Cavaliers 96, Warriors 91 (Or There’s Always This Year)
2015-06-10
The first Finals game at The Q in eight years was a star studded affair. Rascal Flatts sang the national anthem, and Ohio sports legends Urban Meyer, Jim Brown, Mark Price, Jim Thome, and Larry Nance were in attendance. The boys in wine and gold didn’t disappoint as they led from the opening tip until the final buzzer sounded.
https://twitter.com/KJ_NBA/status/608448120993787906
Pace in the NBA, in its simplest term, is how a team wishes to determine the flow of the game. During the regular season, the Warriors posted a league leading pace of 100.7, and the Cavs finished 25th at 94.8. The pace thus far in the Finals has been 93.7.* Last night, the Cavs dictated their terms of the Finals to the Warriors and took a 2-1 lead in the series, with two of the next three games in Cleveland. The Warriors were held to a season low 55 points through three quarters. The Cavs methodical iso-heavy basketball gobbled up clock and limited Golden State’s transition game holding them to a season low 4 fast break points. The Warriors came alive in the fourth to the tune of 36 points, but it was too little too late.
Some old woman sitting on the sideline just high-fived JR Smith. I can't.
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) June 10, 2015
J.R. Smith held back on his bad J.R. Smith moments in game 3, and provided 10 essential points off the bench on 2-5 shooting from downtown along with a pair of blocks. We are an inferno Earl game or two away from having a parade through the streets of Cleveland. This guy was the tax to acquiring Iman Shumpert. He was considered nearly untradeable six months ago and now he’s a top three scorer on a Finals team. Reputations are easy to earn, and he probably had a blast that us commoners can only dream about earning his, but he can rewrite every bad thing that’s ever been said about him in the next week.
My advice to @RealTristan13 pic.twitter.com/j0oUtc4dcN
— Shirley Gilbert (@CavsDansMom) June 1, 2015
I wanted to do an article on Shirley Gilbert’s (aka Nick Gilbert’s bubbe) keys to victory for the Finals and it just never happened, so I’ll sneak one in here. Shirley, you got your wish on this one. Tristan has been a Rob Ford level glutton on the boards during the Finals. Last night he gobbled up 13 rebounds total, including four on the offensive end. I doubt that he’s worth a max contract, and I’d probably still see what the market decides his value is, but he is invaluable to this team.
Is it illegal for anyone to ever give David Blatt any credit?
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) June 10, 2015
https://twitter.com/the_ironsheik/status/608454279591030784
David Blatt has received more criticism than any other coach in the league this season. During the playoffs he’s out coached golden boy Brad Stevens, defensive guru Tom Thibodeau, reigning coach of the year Mike Budenholzer, and the guy who was nearly his boss, Steve Kerr. David Blatt is two wins away from winning a title without his second and third leading scorers. Gregg Popovich, Phil Jackson and Rick Carlisle don’t have that on their resumes. Win or lose this series, Blatt will be considered an elite coach from here on out. His ability to adapt, and get his opponent out of their happy place is top shelf. Every player on this roster has bought in to playing their role, and that is an absolute reflection of good coaching.
https://twitter.com/MJMassaquoi/status/608456494158372866
Yes Virginia, that’s THAT Mohamed Massaquoi and he’s on the money. Delly is the little Aussie who could. His fire, fight and determination is the absolute embodiment of Cleveland. If it weren’t for a visit to the Cleveland Clinic to treat his cramps, he would have had a podium game tonight. He smothered league MVP Steph Curry for three quarters and put up 20 points, five boards, four assists and a Cavaliers game high +/- of +13. Beyond his box score were his fulcrum plays that held the lead.
Most points in first 3 games of a single #NBAFinals.
LeBron James – 123
Rick Barry – 122
Jerry West – 118 pic.twitter.com/3D55CXUXC3— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 10, 2015
You can quibble over shooting percentage and efficiency if you want, but this is the best series LeBron has ever played. Through the first three games of the Finals LeBron is averaging 41 points, 12 rebounds and 8.3 assists. For all of you Jordan finger waggers, that’s something his airiness never achieved. Today, LeBron is the leader we always wanted him to be during his first seven years with the Cavs. He’s mastered when to pull back and when to attack. His timing is impeccable. On the final play of the half he casually walked the ball up the court and kicked the ball to a wide open James Jones for a flair three from the corner. His athletic ability and experience are ships in the night that have joined for a jubilation rather than passing one another by.
https://youtu.be/_5W0VJATkpE?t=35s
BOO: There’s not a lot to be upset about in this one. They did give up a 20 point lead that dwindled down to a single point, but they had the resolve to fight for the win when it got close late in the fourth…The Shumpert shoulder injury absolutely terrified me, but he fought through the pain and nailed a needed three.
YAY: On paper, this beaten down team has no business being in this series. They are because they have more heart. Players like Delly and Tristan simply have more fight in them than any player on the Warriors. They refuse to give up and they are an inch away on that Shump prayer shot from game 1, from being up 3-0 on the best team in the league…Mozgov has kicked the #*@& out of Bogut all series long…The Cavs need two more wins to hit the magic number of sweet sixteen, and two of the next three games are at The Q…If the Cavs are up 3-2 heading into game 6, I want the entire Gilbert clan wearing bow ties. It’s a silly wish, but I’m a weirdo and that’s what I want…The internet has given us so many great memes from this series, but this nugget might be the most entertaining sports related video I’ve ever seen. If you’ve already seen it, watch again. If you don’t watch Game of Thrones, that’s on you.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
*Courtesy of https://twitter.com/tomhaberstroh
The entire organization is doing doing great job. But it’s the ball is literally in your hands. Do you know your about to make history? The type that must be talked about sometimes even over your personal accomplishments because we never won a title. Are you going to let the warriors take that? Or are you going to be like Calvary and run right through them by using the grind and taking your time at the line? Old school basketball. Then light them up at the points I already mentioned try anyway and if doesn’t work go will you have… Read more »
Listening to a Podcast right now and one of the analyst noted that after the Warriors were down 2-1 to Memphis, they were pretty loose. After being down 2-1 to the CAVS, they are clearly rattled.
Is it because they REALLY thought we were a pushover? Did they buy in to the West is so much better than the East? Or were they just not mentally prepared for a finals with Lebron?
Heard a good one today on the radio: Matthew Dove-on-the-floor-a.
We wouldn’t be having half the fun if his name was Matt Smith.
His shots: Dellave-floatas
His hustle: Dove-on-the-floora
Need a bunch more.
His opponents whining about his defense: Dellave-divas
Rammstein’s new song about Matt: Dellave-Du Hast
That video from Grantland is hilarious and so over the top! LoL I’d like to see an iron fortress of players against Curry tomorrow. I’m sure Lebron totally expected Lee to be inserted in the line-up and will be ready for him.
In a lot of ways, this team reminds me of the Miracle in Richfield team. Although, of course, we have a superstar now. But there are some similarities in terms of having a defensive focused team with a lot of fairly interchangeable players. If only we had Joe Tait to call these games… That said, I think the current bunch plays harder than any Cavs team, ever. TT and Delly are tops in the league in terms of effort (probably with Draymond in there), Shump plays like crazy. Moz works super hard, even though he runs out of gas pretty… Read more »
If Delly is on the cover of SI next week, I will chip in $0.50 toward buying Cols a copy.
Oh god, I hope not. The indians were picked to win the world series on the SI cover. Leave Delly alone.
Eh, let him buy it with his $50.
The only thing I can compare this series to as a fan is the Indians’ 97 ALCS against Baltimore, with all those close and crazy games. I remember the Indians scoring two runs on one wild pitch in extra innings, and winning both games Mussina started even though they scored a total of I think one run on about four hits in 15 or 16 innings against him, with a ton of strikeouts.
But I don’t think there was a Delly factor in that series. This is wild.
Good stuff! On the two runs on one wild pitch, the guy on third was clearly going to score, so the catcher casually went for the ball. Unfortunately for him, it was Kenny Lofton on second, and he went 100% and never slowed down at third. I think he scored easily (anyone remember?). That play was “Dellevadovian”. I am not aware of any other two runs on one one wild pitch in the majors. In Little League, it probably happens with guys on first and second. Another great Indians moment: I was in town and going to go to the… Read more »
The Indians had similar plays in ’95 and ’97. The one you’re thinking of with Lofton was against Seattle in ’95–the clinching game in the ALCS–when they scored two runs on a passed ball in the 8th or 9th inning. Against Baltimore in ’97, they scored two runs on a wild pitch that got all of about 10 feet from home plate, plus an error. The O’s tried to make a play on the first runner, the ball got away, and the trail runner (Justice?) scored too. That whole series against the Orioles was about as close and draining to… Read more »
Yeah I was going to say. I think it was the 7th or 8th inning against Randy Johnson and the Mariners. After that play, Randy Johnson looked just like Steph Curry did after he air-balled that last minute shot in Game 2. A pitch or two later, Baerga crushed a homerun off of him, and he was done for the night.
Got lucky enough to score a ticket with a friend to last night’s game – glad to think/say that I kept the CtB karma going!! Cleveland fans are absolutely incredible and I won’t forget that experience for the rest of my life. From start to finish, the place was LOUD. I couldn’t even hear the overhead announce the Warriors starting lineup because our boos were so loud. From the Delly chants, the eruption for Shump when he returned, the MVP cries, and screaming while waving those towels, I lost my voice before the first quarter was done. We are on… Read more »
I had a realization about Blatt: he’s a witchdoctor. He steals opposing teams’ souls and leaves them a shell of themselves. Celtics? violent zombies. Bulls? Zombies (by game 6). Hawks? full on zombie mode. GSW? we’ll see but they are not the team I watched all year. If we take game 4, we ought to erect a small shrine to propitiate whatever household gods Blatt has unleashed on the NBA.
At the very least we need to figure out what spirit animal he put in Delly.
Even Gilbert’s mother is banged up. Look at that ace bandage on her left hand and wrist.
Darren Rovell @darrenrovell
More Dellavedova jerseys have been sold during the NBA Finals than the entire regular season http://es.pn/1B7f8RJ
I was in Cleveland last week, a day before the finals started and stopped by the Team Store at the Q. Looked for a Delly jersey in the uniform section, and couldn’t’ find a single one. I thought that maybe they didn’t have jersey’s for bench guys, until I saw a Haywood jersey.
Who knows, maybe there will be a new adjective when someone performs way beyond any reasonable expectations in a pressure situation:
“Dellavedovian”
http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Jim-Brown-calls-LeBron%E2%80%99s-pre-game-gesture-one-of-his-greatest-sports-moments/607da490-6f71-4796-8de9-a21044403dcb
Draymonds mom – Mary Babers-Green @babers_mary
@NBA DELLY DESERVES A FINE FOR THAT…it was very intentional!https://twitter.com/_zeets/status/608445585444773888 …
9:58 PM – 9 Jun 2015 · Cleveland, OH, United States
Yes, Ms. Babers-Green. Because throwing an elbow on a moving screen isn’t dirtier than than sticking your foot out while standing up.
Draymond deserves a fine for his cheap shot on that play, and another fine for the flop. Sounds like Dray and his mom have a lot in common.
Do you all want to know what’s scary? LeBron James is playing inefficient basketball in terms of shooting.
Can you imagine the numbers he’s going to put up when he shoots 50% in a game? Probably something to the tune of 50-60 points, 10 boards, 10 dimes. Seriously. That isn’t all that unreasonable at this point.
I’m calling it in Game 4. LeBron is going to shoot 20-38 and drop 55 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a Cavs win.
Thank you for this thought! All I can think about is us being tired and GSW erupting. But you’re absolutely right. It’s ridiculous but right now LBJ’s 40-12-8 average is essentially being written off as LeBron being LeBron. If this is truly destined to happen I think we’re due for a a singular performance. A flu-game (although you could argue this entire series has been a flu game) It’s time for LBJ to make a very loud statement.
Thank you for this thought! All I can think about is us being tired and GSW erupting. But you’re absolutely right. It’s ridiculous but right now LBJ’s 40-12-8 average is essentially being written off as LeBron being LeBron. If this is truly destined to happen I think we’re due for a a singular performance. A flu-game (although you could argue this entire series has been a flu game) It’s time for LBJ to make a very loud statement.
The main reason LeBron’s shooting percentage has been low has been the pounding he’s taken going to the hoop without getting calls most of the time. So if he gets 55, he’ll probably get about half of it at the line.
http://official.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/06/L2M-GSW-CLE-6-9-15-FINALS-GAME-3.pdf
Officials report on calls in the last minute and a half of game 3.
I was just listening to NBA radio, last year Beal said that Delly was the best defender in the league (followed by Shump).
That is amazing, full stop.
He said the same thing again on First Take a couple of days ago and picked Cavs to win! Not bad.
Great stuff from Kyrie…
Game 3 Mini-Movie…
This oughta be interesting…
There has been a podcast void in my life without Simmons. Glad Lowe has picked up some slack.
Perhaps Sir Ian McKellan can help with that, won’t you Gandalf?
“Just cramped up a little bit. And then I thought the best form of recovery would be, just go to the hospital for a little bit, get an IV. Feeling pretty good.”
He is so low-key and deadpan, it’s hilarious.
Matthew are you an annoying player?…lol
Imam is looking kind of like Cosmo Kramer from “Seinfeld”. Maybe when he hits a hot spell (couple of steals, etc.), we should say he “went Kramer”.
Cosmo and the SuperDova…
Cosmo Kramer: [Kramer cuts meat wearing a white coat] This slicer is indomitable.
Jerry: Where did you get that butcher’s coat?
Cosmo Kramer: You buy enough meat, they’ll give you anything.
(imdb.com)
Oh, and just so you don’t forget, CtB alumnus, Kevin Hetrick and the folks over at Gotbuckets.com (Randall, Tom, and myself) predicted this Delly thing a year ago…
http://t.co/gzQxcHIWDG
I loved Gotbuckets. Not really sure why it ended.
Ran out of time and RAPM data, plus Kevin didn’t want to do it anymore. It might come back next year.
I appreciate the experience it gave me. I really liked writing the offseason articles. So much easier to write about something with a topic rather than free will.
https://www.numberfire.com/nba/news/5465/quantifying-matthew-dellavedova-s-impact-on-the-nba-finals This is fun.
Apparently Blatt told Delly he’d limit his minutes in game four, and Delly told him, “no, you’re not”. That’s gold.
We lost the rebounding battle last night. Dubs think they’ve “found something” with David Lee, and I think we all expect that he’ll get a lot more minutes in game four. TT, Moz and Bron need to absolutely PUNISH him on the glass.
The thing with David Lee … I don’t think the Cavs game planned for him at all. He wasn’t getting any minutes before last night, and putting him in there put a new wrinkle in the lineup. I think after a day or two of reviewing game-tape, the coaching staff is going to know what to do to counter him.
Plus Lee had 5 fouls in like 5 minutes. LeBron will eat him alive if he plays next game.
Five fouls in 13 minutes, but, yeah, you’re probably right. He’s one of their few defensive liabilities — we need to take advantage!
A day or two is all they have so I hope it’s enough!
All in the fourth quarter, as well. Bron was quite gassed at that point, so was Delly. They’ll eat him up early on the pick and roll and on the glass. Did you see TT move around him with the greatest of ease to force a foul in the Fourth? It was niiiiiiice
Things I can’t comprehend
1, how does GS not double LeBron on every possession? the conventional wisdom was they would let him do his thing and they have to their detriment
2. how does this team play with that much effort every possession
3. How do they change up their defense to the point where they are guarding Thompson and Curry everywhere
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING.
I’m with you…something Blatt is doing has gone unnoticed by everyone including this group of bloggers. I re watched game 2 and couldn’t figure out how were we denying passes so hard AND covering back cuts so well AND not allowing penetration to hurt us. It is a masterful performance so far.
Hey Cols! Here’s some answers… not promising they’re any good HAHA! 1. You answered this yourself in previous posts… You double LBJ, Blatt will send out JJ, JR, Shump, Delly, Miller to rain threes down on GS. LBJ is too willing a passer, and so tall and big that he can make any pass in the half court in the blink of an eye, and somebody will go off from three. Remember the pass to JJ for three at the end of the half? LBJ did that when GSW merely shaded towards LBJ’s side. 2. As LBJ said, they understand… Read more »
For 1.) I think if I were Kerr I’d at least try it for a quarter to see if it has merit. The Cavs after Smith and Jones (who doesn’t play as much) aren’t that deadly from 3. And the whole O runs through Lebron.
But no matter what the pace of the game remains. GSW needs to figure that one out to have a chance.
I think that the numbers would suggest GSW’s defense has actually been pretty decent throughout the series. LBJ and the Cavs aren’t shooting that well, I believe. I don’t think their defense is the problem.
I do think that Kerr will do what you suggest, and try to occasionally trap LBJ in game 4, feeling the pressure to change something up for the sake of change. My prediction is that we will see our first blowout of the series, the Cavs winning huge in game 4 if that strategy is employed consistently by GSW.
Once you catalog all the possessions which cancel each other out, you’re left with the gist of GSW’s regression as its story is told by the remaining possessions. Those remaining possessions include the remaining + possessions for the winning team, and all the missed opportunities–that muck up your pace–we know as: fouls, turnovers, offensive rebounds, and, blocked shots.
The GSW have yet to get into the “extra dimension.” As it turns out, relentless and obnoxious defense has pushed them away from their preppy groove.
I would expect they will start doubling Lebron. He’s said he’s seen everything a team can throw at him, and hopefully the Cavs can adjust…just may put more pressure on others to score. After all Cavs have been built to have a group of very good 3 pt shooters…JR, Delly, Jones, Miller, Shump and Harris!
Glad you mentioned Harris, Tom… still waiting for Blatt to unleash Smokin’ Joe!!!
Yep…keeping him on the roster and getting him plenty of playing time (either in Cleveland or Canton) was a smart move. He’s another pretty good player who can shoot.
Totally agree Tom, just hoping he comes through if his number is called. His best friend on the team is Delly, so I’m hoping Smokin’ Joe will relish the opportunity if it’s presented just as Delly has so far.
This was discussed this morning by an amazingly brilliant Coach Thibbs and Frank Vogel. http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=13050355 Thibbs: ” Lebron is a genius in so many ways. He can Low post you, face up. If you double him, he has the pass. You single him, he WILL score. He side PnR, HIgh PNr, Small/Big Pnr, Small/Small Pnr. All the while he is mixing the defense he is tiring Curry’s legs. He knows exactly what he is doing simultaneously on the defense to affect their offense. He’s a genius. ” Vogel said straight up if Kerr plays Lee, Lebron would eat him alive.… Read more »
Thanks for the link, tv63. Can’t wait to listen. Hard to disagree with either of the points the coaches made. I think that if they decide to double LBJ, it will be a fatal miscalculation… it will give 3pt shooters open looks, and I think the Cavs won’t have to work as hard to get an open shot, thus saving their energy for the defensive end. I feel like JR is the guy who can benefit most from the tactic, because he’s a willing passer as well as a confident shooter. And I totally agree with Vogel, I think Lee… Read more »
There was a funny moment between Thibbs and Vogel. Vogel said in a smug voice, “I have Paul George. That’s our defense on Lebron. That’s what you do” Thibbs wanted to go over and pummel him with that aloof remark. It just seem when you heard Thibbs talk about Lebron, he really really has studied him in ways we never thought about.
I remember that haha! Vogel’s point was dead on, help as little as possible on LBJ, and play the passing lanes. I think Thibs showed LBJ the ultimate respect in the interview. My opinion of Thibs has shot threw the roof in hearing his thoughts. Loved what he had to say about Delly, was right on about him. I thought Vogel kinda disrespected Delly by saying that no one could’ve predicted what Delly was doing. There have been a good number just on this blog throughout the season who knew Delly was the man, surely the Cavs’ coaching staff knew…… Read more »
You bet. Lebron is the ultimate defensive/offensive player Thibbs probably dreamed about. I thought the same on Vogel’s remark on Delly. Pacers will be back next year in the Eastern Conference. Chicago won’t be the same w/o Thibbs.
Agreed… I think the Pacers come back strong after a disastrous year this year, relatively speaking. I agree with you about Chicago, but on the basis of bad karma of the way they treated Thibbs… I really like Hoiberg and I think they’re gonna have plenty of talent.
Was he referring to the Food network show or replays of Draymond Green’s defense on him?
AND boom goes the dynamite
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzINGER!
Interesting. “Chopped” would be a good name for a game show about people who have to run through Kendrick Perkins’ screens. Too bad it’s taken.
The next win will be the hardest one. Incredible that we have a chance to win, now. I think we might have reached the Joe Harris next man up point, with Shump hurt and Delly hoteling in the hospital. “Joe — get out there and foul the hell out of Klay Thompson for a couple minutes.”
After the check on Shump I wondered if Blatt would send Perk out there for Mr. Green.
Unfortunately, Blatt can’t afford to send Perk in to ‘correct’ Green, since possessions are so important in this series. It’s a happy thought, though.
I agree, Game 4 of the finals is going to be a slugfest. I predict, there will be multiple technicals. Draymond Green will commit more cheap fouls, and Kendrick Perkins will come out and foul him 3 times HARD. Lets go CAVS!! #cavs #allin
This was my favorite Delly meme so far:
http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/t_in_content_image/CHHDeGjUIAEgEoW_nppo6u.jpg
I think the Warriors are suffering from a severe case of regularseasonitis. The behind the back pass Curry tried with about 2 minutes to go was a perfect example. They handle themselves as if the championship is owed to them bacause they had such a great regular season. And for all the praise the Western Conference got the playoffs and especially the series against the Rockets had the intensity of a pickup game. The best thing the Cavs have accomplished, along with the huge expectations for the Warriors to beat easily a hobbled squad, is to completely suck the fun… Read more »
Beware the wounded bear
I think these are good points. The Cavs are the team playing with finals intensity right now, and the Warriors aren’t. Let’s hope it stays that way a couple more games.
I’d argue is the Warriors are suffering because they’ve never been tested. They’ve never had someone stand up and punch them in the mouth before. They ae shellshocked and don’t know how to react. Since Kerr took the bench, their entire season has been one big honeymoon. Well, the honeymoon is over….and they’ve launched straight into the fourth year of marriage. They just had their second kid who needs to be fed every three hours, the older kid wets the bed every night, and they are trying to figure out how to make it through every work day on three… Read more »
I thought the title of this New York Times article was interesting:
“LeBron James Has Nothing to Prove, but He’s Proving It Anyway”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/sports/basketball/lebron-james-has-nothing-to-prove-but-hes-proving-it-anyway.html?WT.mc_id=2015-JUNE-OUTBRAIN-VIEWED_AUD_DEV-0601-0630&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=AUDDEVREMARK&_r=0
Something copletely irrelevant.
Remember Sasha Kaun a russian 7 footer, whose wife is from Cleveland by the way, the Cavs drafted and held the rights to some 5 or 6 years ago?
He retired at the age of 30 because basketball wasn’t fun for him anymore!!!
Can we still trade him to the Nets for a pick? Im sure Billy King is all for it.
Not sure who said, ” that if we were playing the Spurs the outcome would be different”. Spot on!! I also remember watching the Finals last year and thinking that it was a basketball clinic like none I had ever seen. The Spurs /Pop would know how to adjust and would have had a very good chance to sweep us with our present line up. In all honesty, when Kyrie went down I feared that GS might sweep us as well. In hindsight, if Kyrie had not gone down we would be closing the series out tomorrow. Not even mentioning… Read more »
I did, but only because the Spurs have been there before and would have that to draw from. GSW are still a great team, but they haven’t been in this kind of situation or physical of a series before. Ironically, even if the Warriors had actually played the Spurs and beaten them, it would have probably prepared them better for this series against the Cavs.
I guess we can all thank CP3… ;)
One thing that I like is how Tristan keeps an even keel. He doesn’t yell and scream like an idiot and complain after every call the way overrated Green does.
Totally agree with Cols here.
I think that’s partially help of his teammates. After he got a foul call (the game runs together, i don’t remember when) he started to get upset and Delly came up to him, patted him on the head, and TT shook his head and ran back. I think it’s a product of a TEAM CULTURE. It’s too bad there’s this big Fissure between the team!lol lol, bs
Despite all this, no game worries me more than game four. Steph got hot, and the Dubs made some adjustments that worked. If the Warriors go with more David Lee, I feel like the Cavs have to punish them on offense. Moz must play better offensively. I don’t take anything for granted in this series.
One thing that calms me is that if Kerr plays Lee early, Lebron will punish him repeatedly bacuse he will have somewhat fresh legs. Yesterday, he mostly played the fourth quarter when Lebron is winded generally in the Finals and doesnt attack the basket as much.
Yep. Game four will be nuts, and I expect the Warriors’ best shot. Really hope that we get a JR or Shump signature game.
Game four, imho, will be the series. If the Warriors carry over what happened in the 4th quarter, if Curry steps up and gets aggressive, we may fall short. Its almost like the first Rocky fight. Apollo Creed eventually realized that he couldn’t win on talent alone, and became a man during the fight to win it.
The hardest thing will be to win our 3rd game. I think we can take game 7 if it comes to that. But to get to 4 we have to win 3.
I’m not as worried. I think we could still win by winning games 6 and 7. But it would be awesome to win tomorrow. But it’s going to be really, really hard.
I the Dubs will be playing with some desperation. Let’s see how they handle it.
Agreed that Thursday’s game is extremely important. In addition to seeing more of David Lee on offense, the Warriors might change things up on defense and start to double Lebron, forcing the other Cavs players to step up. Hopefully, instead of patting themselves on the back for their winning formula, the Cavs spent this afternoon figuring out what the Warriors are likely to do and how they will counter.
This was my favorite Delly play from last night.
I hurt my voice box yelling about that play. Glad green didn’t get hurt but really wish he’d have gotten a flagrant 1. NBA might review that one
Don’t trouble your heart about it. Look in the last seconds of the game where Delly is dog piled by Warriors of Lee gauging at his face while Green clearly grabbling his balls. It’s on twitter now.
Ah yes, the ‘irrefutable evidence that Delly is dirty’ play. Some people are so stupid I wonder how they can breathe. (This was being posted last night on other boards to prove that Delly was dirty…if anything, it proves that Green is dirty…and a flopper)
Draymond Green Has ZERO credibility in my book. When you grab someone’s jersey and it goes 12 inches to the side, the ref calls the obvious foul, and then you put your head on your hands and run around, having to have Curry “hold you back” (come on, how cliche is it to have someone ‘hold you back…’ we all know Curry couldn’t hold back Draymond if he was really gonna lose it, so cut the act). I can’t take any complaint seriously from that guy. PS if you forearm shiver someone to the ground, expect backlash. Maybe you shouldn’t… Read more »
I think this is the first play I’ve seen from Delly that actually looked potentially dirty (and not really even that dirty at that). Of course once I noticed that Green basically gave him a forearm to the back/head first, his reaction seems a little more understandable. Context is everything. Just like the Gibson leg lock.
Looked like Green flopped there to me.
Hit him in the ‘cheek. Not sure how a guy like Delly KO’s Green with that shove. Acting.
Delly retaliates in small ways and has never backs down from bigger guys. Draymond maybe shouldn’t be trying to pick the defender with his ass if he doesn’t want to get knocked down. Delly uses his strength and low center of gravity to great effect on bigger guys.
I have an issue with the idea that the Cavs are winning this on heart and willpower. They beat the Celtics, because they had the desire and the Celtics were just happy to be there. They beat the Bulls, because they asserted their will over a lesser team that lacked focus. They even beat the Hawks, because they were able to assert their will over a team that fell apart under the pressure of a team that not only featured a player that could conceivably beat them 5 on 1, but was more talented top to bottom. But you don’t… Read more »
You are wrong in every conceivable way. This series is actually being won quite literally by desire. The Warriors think they want it but they don’t know how to want it as badly as Lebron wants it. Desire is why most core groups on teams don’t win on their first trip to the finals. The Warriors will want like hell to win it next year. a human being can actually increase his or her capacity for desire. That is what the Warriors will have to go through to beat us. They will have to increase it very quickly or more… Read more »
If the Cavs were fully healthy, this series would probably be a sweep. If the Warriors were without Draymond and Klay, this series would be a sweep. The Cavs have every built in excuse in the world not to win the series. They are up 2-1 because of desire.
SHHHHH. There is only game 4.
I’m not a big emotions guy but it’s pretty clear that almost everything happening on the court for the Cavs is based on desire.
But I get what jdrey is saying. We overlook the talent and great coaching because of how the Cavs are playing.
The kind of defense the Cavs have played so far this series, and in most of the postseason, is 90% desire, determination, grit, willingness to suffer, whatever you want to call it.
The question I have is can the Cavs keep this up? Can they continue to give 100% max intensity of every possession without someone dying on the court?
If someone dies on the court, delly will walk over to them and wring out his sweaty jersey and the Aussie magic will revive them. He has the power of life and death in the sweat of his brow.
For real though it will be incredible if they keep the Warriors to under 80 in three quarters on Thursday. But as long as they do they’ve got a shot to win
Clapping. I am clapping this post! :)
That is why I dont want the series to go long.
Win tomorrow and “rest” before Sunday’s game
If someone in wine and gold dies on the court, White Walker Delly will flash his eyes of cold ice blue, raise his arms, and revive him.
I agree. The way we’ve kept GS down is through non-stop intense defense, but because we’re undermanned, guys are being forced to play way more minutes. Can we look to others to help out…JR, Miller, Harris, Marion?….or do we go with a 6-7 man rotation and hope they don’t wear down? Still a tough road ahead.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mark-purdy/ci_28287081/purdy
“The Warriors are in mega-trouble. They are in mega-ultra trouble. They are even in Dellavedova trouble, which is the sort of trouble that suddenly shows up from Australia and improbably throws some Curry on the barbie.” Hahahaha
“I didn’t like our body language for much of that first three quarters,” Kerr said. “This is what we have to fight through. Things aren’t going our way. It doesn’t matter. You’ve got to fight through. You’ve got to bring life. You’ve got to bring some emotion. … This is a tough series. It’s the Finals. There is a lot at stake. So we’ve got to compete every second.”
Gotta say I’m a bit worried about the minutes and wear and tear. Delly played put every last ounce of himself on the line last night and it’s only game 3. GSW is going to come out with a ton more energy tomorrow and overall be a lot fresher. If splash brothers get going then watch out.
Everything about this run is already so improbable so I’m not losing hope but we absolutely need other guys (LOOKING AT YOUR JR) to step up Game 4.
So the logical response is “Let’s win in 5 so they can all rest.”
It’s the year of “Next Man Up.” If Delly falters, somebody else will pick up the Cavs banner and carry it forward. Count on it.
They gotta pay Delly after this series. No matter what happens.
I recall Bill Simmons saying months ago that Delly had JJ Barea potential. He’s better than Barea. I actually miss Simmons in a lot of ways and that we don’t get to hear him talking about the Cavs Ewing Theory (it’s real) potential, Delly love, etc.
Here’s a link for most of the Delly photoshops…
http://uproxx.com/dimemag/2015/06/marvelous-matthew-dellavedova-photoshops/7/
This might be the greatest meme ever.
Teen Wolf Delly…priceless!
I’m cheering for Cle so don’t take this as hate, but I find it funny a “star-studded” event in Cleveland terms features names like Rascall Flatts, Mark Price, Urban Meyer and Larry Nance. If my beloved Knicks ever got back to the finals then you’d see what real star-studment looks like, but unfortunately the Knicks being good is unlikely to ever happen again.
That’s sort of the point though Clarence. I’m from Northeast Ohio, but have lived in L.A. for the last 20 years. I’ve been to enough Laker games (and movie premieres) to know what “star-studded” events look like. But the truth is, these ARE the stars of Cleveland. We don’t want movie stars, rappers of the moment, entertainment moguls or cultural icons. We want to see the Gods of Cleveland sports like Jim Brown, Mark Price, Urban Meyer and Larry Nance. We want to see the local guys who made it like Rascall Flatts. Cleveland doesn’t care about those other kinds… Read more »
Yeah Cle has Urban Meyer but NY has Spike Lee. Hard to compete with that.
Spike Lee hasn’t made a watchable movie in twenty years.
Plus, he’s really not a very nice person (I know, I’ve met with him on projects).
Yeah, I couldn’t give a shat less about the Gypsy porn-pocket Kardashians.
Spike Lee was a speaker at a corporate event my wife was at last year. Said she’s 90% sure he was a high as a friggin kite.
Give me a LBJ bowing to JB over any “star” sighting anytime… That moment gave me chills…
Other than Usher, not sure who else would be an entertainer with some vested interest in Cleveland(maybe if Bone Thugz were still relevant). The sports stars are freaking legends in Cleveland.
Eric Carmen of the Raspberries? Still in Beachwood, iirc. :)
I’m surprised Drew Carey wasn’t there. Or if he was, they didn’t mention him… and presumably there were other “stars” there, it’s just that the article mentioned the Cleveland relevant stars…
Never underestimate the power of will, affect, and intrinsic motivation. Cory, “They refuse to give up and they are an inch away on that Shump prayer shot from game 1, from being up 3-0 on the best team in the league” Nope. I think the formula in Latin is: post hoc ergo propter hoc. If the Cavs had won game one, the results of the next two games are unknown and contingent on the alteration in facts so provided. Anyway, yup, the Warriors don’t have any answer for Delly. The Dubs’ sense of entitlement is shattered, so expect their attempt… Read more »
If you read the Ethan Sherwood Strauss piece above, they didn’t though. They still think the Cavs are getting lucky, and they are unlucky, and I LOVE it. They don’t respect the Cavs. That is completely in Cleveland’s favor.
I am hoping to see lot more turnovers from few when they try to pick the pace..
Look at that baby face, that toothy grin. Oh Delly, I’m smitten.
Still a lot of GSW fans at Grantland, but that’s starting to change…
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-shootaround-the-gospel-of-matthew/
Loved the description of the Cavs’ 28 Days Later defense.
Some of these guys still don’t respect Delly. The funniest was when Jason Conception called all of Delly’s lob passes bad, even the one he threw to LeBron, who only caught it because “he’s LeBron.” HAHAHA. That’s like saying LeBron only gets a lot of assists because he plays with good three point shooters. That pass, and the lob Delly had to Tristan weren’t bad passes, they were GREAT passes. It’s just silly the narratives these guys are inventing.
Seriously, where the hell would that pass have gone if it was a “good” pass? Considering they were both absolutely flying up the floor that was a miraculous dime.
The Delly floater/oop has become a weapon. Teams are anticipating the oop which leaves him open for the floater.
Lebron actually led Delly too far with his pass, I’m amazed Delly managed to gather, not travel, and get the ball close enough that Lebron could finish.
Tried reading that, but couldn’t. Way too much of the usual Grantland snark. Sharp is unreadable, and the rest aren’t much better.
I wish I had the graphic skills of some other Ctb’ers.
Would love to see a picture of a wombat/ D’Yoda character getting an IV stoically.
Just to make my day,,Please!
Need to start the Daily Delly graphic. Just like the Delly Lama one for the 2nd game. ..
It’s not a stoic IV drip… but it’s pretty cool…
need the cutout of him flailing during that bank shot.
I didn’t create this graphic, but I agree with you…
They couldn’t find a picture of him from this season?
Delly’s incredible shot when the CAVs were up by only one with 2 minutes to go may be the most memorable play of the game…but I think the sight that we will always remember is the photo (from the other end of the court) of Delly flat on his back after the play! Not much more needs to be said about the man! Stuff legends are made of!
I loved it too! He dropped his head to the floor in relief/disbelief after it went in
I would buy three of that shirt.
Gotta say, I love that Evil Genius’ “Determination” post is prescient so far. I never felt GS would win that game despite their run, we just have more heart. Two more wins for the greatest NBA finals victory ever, I have to curb my enthusiasm but I’m feeling optimistic.
First Take is on… Shump’s opening is on and awesome! Skip Bayless starts with an apology! What is happening?!
I think that’s Skip Bayless’ first sincere apology since he worked for the Morning News.
Great recap man. All the Blatt detractors need to revisit their stance on the man. Yes, he has the best player on the planet, but he’s also out-manuevered the East’s golden boy, the former Bulls coach and LeBron “stopper”, the EC COY and now the WC golden boy. There’s a reason this guy won so many championships in Europe. In a game full of crazy plays and stats, the one that stood out to me last night was: Splash Bros 41… King and Wombat 60. That’s insane… That’s amazing… That’s the stuff of Legend. No matter what happens from here… Read more »
Oh, and the GoT/Cavs video at the end was hilarious!
King and Wombat – makes me think of Brienne and Pod :)
AND KEVIN LOVE IN HIS SLING!!! MISSANDEI!
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13049827/2015-nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-need-vibrant-mvp-stephen-curry-save-them
Near the end, this idiot is still trying to promote the “fissure” between players and coach. Really??? Are you kidding me?
There was a lot of stupidity to go around in that article. The only definitive statement about the Cavs, that they don’t listen to Blatt, was total BS. So was his assertion that the Warriors’ offense is massively flawed without Curry. That’s an insult to both the Warriors and the Cavs.
“(It’s noticeable when Dellavedova is the only Cavs player to return coach David Blatt’s postgame hug attempts.)”
Seriously, go peak your head out of the rock you’re living under, and run it into a wall.
https://youtu.be/8l5N2eKdvL4
Fast forward to about 1:50… no one wanted to hug Jim Valvano… he had a HUGE FISSURE with his players, right?
That game was just plain fun to watch. They won’t say so but I think that game took something out of the GSW players.
Blatt deserves a ton of credit. Just on the rotations alone. He has 12 healthy bodies of which only 9 are even playable (and Millier/Marion barely count). I know a lot of this has to do with Lebron but not everything. On the flip, this series has to take some of the shine off Kerr. In 3 games his team has gotten a little worse each time. Maybe that has more to do with Blatt.
I can’t stop picturing the tremendous spike of the basketball after game 2 on the Warriors home floor. Lebron let out a howl twice as loud as the arena’s multitude of chatter. He had never looked as much like a gladiator. It was a vow to everyone else on the court. I will. I will. I will better than you will. The minutes are weighing heavy on our whole team. But gosh darn if even our aged vets weren’t willing to work harder than any warrior last night. We may have to get our points from random veterans on Thursday.… Read more »
Incredible performance all match. LeBron is playing insanely well. Our slow pace doesn’t help our shooters either so I doubt we will see a smith fuego game but as long as we keep winning then who cares!!!
I am absolutely loving the Warriors lack of accepting the cavs are playing well. Being able to remain super confident in ones abilities is a good trait – until it becomes the Achilles. Draymond sounded disgusted in his locker room interview that they “let” delly have 20 points.
HUGE game this Thursday.
2 to go!!!
Guys. I get the Dellylove. He was awesome. But you need to spread things out in the podcast. Others played well too last night.
Come on, Cols, don’t miss out on the greatest Cavs year ever just because you made a bad bet early!
When an undrafted, backup PG who had to step in and start in The Finals after his All-Star teammate was lost, plays 39 minutes, not only shuts down but OUTPLAYS the MVP offensively for three quarters, puts up a line like he had, threw his body around the court for literally EVERY loose ball, then can’t make it to the podium because he threw up five times after the game and had to be taken in an ambulance to the hospital for extreme cramping… YEAH the LEAST he deserved was 80% of that podcast. I’m pretty sure we gave a… Read more »
Agree 100% with EG.
I still don’t know anything.
my limited vocabulary is being challenged to describe the emotions of how I feel— WOW / WOW / WOW !!!—my body is also being challenged –late night partying ” fireworks ” etc. —–need to join LeBron in his NITROGEN chamber —this series has gone beyond anyone’s expectations and just living / enjoying each moment —–a lot of people / media again questioning/ doubting that the cavs can sustain this energy ” the little engine will eventually run out of gas “—–STAY TUNED AFTER ALL WE ARE IN BELIEVELAND WHERE MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN !!!
Outstanding recap. My favorite part is the bit about Blatt. Really puts things in perspective.
Blatt has been phenomenal. He’s essential cut the head off of the Warriors snake with Delly and guy being picked sticking to Curry. Let someone else beat you. I remember Iggy being a first option on those crumby 76ers teams. Let his stats look good. With Curry out of his zone, they don’t stand a chance.
The attention Dely is receiving is what makes this so satisfying (aside from winning, of course). “Who IS this guy?” the nation is rumbling. Even in Cleveland!
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13049784/2015-nba-playoffs-dellavedova-winning-bet
Don’t really know how much credit Blatt deserves for the Cavs defense. It’s going to remain a mystery, probably. I do know that if they were getting torched by GS, Blatt would be getting blamed. So there is that.
All I know is that if one of the coaches that the media loves were to give an assistant coach power to do the defensive game planning and all that, he would be lauded for his ability to delegate and trust his assistants. Blatt was man enough to know he needed help, to know that Lue was a damn good coach, to know that he was hiring a guy who was his biggest rival for the job and then to empower the guy who was the biggest rival for his job and give him the support he needs to do… Read more »
Ben Werth has been saying throughout the series: The Warriors play Euro ball, and David Blatt has been slowing down Euro-ball offenses for the last 30 years.
That’s a really good point. Never thought of that, Nate.
If this series has shown us anything it’s that Blatt is a top shelf coach. There’s a bakers dozen of reasons that the Cavs should be flustered, but they aren’t. Blatt has thoroughly outcoached Kerr.