Playoff Live Thread (Game 3): Cavs vs Celtics
2024-05-11Happy Saturday, Cavs fans. After an unexpected throttling of the Boston Celtics, Thursday, the Cavaliers return to the banks of Lake Erie to host the Boston Celtics in front of what promises to be a raucus crowd. After breakout games from Evan Mobley (21/10/5 and three stocks) and Caris LeVert (21/6/3) which centered around relentlessly attacking the rim, the Cavs have found a weakness in the Boston D. The wine and gold also got out on the Celtics shooters. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN noted. (Thanks for pulling the quote, Sweetchi.)
Boston was just 8-for-35 from 3-point range — though Second Spectrum tracking data showed that 77.1% of those triples were heavily contested shots, the highest percentage in any game the Celtics have played with Joe Mazzulla as coach over the past two seasons.
Expect a lot more screening to open up Boston shooters and to force mismatches on Cavalier switches.
As far as the injury watch goes, the word as of 7:30 is maybe Wade, but Allen less likely. TY Jerome and Craig Porter Junior are out.
Expect Dean Wade to get a huge ovation if he checks in, and given Mobley a success starting at the five, Wade getting some minutes as a quality four might be even more important for Cleveland. For Boston, only the Zinger remains out.
Cleveland has to keep doing what they’re doing, keep the turnovers now (just 10 in game 2!), set screens, and run the offense. Boston is going to try to do what Denver did last night: turn the tables on the home team in their own building. So just don’t get lazy and bored with success. Go Cavs.
I understand why, but commentators assuming this is over really fucking rankles.
LT up
DM and JA OUT for tonight.
Fcuk!
Seasons over! Bon Voyage Spida!
Yeesh! No luck for Cavs
May leaders:
PTS — Spida
REB — Hart
AST — Luka
STL — TJ
BLK — Mobley
From statsmuse.
Ty Jerome is playing?
Always liked George Hill. Nice to see things working out for him in retirement.
https://andscape.com/features/nba-veteran-george-hill-is-at-peace-on-the-court-or-in-the-country/
Probably starting Wade, who was great Saturday. No hesitation, good on the glass, only a few record scratches. Let it fly and kept ball moving.
so, more strus and niang next year ? were those 2 yr signs ?
3 for Niang 4 for Strus. Niang is an expiring when the Mobley extension kicks in
very exciting.. i am overwhelmed with optimism.. thx
this is also crazy …
satire bro.. uncle buck is not the optimistic type.. the cup is always fully empty, with a hole in the bottom
got that right!
which ? the satire, or uncle buck’s demeanor ? there is a method to the madness, RAOUL bro.. it’s all just a source of semi-amusement, and never crazy emotional attachment.. the buddhists have it right.. OMMMMMMM…
CtB has a lot of debates between the halffullers and the halfemptyers. you get the “the cup is always fully empty, with a hole in the bottom” outlier trophy.
loving these in-your-face FU down 0-2 back-to-back wins playoff series.. great stuff.. the battle of wills is where the action is.. other than spida, not much unbreakable will on the cavs..
You think Ant lost a battle of wills yesterday?
Make or miss don’t reflect effort
KAT was their issue, not Ant-Man, who was fantastic.
ANT has MJ will (no correlation with winning percentage, obviously, need world-class talent for that, which he has in spades).. i will gladly pay top $$ to watch a fighter who will not quit, ever.. kind of like the terminator.. that is the kind of warrior i can get behind, and be inspired by (i still watch walter payton videos, and continue to get goosebumps,, motivates me to go out and pick up an axe and chop wood).. DG has the will of a house fly.. pampered rich little man-boy who has not the guts or character to try an… Read more »
this is crazy
payton – dead at 46 with one ring. we all love a human sacrifice I guess.
rooting for comic books and myths and not actual people >>>>>>
you want to watch payton or franco harris ? barry sanders mot worth squat bc of rings ?
Sweetness is the GOAT, save maybe for Jim Brown or Sanders.
what specifically ?
MJ his first 3 years:
38-44, 30-52 (only played 18 games), 40-42.
Made the POs each year. Went 1-9 with a win vs the Bucks in year 1.
Year 4 is the first winning record and the first series win (3-2 over the Cavs, but the shot over Ehlo was the next year). Pippen’s first year. MJ’s first MVP.
Jordan never won a PO series without Pippen. Pippen won multiples without Jordan.
last stat is interesting! I hadn’t known that. the exact opposite of LeBron PO series wins without Kyrie, vs. Kyrie’s without LeBron
Knicks had a Cavs in April moment. All the injuries pile up and the bottom falls out for a game or so. That might go 7 and look like Orlando
Holy shit, Nuggs get 5 points in the last 3 seconds of the half, Murray intercept & half-court heave special.
That was something.
Hilarious.
Easy to think “sky is falling” after a loss, but before Pacers beat Knicks earlier today EVERY other series was 2-1 also. Cavs have a really good shot to get a win next game at home (where we are 4-1 in playoffs thus far). Celtics aren’t doing anything that seems impossible to overcome, Cavs shot poorly last game, and I think Game 4 is usually where you see major adjustments. I’m optimistic. Go Cavs!!!
It’s just make or miss. Don’t smoke layups hit open shots. Can win a game with Boston scoring 106.
#Cavs got to the rim repeatedly, for the second straight game against Boston. Only this time, they weren’t able to finish with the same efficiency.
Just 18 of 33 on the night.
In the Game 2 win, they were 23 of 32.
Game 1 they were 14 of 17
#Cavs Donovan Mitchell is QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow’s Game 4 because of a left calf strain. Jarrett Allen (bruised rib) is also QUESTIONABLE.
If Mitch doesn’t play the series is over.
We did beat them without him in the regular season. Wade went nuts.
gives darius a chance to show that he can be a difference-maker.. certainly being paid like one
Narratives soon come. Maybe he’s quitting on Cleveland or the coach, etc
Thibs should throw in the towel and just have Burks shoot 50 times the rest of the way, but he probably won’t. Just madness.
The Knicks are just gassed and getting run out of the gym. Down 30+, Thibs should sit the starters.
were you good with JB doing that in Game 3 of Orlando?
…this isn’t a slam, i just genuinely forgot.
if the Pacers advance because the Bucks and Knicks are super hurt I’m gonna be annoyed.
The C’s tend to play with their food.
Maybe we can get hot games from the others (DG, Caris, Strus, Ice, Wade) and a subpar 3 game from Boston & win Game 4.
Not optimistic. But it is a outcome that is certainly possible.
Knicks are getting smoked!
Down Randle, Robinson, and OG with Brunson getting worn down/knicked up as well.
With OG I think they can win this. Without? I doubt it.
They looked like us post ASB – have juuust enough gas for one game of fight, then weird total collapse. Health and fatigue catches up to everyone
Tuned in to the Pacers game and saw the Pacers bench has 20 out of 42 while the Knicks have 19 in 15 minutes of game time. This is from 4 players.
If only our bench/role players had show up like this yesterday. Let’s see what they have tomorrow. We had 20 (Caris 15, Wade 5) for the game and only the 3 from Dwade in the 1st half.
make or miss league all the way down
Thibs may have finally put the stake in the Knicks. Lotta game left, though.
Brunson already has a gift foul call. But Tony Brothers ain’t overturning one of his calls unless it’s a scandal level call.
Hawks are in great shape, Spurs too (fuck Toronto).
Wonder if DG and our pick for those picks (or Mitchell for those picks and one of the wings) would work.
Need to try and snag a 2025 pick. It’s apparently a more loaded class.
yeah but tough with DM being 29 there. list of good rookies in the playoffs is not long.
no home runs anywhere. bummer
Hawks get the #1 pick
We have 11 guys signed for next year, 2 of them not fully guaranteed (Merrill & Porter). Keep at all costs = 3. Mitchell ($35.4 mil), Allen ($20 mil), Mobley ($11.2). Keep = 2. Wade ($6.17 mil), Merrill ($2.16 mil, NG). Good players but overpaid and/or play too big a role here. Have some trade value. If I am gonna make changes, these are the guys (who have value) I’d be willing to move = 3. Garland ($36.7 mil), LeVert ($16.6 mil), Strus ($15.2 mil). Regular season innings eater only, and overpaid = 1. Niang ($8.5 mil). Not needle movers… Read more »
I acknowledge the team’s achievement to date. I don’t expect them to overcome Boston, but when looking at the NBA players currently on holiday, one has to admit that the team is right fucking there and only needs marginal improvement in some key areas to be a finals threat. That said: “It’s still early for DG!”….no it’s not. I’m sick of his performances this season. I wrote two paragraphs on this just now but deleted them – you all know the story. PS: Dean Wade +12. The only player who played over 12 minutes that had a positive rating. And… Read more »
yup
It’s not early for DG. But it’s not too late either. He gets another year. And in that year AT WORST will be a bunch of interesting flash games, if not a full return to 22-23 form.
As the resident DG super fan here, this has been a really bad season for him. The jaw no doubt has played a part, along with other nagging injuries, but his midrange has been unreliable, he’s been wildly inconsistent from three, and his play has too often been purposeless. He’s only had a few games this season where he’s looked like we’d like him to look. Too often he’s looked more like his rookie year.
if he doesn’t bring more to these games, Cavs are losing in five. It’s incredibly frustrating to watch.
it’s so frustrating. he was out the…second? game with a hammy and it’s just been either him hurt or other guys being hurt so the chemistry / coherence is off.
for a guy who relies SO MUCH on feel it’s explainable. it’s still bad.
kyrie with a sweet shake ‘n bake at the end of the game.. would like to see kyrie and doncic move to the next round.. okc has time to ripen a bit more
OKC is in a great position. They have an already great team with an abundance of assets. If they want to win a title, they should look to make a deal with the Cavs.
they should have made a move for windler.. on a serious note, garland is an issue.. not living up to the $150 million contract (not sure if feels betrayed or whether he just has don’t give a fuck-itis bc he is not the big dog).. either way, the scheit is flowing back up into the bowl.. cavs are a one-trick spida show.. is what it is.. the little boys need to grow up and exert themselves.. they won’t.. why i watch from afar.. can’t get emotionally involved with spoiled youngsters just playing in their sandbox..
Not sure if you’re serious, trying to be funny, or it’s meant someone else? Either way I find comfort in this lyric: “Harry! Harry! Where do you go when the lights go out”
the reference to windler was meant to be humorous.. poor windy.. nothing to be done with weak bones.. the rest was just a rant on the boys who need to man up..
OKC is weirdly why I don’t worry about Mitchell’s future that much. He’d be perfect for them and they have enough to pay the cost of a good starter, a bunch of prospects and picks.
They are a lot smaller than I thought on the wing but you could cook with something built around the good J Will if you think he can play 3, (maybe) Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and any number of not-Giddey picks and prospects.
i am all on board to trade spida after this season (especially if they get punked by boston 4-1).. garland has been sub-par since he arrived (not sure what his problem is.. but there is a problem.. he should be easily getiing 23-25 per game with spida since he has no stress.. just has to hit his open shots),, i would also be open to trading garland (actually, one of either garland or spida has to go.. if they can sign spida this offseason then they need to trade garland and bring in some one who can actuall help the… Read more »
They don’t have to go, you don’t need to do anything this off-season. 4-1 to Boston with both teams missing their center isn’t getting punked, it’s chalk.
Let them see if getting run pulls the same thing out of DG and Mobley that the Knicks series pulled out of JA. Garland in particular should understand this is the last chance. But it’s a chance I feel he earned
Any deal for good players that was there this off-season will be there at the deadline. SA having two top 8 picks makes them an interesting spot as a partner though.
I felt like the Cavs were much quicker in their sets, during the win in Boston, and not letting them get set defensively. Maybe explore that a bit.
they tried really hard for early offense in the first and had a bunch of turnovers. it’s just the little stuff not going perfect and no margin for error. such a narrow path to beat Boston and of course Boston knows it.
Tonight was the 5th time the Cavs have shot under 60% at the rim in these Playoffs
5th out of 10th game..
Mike Zavagno – Twitter
Thanks Mo Wagner, you dirty f!?$, for piercing Allen’s ribs!
I’d start Dean Wade (if available) over Okoro on Monday. Okoro was 1-7, and 0-4 from 3. Straight trash can performance!
Disappointing regression after a promising season.
Wish he’d bring some sort of consistency, on offense.