Recap Cleveland 109, Milwaukee 80 (or, “playoff mode,” engaged)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_SSx59ENV0

The Cavs zipped the ball around for three quarters like it had just come out of the oven covered in tin foil. And often, when the ball found Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and J.R. Smith, they launched that hot potato from behind the three-point line and scorched the nets. Cleveland kicked off the game with a JR triple 49 seconds in and never trailed again, as they dominated the moribund Bucks from wire to wire.

The Bucks were without Khris Middleton and Jerryd Bayless – not to mention out for-the-year O.J. Mayo and Michael Carter-Williams. Though you’d think Milwaukee would be looking ahead in the calendar, the Bucks battled, especially on the boards (41-41), but starting guys like Johnny O’Bryant the third (no, he did not play for Notre Dame – I looked), Milwaukee  lacked the defensive continuity and the offensive firepower to keep up with the Cavs.

The first half saw a “playoff mode” Cavs team on both sides of the ball. They made Giannis be superhuman to beat them (and at times he was), and let none of the Bucks role players go off. I can’t name any one thing Cleveland really did in terms of scheme. It was more that they consistently communicated, competed, and contested defensively. (The Cavs’ defensive problems have never been that complicated. Those things are all you really have to do against the third string Bucks). The Cavs’  ridiculously hot shooting, defense, and offensive execution catalyzed a 67-43 lead.

In the second half, the Cavs lulled a little, but still outscored the Bucks each quarter, and their dominance let the Cleveland go deep to the bench for the entire fourth quarter.

The Cavs repeatedly went to Kevin Love on the block in the first half against Milwaukee’s poor collection of post defenders, and Kevin delivered. When he wasn’t hitting on back-to-back left block turnaround shots, he was slinging the rock around from the block or the perimeter, or burying Js to finish with 15 first half points. Inside the arc, Kev was 3-5 on the game, and outside the arc, he was launching parabolas, as his shot had great arc and rotation and he went 3-6.

Even more impressive than Love was J.R. Smith, who the Bucks repeatedly left open, and who the Cavs repeatedly found with fantastic ball movement. JR went 7-9 from three in the first half (see the highlights up top). He also shattered the Cavs record for threes in a season, formerly held by Wesley Person (192) set way back in 1998. JR’s now at 197 and counting. The only thing more amazing than Smith’s deft shooting and lighting quick release was how well the ball moved and how open JR was. It would have been nice to see him go for CJ Miles’ 11 triple Cavs record, but the lead made that a silly pursuit. And though he cooled off, going scoreless on his two shots in the second, his first half lit up the Cavs and lit up the Twitters.

Jr smith in this first half #pipe #cavs pic.twitter.com/jlW6pHXz2J

— Kody Bluto Adkins (@KAdkins93) April 6, 2016

Watching @TheRealJRSmith drain 3s tonight @cavs @Reflog_18 #laythepipe pic.twitter.com/Uk9m3fNnSp

— Alex Baltas (@Ctown_Baltas) April 6, 2016

Kyrie Irving had a relatively quiet yet solid night, repeatedly trading ball-handling duties with LeBron James, and KI did a nice job of sublimating his propensity for over-dribbling. Irving finished with 15 points and five dimes with three turnovers (only one of which was cringe-worthy). He scored off catch-and-shoot threes, left wing isolations, and electric transition layups. Not everyone can be a star for this team every second. The key for Kyrie is finding a way to contribute positively when the offense isn’t featuring him every other play and – as has been repeated all season – playing “team ball.” He did that tonight. Oh, and every permutation of the LeBron/KI pick and roll produced concentrated awesomeness, no matter who was the screener and who was the handler. With the Bucks switching everything, it always led to a mismatch that Love or KI exploited. P.S, Kyrie’s 3-4 uptick from threeland was a very positive development.

LeBron James was, of course, the best player in the gym, and he attacked and dished in transition. It helped him that the Bucks’ closeouts were lousy or nonexistent, and the Cavs were were draining their open triples. But LeBron was at his very best as a roll man who could be a devastating finisher, or make fantastic passes in very tight quarters as he was careening toward the bucket. Check out the game highlight reel as proof. The cued up play is such a thing of beauty: Kyrie/LeBron PR, LeBron holds his pick, Irving gets the hockey pass to Love who hits LeBron as he bolts to the rim WHAM!. There’s some other humdingers in the highlight reel too.

LeBron was a game high +22, with 17 points, nine assists, and five rebounds in only three quarters. But what impressed me most was his maturity in almost always making the right pass (he did go for one obvious and hopeless heat check in the third – old habits die hard).

Tristan Thompson picked up his first offensive rebound at no less than his first 30 seconds into the game, but what was really impressive was his ability to catch and finish at a bevy of angles and positions around the rim. Tristan is not the same player who couldn’t convert a one handed layup two years ago. He’s become a slick finisher around the rim with great touch. The Cavs were actually running post-ups for him at times, and he was converting with the softest of jump hooks. He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in only just under 18 minutes. Yowza.

The lone obstacle in the Cavs’ way tonight was a 7-foot tall Greek basketball machine. In retrospect, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the best player available in the 2013 NBA draft, and is living proof that you don’t have to have a lottery pick to add great players. As Cory told me in an email, Giannis, if he reaches half his potential, could be a top 10 all-time player. Giannis was a do-everything force tonight, a 7-footer starting at the point guard spot, he dropped 22, grabbed 13 boards, and dished eightdimes with only three turnovers, and went 2-4 from downtown. If he keeps shooting like that, he’ll be LeBron James in Kevin Garnett’s body with possibly the biggest mitts the NBA has ever seen. If he and the Bucks ever figure it all out, I’m scared. (And by “figure it out,” I mean send Greg Monroe back to 1994 in a one-way time machine). Incidentally, The Alphabet can do things like dunk from the free throw line in game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjlnwhNedUY

As for the rest of the Cavs’ crew, they looked solid. Iman defended, and made playing two guard an adventure.

"Iman Shumpert dribbling" should be a choose-your-own-adventure book. 120some pages to figure out where the ball could end up.

— Cavs:TheBlog (@CavsTheTweets) April 6, 2016

Channing Frye stretched the floor: unafraid to shoot (2-6 from three). He grabbed six rebounds and was +13. He, Richard Jefferson, Mo Williams, James Jones, and Jordan McRae played the last 10 minutes and held the lead. Champ even scored eight in his eight minutes. Token starter Timofey Mozgov had two blocks, solid D on Gregg Monroe, and a positive impact. If only he could surreptitiously apply some stickum to his hot buttered hands.

The magic number for clenching the No. 1 seed in the east is two games (Cavs wins or Raps’ losses) with four to play. Expect some guys to rest against Indiana.