Live Thread: Cavs @ Celtics
2017-03-01
When Kevin Love joined J.R. Smith among the ranks of the injured, much was made about the possibility of the Cleveland Cavaliers losing their grip on the top seed in the Eastern Conference. After all, they were missing two starters, had a thin bench, and will face a March schedule that is heavy on both road games and back-to-backs.
One team that many thought would push the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings was the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for Brad Stevens and his team, that has yet to happen. There are several reasons that the Cavaliers have actually extended their lead over the second-place Celtics to four games since Love went under the knife. First, the Cavaliers played extremely well in February, finishing the month 9-2 after going just 7-8 in January. Second, the Celtics decided to stand pat at the trade deadline, despite talking to the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers about Jimmy Butler and Paul George, respectively. Finally, the Celtics have struggled since the break, going just 1-2, and barely defeating the struggling Detroit Pistons in their lone victory.
None of this is to knock the Celtics. They play hard, are well-coached, and Isaiah Thomas has emerged as one of the best closers in the entire league. That being said, they simply haven’t shown they are on the same level as the other elite teams in the league this year, as evidenced by their 3-11 record against the Cavaliers, Warriors, Spurs, Rockets, Wizards, and Raptors this season. It also doesn’t help that Al Horford, one of the best big men in the league, has struggled tremendously against the Cavs the last few seasons. Now, the Cavaliers have replaced Mo Williams, Chris Andersen, Mike Dunleavy, and Jordan McRae with Deron Williams, Andrew Bogut, Kyle Korver, and Derrick Williams, forming arguably the deepest team LeBron James has ever played on.
Still, a win tonight at home against the Cavs would move the Celtics one game closer to the top of the Eastern Conference, and give at least some evidence that they can compete with the big boys. Be sure to tune in tonight at 8:00 on ESPN, and be sure to share your thoughts here at Cavs: The Blog!
I Thomas steps into lane before the ball gets to the rim on every free throw. Its a clear violation they don’t call. This guy thinks he’s wayyy better than he is. I don’t think he will be able to keep up his level of play over multiple seasons. And why does Lue play the oddest combination of players. Hes a less than mediocre coach and that’s being generous. Why is Williams on the floor in the last minutes. He a good player but to have him on the floor in his first game with the team shows why Lue… Read more »
Lue seemingly coaches like every game is a playoff game. There are worse coaches for sure
Not sure why more blame isn’t being hurled at Lue on here. Nate is all over it. Lue totally forgot to manage minutes…possibly forgot that it was his job to make subs in the first place. Atrocious game
Definitely not a strength of his…
Ty Lue earlier in the day: — Dave McMenamin ESPN Staff Writer Ty Lue is getting awfully tired of hearing about LeBron James’ minute load. Here’s his answer about how he plans to get him rest before the playoffs: “Minutes don’t bother me. I mean, we don’t practice so he saves his legs. We’re smart with that and he says he’s feeling good. His body feels good. He knows where he wants to be at minute wise so, 37 minutes a game is not a lot to me but I guess it is to the rest of the world that… Read more »
Oh, yeah thx man I didn’t actually mean Lebron’s minutes. Not a huge fan of Lebron playing 40 mins most nights but I meant more about Lue’s lack of giving either d-will adequate rest and forgetting about his best lineup completely.
It seems the Cavs lose in every first game after a new acquisition. Cleveland lost in the first games of Kyle Korver, Derrick Williams and Derron Williams in a Cavs uniform. Hopefully the pattern will be broken in Bogut’s Cavs’ debut.
I just hope the Cavs find a way to get better defensively before the playoffs begin. I can’t recall a game against a good playoffs team in which the Cavs had shown good solid defense.
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/837148847637934081
The Cavs just missed a lot. Korver, Shump and CFrye missed a ton of good shots. And couldn’t get stops at the end.
Yet the Cavs didn’t play the one lineup they’d been killing teams with.
Lue was incorporating the new guys once it became clear that Frye and Korver couldn’t hit anything.
I like that decision. Get them into the fold and show you trust them.
A great many of those shots were not open but rather well contested threes off one pass. The celtics closed well and the cavs didn’t do much after those initial cross court passes or kickouts except shoot with hands in their grills. Celtics are too good defensively and too fast/athletic for that to work as much as it does against teams that get lost on d, like most of the ones we have played recently.
Yeah, well stated. Could have really used Love in this one. Celtics are kind of tough to beat game if the refs won’t allow anyone to defend Thomas.
And we did miss the Wildcat lineup tonight. Should have been more of that and a few less minutes for DWill in his first game
Much was expected from Deron Williams especially in crunch time.
Too much for sure
It wasn’t really fair to him as he doesn’t know all the plays and where everyone’s spots are .
I really like how Lue trusted to have three new guys on the court with LeBron.
Three point variance killed us.
The inability to get a stop killed them.
I liked that too and it’s great experience for those guys heading into the playoffs.
Nah, Celtics are nothing. We smoke them with practice, film, rest, full roster, preparation.
Why are you complaining about Lue? Should complain that Korver and Frye couldn’t hit.
Exactly.
Couldn’t hit because they were smothered.
Iman Shumpert has played like absolute ass since the all-star break.
He was murder in this one…
A high school kid would play screens better than Shump sometimes. Anyone can get cold from the field, but his mental errors on defense are quite bad
Good game by Cavs. Just needed one more guy to shoot well. Really missed Love.
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/837145278058754048
Yep
No Love, No Jr and KK and CFrye struggling and the Cavs still had a chance at the end.
Bill Simmons sitting in a darkened room in his filthy bathrobe is smirking, readying a biting tweet, no doubt…
It was a good open shot from Derron. Overall good game from the Cavs.
We shot 40% overall and 30% from three. Not good
Eh. Sometimes you aren’t going to hit. That’s why we missed Love a ton.
Exactly, the Cavs played their new guys and still had a chance. Even the Celtics know they don’t stand chance.
Can we just waste the last play to throw the ball in Bellicheck’s face and give him a bloody nose?
Understatement flew below radar…
Grats Beantown…you can almost match up with Cavs in a home game with two starters not playing for the Cavs. Nice home calls.
Maybe Bellicheck will get trampled on the way out?
Would have been a good game to have Jr to put in there.
For sure. Even if just for his defense.
This is who Kyrie went one-on-one against on the next-to-last possession:
https://twitter.com/mcten/status/837141902008938503
That was the right play. If Williams hits that, he is inaugurated into the winning culture right away. Ultimately that would have been more important than an L to the Celtics. In the regular season. Without Love. And JR.
Well, we had our chances.
Not sure why Lue didn’t take a TO there…
Because he’s quite possibly the worst coach in the league. If he was coach of any other team that doesn’t have LBJ on it he gets canned
Cavs defense haven’t had a stop since 3 minutes in the game
How do you let a guy who is 5’9″ dominate veterans?
Don’t know why James didn’t pass to Korver instead of Williams
Seriously. Eff that call. And eff Lue tonight. He has sucked.
He did suck playing DWill too much and not giving Liggins some minutes over Shump.
He shouldn’t have been playing with the game on the line anyway. Gotta give guys time to gel together and know how they play. Look how much better Korver is now (he had an off night today) than the first 10 -15 games on the team.
Oh DWill2… you gotta hit that bro…
https://twitter.com/twithersAP/status/837143765051715586
Jesus. The call? Really?
But DWilliams was there too. It was kind of far too.
HOLY SMOKES KYRIE
I’m finally on the free liggins team. Shump has no focus
Kyrie the magician
Sick. Kyrie. Sick.
HOLY COW!
Shump is so terrible tonight.
Damn you, Tiny Tim!
I would not even bring Shump in for defense. Terribly soft D on Thomas
Shump went under the screen… Iman why have you forsaken us?
What do you know, Shumps man.
Derrick Williams sagging there – bad idea
Really nice play from Lue. Got to figure how to defend IT without leaving open their shooters. Easier said than done.
Midget ball…
Shump in for D and immediately loses IT…
Triple Double Bron!
Lue!!!!
Finally…White Lightning…
Got to give credit to IT he is making the right play. Is hard to defend IT and take the 3 ball awsy too.
Finally La Flama Blanca. Knew that one was going down.