
He is the GOAT for.sure on physical fitness. Genetics and maniacal commitment to taking care of himself
I think Kyle Lowry has played his last game in a Raptors uniform…
Is Lisa Salters 4 foot tall?
Classy crowd in Toronto. Last year too.
They’re passionate about their team, but not boorish… the next series won’t feature the same…
The LeBron 3 that effectively sealed it
https://twitter.com/cavs/status/861341626328907781
Get out your brooms.
Lebron with another insane game
Tucker was the most impressive raptor to me this series. Cory Joseph second
Agree… Lowry was also good when healthy
Agree.
Tucker the only one who didn’t play scared. He made some money tonight.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed. Especially with Casey. They are not well coached. Severely lacking in offensive schemes.
That should do it…
LeBron is made of titanium
Adamantium
Diamond
Need one more bucket…
Wonder what Ty has drawn up for this in bounds?
Who was lebron jawing at looked like ibaka
It was…
https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/861340070799974400
If you’re not going to use Korver to shoot, you may as well have Shump and J.R. in there instead.
IDK… KK has been pretty good with the hustle
I agree – he’s been great. But he’s less of a defender than those two, and if it’s just going to be the LBJ and Kyrie show, why is he out there? I was more saying, “pass him the ball.”
Because he clears the lane. You can’t leave him.
You can’t leave J.R. either. Okay. I should have just said “Hey guys, the best three point shooter in the game is standing out there with you, fyi.”
he’s drawing a ton of attention and playing well on D. i would have played Frye instead of Love for the whole 2nd half too.
He opens up space just being out there.
Raps have zero TO’s left with almost three minutes remaining.
DeRozan knows better than to shoot a three…
were lebron and ibaka just jawing at each other?
I think so. LeBron was still fired up for the first minute of that timeout.
LeBron on verge of 11th playoff sweep… incredible
Nasty “ohhh nooo” Lebron 3’s that goes in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y_cl3WIO6A
LeBron hits a 3 at the shot-clock buzzer. The ultimate in prevent offense.
Gotta say, I would have liked the Cavs to pick up Tucker at the deadline… dude brought it every game…
I agree he is solid.
Game. Over.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/861338517548433408
Not a Screamin A fan, but he’s right on this…
https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/861338320227504131
Kyrie’s personal 11-0 run let’s LeBron rest on offense
https://twitter.com/CavsNationNet/status/861337880328720384
Kyrie has the last 11 Cav points…
Four more minutes left!
https://twitter.com/retyart/status/860876386315235330
Did anyone see Kyrie check out his left knee right there on the sideline? Paranoid Clevelander in me is coming out…
Feel like Kyrie just taunts me
Kyrie come up big in the 4th, 11 straight points
MFQ? Hath thou returned?
Finally MFQ shows up !
Love is like, where’s the help already? But hangs in, and DeRozan misses.
MFQ arrives in time…
Trick, em, Kyrie!
I wish I could mute Hubie Brown… Only him.
There should be an app for that
Raps in the penalty…
Irving I’m MFQ mode. Challenging shots and going after loose balls.
Good D that possession
atrocious call
Kyrie got all ball… must have got him with the body?
https://twitter.com/rapsfan/status/861336839914958853
Kev and JR have been almost non-factors offensively…
Kyrie has become a volume scorer. And I’m not sure he’s ever going to change. I guess you need someone who can get you a cold blooded bucket over efficient scoring. Thank god for LeBron
But he’s really not a volume scorer. He’s a great shooter. But he’s been suck for a while this playoffs. Needs to get it right.
Irving – check out what happens when you push?
Also, the only shot that is immune to a slump is that Finals winning shot. He always hits that.
Kyrie finally hits a jab step three…
Cavs need to play smart now
What the hell is going on?
Why is LeBron jacking? Lue’s mismanaged his minutes here.
Why are they just jacking shots?
WTF is Irving doing? If you’re having a 50 point game? Sure, go ahead and take that shot. But when you are dead cold? Come ON.
Dammit Irving. So selfish