Live Thread: Cavs @ Rockets
2017-03-12
The Cavaliers lost of three in a row prior to beating the Magic. Now it is time to perform against a contender. Swish is still getting acclimated, but will certainly be needed against one of the premier three point shooting teams in the NBA. The Rockets’ incredibly fast pace will challenge the Cavaliers’ defense, which has seemed sluggish during the most recent slump, as well as the one in January. Will James Harden Eurostep to victory, or will Lebron show Houston what a real MVP looks like?
The Cavs are still without Korver, and Love is still some weeks from returning. But no one else is being held out tonight. The Rockets are at full strength.
I wonder if sanders can help? Dude hasn’t played in two years. Best of a bunch of bad options after Bogut.
I feel for LeBron. He’s needed for so many things. If there’s one thing he doesn’t want to do, play power forward, then they should be able to grant that. Here’s hoping he can straighten Sanders out.
Here we go.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18897252/cleveland-cavaliers-larry-sanders-reach-contract-agreement
Agree on the TT needs some rest observations. He is getting abused now. Nene just destroyed us last night.
Nene was holding and generally fouling the crap out of the Cavs.
Well here we go, fingers crossed everybody. Let’s fully embrace that crazy train.
Allllll abooooaaarrdddd
LBJ pretty pissed in the post-game interview.
From ESPN stats…
The Rockets had 20 offensive rebounds. The Cavaliers had 4. The +16 differential is the largest in an NBA game this season.
Just ran out of gas, but glimpses of good defense. Defensive glass is a huge issue without Love. Ridiculous touch fouls called don’t help, but lots to like. Key take aways, second game of a b2b on the road against a good team. Kinda strange how they moved the ball like bosses then stopped for no apparent reason. Hated the jacked up 3s by Kyrie and to a lesser extent Lebron(his weren’t as forced and mostly took what they gave him). Smith, and Shump missing wide open shots sucked to. Not time to panic, but need more focus to peak… Read more »
Kyrie probably leads the league in taking no-pass possession shots.
Can’t imagine who would have more…
Westbrook
Well, we hung in for a while. 3rd in 4 nights. Love & Korver out. JR on restricted minutes. Great first half. Good first half of the 3rd quarter. Then . . . 40 pt 2nd half. Ugh. Ran out of gas. Stopped moving the rock. Layup line for them. Couldn’t clean the glass.
If we are full strength, I think we handle the Rockets.
This is not going to be popular, but: Tristan Thompson needs to take a game or two off. He’s injured and its showing. He, and the team, are too concerned about his streak. He needs to let it go and get healthy. Just ask the Warriors how important regular season records are if you don’t win a title at the end of it. He needs to let it go and get healthy. I don’t care if we have to sign Perk to stand in the lane while we get our asses kicked for a week. They guy needs a break.
Agree on TT. If keeping James, Love, & Kyrie rested is a priority it should apply to TT as well.
He’s injured or just worn out. He needs to sit most of a couple of games…sort of impossible, though, until they sign a big…Bogut going down sucked…
Totally agree.
Can’t fault the effort tonight.
Yeah, tonight I actually think they were gassed. Though their wackadoo switching scheme on Harden was very problematic and they still lose people on d throughout games including the first halves, which is more awareness and focus than physical effort.
The Cavs need to sign a big soon. Let’s hope Tristan doesn’t get hurt.
RJ didn’t take a single shot in the second half.
That was criminal after the 1st half he had. Kyrie & James have a tendency to stop sharing (as much) in 2nd halves & our movement falls off as a result.
Yeah WTH? was up with that? He didn’t seem to play many mins in the 2nd half .
The Rockets are not going to make the finals. Is either the Spurs or the Warriors.
A reminder. There are no back to backs in the Finals.
Back to backs suck, but there’s no reason the defending champs should be 0-9 in them…
Exactly, that’s the thing.
Season of chill. Chillaxing until sometime in the future, maybe April, maybe the first round of the playoffs, maybe the finals, who knows….
This team reminds me of the 2002-2003 Lakers.
Crazy. We shot 53% and lost. Houston had a whopping 16 more shots than us! That is an eye popping stat.
Yeah. I know someone who is great on the defensive boards…
Yeah, Love would have helped, but I don’t think we would have out-rebounded them even with Love, because long rebounds.
The Cavs played well, they competed. But again the defense wasn’t there when needed.
I almost got the final score right.
Cavs let the Rockets take 96 shots… Cavs took 80
Offensive rebounds: Houston 20, Cavs 4. There’s the 16 extra shots.
Whatever happen to defense wins game?
In the playoffs. Sure.
Seems like it also wins games in the regular season too.
Rebounds kinda help to
That was a fun game.
Full Cavs team sweep this Houston team.
Nene never fouled anyone.
I do think cavs were tired and undermanned this game, so good effort on the road i gice them credit and i think wed win in finals.
Harden is terrifying tho
D’Antoni definitely is maximizing him like he did Nash. Harden smoked us tonight in a large part because of our switching.
I’ll never understand playing James 40 minutes in a meaningless road back to back. Lue is just begging for injury.
Not this again.
Why is Deron Williams in on a defensive possession late?
Because he’s a decent enough defender and they are getting him ready for the playoffs.
I’m not sure you know the meaning of “defender”
Nah, he just doesn’t know the meaning of ‘decent’…maybe ‘enough’, too, not certain…
A) He’s not. B) That’s dumb.
The free throw disparity is ridiculous considering the Cavs drove to the hoop a ton.
Cols, you should check out the graphic on the screen right now…
Rockets are +10 points in paint, +8 second chance points, +7 fast break points and +8 points off turnovers
Eh. Kevin Love is here and we won by 20
Maybe they win, but not by 20
James should shoot all the threes tonight.
Irving just a bit off.
Plenty of guys open on a drive and kick… can’t blame other guys if Bron and Kyrie aren’t going to get the ball to them…
Cavs played great. Don’t know what the complaining is about.
I think you have to win to consider playing great.
Stop repeating or you’re blocked
Houston walking around like they’re so tough. Like, please. We would sweep you.
Yeah.
I’m sure this blog will find a way to blame James and Irving for this game. But it’s just the lack of Kevin Love. If we meet this houston team in the finals we will sweep them.
Nah, more like too many minutes last night. James was clearly gassed from about the 6th minute of the 4th. Think we still would have gotten beat on the boards because a lot of those were long rebounds, all effort and more about team rebounding than one guy cleaning up the glass.
Well, LBJ didn’t take the challenge of guarding Harden, and Kyrie has been awful on D and has made some bad decisions with the ball…
Im onboard the fire longbardi train
He devised the defense that shut down the Frauds.
We don’t know if that was Longibardi, Lue, or one of the other assistants. We don’t know either way.
So Longabardi was responsible for the “Our best defense is our offense” game plan?
Oh well. Hope we can sustain better d in the playoffs.
Two poor possessios from James. That’s game. 40 pts this half from us. That is poor.
Darn. Great game by Cavs. Houston no longer concerns me.
Gg. Wish we could remember how to run an offense in crunch time
We are pretty great in crunch time.
They’ve been outscored by five already in crunch time… and out-rebounded by about 10
Terrible shot by lebron, outphysical-ing by Nene, and PBev three seals the game.
Hated that shot from James. Settled.
And no legs either…
Game over
LeBron with a tired person’s fadeaway…
Gassed for sure. Don’t think we can comeback if that is our offense.
Is that the first defensive board they had this quarter?
Cavs playing with tons of heart. Think about this game with Kevin Love. It’s a Cavs blowout.
Heart means you’re fighting for rebounds and loose balls… none of that is happening…
It’s not like our best defenders aren’t trying at all this game. Are we capable of playing d anymore? The box outs aren’t there but they have been at least trying to close out and contest somewhat this game…
Frustrating game, but still grinding. This would be an amazing win if we could find a way
Cavs are playing great. Refs and nonkevin love hurting us. Gritty game though.
They are not rebounding great… or boxing out great
Cavs don’t stand a chance if they can’t close down the def glass
Cavs failing at basic box outs… Fire Longabardi!
Kyrie too tired to make free throws?
Tt cannot guard Harden 1 on 1. Stop switching lue.