Live Thread: Hornets @ Cavs
2016-04-03
The Cavaliers square off against the Charlotte Hornets for the fourth and final time this afternoon in a game that is more important than it may seem at first glance. The Hornets are currently tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but are a mere half-game ahead of the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. A loss to the Cavaliers would drop them into a three-way tie with the latter two teams and give the Hawks the lead for the third seed in the East. This could also potentially affect the Cavaliers as they will play the winner of the series between the fourth and fifth seeds, provided they hold onto the top spot in the Eastern Conference and win their first-round series.
While the Cavaliers hold a 2-1 series lead this season, the Hornets have played them tough. In particular, point guards Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lin have combined to average 32.7 points and 10.3 assists against the Cavs this season. Head coach Steve Clifford has done a tremendous job of molding the Hornets into an effective unit, and they currently rank in the top ten in the league on both sides of the ball. This is undoubtedly the best Hornets team since Michael Jordan became involved with the franchise, and if the chips fell the right way for them, they could surprise in the playoffs.
For the Cavaliers, the goals are fairly simple. Kyrie Irving needs to get back on track on the offensive end, as he’s shooting just 29% from the field and 25% from three over his last five games. The defense also needs to continue to tighten up. While it has improved a bit the last few games, the Cavaliers are still prone to giving up large runs, as seen in Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Finally, a win today would give the Cavs a three-and-a-half game lead over the Toronto Raptors with just five regular season games remaining, all but clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference for LeBron James and company.
Be sure to tune in to Fox Sports Ohio or WUAB Chanel 43 at 3:30 to see if the Cavaliers can win their third in a row and 55th game of the season, and be sure to share your thoughts here at Cavs: The Blog!
Hey. The streak for 60 is alive!
I’m feeling jilted.
Hello??????
I’m ready
Still waiting for the call. Did you start without me?
What time? Do I need to call in or do you call me?
Firestone IPA is good
Do I need an external microphone for he podcast? Or is my built in one ok?
I love this team.
There should be a LeBron for MVP campaign. It sucks that everyone just wants to give it to Curry. LeBron is a better defender, rebounder, and passer. He also is much better going to the rim. Oh well.
Curry is putting up arguably the best statistical season ever and his team will probably have the best regular season record ever. There’s just no way anyone but Curry should get it.
And I do believe LeBron is the best player in the NBA. But the MVP is a different animal.
What’s great is that because of the media slobbering all over the GSW, who play one of the ugliest brands of basketball I’ve ever seen, BTW, the Cavs are flying under the radar. It’s going to be fun stomping them all over the court and watching Braymond lose it and Curry pout.
What’s ugly about GS’s basketball?
Their entire offense is Curry ISO or a zillion passes that end up in a step back three. They are great shooters so they can get away with it, but it’s tough for a normal team to play that way and win.
Not to nitpick here, but it’s hard for me to see how the highest scoring team in the NBA can be labeled “ugly” basketball.
If you love step back threes, it’s gine.
Cols, apparently a Woody Hayes fan, hates passing. He prefers the three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust approach to offense.
I like productive passing. When it all ends in a step back 25 footer? Nah. Rather see some dribbling if that’s the case.
Hornets are a solid team. I’m happy for them for how far they’ve come. East has more depth than the West. I have a feeling this is going to be one of the best postseasons in years.
Definitely a lot of good teams in the East. I’d prefer to avoid playing Boston and Miami. Boston has fantastic coaching, and Miami has the talent (if Bosh can get back) to compete.
We swept Boston last year. We’ll sweep them again. Try hard teams get destroyed in the playoffs. That’s lesson #1 from last year when people thought Boston and Atlanta were going to give Cleveland trouble and we swept them both with no problems at all.
I just think it’s a good idea to avoid playing the best head coach in the East and against Wade and LeBron’s old teammates.
I don’t think it matters. If the coach is good but the players are all average Cavs sweep. Plus Lue has looked very good recently.
Thanks Phil for all the Vines. Love them.
My pleasure. Just filling in while the Vine King / Meme Master is away.
LeBron looks so explosive.
This team has tons of heart. Able to win with their 2nd best player on the bench. JR Smith was the key to picking up the slack.
Everything is awesome. Podcast should be just that song on repeat for 1 h.
Hope to hear you on a podcast soon. Pretty sure it will sound as intelligible as Miss Teen South Carolina from a few years ago. Maybe make you famous when it goes viral for how not to sound.
Everything is awesome. Now won 8 of last 11. Finals baby baby.
Nothing to complain about here. Easy win even without Irving. With Irving we win by 30 points or so. Super pumped for the playoffs.
Nope. Did we beat the Nets by 30 WITH Kyrie? Did we beat Atl by 30? Actually what game have we won by 30? I can think of several we lost by 30 but none that we won.
But thanks again for showing up after a win, saying nothing of substance and slinking back into your hole when challenged.
Que your public defender coming to help you.
Nah. Irving has been off. Once he gets going we win these games by a ton.
About the only negative I can come up with from this game is that LeBron played 40 minutes. But it isn’t part of a back-to-back.
Plus he was able to rest some on defense. Dude is the best player in the NBA right now.
The good news is that his FG% has been incredible recently, and he’s shooting fewer three pointers. All good things
“If the playoffs started tomorrow, we’d be ready.” – LeBron
You guys agree?
Yep
Ready for the first round, yes. Not ready for the Finals. But they seem to be taking an as-needed approach to everything this season.
They look ready for the Finals to me. Intensity and heart is there. Just need Irving to start hitting his shots and it’s over folks.
Agreed. They are playing defense and they are passing the ball. They could limit the turnovers, but I think that’ll happen naturally as we continue to gel.
No biggie. Just a 31-8-12 night for LBJ. GS can keep the best shooter, Cavs have the best player in the league.
No doubt. Right now LeBron is the best.
One of my favorite games all year. Played 5 on 6 against the refs and hornets most of the game, and were just fantastic.
27 free throws for Charlotte, 13 for the Cavs. And there wasn’t a big disparity in 3-pt attempts to explain the difference (26 for Charlotte, 29 for the Cavs).
They play like this for the next 2 months, Cleveland hoists a championship for first time in 52 years.
This game reminded me of how they played last year from February on.
34 assists on 45 hoops for the good guys. LeBron had 12 and Delly 9.
Kevin?
Love had 4 assists.
Love had 4 dimes
Can’t wait for the playoffs, it’s gonna be a fun ride
The Big Three has 73 pts: Love, JR and James
Can’t add. Make that 83
JR brings out his invisibility cape twice to sneak past Hornets D
TT with one rebound in the second half. I think he needs a rest game or two before the playoffs start.
Nope. He cant break out of his slump from the bench. He needs LBJ getting on him and doing what he needs. Benching would send the wrong message.
Would you sit him in game 7? Then you dont sit him in game 78. Nope nope nope.
Nah. Dude seems tired. He’ll get his rest.
Hes young. Young guys dont need rest. Spurs suck.
Or are you off that narrative?
He’s played a zillion games in a row. Just because the Spurs ephed up last year and ended up the 5 seed, doesn’t mean the Cavs would be making the same mistake. They are the #1 seed.
There’s a lot of nuance to resting and not resting guys. No team does it or needs to do it the same way.
His rebounding was opening things for everyone else. They were face guarding him with two guys.
Cavs clinch the one seed, and rest last three games for everybody.
Give the hornets credit. They’re a tough out and they don’t quit. Steve Clifford’s done a damned fine job this year.
The hornets were in this game. Let’s not forget Big Al did not play and Batum was out of the entire 2nd. Granted were both teams fully loaded I would expect a similar outcome.
Whoa! Patrick Ewing looks like Carl from Family Matters. It’s uncanny!
I mean plus 18 inches.
Right. But the waistline is the same. That’s what makes the resemblance work. Keep eating, Pat.
Patrick Chewing
LOL that’s good!
LeBron gets hammered on a layup. No call. Love takes a charge. Foul on Cavs. Lue should have enough points to take a tech here.
Agreed. Absolutely needs to lose it on the sidelines and T’d up. Come on, coach!
One of the most blatantly biased officiated games I’ve seen in a long time. Absolutely atrocious. The Commissioner’s office should investigate these clowns.
It’s been bad. Real bad.
Hope Irving is watching how to run the point on the bench. Delly going for ten assists
The Akron Wombat?
LBJ devastating off the ball. Delly running the offense to perfection and playing good D on Gelrannosaurus Lin.
Kevin made Lin go left. Turnover.
Delly teaching a masters class in pick and roll passing today.
Lin went down easy for that foul.
Ugh. Terrible D by Bron on that Lin triple. So bad. just stared at him.
Delly restores order to the offense, driving and dishing to Love for a 3 when the Hornets overload on the Loaded Wombat. Just the third hoop of the quarter for the Cavs 6 minutes in.
Delly runs the same play three times, gets three different great looks.
Love looks like he’s getting a lot more air on his 3 shot – a very very good sign!
Love and Delly back. Thank God. The offense can run.
Nobody is attacking the basket on offense. Come on guys
LeBron playing too much iso ball.
LeBron with a horrific closeout to give Lin a layup.
Ridiculous review. It’s a 50-50 ball and unfortunate collision.
Charlotte with 21 more FTA than Cleveland; the only reason they’re still in this one.
15 more FTM*. I was way off there..
Dribble dribble dribble step-back 3, and the whole Q groans while the ball is still in the air.
Lin stuck his off arm out there just to draw the foul.
Love the way LeBron denied Lin the pick there and pushed him left. Textbook defense on Lin.
LeBron doing work inside:
It.is amazing that LeBron got that touch foul, but not when he gets mugged at the hoop
The Cavs topped the magic number in the third quarter, have 25 assists on 34 hoops.
Horrible horrible shot by Mo led to a Hawes bucket. I hate when Mo gets into chucker mode.
Pick and roll defense so much better since Lue took it back over. Icing almost everything. I wonder if they drove Longbabardi to a nice farm upstate.
Hahaha. I think he’s running the locker room catering now.
And perhaps KI should be driven to a nice farm when we need defense.
JR was 4-6 from deep in the 3rd quarter, has 20 points for the game.
Was so hoping that heave by JR would drop in on the bounce. Great quarter by him.
Big Papi! Hope they lose tomorrow.
JR Smith is soo great. What a steal
Love off the bounce off the glass half-hook:
Surprised there are no comments blaming Kyrie for this Kemba explosion.
Kemba got hot mostly from the outside, and not much uncontested drives to the hoop
And a complete bailout call.
Just think what happens when Kyrie gets his groove on. Could be 130 points regularly.
No way. Our defense is bad but I cant see it being that bad.
And 70 wins!
LeBron settling into LeIso. Cavs should put Shump on Kemba. JR keeping Cavs up.
Jr. swish getting us buckets
Man K-Love needs to hit Kemba there. I don’t what kind of matrix slow-mo rim defending skills he tries to apply.
LeBron and Love a combined 27 FGA with zero FTs. What a terrible officiating job today.
LeBron is the most disrespected superstar when it comes to the refs.
LeBron does have 2 FTs. But between them only 3 of their FGA are 3’s. So that’s now 25 FGA inside the arc with just 2 FTs.