Playoff Live Thread: Cavs vs. Pacers, Game 2 (#Whatever…)

Well, Game 1 is in the rear view… and the hope is for Game 2 that the Cavaliers aren’t too complacent to read past the first word of this year’s team playoff slogan. It certainly seemed like it in their sleepy, sloppy dud of an opener to the post-season. Actually, I have no room to talk, since I missed the game entirely due to some work and family commitments… but the high low lights were painful enough to glance through. If you want a salient and informative breakdown of some of the finer points, make sure you check out David’s Woodshop article if you haven’t yet.

LeBron has been on the record many times about how playoff seeding isn’t important to him, and now the Cavs find themselves essentially in the five seed after losing home court advantage in the series to the Pacers. Whatever you feel like blaming the loss on… be it LeBron’s early passivity, his newer teammates inexperience or inability to gel under the bright lights of the playoffs, Kevin Love either not getting enough shots or not demanding the ball in the post more, poor defensive rotations, awful coaching, general make or miss league variance or even Victor Oladipo’s revenge for Dan Gilbert taking veiled shots at him over the summer… it’s one game, and it’s over. That said, there’s probably never been a second game of the first round more important to win than tonight’s game.

Ty Lue has been teasing changes to his starting lineup since about five minutes after he walked off the court on Sunday… but still no definitive word yet (and now it’s official).

#Cavs starting LeBron, Love, Hill, Smith and Korver.#Pacers

— Tom Withers (@twithersCLE) April 18, 2018

We do know that George Hill is a bit banged up after that hard screen, and that Rodney Hood was excused from practice earlier in the day… here’s why…

Looks like Rodney Hood welcomed twins into the world this morning. https://t.co/VgX2Y3oPsq

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 18, 2018

All that really matters though is that LeBron comes out aggressively, Kevin Love demands the ball in the post, the Cavaliers’ sharpshooters actually make some shots, and the Cavs play with more intensity and physicality on defense… y’know, like a team that actually does whatever it takes to win… rather than just whatever.

My predictions haven’t been great lately, so I’m just going to say the Cavs should and will win this game, although it won’t be easy, and it will take a better triple double from LeBron than Sunday’s triple double.

Catch all the action starting at 7pm EST on TNT… and as always, chime in here with your thoughts along the way.

GO CAVS!