Recap: Cleveland 122, Boston 121 (or “Once We Start Playing Defense, We’re Really Going to be Something.”)
2014-11-15
The title quote was by David Blatt after an amazing comeback win by the Cavs last night. Let’s get to it.
First Quarter: This one started out with Love on the left block on offense, and then devolved to a frenetically paced post-pattern drill, highlighted by numerous Kevin Love touchdown passes, including one over two Celtics that would have mad Brian Hoyer proud. LeBron caught it and two step flushed. A full court alley-oop dunk is coming before the end of the season. Unfortunately, Cleveland was giving up more than they got and by halfway through the quarter the Cavs were down by 17-11. A David Blatt timeout ensued.
That whole meme about LeBron’s lack of “explosiveness” seemed like a story from eons ago, as James looked like he was shot out of a canon every time he took off down the floor, and his pace matched the game’s. At one point in the first, a Celtics-Cavs-Celtics field goal sandwich took about 10 seconds as Brandon Bass scored, LeBron beat the camera down the floor to find TT for a layup, and then Rondo returned the favor to Kelly Olynyk. This whiplash inducing sequence prompted Austin Carr to prophetically comment that at this pace the game was going to be in the 120s.
The quarter closed with a ridiculous two handed superman slam by Canadian Dynamite over two Celtics off a sweet pocket pass out of the high pick-and-roll from Uncle Drew. For all that pace, the Celtics were just more active with their hands, and the Cavs seemed just a bit sloppier with the ball, which led to a 31-25 Celtics lead.
Second Quarter: Tristan just seemed ridiculously athletic this game, and was starting to challenge everything around the rim. I was remarking how controlled Waiters looked until he clanked a “Damnit, Dion!” pull-up 18-footer with nine seconds left on the clock. With LeBron on the bench, Kyrie controlled the offense early, and had some nice steals, drives, and dimes. Dion wasn’t in the game very long before Blatt’s short leash yanked him back to the bench and he was replaced by Joe Harris. Meanwhile, our old friend Tyler Zeller had three field goals early before the Cavs battled back to take the lead by halfway through the period.
LeBron and Kyrie were engaged and sharp in this stretch, and Kyrie actually looks like a plus defender at this point in the season: getting over screens, challenging for position, getting his hands in passing lanes, and exerting good ball pressure. Andy had a solid quarter with eight points, including two lay-ups and two patented elbow jumpers. And LeBron’s relentless march to the basket continued. It seemed like he was scoring every third possession, and when he wasn’t driving, he was canning threes. Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley kept Boston in it: Olynyk with a series of high post dribble drives, and Bradley with a series of long twos out of the wing p-n-r that were decently defended by Joe Harris and friends. And after second quarter that saw the Cavs shoot 65% and a first half that saw three Cavs and three Celtics in double figures, it was all tied up at 59.
Third Quarter: Cleveland came out of the locker room on Valium. It was clear by the second possession that something was amiss. LeBron clanked a poorly conceived left baseline jumper and sat jawing at the ref while the C’s converted at easy three-on-one break. Olynyk hit two uncontested threes, but Andy and LeBron kept the Cavs in it with wide open jumpers. As the quarter continued, Cleveland couldn’t guard Olynyk or Jared Sullinger, but fortunately, Olynyk and Sullinger couldn’t guard anyone either. Kyrie started taking over with great shooting in isolation, ridiculous dribble drives out of the pick-and-roll, and layups in transition. But the Celtics were just more aggressive: getting efficient shots at the basket, the free-throw line, and from three. The points deficit started stretching.
It didn’t help that Kevin love had a bad shooting night (2-10), and that seemed to effect his focus defensively. And seriously, someone coach this guy to get his hands up on defense. I’ve never seen an NBA big man with his hands below his shoulders on D so much. When he sets up to take a charge his hands are crossed at his chest. When guys are shooting he’s crouched waiting for a rebound. And, boy, does he seem averse to taking a foul to prevent a layup.
With two minutes left, Blatt took a time out, and after, Mike Miller threw the pass right to Rajon Rondo. The Cavs were down 10. The Cavs hadn’t been defending all game, but they’d been scoring. And when Cleveland stopped scoring, Sullinger started beating them up on the offensive boards, and Celtics kept pouring it on. Everyone chipped in with buckets on their way to shooting 73% in the quarter: Sullinger, Zeller, Marcus Thornton, Evan Turner… even Rondo scored a ridiculous straight on basket off the square to close the quarter up with Boston up 101-84. Ugh.
Fourth Quarter: Celtics QB, Rajon Rondo hit Zeller on a beautiful fade pass in transition to stretch the lead to 19 as the quarter opened. Kyrie hit an answer three, and Boston scored yet again. Kyrie Irving really kept the Cavs in this one. He was the only player scoring in the late third/early fourth for Cleveland. He scored again, and when he hit a heat-check three from the right wing over Zeller and Turner, the deficit was suddenly cut to 10. Boston actually fouled him on the next one and Kyrie hit all three. Celtics kept overplaying the pick-and roll and could not stop fouling. Cleveland was in the bonus by 8:40. Suddenly the diff was eight.
In case you’re counting, that’s an 11 point swing in a little over three minutes. And Boston still could… not… stop… fouling… When’s the last time you saw two fouls on three-pointers in one minute? Joe Harris got to the line for three after Kyrie did. Harris played almost all of the fourth and seemed happy to live off the spot-up threes that apparently chafe Dion so much. He also was an engaged defender, and while he got beat on occasion, he also competed consistently and tried to get back in plays. Boston kept executing though, and stretched the lead back to 12 before another Cleveland timeout.
And let’s take a minute to talk about Rajon Rondo. The dude had 16 assists. He’s the best set-up man in the NBA right now. No one delivers the pass on time and on target better than him. And this Celtics team, while they’re soft in the middle, they have size at every position, and can play lineups with Evan Turner at the point, where no one is shorter than 6’7″. I love the team that Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens have put together. If they can get a stopper in the middle, they could be really dangerous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEeZD-lGWl0
Crunch Time: LeBron, Love, Marion, Harris, and Kyrie lineup… With 6:13 left, the Cavs threw the ball away on another play out of a time out (a disturbing trend this year). But wait! Irving was pushed, and got to the line, again, to cut it to 10. LeBron beat Jeff Green and three other C’s on a transition drive to cut it to eight. Avery Bradley threw the ball away… Joe Harris… offensive foul on Rondo… (really nice anticipation by Rajon). Kyrie left wing miss.. back-tap by Love… Kyrie drove, jump stopped… and hit Marion who scored! (And if Boston had any interior defensive presence, it would have been blocked. Marion had about two inches of elevation on that layup). Six point diff! Time out, Boston!
Sully took Love to the left block for an easy right hand jump hook, Cleveland countered with a beautiful diagonal cut by Marion and an even better feed by LeBron from the top of the key for another easy two. Sullinger, travel… Love swung the ball to JOE HARRIS WHO HIT A SILKY THREE FROM THE LEFT CORNER, then another Boston travel! Cavs ran a double screen-roll play, first with Kyrie screening for LeBron, and then with Love screening. Love popped, missed an open three…
Cavs dug in defensively. Rondo drove from the left wing off a Turner screen that obliterated Joe Harris. Rondo faked that behind-the-back pass like he does, and then scored over non-jumping, alligator-armed Kevin Love off the side of the square. (Seriously, Kevin?)
LeBron cut from the right elbow off the horns formation, Love hit him with the pass and instead of scoring, LeBron took it to the right wing for an isolation, worked, worked worked on Jeff green, and then… “bounced it in off a rubber rim!” (Thanks, Fred McCloud). Three point game… Rondo Brick. LeBron drove, left lane, in my head I heard Bill Walton quipping, “Jeff Green can’t guard him!” LeBron’s shoulders could have held the weight of the whole Cleveland skyline as he squared them and calmly put it in with a little tw0-foot jumper off the left square. One. Point. Game.
Avery Bradley turned it over off some really nice feet sliding by Joe Harris. Next possession, LeBron drove past (through) Jeff Green on the right wing, The King smacked his hand back as he was past Green, and hit Jeff square in the giblets. Green doubled over, Sullinger bodied Bron at the basket, and James scored an easy and-1. I think the carbs might be back in his diet. That was the freight train we all know and love. Swish. Cavs, 120-118!
LeBron got caught on a bulldozer pick by Sullinger, and Olynyk missed a wide open three. Kyrie and Love, high pick-and-roll… Love slipped it, and Kyrie passed impossibly through four Celtics to find him at the rim. Kevin pump-faked, and got himself to the line where he made one. Three point lead! Celtics timeout. I exhaled.
Celtics ball, 43 seconds left. Beautiful lob pass by Olynyk from the left sideline to Sullinger on the right block over Love. Love was forced to foul and Sully split the pair. But James held down Jeff Green and Boston got to the line again. Green canned both free throws to tie it at 121.
Loved the little substitution by Blatt there. With Green on the line, he took out Marion and put in Andy to get his best two rebounders near the basket on the second free-throw. Green made it, Marion came back in, and Andy got a zero second appearance, but that, my friends, is attention to detail by a coach.
43 second left. Cavs set up for a two-for-one. Stevens put Rondo on LeBron, and LeBron drove and got around Rondo easily, who grabbed his arm. At the line, LeBron calmly drained the first then missed the second. Rondo drove, right side… LeBron smacked the ball out of bounds… OFF RONDO’S FOOT!
28.5 left. Boston didn’t foul. Kyrie dribbled into a late, right wing screen-roll with Love, drove… one handed layup, missed, hip-checked in the face by Sullinger, NO CALL! Wow.
7 seconds. Boston down one. Joe Harris on Rondo, Marion switch to Rajon after a Sullinger screen. Rondo iso-ed on Marion at the top of the key. He fumbled the ball, recovered, and… ran out of time! Just fantastic D by Marion there. That huge wingspan gave Rondo no room to go anywhere. I take back everything I ever said about Marion’s best defensive days being behind him. Cavs Win! Cavs Win!
That. Was. Sick. Just an amazing comeback by Cleveland there. As much as LeFreightTrain’s 41 points, seven assists, and four boards were the story of that game, the Cavs don’t win it without Kyrie Irving’s almost flawless night. His line: 27 points (23 in the second half), five dimes, four boards, three steals, off 67% true shooting, and zero turnovers. He was the Cavs only consistent player on both sides of the ball throughout the game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRK0_7p9T10
The other factor? Boston’s seven turnovers and 10 fourth quarter fouls (five in the first 3:20!). The Cavs played a terrible third quarter, Boston gave the game away, and Cleveland was good enough to take it.
Joe Harris played 19 minutes to Dion’s 17 and was a game high +24. Kyrie and LeBron played 41 minutes each. Kevin Love scored 12 off 39% true shooting but added 15 rebounds and four dimes. Andy had a highly efficient 17 points. And the Cavs only had 11 turnovers, and that was the ballgame. The Cavs escaped with a win, and Let’s hope they play a better third quarter against Atlanta… But that comeback was something special.
No Live Thread for tonight?
why? thats why am here. pls live thread
No, I was asking the question
Whoever that was that used to use all CAPS, please send some to mark pricele$$.
it looks like kyrie went to fiba and learned some moves from curry and harden. im used to his usual fourth quarter dominance but its more impressive every game. and now you can tell hes trying to create for his teammates early in the game making sure the bigs touch the rock. and finally someone tells lebron to play full speed. its hard to be critical of lebron but still it looks like hes practicing out there sometimes. and im curious how often his pick and rolls with andy end in a turnover. alot of his passes seem telegraphed in… Read more »
I’m glad you pointed this out on Kyrie. Everyone so eager to throw Dion under the bus as if he was the sole reason the team struggled. But back to Kyrie. He looked sharp and there were times we were yelling , “Kyrie is doing a” Rondo” on Rondo. He is even better after FIBA . He can dribble the ball so low to the ground and still make a pass . He is an amazing athlete to see!
Recap: The Cavs still don’t play any defense. Is Lebron injured? He still plays under the rim. The Cavs staters scoring avg is best in the league and the bench is the fewest. Hence, the big 3 avg almost 40 min/game. Blatt still rides on the big 3 and doesn’t trust his bench. Blatt’s rotation is still puzzling. Why do we pay James Jones, Haywood, Amundson? Somebody need to tell TT not to shoot, or teach him how to. Best movement of the game: TT throw up a wild shot from 10 feet that went no where near the rim… Read more »
Joe Harris is great, but the idea that he is a good defender is a bit over the top. He definitely tries hard, which allows him to be effective on D against average players. But he is not a great defender. What makes him intriguing is that he has Miller’s shooting but with better D and Delly’s intensity but with a better shot. I think that makes him a great option to start at 2.
Another reminder – Plus/Minus for a single game tells us nothing about any individual player.
Yep. Plus minus for games is stupid. Harris is fine but mother great. But he’s still way better than delly.
The only thing this team could use is Ray allen.
“Sully took Love to the left block for an easy right hand jump hook” The analysis of Kevin Love’s defense is generally spot on, but I take issue with characterizing this jump hook as “easy”. Love was bodying Sullinger hard, pushing him off his spot, and Sullinger almost lost the ball as he went up for the shot. Then it bounced 4 times on the rim before dropping. It was far from an “easy” jump hook. Other than that, I agree with your take on Love’s questionable defense. Blatt really needs to get Love playing smarter D. I remember Twolves… Read more »
Yes Joe Harris was a +24 to Dion’s 17 mins while getting meaningful mins with Love, Lebron, Kyrie. Lebron was +10 to Joe Harris’s +24 as well. So….. are we hinting Harris is better than Lebron with the same stats? I don’t think so. Harris played 19 mins and ,much of it with the Big 3. He scored 6 points, had 2 TO, 0 assists, 2 rebs, made all his free throws, made 1 of his 3 pointers. Many would scorch Dion for these stats and just chalk up the +24 to just playing with great players. It’s very soon… Read more »
Hmm nobody mentioned TT’s stats. He shot 28% and was -9. The bench lineup of Miller, Dion, Marion, TT is just ugly. Really like to see James Jones get in there . What about Haywood roughing it up with other Bigs?
It’s a small sample size of course, but Harris just seems to fit better with the starters than Dion. He moves more off of the ball and seems more willing to “settle” for open threes instead of dribbling around to create something else. I don’t know if he is the answer as the starting SG, but he embraces the role (cutting, moving the ball, spotting up) more than Dion does. He doesn’t have the ability or physical tools Dion has, but that is part of the reason he fits better.
You have some convincing remarks and yes Harris doesn’t have the physical tools Dion has. Dion needs to be Dion and he just can’t do that as a starter. That is the reality everyone realizes but Dion. He will accept this sooner than later. He best serves the team giving us +15pts from bench and getting meaningful minutes. A 13 min Dion is an absolute waste to the team. I hope it doesn’t take Blatt as long as it did for Brown to figure that out. DIon needs to be in at clutch time. Starters don’t have that worry about… Read more »
I said this at the end of the previous post in the game thread but I’ll say it here too… Dion looked completely disengaged and more or less like he was pouting in the 2nd half of the game, and especially so during the Cavs comeback when the rest of the bench was excited, happy, offering encouragement and all that. Also, when he is on the court I always get the feeling he wants to make sure he gets his because he doesn’t know when he will get pulled. Not realizing that the reason he gets pulled is because he… Read more »
122 points. And great efficiency so far. This offense is so much fun. As for the defense, it’ll get better. Even if it doesn’t you don’t lose many games when you can score like this.
Joe Harris >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Delly
Joe Harris definitely needs more time with the 1st unit if he’s going to close games. Stick him in that starting role, Mr. Blatt. He’s worth the attempt. We also found out that a major source of easy buckets can come off of good cutting. If someone else on the team besides Marion figured out how to cut on time…my goodness we’d have so many fewer dry spells. Irving’s passing has been nothing short of spectacular that last couple games. He is starting to see the court really really well, and things that other guards don’t see he is finding… Read more »
After watching the game on dvr, several things stood out: 1) Kyrie is playing lights out, not only this game but the last couple of games. Whatever did or didn’t go down between him and LBJ seems like it’s sticking. The only reason he doesn’t have more assists is that KLove has been shooting poorly from the outside and the bigs have been missing on a few layups. His assist to turnover ratio is SICK. He played 41 minutes WITHOUT a turnover last night! After 8 in the first two games, it’s a paltry 5 in the last 5! Crazy… Read more »
Just my opinion: I’d like to see Joe Harris get the nod to start at the 2. He seems to be the 3 and D guy they need (no trade necessary.) Then the Cavs could have a second unit of TT, Dion, Super Delly (when he returns) and some combo of Trix, Miller and Kirk. Hell, last season that could have been the starting lineup if Ki were injured. Unleash Delly on the opposing PG, let him play 90+ feet and wear em out. Dion can do what he does best – jack shots. And Miller can space the floor.… Read more »
One additional note on last nights game, as homerific as the Cavs broadcast team can be at times – they are nothing compared to Tommy Heinsohn. He screams about calls like he’s sitting at home on his couch watching the game.
Ha, I had to watch the midnight rebroadcast of the game on Fox Sports, an AMERICAN station that I’ve watched all my Cavs games on (unless they were shown on national TV). For some reason on this rebroadcast, even though you saw Fred McCloud and Austin Carr on the tv coming in and out of breaks, it was dubbed in Spanish. And all you heard during game action was one guy speaking very fast and very enthusiastically in Spanish where every third word he said sounded like he was going to break out into a “GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!” The promos were in… Read more »
Yep. I mentioned the LeBron baby a few games a go too. Any one who doesn’t think that’s a factor is crazy.