Recap: Jazz 100, Cavs 92 (Or, The Cavs Forgot How To Play Basketball)

The Cavs just didn’t show up tonight. They started out slowly keeping close by leaning on LeBron James downhill baskets and free throws, but once those stopped they were unable to keep up. The Jazz then forced them into a 12 point, zero assist second quarter and led by 15 at halftime. Cleveland, well LeBron, mounted a total comeback in the third to tie the the game at 60, but it took too much energy. The Jazz responded with a 14-0 run. They were then able to hold on in the fourth quarter because the Cavs forgot to cover the 3-line letting them go 5-9.

The Jazz shot 48.1% from the field and hit 13 3s, while the Cavs hit just 9-31 from deep and shot 38% from the floor. Gordan Hayward led the Jazz going 10-12 for 28 points. He also had nine boards. LeBron James led the Wine & Gold with 29 points (10-20), five assists, and six boards. Kyrie Irving chipped in 20 0n 5-18 shooting.

Tonight started out okay for the Cavs. They raced out to a 12-6 lead behind a Kyrie Irving steal TT slammed home, and a DeAndre Liggins 3 drained after TT passed out on a botched lob attempt from James. The King had eight in the quarter and was constantly pushing the ball or cutting to the hoop. Cleveland moved the rock fairly well getting eight assists, but Utah’s defense was respectable when they weren’t getting beat in transition.

"How'd you get so fly? From not being afraid to fall out the sky!"

Gordon Hayward#NBAVote #CLEatUTA https://t.co/qsm2c7PwLK

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 11, 2017

The Jazz ran their sets consistently, getting Hayward ten effortless points (his four fast break points were pretty effortless too), and when their sets failed Utah was able to able to toss the ball down to Derrick Favors, who punished both Love and Tristan Thompson on his way to eight. George Hill also looked like an all-star level player when he split the Cavs’ attempt at a trap for a dunk. The Cavs tried to trap most of the quarter with the result usually being an open Jazz player, hence the Jazz shooting 54.2%. Both teams put up 29.

The second quarter turned bad. Kay Felder played the point to start, and looked okay. He got four quick points, but after that the Cavs went almost a complete six minute stretch without scoring. They were getting open shots but nothing fell. It didn’t help that they turned it over seven times. LeBron committed three, as he aimlessly dribbled and forgot how great he is when he attacks the rim.

The Jazz outworked Cleveland’s defense to a comical degree. They got five offensive boards, which led to at least six points. There was one occasion where Channing Frye and Irving trapped Hill near the 3-line. Frye then just pushed Gobert in the back while he was rolling instead of running to recover position, which led to an and-1.

Oui, Oui! 💪🇫🇷💪#TakeNote #CLEatUTA https://t.co/JHLgSc0ODN

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 11, 2017

A little later LeBron screamed at Frye to run out to Joe Ingles at the 3-line. Ingles was completely open. Ingles was also the guy LeBron covered all the way up to the floor until he over ran himself into the paint and didn’t want to go back out to the arc. Joe made the King turn it over the play before and was pretty much saying, “No revenge for the King.”

All the mistakes led to the Jazz heading into halftime ahead, 56-41.

Tyronn Lue must have made some impact during the break because Cleveland came out firing. They went on a 19-4 run to tie the game at 60. The run had it’s moments, such as the two TT rolls to the rim, and LeBron gliding down the floor for an easy layup and a “I’m not sure we’re the same species” dunk. Other than that though, it was LeBron heating up from downtown draining three 3s off the dribble.

OH GOODNESS 😮

LeBron throws the hammer down!
STREAM on Fox Sports GO: https://t.co/M2X6ljHjX4 pic.twitter.com/hwYJ8Hkn1U

— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) January 11, 2017

That sort of soured the run, seeing as that style of play is what sank them in the second quarter. The Jazz’s inability to score was a product of them tossing it away four times and just missing open looks.

That didn’t continue, and the Cavs went cold scoring just six in the final 6:48. The Jazz started wreaking tactical destruction right around the halfway mark, as Hayward went 4-4 for 11 during a 14 point run. The Cavs’ fate was clearly sealed near the end when Channing got a huge block on Favors that sparked a Cavs fast break. Irving then drove in and kicked out to a wide open RJ. RJ shuffled his feet, and erupted for a tech when the refs noticed. Nothing was working for the team.

The Jazz started the fourth up, 77-66. Ingles immediately upped the lead by back cutting Korver on the very first play. The guys tried to make a sustained run, but everything they did was pointless because they couldn’t stop leaving the 3-line wide open. They had a chance considering they got Utah into the bonus early on and took 11 free throws. They didn’t continue to hammer them with the drive though and settled for 11 3s making just three. The Jazz easily hung on.

Gripes

1. Let’s all hate on this defense right now, because it’s our right as concerned Cavs fans. This team should not be trapping. They do it so haphazardly. Early in pick and rolls, it looks okay. The big man comes up, raises his hands, shouts a little, and the ball handler looks flustered. Then, instead of committing to trapping and living with the back line rotations, the Cavalier big man tries to recover. The man who covered for his trap tries to recover too. It almost always results in one or two guys from the opposing team being wide open. It usually results in one Cav looking around with his head on a swivel trying to figure out where he is supposed to be going. I know the answer. You’re supposed to run out to whoever is open, not your old assignment. This scheme is way too much movement for this team.

2.That’s on Lue to fix. He should have noticed the Cavs one sustained burst of success in the third quarter came when guys fought through screens.

3.And, LeBron needs to man up on the defensive end too. He was continually yelling at guys to run out and cover someone who was his assignment, so he wouldn’t have to move.

4.If Lue thinks his defensive plan is working, he needs to repeat this sentence, “This defensive scheme purposely ended up with Kevin Love on George Hill before the Jazz ran any screens.” It also resulted in Trey Lyles taking three 3s in a row on one possession that he missed before making a layup.

5.The Cavs allowed Utah to shoot 13-34 on mainly open 3s.

6. The defense gambled all night, thus leading me to think that Ty Lue has banned the team from gambling on flights, which has sent that behavior to the floor.

7. Offensively, the Cavs need to just clean it up. They had 20 turnovers and just 15 assists. Lue needs to run some more plays and harp on the team to make the simple close pass. LeBron was the biggest offensive issue tonight. He was amazing when he moved downhill with the ball, attacking off rebounds and running the floor, but he turned it over four times when he sat and dribbled.

8. I noticed in the live thread a lot of people pointing out individual issues on the defensive end, but this game to me was more a scheme issue and lack of total effort.

9.The Cavs needed to attack all game. Taking 31 3s, and 11 in the fourth when you’re literally in the bonus at the seven minute mark isn’t a game plan for success. Gobert, who had 14 boards and 11 points, is scary down low but he was always looking to for a huge block. He could have been baited into more fouls.

10. Gobert also went off around the hoop because the Cavs didn’t body him. He has a knack for getting baskets close up, but he’s slight of frame still and should be chucked off whenever possible. He was untouched 90% of the time when he rolled.

11. Love put up 12 points, but was 4-14 from the floor. He had nine boards. TT was a little better getting 12 points on eight shot and 12 boards (6 offensive).

Hypes

1.Attacking the paint worked for the Cavs all night. They were 21-25 from the line.

2.DeAndre Liggings hit 2-3 from deep and played fairly okay defense on Hayward.

3.Liggins was on Hayward because Lue made the decision to let LeBron coast on Hood much of the game. I appreciated the tactic of cross matches on defense.

4. Kyle Korver was 1-5, but he was running off of screens and it seemed natural. Now, defensively, he was a wreck. He got wiped by a Gobert pick in the third and got back cut by Joe Ingles in the fourth.

Sometimes teams shoot themselves in the foot. That would be a kind way to explain this game for Cleveland. They were dropping dirty bombs on themselves. They’re in Portland tonight, so they have a chance to shake this loss off in less than 15 hours.