Finals Live Thread, Game 3: Cavs vs Warriors (home cookin’)
2018-06-06
Welcome home, Cavs. I was tempted to lead with a picture of Andre Igoudala tonight, but I decided that a vision of what the Cavs are playing for ought to go up top. Make no mistake. This one’s for Cleveland. The Cavs are on the precipice of being down an impossible 0-3, and all we’ve heard about for the last few days is how inadequate this team, this region, and its fans are – that we’re all somehow unworthy of LeBron James and that he should move on to greener pastures.
I’m sure every team looking to woo Mr. James, from Philadelphia to Houston to Los Angeles is invested in the Cavaliers failure. I frankly, don’t know how he has the strength to conjure another performance for the ages, but if there was ever a time for one, this was it. And if there was ever a time for LeBron’s teammates and his coach to prove that they’re better than the criticism they face, this is definitely it.
The Cavs will start the same starters as last game: Thompson, Love, James, Smith, and Hill, while I assume the Warriors will keep their same lineup, though with Andre Igoudala returning to the bench fold. Speaking of the bench, Ty Lue has hinted that Rodney Hood may return to the rotation tonight. Also making an appearance? The NBA referees, who will be livetweeting the game tonight after the first two games, I’d be afraid to show my face in Cleveland if I were them. Be sure to give them a piece of your mind at @OfficialNBARefs.
This will be a crucible for James and the Cavs, and if they have any chance of winning this series, they must win tonight. Hopefully he, his coach, his teammates, and this city rise to the occasion.
I’m mad.
2Ls.vs.KD
realize I am probably ‘premature –pessimistic ” in writing this—-but hoping if warriors are ahead big LATE IN THE GAME –ty will make the right decision to allow the –FANS / LEBRON TO HAVE A SPECIAL MOMENT TOGETHER —–if this is his FAREWELL GAME —–HOPING THE FANS GIVE HIM THE LOUDEST / MOST RAUCOUS OVATION EVER !!———HE ONCE WAS A “VILLAIN IN OUR EYES —–HAS RETURNED TO BE A HERO IN OUR HEARTS ——-JUST A KID FROM AKRON—-LONG LIVE THE KING ——THANK YOU LBJ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
agree scott—-make it very inticing for LeBron —————wonder how big a drop / t.v ratings will be for Friday nights game ——–there is no way the media can ‘drum ‘ up excitement for viewers other than ” witness ‘ lebrons last game in Cleveland / ( uniform )
In unrelated news, with Colangelo out in Philly, hiring Griffin would make perfect sense for them.
If Griffin, and then Lebron, went there, that would sting.
will see if we get the same “UTAH HOOD ” –come Friday night —-hoping so —if that happens then I could see his stock take a small surge upward
Silver lining — Rodney Hood upped his free-agent value back into five-… maybe even six-figures last night.
A horrible loss due to the fact that it was a really winnable game. If they had gone back to Hood 3-4 more times in the 4th or if they had remembered to play average defense, it would be 2-1 right now.
As it is, Friday will be LeBron’s last game as a Cavalier and I wish him the best. I won’t be watching. Can’t stand to watch GS win another championship.
hey guys– is there a playoff being played —-( been up north on fishing trip ——-think my luck was better than the cavs )——haven’t watched any games / barely listened to them —–” we were WAY UP NORTH “—–hey I did see “Utah Hood ‘ played last night ——like the media / and many on this post are saying —–TOO MANY WEAPONS—-TOO LITTLE MARGIN OF ERROR FOR THE CAVS TO COMPETE / WIN ———-I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THIS WILL BE LEBRONS FINAL GAME– ( FOR THE TIME BEING )– IN A CAVS UNIFORM —–GO OUT IN STYLE LEBRON ——good… Read more »
Durant getting every call in the first half really killed the Cavs tonight. He got into a rhythm, and showed why he’s the second best player in the world. He’s just a monster
Still tho, the margin for error is so high for the warriors. Steph has a horrible game and Klay is off? Still win on the road. They are unguardable with all their weapons
I wonder if durant would have won if he stayed in OKc. Hope he leaves and tries to carry a more reasonablly talented squad.
He’s pretty much said that he loves the easy life. Can’t totally blame him from a life perspective. Not everybody can do what Lebron does basketball-wise and also grow their off-court business like he does. And it’s not hurting his brand. He wins championships, has zero pressure, 1 or 2 transcendent games and gets all the credit outside of ride or die basketball fans who know Curry is the real reason behind their greatness.
I watch more Nba basketball than anyone I know, and Steph Curry has never been a better overall basketball player than kevin durant. Not for a single day of his life. And you see it every year in the playoffs
Durant is undeniable in a way Cury can never be at his size. And when he tries, he can be a real menace on defense
I agree totally on the other points. I dont really blame durant, but it’s making the Nba a lot less fun with this “if you cant beat them, join them” warriors
There’s a difference being a better overall basketball player and being more impactful. Even Steve Kerr has said, publicly and in no uncertain terms, that even though KD can impact the game in more areas than Steph because of his size, Steph is more important to what they do. The way Steph forces defenses to react is second only to Lebron.
The lack of creativity on offense has killed the Cavs the past 2 years (let’s not even talk about the defense right now). They are limited personnel-wise, and they have the best player in the world who also doubles as a top 5 shot creator for other guys, but if he’s gotta do it possession after possession 47-48 min a game, that’s just not sustainable. When Korver was on the Hawks, they maxed out his gravity with all kinds of creative actions. The Cavs have basically one, and then no counter when the defense takes it away. I know he… Read more »
Cavs in 7.
I kind of knew this one was over when Lebron played the whole 1st half. It’s just too much to play 45-48 min straight without rest every game. All the sports science says that once you play the whole 1st quarter, your body can never get anywhere near back to baseline. Even if you’re Lebron, that makes a difference. And you can see it in the 4th the past 2 games. To me, this has been Lue’s biggest coaching blunder the past 2 games. In game 1, Lebron got 5 min of gametime rest and he finished the game strong.… Read more »
Agree. I think we had enough going with Hood, Love and JR that a 5 minute rest for LBJ could have easily been executed. Especially when we had the lead built up.
Yeah, when we pushed it to 10 in the 2nd quarter. Nothing was really going to change with Lebron off the court for 3 min. I just feel like Lue is constantly miscalculating. The Warriors are going to ratchet up the defense and make a run with or without Lebron on the floor because even with him out there, they aren’t good enough to consistently stop them. And if the reserves can’t hold the fort down and force them into some tough shots for 2-3 min and pull a few buckets out of their asses, you’re not gonna win anyway.
In 2016, the Cavs wore down the Warriors.
In 2018, the Cavs wore down LeBron.
This is so sad.
I’m with Nate.
https://twitter.com/dothehochypokey/status/1004557103879598080?s=20
I blame the Russians. They inflatrated the Q during the 2016 RNC, got a pee-pee tape of Gilbert, threatened to release it unless he fired Griffin and traded Irving.
That’s pretty funny, Arch! Sounds about as plausible as all of the other explanations I have heard.
Can’t really imagine how LeBron must be feeling. To put in the amount of work he does, day after day, year after year. The round the clock science of keeping his body in shape. To deal with the pressure placed on his shoulders every single game. Overcoming poor coaching, lineup changes, roster overhauls. I could go on and on. To be in this position because of frontrunners who want to take the easy way out . I guess he finds solace in leaving everything he has out on the floor and accepting the outocme (win, lose or draw as he… Read more »
It’s like watching a tiger being torn apart by a pack of wild dogs. It may be an inevitable result but it seems wrong.
LOL
Except that Curry is a poodle. Or maybe a cockapoo. Or a goldendoodle?
It’s so wrong for him to be on a team that’s this bad.
I wonder if the Spurs would take Love, #8 and a future #1 for Kawhi. I mean, why not if you’re the Spurs? And why not if you’re the Cavs?
More likely that the trade kawhi for lebron.
Kawhi is a top 5 player when healthy, so it’s going to take a lot to get him. If Pop’s sticking around, he’s not trading Kawhi for anything less than an current or future foundational player and either a high lottery pick in next year’s draft or 2 future unprotected 1sts have a likelihood of conveying as mid-to-high lottery picks. So basically only Utah, Sixers and Celtics have the juice to pull that off. That said, if Pop is retiring, there’s a chance that they’d trade Kawhi for a Nets-like haul the (from Cavs that would be 8 pick and… Read more »
If LeBron had played half as badly in Game 3 as Steph did everyone would be saying he quit on the Cavs. Instead people will say “what a great team the Warriors are, they carry each other so well” talk about grading on a curve.
Yea, honestly- imagine Lebron having a game like Curry just had. It’s a joke the praise Curry gets.
Curry has two awful games every playoff series. LeBron has two awful games in his postseason career (maybe). They don’t deserve to be in the same conversation about a conversation about great players somebody else is having.
If I was Lue, I would rest Lebron for Game 4. Need him fresh for Game 5.
GSW will probably tank it, to celebrate at home
Steph will probably claim that is what he was doing tonight.
Night all. Sorry if I’m salty. Nothing personal.
Can’t say anyone can blame you. It’s been a deeply weird season.
We just make too many mental mustakes defensively to beat this team.
And a Bron centric offense cannot score with them, either. Too much ofva load for him & does not generate enough easy looks.
I disagree. Cavs score enough to win. It’s the defense where Cavs were atrocious where they allow the McGees and Livingstons to play better than most of their starters.
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/1004571769078984704?s=19
Sorry Nate. Maybe if we’d won tonight. We couldn’t win when lebron had 50. We couldn’t win when curry and Thompson couldn’t hit a three. We aint winning this series.
Well “we” ain’t, but the Cavs could.
They won’t. I wish there was a chance but there isn’t. I get rooting and wanting to believe. But unfortunately this series probably ended with game 1. They haven’t shown they are emotionally over it. This team has looked beaten since OT started.
Disagree. All it takes is one moment. The red sox did it. Cavs can too.
Red sox were a better team and baseball is a greater variance sport. It mathematically possible but only mathematically. Not only does lbj have to be great, but so do five or six other guys who haven’t yet shown they can do it for four quarters. They have to do it for 16 straight. Add to it that all of Durant curry and Thompson have to simultaneously have bad shooting nights. Quicken loans arena has a better chance of being destroyed by a meteor than raising a 2018 title banner
You’re not getting the last word and I’m deleting any comment you make in reply to this. I don’t know what kind of sick fascination you have with trying to prove you’re right at the expense of hope. But I’m not letting you have it. Cavs in seven. We’ll parade around the ashes of the meteor.
I’m not trying to prove I’m right nor am I arguing against hope. I’m expressing my opinion and disappointment just like you are. You want me to believe what you believe. I don’t. I cheer them on. I want them to win. But I know in my gut and mind they won’t. That’s my truth. It’s no more or less valid than your truth. I haven’t made anything personal or used bad language. If deleting my posts makes you feel better then go ahead I guess.
It was expected that the Warriors would win this series but again the Cavs don’t help themselves being this bad defensively.
The Rockets took the Warriors to seven games by playing great defense all series long. I don’t recall the Warriors getting these many layups an easy scores against the Rockets.
Houston’s front office did a killer job of building that roster. Coaching staff did great in building a defense.
It’s almost as if the way we’ve played defense for two straight years wasn’t going to suddenly change overnight.
The only thing worse than Durant going to the Warriors is the constant complaining about it. Beat the team in front of you. Play better. That’s what I’d yell at my 8th grade girls if they were playing the Warriors. I’d also tell them to foul Durant hard.
I don’t think it’s simply a matter of effort. You think if we had Durant instead of them we’d be losing?
If my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle.
If the Celtics had Kevin Love instead of the Cavs they would have won that series right? I understand your sentiments but “what if” is a pretty slippery slope.
The point is you can tell that to your eighth graders but they won’t beat the warriors. We have one and a half good players. They have six. They win absent incredible play and luck. Igoudala out was luck. Lbj game 1 was incredible play. But we weren’t perfect. And now lebron is mentally and physically drained. Oguodala is back. We’re down 3-0. It’s over because we don’t have the talent. Bitching about Durant is lamenting the inevitability of this result. The Cavs are trying to win. They just can’t because the warriors are so loaded.
Joeyb but they are also getting meaningful production from guys like Javale, Jordan Bell, Kevon Looney and Shaun Livingston. Even David West’s corpse has looked semi-spry the last couple of games. Nothing the Warriors did prevented the Cavs from finding similar value late in the draft and better role players to put around LeBron.
Give us all those dudes and we’re not winning. For two straight years not a single team has outscored iggy durant Thompson cury green. Not a one. We get meaningful minutes from Thompson and green and hill and nance and korver. So what. None of them can hang with the warriors. Put those guys on the cavs and their similarly toast.
Agreed… this series could easily be 2-1 Cavs. You can’t leave money on the table and then complain the other guy has too many ways of stealing from you.
It couldnt easily be 2-1. Nothing about game one or three was easy. It would’ve been barely 2-1. They left it all on the floor. They’re just not good enough.
I understand you’re upset but now you’re just being specious.
I don’t think so. If we win game one it was by the skin of our teeth with lebron playing the game of his life and no Igoudala. The margin was razor thin. Even if we won game one we’re still probably just delaying the inevitable.
Durant makes every free throw. That’s like saying teams just need to play better and not let lebron score. They CANT play better. I mean, they can, but it’s not enough. I can try until i die, but I can’t beat Durant one on one. Never. At a certain point it doesn’t matter how much better you play. It’s still not enough. The world has limits even if we don’t believe in them.
So true, Nate! We all hated the move Durant made. But my god, the constant whining and vitriol about it is a bad look.
I won’t be watching Friday, even if it could possibly be LeBron’s last game as a Cavalier. I don’t think he’ll leave, that maximum contract is too good to pass up, but if he does, hope he gets to beat weakas$ Durant next season.
Each passing finals game I grow more and more certain Lebron will leave again this summer save for a massive roster overhaul which isn’t likely. Too many bad memories now. I wouldn’t be able to endure another season of JR, TT and the rest. My money is he goes and plays for Magic. They are the only viable option IMO except for Cleveland, especially if/when they sign George. Lebron, George, Ingram and all that youth they have, plus LA and all that comes with it, could be a tempting enough combination to swallow the small legacy hit he is going… Read more »
I’ve been sure of it for months. He has no reason to stay basketball wise. This organization has been terribly mismanaged since the day after the parade, but especially since griff left. Just colossal blunders.
The only thing that will keep him here is that supper max contract.
Can we hire Hammond tomorrow?
At first I thought you were suggesting he leave and go play for Orlando. LOL.
No way he’s going to LA- lakers suck
Cavs used to suck
When I first read this I thought you were referring to the Orlando Magic. 😂
I could see him going to Houston for a year or two, just to beat the Warriors. But I agree, he’s as good as gone IMO.
After this series and the way the Warriors have gang rolled him, if LeBron leaves it will only be to another team with a top tier superstar, preferably two. LA even with PG13 doesn’t fit the bill at all.
They could get kawhi too.
How much of a luxury is freaking iguodala? Dude had that enormous strip and enormous dunk late when Klay and Steph were struggling.
Watching iggy and livingston knowing we should have had them both years ago is infuriating.
Not sure if we’d still have them at this point but we could have had them in 2013 for a couple of seasons
At least one would have been shipped out to clear cap to sign Lebron.
how much of a luxury is KD?
I think if we lose the next game lue might be willing to try cedi. So telling to see gs get quality minutes from their rookie while Lue is still waiting for JR to be in 2016 again.
Yup. What about energy and aggression doesn’t Lue like?
He has no idea how he won the first time so he’s just running the same thing over.
Lmao, Durant with 43. Next highest scorer on that team had 11. Joke.
Joke that we can’t win a game like that.
Really, that usually looks like the Cavs box score, except after Lebron, no one would be in double figures.
Thankfully only one more game of Longabardi
Amen to that. Javale McGee should compensate that supposed defensive guru for making an all-time great.
Lue’s defensive scheme turned Javale McGee into Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem rolled into one.
If Durant had gone to Boston, the NBA would be at an all-time high in terms of competitiveness. Boston, Cavs, Warriors, Spurs, Houston would all be equally equipped to actually compete for a championship. Now, you have to hope Curry or Durant get injured.
I do hope that.
Feels like on paper it should be fun to go to the Finals ever year. Last 2 years haven’t been much fun though
more about Durant than anything, guy ruined the league, literally 27 teams have no shot at a title each year unless there is divine luck, he left a steady franchise to win titles with already great team, what a tool…also think Lue is done as coach for Cavs regardless of Lebron…entire coaching staff just not prepared for Warriors fake screens and cuts to basket…just stinks
I force a Quiz Bowl question on our faculty and students every year to denounce KD as a sad example of title chasing…. must be nice as the second option and enjoy the non-pressure of being on that team…
Oh no, not fun at all. I am steaming right now, even if I saw this coming from a mile away.
Durant ruined the nba for everyone.
Gilbert ruined the Cavs just for us. If lbj goes to lakers, Gilbert will be responsible for making the lakers and Celtics great again.
I’m a huge Lebron fan and always will be. Really, really hope where ever he goes- he plays with great team mates and a great coach. And a competent front office.
Not me. Want him to get that here.
Not going to happen unless Gilbert sells.
On paper, the Irving trade seemed like an OK deal too. 26 points a game from our PG sure would be nice right about now…
That trade looked terrible on paper.
https://twitter.com/oldseaminer/status/1004567218527588352?s=19
Defensive habits and weird offense towards the end was epitome of the Cavs from all season this year….Lue basically coaching last game on Friday, thought Cavs would take this game, but Durant balling out of his mind and numerous Warriors joining a layup line
Tough loss. Defensive habits came back to haunt us just like we all knew they would.
Exactly.
Layup after layup allowed by the Cavs and that’s why I have never like Lue as a coach.
The only good thing that will come from getting swept is Lue’s firing. Absolute joke.
Yeah, game one was a total fiasco with the refs but this game was winnable if they only knew how to defend a simple PnR.
I’m sorry, this is why you play the full season trying to get better and build cohesion. These past couple years the Cavs have coasted through the season only to ‘flip the switch’ in the playoffs. It gets you only so far, until you run into a team that plays near perfectly together, ’cause they take the season seriously.
The real problem is that LeBron is so great he can drag any half-decent team to the Finals, with or without a coach, and that lulls people into thinking the team is pretty good. But the team is not pretty good. It’s a mediocre, not very well assembled team with one fantastic player who does superhuman things to fill the gaps. It somehow works, until it doesn’t.
You spit the truth, RC Kim. This team is top-heavy with LeBron and Love but a shell of a polished offende or defense. Too many mistakes suggest this team hasn’t played enough together to be a serious threat to the championship. It’s all LeBRon now…
We missed Griff this season. He was constantly trying to improve the team with complementary talent. Gilbert for all of his spending has always had the businessman’s tendency to try to build the cheapest, worst team that was “good enough” around LeBron.
Exactly. GS is a well-oiled machine, and have been all 4 years. Cavs always seem like some hodgepodge of ok talent coalescing around the best player in the league. They can’t afford to take chunks of the season off, they’re not that good.
I’m sorry, but Golden State did NOT take the season seriously. 4 All Stars, 2 MVP’s…and they still don’t finish 1st in the West?? They coasted the regular season, straight coasted. Cavs could not afford to do that, with the players we had early and the roster shakeup.
wasted the rodney hood game
I hate James body language this game.
yea he looked beaten
i think game 1 broke him
JR broke him. That level of incompetence is not in his DNA…
Well, second game in a row he basically didn’t get a rest and he also rolled the same ankle that he injured against the Celtics. So you might be confusing bad body language with borderline exhaustion and trying to mask pain.
That shot by Durant is just crazy
Well the Cavs get the broom as I expected.
Shut up.
Sorry but the series ain’t over.
Nate I’m beyond pissed too but like I have said before the Cavs defense is not good enough to beat the Warriors.
But it could be. I’m not calling it over till it’s over.
Lol are you mad? It is what it is. The Cavs are not good enough to compete against the Warriors. Their defense is really bad.
Kevin Durant is so excited to go home and check his Twitter account about how great he is. Unfortunately everyone still thinks he is a tool and front runner. Sadface
he’ll post good stuff about himself
He and Colangelo will help each other out… fragile is the word…
fitting it ends on jr smith losing his guy
How do you give up a dunk!? Take a foul!
Wtf wtf wtf. Wtf defense.
What a game by the most cowardly player in the history of the NBA.
Why the FFFF did LeBron switch that??? No reason
They aren’t even screening him. Someone just comes close to LeBron and they switch.
It wasn’t Lebron. It’s systemic. If they had a solid defense and communication, they could have been more judicious, but the plan after game 1 was to switch everything because it’s even uglier when they have to decide and communicate whether or not to switch — e.g. the 500 Javale and Livingston dunks we’ve seen in this series. And look, when KD is rolling like that, it really doesn’t matter if it’s Lebron or somebody else. They set the next screen, KD gets a sliver of space, or Lebron has to hedge under to keep Draymond from getting a free… Read more »
wish it was the rockets sweeping us, would feel much better
Agree, but with Paul hobbled, I think the Cavs might well have beaten the Rockets…
Agreed…. and that was my hope… but the Rockets were spent…
That’s the season…
cupcake!
Durent has just destroyed the Cavs…this one probably over…
Knew it. Hood sucks.
Defensive breakdowns lost the game
I would like to say LeBron chucking up 3’s was just as bad as defensive lapses. Considering Hood hasn’t played any meaningful minutes, hes done a tremendous job.
Possibly. JR as well in the early fourth.
I agree with JRL.
Not on Hood. Lue’s spineless switch everything scheme is making it so easy for GS to get any matchup they want.
Hood/Lue whatever. You have to take the ball out of KD’s hands.
What are you talking about???
Five points worth of blown defensive assignments at the end of the game.
Cavs have no one to slow down Durant…that’s a problem…
Unfortunately he will probably play just well enough in game 4 to get an extension and then suck.
Brutal TO and Curry three…
braymond has been super chill. they must have told him if he acts up he is out
Lebron wants no part of defending Durant. I understand that he is the offense but there are 3 minutes left. He is the only one who can make him think twice. He has to do it for the last two minutes.
Can we please just post Love?? We are in the damn penalty.
Thank you for listening!
Come on Lue draw a great play. Earn your check.