Recap: Cavs 129, Suns 107 (or, In Good Spirits)
2018-03-14
“I’m like fine wine… I’m getting better with age…” — LeBron James
While there’s no actual proof the Cavs indulged in their beverages of choice during their long weekend in Los Angeles… we know at least a few of them attended Tristan Thompson’s birthday bash on Saturday night (thrown by Khloe Kardashian). Maybe that affected their play… or maybe it didn’t… but whatever the case, the team left the City of Angels with a sizable basketball hangover.
No matter… because having the Phoenix Suns as a chaser to the Clips and Lakers follows the old adage of “liquor then beer… never fear.” Yes, the tanking Suns are the tonic for what ails many an NBA contender looking to get up off the floor and back to functionality. Even when they’re not actively trying to lose, or sitting some of their better players (e.g. Tyson Chandler tonight), they are a rough team to watch attempt to play the game of basketball… yet one that typically goes down smooth in defeat.
Though, given the multitude of injuries the Cavs came in with, and the additional pre-game drama that was tapped by Ty Lue randomly shelving JR Smith to come off the bench for the remainder of the season (ultimately a good decision, yet oddly timed and poorly explained as per usual), it seemed safe to assume that the team might once again play down to their opponent. After all, the Suns can still be spirited, and like to run wild to dunk like drunken sailors if you aren’t careful. But, the Cavs came out determined to set their own aggressive tone early, essentially ending the contest midway through the opening quarter. The rest was just mop up time and good shooting practice for what should be a much stiffer test against the Trailblazers on Thursday.
As mentioned, the game was never really in doubt, as the Cavs led wire-to-wire, and by as much as 27 points in the second half. The first scoring play almost made me start drinking myself though, as Jeff Green launched a three. Fortunately, it went in, and so did most of the rest of the shots the Cavs took in the first quarter. They led 13-2 three minutes in… went on a 9-0 run to go up 23-8… and finished the frame on an 11-3 run for a 20 point lead after one quarter, 38-18. LeBron played facilitator, but also got to the line seven times (the team had 14 free throws in the first quarter alone).
The Suns shot just 26% from the field in the first, going just 1-9 from deep. They never closed the gap to single digits again for the rest of the game, as the Cavs got to garbage time by about the middle of the third quarter. Their leading scorer, Devin Booker, who had poured in at least 30 points in six of his last seven games, was held in check by the long arms of George Hill for most of the night. Booker finished with just 17 points on 6-17 shooting, and was a team worst -27 on the night. For the game, the Cavs held Phoenix to a watered-down 38.8% from the field, and a bottom of the barrel 18.8% (6-32) from downtown. Granted, the Suns missed a lot of open shots, but the Cavs did show a refreshingly spirited level of hustle for most of the game.
In lieu (or is it Lue?) of Evil and Genius… and, at the risk of turning this into an impromptu edition of Brews and Bruises… I’m going to follow LeBron’s lead and play a metaphorical drinking game with the Cavs that stood out tonight.
Bottle of Fine Wine
In his post game interview with LeBron, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin asked LBJ how to describe his season record 14th triple double in his 15th year in the league. LeBron responded with the quote at the top of this recap… and for a guy who’s such a big fan of the fermented grapes, it’s kind of the perfect analogy. Incredibly, the man just keeps getting better with age. It’s hard to tell which parts of his game are vintage anymore because he continues to add depth and flavor to his robust body of work. In a relatively low stress 33 minutes of court time, LeBron produced a heady blend of statistics… including 28 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, two blocks and even a taken charge. Instead of pouring in deep threes though, he was potent from the charity stripe, going to the line a season high 15 times (making 13) as he got some genuine respect from the officiating crew. He also threw down a vintage breakaway windmill dunk to wow the crowd…
TANK ON FULL ⛽ https://t.co/PQ3RLezkrY
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 14, 2018
It was the 69th triple-double of LBJ’s career, ranking him sixth on the all-time list behind Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107), Russell Westbrook (100) and Wilt Chamberlain (78). Granted, his quest for the rare statistic led to the one minor blemish on the night… as LeBron remained in the game to start the fourth quarter (even though the Cavs held a 25 point lead) to hunt for double digit dimes. He also turned it over five times, yet many of them were spectacular passes that were just off the mark.
A Snifter of Brandy
Typically, brandy is more of an after dinner digestif… a sweet, smooth spirit you keep in reserve… much like how Kyle Korver has been used (or under used) in many games this season. However, brandy is also the one spirit that mixes extremely well with red wine when you’re making sangria… and that’s exactly what transpired with La Flama Blanca moving into the starting lineup against the Suns. There’s a reason why it’s important to have LeBron on the court when Korver is out there… because LBJ seems to be the only facilitator on the team who can get Kyle the ball where he’s most dangerous and effective.
FEED KYLE.
Korver Kounter up to 🔥 🔥 🔥 at the half!#AllForOne https://t.co/K1O9ALn3iz— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 14, 2018
The two were serving up and knocking down full pitchers of boozy goodness tonight, with Korver 6-7 shots (5-6 from three) for 22 points in just 23 minutes. He also chipped in four boards, was a perfect 5-5 from the line, and hustled on defense. While this was likely a spot start for Kyle (since Rodney Hood may return for Thursday night’s game), he showed just how intoxicating his deadly accuracy can be when he’s in the mix with LeBron… and he’s just a bit smoother than the Hennessey he was replacing tonight.
Shot of Hennessey
Speaking of Hennessey… JR Smith is to Kyle Korver what armagnac is to cognac… not quite as smooth… but sometimes comes on a bit too strong. That was JR in a nutshell against the Suns. On one hand, it was great to see him asserting himself rather than sulking over being benched for a second time this season. On the other, he took some fairly questionable shots and got burned a few times in transition. Swish went 5-12 (2-4 from deep) for 14 points, and did chip in five assists. Yet there were moments where he was clearly trying to do a bit too much to show Ty Lue why he should still be a starter on this team. Hopefully, JR can find a balance and harness his irrational confidence to provide a shot of liquid courage to the Cavs off the bench a few times a game.
A Splash of Captain Morgan Rum
You’ve seen the ads… Captain Morgan isn’t really the best rum on the market… but it sure looks like a lot of fun. That kind of fits Jordan Clarkson’s game right now… really fun when he’s mixing it up, but kind of hit and miss. Not to mention, he’s already got the Captain nickname… so it’s an easy leap. Where his homecoming game against the Lakers was a dud, the Captain turned things around against some lesser competition. He got things cranked up as the party wore on, knocking back 8-14 shots… including a scintillating 6-10 from beyond the arc. JC was just what the Cavs needed scoring wise to keep the margin from shrinking going into garbage time. Unfortunately, he’s still got that tunnel vision working, chalking up just a single assist in his 27 minutes.
Tequila
Uncle Jeff can make me go green in the gills when he decides to look for his shot… especially his outside ones. Not unlike the agave-based alcohol… Green is much better in small doses (trust me… I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with too much tequila over the years). Rather than deep shots, it’s a more pleasant experience to take sips closer to the rim… like this receiving end of an alley oop from LeBron…
GREEN LIGHT! https://t.co/XbpRVUuLGM
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 14, 2018
Gin and Tonic
You can’t drink gin on it’s own… but it mixes well with almost anything. It’s also an acquired taste, and I’m finding the same thing to be true of George Hill. Like gin, Hill can’t really do much by himself other than bring the ball up the court. He’s not super aggressive… he doesn’t really look for his shot… and on the rare occasions that he does, he’s got this annoying habit of fading away on them. Yet, Hill’s defensive ability is the tonic to his offensive gin. As previously mentioned, he was able to really shut down the Suns leading scorer, Devin Booker, tonight. George even canned a couple of threes in this one to keep the defense honest. Hopefully, he’ll work on being more aggressive with his shot going forward.
A Pint of All In Beer
The Hold ‘Em Brewery in Zagreb makes a really good craft beer called, ironically, “All In.” It’s a hoppy beer with a solid malty base and a light touch which pleasantly surprises. It’s smooth and drinkable with a nice finish that will leave you wanting more. So… did I just describe a Croatian micro-brew or a 21 year old Croatian big man? After all, you could say a lot of those same things about Ante Zizic given his performances lately. Big Z 2.0 was a perfect 5-5 for 11 points, four rebounds and a block in 15 minutes of play. He’s shooting 86.4% in the five games he’s played since TT went down. Pour us some more, Ty!
Fireball on the Rocks
Surprisingly, the Cavs got an atomic fireball shot of cinnamon hustle from John Holland in this game. The seldom used (outside of garbage time) 29 year old rookie got nearly 30 minutes of run from Ty Lue, as he filled the Cedi Osman role admirably. Holland had six boards, two assists (including one sparkling dish under the hoop to Larry Nance, Jr.) and two blocks, while bouncing all over the court. I added the rocks though, because it was a fairly rough shooting night for him… just 1-7 and 0-3 from deep. Still, it was great to see him get some extended time and do something with it.
How about that @Jholland_23 right there! #AllForOne https://t.co/5esKuHLK9g
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 14, 2018
I’m running low on time, so I’ll keep my pithy choices of a hoppy brew for Nance and a Jagerbomb for Coach Lue to myself for now. Just hope that LNJ’s hamstring is okay, and that Ty continues to put guys on the floor who are going to hustle and try on defense…
Parting Shot
Before we get too carried away with all the good spirits that come with a blow out win… we have to keep things in perspective and remember through the buzz that this is in fact the Phoenix Suns… and that this was their 50th loss of the season (the first team to do that this year). Jason Lloyd probably Tweeted the sentiments best…
Disclaimer: Every stat/observation from this game must be viewed through the lens that the Suns are terrible and awful at basketball.
— Jason Lloyd (@ByJasonLloyd) March 14, 2018
But, that’s not to discount the fact that the Cavs absolutely trashed a team that they should, and that hopefully their shooters like Korver, Clarkson and JR can use a good shooting night as momentum to carry them into a much tougher game on Thursday in Portland.
In any event… there’s nothing wrong with getting your spirits up for a night…
Cheers! And, GO CAVS!
I see the Toxic Shrimp’s stench is starting to get to his teammates in LaLa Land.
It sure is clear IT is a major locker room problem. I will be surprised if the Lakers sign him to even a one year deal
King’s and magic come through tonight!
Yes! Now we just need Atlanta to punch out a few.
Seriously guys…JR and Korver are pros. JR maybe to a lesser extent but they can both succeed off the bench or in a starting role. The difference, as noted by EG and others, is LeBron has a chemistry with Korver that no one else has. So getting to start allows him to get more mins with LeBron. JR will still win us a playoff game or two. I just know he will. There are shots he can make that no one else on the Cavs has a prayer of making, and there is a heat level he reaches that no… Read more »
final four picks——ARIZONA / DUKE / MICHIGAN / VILLANOVA ——WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO ” REGROUP’ AFTER 2ND ROUND
Luckily none of those are Tye Lue coached teams so they should perform up to their talents for the most part
Nomad, I know you’re a big Trae Young fan, surprised OKL is not in your final four /s
jason I had heard earlier reports (—could be weeks –on Thompson )—who knows —–will be cutting it close to start of playoffs
Yeah. That blurb from the team didn’t seem to make much sense to me. Broken thumb seems longer than a 10 day injury to me.
Depends which thumb. Guys play through breaks in the off hand sometimes
Jason keep the ‘draft mojo ‘ going
Magic beat the Bucks tonight. Wins:
18 = Grizz
19 = Suns
20 = Hawks
21 = Magic, Nets, Kings
22 = Mavs
23 = Bulls
24 = Knicks
Kings host Heat later.
Nba.com saying Love targeting March 23.
congrats to nick / dan and family ——great news !!
Amen to that!
Klay Thompson has a fractured right thumb. Team says he will be re-evaluated on March 22 but it is not expected to linger.
Great to hear about Nick Gilbert…
This is the first time I wish there was a like button on Cavs the blog.
would keep the ‘korver experiment –(starting ) “—intact just to see how things materialize —–ty might “accidentally stumble ” on a good thing ——-mentioned earlier about ty’s ‘lack of communication skills “—unexcusable—-I have been in upper mgt / coach / teacher / HUSBAND –FATHER —-the quickest way to start / create disharmony / problems is ” FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE IN A PROPER WAY /PLACE / TIME “—-clueless is guilty of all the above !!
Totally agree with \”newnomad \”
Hey, In regard to the whole swish situation firstly he does deserve to get more then a text from CLueless about being benched. Just goes to show how lue runs his team, like he’s a best friend that casually tells you everything. Instead of that we need a coach that players respect and that respects the players.secondly it’s about time someone righted the ship in this manner by pulling swish for presumably hood. Even though kk played well last night offensively and eefensively( which btw he doesn’t get enough credit for his smarts on this end) he’s still old and… Read more »
I don’t know dudes… seems like when we play teams that can actually play defense, we can’t seem to get Korver open/run his curl sets… Playoff JR has the ability/physicality to be a defensive stopper when locked in, Korver, not so much. I hope we’re not poisoning the well with alienating JR…
To be fair… Korver hasn’t started against teams that can actually play defense (last night and against the Hawks after the trade deadline)… so it’s hard to exactly compare apples to apples. And JR really hasn’t been much of a defensive stopper this year, while Korver has shown real hustle when he’s out there.
Good point. But we have to hope that at some point JR plays up his potential, and not worry about hurting his feelings about responding to his usually LOUSY play for going on two years now.
Yes, I’ve noticed Korver’s offensive game being significantly restricted against better D teams, whether it’s with the full bench or a mixture of bench/starters. But he’s got just as much chance of succeeding as JR, and more importantly he has been hustling & playing attentive D – I applaud Lue for once making to move to pick the guy who is in form & playing well (before their all the competition for their spot gets injured). If he can’t sustain it, hopefully JR will pick his game up after being given the message loud & clear.
If you utilize Korver in an offense that he more than one well executed action going on at one time, his value isn’t even necessarily his shooting, but rather his gravity alone. Unfortunately, simplistic offenses don’t really unlock his true value.
Guess nobody lived up to a single malt.
THANK YOU JOE THOMAS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Instant HOFer… gonna be really hard to replace… too bad Solder already committed to NYG
The Browns are like a new team. On paper they look vastly better than last year, and this is before the draft. Sashi really did leave them in good shape to right the ship.
Still surprised they went with Hue over Sashi.
Me too.
Great recap.
Glad to see a win and see KK in the starting lineup.
JR looked to me that he was a trying a little bit harder in this game, but of course the Suns are a terrible barometer to indicate anything…it was nice to have a shooter in the starting lineup, anything…
Nice writeup. If I’d known baby shower/birthday parties were on deck I’d have picked them to go 0-2 in la as well
Yeah… lots of extracurriculars…
I think Lue should be fired.
Pretty much the entire population of Earth agrees, except for Gilbert for some reason.
JR, TT, and Clarkson are all bench level players. Hood is borderline.
Hope Ty remembers that Cedi, Zizic, & Calderon can help as well.
Clarkson had star ability. Just needs to be coached.
Big problem when your coach is a garbage can on the court.
Tt isn’t playable
Great recap.
Our best five players are Bron, Love, Nance, Korver, & Hill. Starting them ir olaying them together might at least sonetimes might be a good idea.
Nets lost. Mavs won. Wins:
18 = Grizz (real shot to get to 27Ls)
19 = Suns
20 = Magic, Hawks
21 = Nets, Kings
22 = Mavs
23 = Bulls
24 = Knicks
Nets have one more game before their easiest stretch left, home games vs Dallas, Memphis, & Charlotte. Losing 2/3 would be great.
Tonight:
Bucks at Magic
Heat at Kings
Not always the biggest Fedor fan but this article is pretty damning as far as Lue’s handling of team decisions http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2018/03/tyronn_lues_handling_of_jr_smi.html#incart_big-photo Apparently JR said he found out he wasn’t starting via text…
and Korver said something like he has no idea what is going on meaning he doesn’t know either he was starting one off or for some time. Coach’s job requirement includes communication. Formula for a successful coach, hire great assistants and let them run practice, hire great scouts and communicate well with players.
Eh. We’re taking Smith’s word here and Fedor seems Woefully in curious as to the truth,cause JR’s account validates a narrative. I’m pretty skeptical.
At least Lue didn’t tweet it.
Sounds like Blatt.
amico hoops:—-KORVER’S POST GAME COMMENTS ON STARTING OR NOT— (ALSO LEBRON SEEMS TO BE LOBBYING FOR KYLE TO START )——-KORVER THE CONSUMATE PROFESSIONAL —–” I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON —-HAVE TOLD TY I AM ALWAYS READY “—–INTERPRETATION——TY IS TOTALLY CLUELESS/ NO COMMUNICATION SKILLS / CREATES ALOT OF THE DYSFUNTION IN THE LOCKER ROOM —–
any further word on LNJ—hope he is o.k.—-and yes ty is “stoneless” –that is NOT how you communicate in any professional environment —can you imagine POP texting a player like that —–ty HAS TO GO– no matter the outcome of this season —-do you still think KOLBY is looking at any free agents to sign or at playoff time suddenly ANGRY SMURF/ DAHTNAY JONES APPEAR
Apparently Lue says this has been an issue off an on for a bit now but Nance’s response was “I’m absolutely fine.” So that’s a positive.
WOW EVIL IT IS STILL MORNING HERE IN NORTHERN OHIO—BUT DAMN YOU ARE MAKING ME THIRSTY !!!—–great recap as usual—-put a ‘fun ‘ twist to it —we are all in need of laughter here as of late—–good win last night —still not going to get overly optimistic until after the Portland game (outcome )—-FREE ANTE—GOT TO KEEP PLAYING THAT KID (been saying that all year ) no matter whenever T.T. gets back —yes he may hurt you at times defensively / t.o.’s ( but so does T.T. ) but he gives you so much more offensively—-I would keep korver starting… Read more »
Appreciate it NOMAD… it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere…
If u thin k about it – it’s unreal how clueless waited till now to bench jr , if he would’ve benched tt and jr early in the season I say we wouldn’t of had half the drama that we had and we would be getting 2nd place in the division , and would be well prepared for the postseason coming off a really solid season, but I’m not complaining bec honestly everyone I know has soo little faith in lue we never thought he would be able to figure it out and also to have the balls to play… Read more »
We’ve been calling for benching jr and tt all season , I think now we can get on a roll, (Btw I still hate the love excuse , We have enough very talented players to win most games, and in my opinion love is a a really good player , but he’s not a superstar and not a game changer , he’s a good shooter and elite rebsounder , but slows down the game even more when the ball is in his hands and his overall d is pretty bad )
Sorry, but I disagree with you on Love. Not about using him as an excuse (they should absolutely be winning without him), but on his value to the team. He doesn’t slow the game down at all, despite his lack of speed. In fact, he tends to play really well when the ball is being whipped around the court with passes. He is an excellent passer and contributes to quick, efficient ball movement. Because he is an elite defensive rebounder, he often starts many of those fast breaks. His full court passes are nothing short of incredible. He has a… Read more »
When love has the ball in his hands things don’t move much it’s more ISO ball , (except for threes). His assists numb have and are insanely low , his long outlet passes r very exciting and all but I see them about once every game or 2, he still a really good basketball player , he’s a big that can shoot threes, and he’s a great rebounder, and a really smart player , with his defense he’s very often doesn’t bother to contest shots which is pathetic
Yeah, and Love is only an all star that averaged 20/10 before IT started taking his shots. Cmon, Sim. I agree with JMay. Nice cap, EG. I would equate Ty Lue to a bottle of cheap Boones’ Farm. Don’t even know if that wine is made anymore, but it gave me several headaches in college.
Boone’s Farm is a good one… I mentioned Jagerbomb since that’s what typically has given me the poorest judgment and worst headaches after the fact…
Jagermeister liqueur is around $20/bottle and I see Boone’s Farm is still available for like $2.50. Lue deserves the $2.50 Boone’s Farm. yet I have never felt your pain after too many Jagerbombs. I am sure Boone’s Farm is highly rated on Wine Spectator just like Ty Lue. But Wine Spectator would have to look at the tape too to determine the final rating for that luscious Boone’s red. My collegiate brain recalls that wine left a “long finish” of distaste in my mouth just like Lue.
To be clear this is not a argument if love is a great player or not , rather how great love is
Love actually doesn’t get too many ISO sets. A lot of his points come from the three point arc, like you mentioned, and pin downs in early offense. Granted, he does still get ISOs but I don’t think it’s enough to warrant saying he slows our offense down. As far as his assists go, he is averaging only 1.6, but you have to account that those all occured with that abomination of a team we had pre-trade deadline. No spacing is never going to help a big’s assist numbers since a lot of that is going to come from down… Read more »
I hope you mean JR and not jr, who has been a huge pickup.
Mr jr smith of course!
As you mentioned, this is the Suns we’re talking about here. Regardless, it was nice to not actually struggle against a team we should be stomping all over. Nance’s hamstring better be okay or we may as well call it a season… too many injuries.
My body jiggled with joy on the couple of occasions I saw Green threaten a 3, fake & then drive inside. He didn’t make all of those interior shots, but he at least seemed to understand what he is there for.
EG, great & imaginative writeup as always & you have covered off my weekend drinks list quite nicely. The one drink you have missed is Goldschläger, which has hints of gold within it. Only hints though….
Thanks Simmo! Yeah, Goldschlager is a good one…
Watching highlights via Youtube, looked like Cavs were dominating when they wanted to and Lebron was half assign the entire game and still got triple double. This team has a lot of potential when they put everything together, sometimes you need a shitty opponent to wake you up and get ready for bigger challenges. Portland is super hot right now and will be a tough one. Cavs pull that one out, think this will be a solid road trip. Yes I know the Bulls are the last game but they are quitting just like the Suns.