DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum NBA Finals III The Empire Strikes Back

Non ball related, but I really love it when they let Cleveland fans sing the National Anthem!

Vers. I'm with you. In 3 games we've kept Curry and Thompson at bay. That's a major positive on our part.

We need to keep it up. I'll take our chances seeing if Green, Iguidala and their bench can beat us.

Man I want to go to Oakland tied up at 2 and sneak a W. Coming home up 3-2 will be crazed raucous.😎😎😎

Exactly.

Windhorst said yesterday, before Game 3, the players that Irving was guarding in Games 1 & 2 were shooting 78%. That's crazy! I'm sure Kevin's % wasn't much better.

So yeah, against this specific team, we can't have them both on the floor at the same time. I don't think that means one or both have to be traded, it just means they don't match up well against the Warriors (and probably the Spurs). Every other team in the NBA isn't an issue. Had the Thunder advanced, would we still have the same problem with both of them?

Anyway, good win last night. Game 4 & 5 are must wins, again. That's what sucks about this format. Oh well. One game at a time.

Deep Thoughts, with Phil Handy.


How Cavaliers assistant coach Phil Handy called out the team and helped create a Game 3 blowout of the Warriors


CLEVELAND, Ohio – A dejected Cleveland Cavaliers squad sauntered to the visiting locker room Sunday with heads lowered and no one saying a word.

The sounds of celebratory cheers echoing from the Golden State faithful made their way into the players' sanctuary, making the 33-point pounding the Cavs endured at Oracle even more insufferable.

Sources with knowledge of the proceedings shared the postgame details with cleveland.com.

Following a loss, head coach Tyronn Lue typically chooses to address his team the next morning to eliminate raw emotion, and that evening was no different. He saw how hard his guys were handling the fact that they were in a 0-2 NBA Finals deficit. Also on their minds was the uncertainty of Kevin Love and his concussion.

They were beat up mentally, physical and spiritually.

Lue could tell that his players just wanted out of there. He walked toward the middle of the locker room and called for his guys to bring it in. The players came over and extended their arms, but before they could break, an unlikely voice asked Lue if he could have a few words, and the head coach obliged.

Assistant coach Phil Handy, who happens to be a native of Oakland, erupted with a profanity-laced tirade, questioning their toughness and the lack of fight they displayed on such a grand stage. The players were shocked. Handy is relatively quiet. In Handy's outburst that lasted a few minutes, his overall message was clear and to the point: You guys were punked and you did absolutely nothing about it.

That message was candid and straightforward during what was a highly frustrating period, but it was well received.

"He's an Oakland boy, and we went out to Oakland and got our ass whipped twice," Cavs forward Richard Jefferson told cleveland.com. "He was pissed off. He has to show up there every day. It means a lot to him, it means a lot to us, and for us to go out there and play the way we did was embarrassing. Look, we personally feel that no team should handle us the way they did the last two games, and it was disrespectful."

Players said Handy's rant stayed with them in the days leading up to Wednesday's Game 3 in Cleveland, and it showed.

The Cavaliers returned the favor and annihilated the Warriors on Wednesday night, 120-90. The very team that was smiling, dancing, celebrating and discussing in the middle of the series how it would fare against the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers was suddenly on the defensive.

The back-to-back MVP was anything but an MVP. Stephen Curry was draped with a swarm of defenders and could not create enough separation in isolation sets to get off quality shots. He was held to two points at the half. He scored 17 in the second half, but the game was already out of reach.

Instead of making plays for his team, he turned it over a game-high six times in 31 minutes. LeBron James took on the assignment of defending Draymond Green, the Warriors' engine. Green went for a game-high 28 points Sunday, but only managed to score half a dozen on this occasion.

The Warriors didn't commit 18 turnovers; the Cavaliers took the ball 18 times. They were the aggressors, and the road team couldn't adjust to the physical play. When those "50-50" balls were loose, the Cavaliers had bodies on the floor and wrestled them away.

The defending champs were overwhelmed by the Cavaliers' physicality, their desperation, the thunderous environment and most importantly their fight. The Cavs didn't play like punks on this night.

"Sometimes you need somebody to remind you of who you are," the Cavs' Channing Frye told cleveland.com in regards to Handy's message. "Sometimes you get caught up in the moment instead of being reminded of how hard it took to get here and the work you put in to get here. You saw it today. You saw the big difference."

Golden State had better toughen up. They're not the only ones representing Oakland. Handy made sure that message was relayed on Sunday.

"It definitely wasn't normal [for Handy to call them out]," Jefferson told cleveland.com, "but sometimes people step out of their norm and say what they feel needs to be said, and it was definitely something that needed to be said."

Cleveland.com

About time someone called them out.

I'd have Love come off the bench tomorrow if he plays. It's not necessarily a knock on him it's just that the value of our "Big Three" is that we can have legitimate high level scoring on the floor at, at least 2 positions at all time. Any combination of 2 of the 3 is greater than all 3 together, in my opinion as it let's them breathe and play their game. Meanwhile, it keeps the pressure on the other teams to have to keep up their defensive intensity at all times.

I thought that was also key. A few of us earlier in the season suggested that our best shot against the Warriors would be for Lebron to guard Draymond. It certainly nullifies a lot of mismatches when they do their bread and butter pick and rolls.

With the number of times that quote has been used on this board, it amazes me that someone would not recognize it as being from "Animal House". (not saying you, personally, don't, just that anyone would not recognize it)

I have long held that when Cleveland finally wins a championship, it will not be an easy road. It will be difficult, and unlikely, and truly earned. I hope that this is our year ... and if it is, I can see it coming down to game 7, at Golden State, in a game where we trail by 25 at the half. (or some other ridiculous, impossible scenario)

Ive never watched animal house. So *shrug*

It's a classic movie, more geared towards guys. Very funny. John Belushi at his finest.

Thank you god

Not as nice as it was not having to make those comments because we weren't getting spanked like we did the first two games...

You need to drop that down by 25 at the half thing. People just might die watching a comeback like that.

I forgot to add this to my impossible scenario: And Lebron James leaves in the 3rd quarter with an injury, and is unable to return to the game. lol

My point is that I see the next Cleveland championship being the impossible coming true. I don't see it being a pedestrian event. It will be a heart wrenching event.

I hope the urgent care centers in and around Cleveland have a bunch of defib machines on hand.

Getting crushed the previous two games did enough of a number on my heart thank you very much!

The Browns, a Cinderella team by all accounts (squeak into playoffs and make an incredible run), win at Heinz Field in the AFC championship game to make it to Super Bowl 55.

In the Super Bowl they trail the favorite Green Bay Packers 27-13 with 2 minutes to go.

The Browns score a TD to cut the lead to 27-20, and they proceed to recover the onside kick with 45 seconds left.

After three plays they reach the 16 yard line with 4 seconds to go.

They make a miraculous reception in the end zone as the clock runs out.

Incredibly, the coaching staff decides to go for two (the kicker was injured after recovering the onside kick).

On a trick play (HB pass on an end around) the Browns make a circus catch in the end zone.

After reviewing the play for more than 10 minutes, it is determined the receiver DID get both feet in bounds AND had possession.

Cleveland wins the Super Bowl.

It sucks so bad that I feel like it would be a bigger hurdle making it to the Superbowl than for this scenario to play out...

Cavaliers Say Kevin Love Out with Concussion Until He Can Recite Pi to 500 Decimal Places

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue announced following the Cavaliers dominating Game 3 NBA Finals win over the Warriors that power forward Kevin Love will not return to action until he is able to pass the team’s new concussion test that requires players to be able to jog, ride an exercise bike, complete agility drills, pass basic cognitive tests and, finally, recite all the numbers in Pi out to the 500th decimal place.

“Obviously, we’d love to have Kevin back because he is an important part of this team or whatever,” said Lue. “But that Pi thing … I don’t know. The doctors told me after the game that Kevin passed all the other things and is cleared to practice tomorrow and play Game 4. But because I, you know, value his health so much, I insisted we put in something a little tougher so we’re sure his brain is fine.”

On his first attempt, Love only got up to 3.14, falling 498 numbers short of the required amount.

The Cavaliers took it to the Warriors with Love on the bench after getting blown out in Games 1 and 2, both of which he started. But the Cavaliers say that fact has nothing to do with the tougher concussion protocol that has suddenly been instituted.

“Not at all. Ridiculous,” said Lue. “If we wanted to keep him out, there were other ways. Tougher ways. Did you know LeBron wanted to hit him in the back of the head with a shovel after the game? This is much fairer to Kevin.”


https://medium.com/sportspickle/cavalier...dbf1#.1m136ugw0

Exactly. There's NO scenario where the Browns QB is in the victory formation to win a Super Bowl. We can only win with the opponents game-tying/winning FG attempt hits BOTH of the uprights and falls back into the endzone OR like you had it, we score a fluke TD that the ref initially calls an incomplete pass and then is reluctantly reversed because the evidence was too obvious that we did indeed score.

Exactly. There's NO scenario where the Browns QB is in the victory formation to win a Super Bowl. We can only win with the opponents game-tying/winning FG attempt hits BOTH of the uprights and falls back into the endzone OR like you had it, we score a fluke TD that the ref initially calls an incomplete pass and then is reluctantly reversed because the evidence was too obvious that we did indeed score. [/quote]



I can't help but think it's far more likely we LOSE a super bowl that way than win one.. but then I've been had battered fan syndrome for quite a while. I more imagine us in the victory formation with :08 on the clock and us up by 6 and the other team out of timeouts and our QB takes the snap and takes a step back and spikes the ball in celebration before the ref has blown the play dead and the other team picks it up and runs it in for a touchdown while our team is dancing around on the field.

I know Lebron has been off at times in this series, but I refuse to believe it's because of a lack of effort. I honestly believe it's the opposite. He needs to calm down a little bit. This play alone told me what his mindset is right now:

https://youtu.be/Mk1yHuaocBw

Jefferson was a baller! I don't think he was given enough props last night for what he did to kickstart some people who had been ineffective for the most part. He needs to be out there more for the next game. Big M helped too. Get another one.

They may have cracked some of the gleam last night.

C'mon, Cavs!

Lol, yeah I deserve that. I'm one of the few people in America who has never watched it. Guess I should.

Shoot, I watched the movie a dozen times and 6 months ago, a year ago? I got the "was it over when the germans bombed pearl harbor" part......but I didn't catch the "let him go, he's on a roll" part.

Very astute point, Bard.

He's a perfect defender for Barnes and Livingston. He allows us to switch Lebron onto Green and neutralize his impact. Let Iggy try to go off scoring. We put TT on Iggy for a reason at times. He sucks shooting the ball and always has. If he gets streaky hot, oh well.

Here's a fun fact, we out rebounded Golden State 52-32. You can't let their smurfs outwork you on the glass.

So, are you guys still not aware of how effective TT has been on flashing out and making it tough on Curry and Klay? How do you guys miss that? Seriously?

LOL.. when I was in HS, if you shot the ball after the whistle it was a technical foul. I mean if you were in the act of shooting or in the flow and trying to get the call for a shooting foul obviously that was ok.. but if they blew the whistle and you just chucked the ball up from where every you were or did a layup as Steph ws trying to do.. they T'd you up.

I heard Brad Dougherty on the radio before game 3 and one of the things he said was that people get lulled into this trap of thinking the only way to beat GSW is to go small... His point was, that doesn't make sense.. You can't beat one of the best small teams ever by going small and trying to beat them at their own game.. you have to find a way to make them adjust to YOUR game.. I know, easier said than done.

I liked the insertion of Mozgov early, he made a few nice defensive plays at the rim..

Not only that, but he set some hard screens. So much that, despite being in for just 2 minutes in the first quarter, Klay Thompson was whining about him being dirty after the game. That's getting in his head.

I'm sure he's still feeling that knee to the thigh. That was one wicked charlie horse.

Considering he makes more than Curry, it's the least he could do.

Keys to the game:

- Win

- Sucker Draymond Green into a Flagrant Foul so he sits Game 5 in Oakland.

I loved the play in game 3 when Curry ran right at LeBron as GS was bringing the ball up, locked his arm into LeBron, twisted and turned until he fell down... and they called a foul on LeBron.. then he the same possession he got the ball on the sidelines with TT guarding him and he knocked it off Curry out of bounds and Curry was whining for a foul... I just loved that sequence of event.s

Hey Delly, Excl is talking to you. Are you paying attention?

Shouldn't be too hard, since all you have to do is touch him on a foul and he flails his legs around like he's a Rockette.

Hmm ..... there was a poster who suggested, prior to game 3, using Mozgov more ..... but I am struggling to recall who that poster was.

Oh yeah, now I remember! It was me!

I figured that Mozgov would bring a physical presence against a smaller GS team. He definitely did so.

I hope that we bring Love off the bench. He can still play significant minutes, but he's just not a great matchup against the GS starters.

Let's go get game 4 ..... and start the road to the Championship in earnest.

Love's coming off the bench.

This will be good. Kick up the bench scoring.

I like the move.