Last night's game was one of the toughest games I had to watch in a long time. I was too emotionally invested in that game and it hurt.
It was a good game and the Cavs fought hard. I think assigning blame to a team that has reached the Finals for three straight years is wrong. Instead, I believe that GS is just an excellent team and I have to give them credit.
I hope the Cavs continue to fight hard and refuse to surrender.
Game 1: 0 points, 4 rebounds Game 2: 8 points, 4 rebounds Game 3: 0 points, 3 rebounds
McGee:
Game 1: 4 points, 4 rebounds Game 2: 2 points, 3 rebounds Game3: 1 point, 1 rebound
So TT barely outplayed a guy who doesn't even start.
Not worth his contract.
Don't get me started on JR.
I hope we continue fighting hard, seeep or not I'm proud of this team. That being said, its time we start thinking about who can get swapped out, and how.
People deal with disappointment in different ways. Let people vent. At least they're not attsckijgnyou. Everyone remains entitled to their own opinion.
I felt we screwed up the last 2 minutes by failing to continue to attack the rim. We were in the bonus, and we would get sent to the line! Let them have their threes, but keep the lead by playing our game.
LOL...........didn't take long for the blame game to begin.
I don't think overreacting is a good idea. If we had more shots fall we are looking at a more competitive game 2 and probably a win in game 3. I mean how many shots does Korver make like that with his eyes closed. And for as good as Love has been, he can't hit a 3 to save his life.
I would try to do everything in my power to keep the big 3 and everything else is on the table. I don't think people realize what trading Love would mean. He pretty much guarantees a team is one and done on offense. Thats huge. Hes a big reason why the Cavs are in the finals. He's an excellent compliment to LBJ and Kyrie but he's misused on offense. Change the offense up.
But I would not touch the big 3. Going to have to get creative then.
LOL...........didn't take long for the blame game to begin.
I don't think overreacting is a good idea. If we had more shots fall we are looking at a more competitive game 2 and probably a win in game 3. I mean how many shots does Korver make like that with his eyes closed. And for as good as Love has been, he can't hit a 3 to save his life.
I would try to do everything in my power to keep the big 3 and everything else is on the table. I don't think people realize what trading Love would mean. He pretty much guarantees a team is one and done on offense. Thats huge. Hes a big reason why the Cavs are in the finals. He's an excellent compliment to LBJ and Kyrie but he's misused on offense. Change the offense up.
But I would not touch the big 3. Going to have to get creative then.
How is he being misused?
He was missing open looks, he was getting beat while trying to post up. Correct me if I am wrong, he is a shooter, who can rebound like crazy and has great post skills.
All these people talking trades need to keep a few things in mind:
- Tristan is signed for 3 more years at $16M and escalating.
- JR is signed for 3 more years at $14M and escalating.
- Shump is signed for 2 more years at $10M and escalating.
- Pretty much EVERY good trade we made was taking on someone else's player so the other team could clear cap space. We either sent an expiring or a trade exception the other direction, NOT a player making $10 million plus for several years.
- We also don't have a lot of draft picks left, and even if we did, picks in the 20+ range are pretty worthless anyway.
So that leaves us with pretty much two options ...
- Trade Kevin Love at ~23M a year or trade Kyrie at ~$21M a year.
- Hope an awesome vet signs with us for the league minimum.
Number 2 ain't happening. The first option is limited as well. At best, you're going to get a player back that's at the same caliber as the one going out, and you're just resetting the whole learning process and team chemistry. Is that REALLY going to beat Golden State?
So, this is one of the best "trade" scenarios I could come up with:
1) We trade Kevin Love to New York for Carmelo. New York might actually do that. The salaries work, and both guys get fresh starts.
2) We trade Kyrie to the Clippers for Chris Paul. I don't know that the Clippers would really do that, but maybe they are desperate to switch things up and trade for the younger guy with more exciting potential?
3) We trade TT and Shump to Chicago for Dwyane Wade. Maybe Chicago goes for this one too. We give them some youth and they get to unload D-Wade's contract. (but get some pretty crappy contracts in return)
So that gives us Lebron's dream team: Him, Paul, Carmello and Wade. We still don't have a center, and I still think we get crushed by Golden State.
I was so pumped up towards the end of the game I had a hard time falling asleep last night. Unfortunately, the better team won. GS is just too damn good right now.
Which after injuries would just be LeBron by the time the Finals started.
That's kind of my point. People who think we can trade the guys on our current team and get something along the same lines of what Golden State has are just dreaming.
Which after injuries would just be LeBron by the time the Finals started.
That's kind of my point. People who think we can trade the guys on our current team and get something along the same lines of what Golden State has are just dreaming.
Bottom line is this team isn't tough and very old. Griffin has done a mediocre job and squandered what little assets we have away and gave big contracts to guys that don't deserve it. So our options are limited but I believe this team is as good as it will ever get, only piece you can change out and hope works is Lue, who imo isn't a guy who knows how to get the most out of guys. This finals looks a lot like 2007. So we are going to have to either break down and do something drastic or just be happy with being in the hunt until lebron retires
In my opinion, we tried our butts off last night ... couldn't try harder. Freaking Kyle Korver was diving into the stands, Love was on the deck, we were crashing boards, blocking shots, attacking the hoop. Irving was incredible, Lebron as well ... ran out of gas ... but most importantly: GS is just THAT good. It's effortless for them to score. Best team in history.
We were a few plays away from winning last night. Had we won, we'd be feeling a lot better about the series and the future.
You never know. Someone might roll an ankle or JR goes off for 25 in game 4. Unlikely, but you never know.
For next year, the Warriors might be cold from distance, less focused and an injury might happen for them too. We're still one of the best teams in the NBA.
If you told me we'd win in 2016 and then lose in 2017, I'd take it.....AND knowing the Warriors are going to be better in 2018. At least this team is competing and won something. A lot more than you can say about the team this board is named after.
A lot of NBA superstars come cheap in trades. I don't think Boston will ever let us get PG, but I bet it wouldn't be hard to convince Phil Jackson to trade us Melo.
Keep in mind, I'm no basketball guru by any stretch.
When I look at the team this year, and if someone had a gun to my head and said I had to trade away either Kevin Love or Kyrie, I reluctantly choose Kyrie. He's such a talent, but the guy just flat out refuses to play anything other than iso ball 95% of the time. Love took his lumps last year when he got relegated to coming off the bench, but now he's a productive cog in our system (again, when we choose to run our system).
That being said, I'm with the majority of you, I don't really see, nor have I heard, of a productive and realistic trade scenario where I would be ok with unloading Kyrie. The only likely thing I can think of is a can't-miss prospect coming out in the draft (ironically, that kid we flipped for Love comes to mind).
As hard as it was to watch, I have nothing but respect for the way the Cavs are playing these guys. It's just our bad luck that our window coincides with the era of a true super team. The fact that GS could find the money under the cap to sign Durant was a basically luck. If he's not on that team, we might even be the team that's up 3.
No crying over spilled milk though, the Cavs have shown they can play with them, and while seemingly impossible, they CAN win 4 in a row. Not that I'm expecting them to, but I am expecting them to play another game with heart and passion and at least pull one out.
I don't hate GS, with the exception of Draymond Green but I definitely don't want them to complete an 16-0 run through the playoffs on our home floor.
Open Letter To Kevin Durant: This Boring NBA Postseason Isn't Your Fault, It's Ours
Dear Kevin Durant:
I’ve seen people call you a villain lately, and I have to laugh. It’s silly. Nothing in your personality screams “villain!” I don’t think many people actually think of you as a villain. It’s a contrived storyline in an NBA spring when most of the storylines are contrived.
We’re bored. That’s all. You and your Golden State Warriors are 14–0 in the NBA playoffs. You are going to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for the championship unless LeBron James does something incredible, like turn Tristan Thompson into Anthony Davis. And then you will celebrate with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Steve Kerr, and … well, here’s the truth:
I’m less impressed with each of you than I was a year ago. Really. A year ago, Kerr seemed like one of the best coaches in sports. Now he seems like a hood ornament. The car moves just fine without him. Curry was a phenomenon; now he doesn’t have to be. Green and Thompson were essential pieces to a championship contender. Now they can have off nights and their team wins by 20.
And you … you and your Oklahoma City Thunder nearly beat the 73-win Warriors in the playoffs, which should have set up an epic duel this spring, except you bailed for Golden State, where the talent is overwhelming, and here we are: you, on the verge of a ring, and me, bored.
You may not care what I think. That’s fine. Nobody can make you care. But I’m going to explain it anyway.
The problem with your Warriors experience is that there was no struggle. You showed up, killed everybody and won. It was not surprising or interesting. It feels like a bunch of parents conspired to put the best players on the same Little League team. Sure, you’re going to win, but we all expected that as long as you stayed healthy. (And no, Kerr’s back injury does not count. Please.)
You have the two best pure scorers in the league (you and Curry) and two of the five best defensive players (Klay Thompson and Draymond Green). That’s it. That’s the whole screenplay. The rest is just special effects.
If I see one more analyst point to a piece of lint in front of you and claim it’s a hurdle, I’m going to get physically ill. Your coach couldn’t sit on the bench? Come on. You had to learn to “coexist” on the floor with Curry … I mean, really? This is like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett figuring out how to split the dinner check. It’s not adversity; it’s accounting.
This Warriors team is unprecedented in my time watching the NBA. Sure, there have been dominant NBA teams in the past, but the principals all had to build toward dominance. Michael Jordan’s Bulls had to go through the Celtics and Pistons. When Jordan came back from his first retirement, he wasn’t himself, and the Bulls lost to Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway and a rising Magic team. That’s what made the next year’s 72-win Bulls fun to watch. Jordan was reasserting his grip on the league.
The Shaq-Kobe Lakers lost in the playoffs four times—and were swept twice—before winning their first championship. They had one dominant playoff run, in 2001, but they nearly lost to the Trail Blazers in 2000 and the Kings in 2002. The James-Wade-Bosh Heat became interesting when we (and they) realized winning a championship would be hard for them.
Maybe the Spurs would have given you that challenge if Kawhi Leonard hadn’t gotten hurt. We’ll never know. But for now, it feels like Jordan’s Bulls signed Charles Barkley in the middle of their run. That would have left Scottie Pippen as a defensive specialist who didn’t need to score that much, even though everybody knew he could. Thompson was Curry’s Pippen. He was a lot more fun to watch last year, when the Warriors needed him to be the great player he is.
This is not your fault. A combination of circumstances—like Curry’s contract and a one-time cap spike—gave you the opening to leave Oklahoma City for Golden State. All you did was run through it.
You had a right to do it. But there is no way this championship will be as gratifying as a championship with the Thunder would have been. No intelligent basketball fan believes you found a missing quality inside yourself this year. You were a cinch Hall of Famer in Oklahoma City. You’re a cinch Hall of Famer now. You didn’t have to become a better leader, or become mentally tougher, or learn how to will your team to victory, or finally beat the last guy standing in your way. You just got better teammates. The End.
I understand the impulse that led you to Golden State. It didn’t really come from you. It came from us. We, as a sports-loving society, have become absurdly narrow-minded in our assessment of great players. We act like anybody who fails to win a championship is a fraud, especially in basketball. We assess individuals purely on the results of a team game. It’s idiotic. Somehow it’s James’s fault when J.R. Smith doesn’t make shots. And if you hadn’t won a title in Oklahoma City, some people would have acted like it was a character flaw, instead of one disappointing aspect of a spectacular career.
So enjoy your next two wins. Enjoy your championship. I’m sure some people will gush that you “finally did it,” as though this one-season steamrolling is a natural extension of what you built in Oklahoma City. It isn’t. That will be another contrived storyline. And some will claim that you are the best player in the world now, ahead of James and Curry, but that will also be silly. We all know that if we swapped you for James, the Warriors would be at least as dominant. And we all knew you could play at an MVP level. That’s why you won that MVP a few years ago. This series is not telling us anything we don’t already know.
I’m sure you know that winning won’t be easy forever. Players age and get injured. Opponents rise. In a year or two, the Warriors will trail in a playoff series and be in real danger of losing. That’s when I’ll be interested again. And I won’t think of you as a villain or a hero—just a great player who needs to squeeze everything out of himself. That’s one of my favorite parts of basketball. I miss it.
I agree with some of the others here. If JR and TT play to their contracts like everybody on GS seems to be doing, we are in this series. For what TT's making, zero points isn't going to cut it. Someone here said Curry has more rebounds than TT, are you frickin' kidding me? I really hope this is due to an injury or something, and not him being as lackluster as he looks. JR's making a fortune to drain 3's. When 40% of your starting lineup plays like crap, we're going to lose against elite teams. I'm one of the few that doesn't think that GS is miles ahead of us talent wise, they're just getting the most out of their talent and we aren't. It also sure doesn't look like Lue is holding his own vs Kerr/Brown.
Last night's game was one of the toughest games I had to watch in a long time. I was too emotionally invested in that game and it hurt.
It was a good game and the Cavs fought hard. I think assigning blame to a team that has reached the Finals for three straight years is wrong. Instead, I believe that GS is just an excellent team and I have to give them credit.
I hope the Cavs continue to fight hard and refuse to surrender.
After last night's game, I will not be tuning into anymore. I went in, and sad as it is to say, with a bad mindset but that changed there. I felt we had a chance. We did have a chance.
Then we put together three minutes to end the game that was ugly, stinky and etc. Complete deflation of emotions.
I love my Cavs, and absolutely no hate - but I'm not watching the next game. It'll be interesting to see what our roster looks like next year.
Last night's game was do-or-die for me. We died. It's unfathomable to believe we can make another comeback against that team.
I'm more so interested in the changes that's going to be coming to our roster. People I probably don't want to see go, will go and people I don't want to see stay, likely will stay lol.
First of all, you said you thought that assigning blame to the team was wrong. You didn't ask anyone not to go down that road as you imply, you just stated your opinion. Read your opening post. Secondly, if you post something and others disagree they shouldn't have to start another thread to counter. We're all pizzed and hurt over the outcome.
Here's another thing that is truly amazing. arch says to me on a thread in the PFF "can you give them some time?" Okay. Yet, the Cavs have been to THREE STRAIGHT FINALS, only lost one game in the Eastern Conference playoffs, have won a championship, and they get ragged on repeatedly while arch keeps his mouth shut.
Here's another thing that is truly amazing. arch says to me on a thread in the PFF "can you give them some time?" Okay. Yet, the Cavs have been to THREE STRAIGHT FINALS, only lost one game in the Eastern Conference playoffs, have won a championship, and they get ragged on repeatedly while arch keeps his mouth shut.
LOL............crazy!
That's just dumb. Really. You stalking me?
Here's the bottom line - You dislike me. You've said so many times. Actually, "hate" is the word you've used.
Yeah, the cav's are in the finals for the 3rd straight time. That's a good thing.
The Browns are trying to climb out of the cellar, yet you dis them quite often.
I don't. Can you give the Browns a chance?
Or, is it your dislike of me that propels your posts?
I was thinking about how amazing it is that the Cavs have reached the NBA Finals in three straight years. That's freaking amazing and I appreciate the fact that one of my teams is so good.
I think about the Browns. They have never even made it to one Super Bowl. Never mind three straight!
I do remember the Browns under Marty and how good they were. People were going off on him and the team because they didn't win it all. I remember I was at work one day and these idiots were complaining about Marty, Byner, the defense, etc.......and I said......"maybe you guys should appreciate how good we've been playing because we've been a lot worse." One of the idiots snorted and said........."Appreciate what? Them losing every damn year. Byner sucks. He needs to be cut. Fire Marty. Blow this team up."
Well, he got his wishes, as did many others.
Sometimes, one should be careful what he wishes for.
I think it'd be dumb to blow anything up, honestly.
Our guys aren't playing well. TT seems lost, and Kyrie would rather take 3s instead of drive to the rim when he's in the bonus.
Golden State is just that good.
At the same time, let people get out what they feel. There's really no wrong way to vent, bar threats to individuals, and telling them "how dare you say that!!" just riles people up more.
The team isnt playing up to their potential. That is a coaching issue. And it needs to be addressed in the offseason.
Its great that we made it to the finals. But you play to win the game. The mgt isnt going to be satisfied with the status quo, and neither are the fans. Who wants to be perennial finals losers and be happy with it. They will make adjustments. And it might mean some people leave.
What would you do as coach when you're in the bonus? Would you tell your shooters to keep making low percentage jumpers, or would you tell them to drive to the rim?
The last two minutes of regulation put us in the bonus. If I'm Lue, I tell all of the guys that I'm benching them if they take some long three point shot. Pretty much every warrior was in foul trouble! Why Kyrie didn't continue to attack the rim, especially when we had the lead, blows me away. I don't know why LeBron allowed it to happen, either.
I think Lebron was totally gassed by the end of that game. I don't know about Kyrie, but I don't think Lebron had the energy to drive or even defend at that point.
I think Lebron was totally gassed by the end of that game. I don't know about Kyrie, but I don't think Lebron had the energy to drive or even defend at that point.
Golden State made some unbelievably tough shots. Deep threes in transition. It is an amazing thing to watch. They are just a great team.
I don't think playing the blame game is productive. We won a championship just last year w/the same coach and most of the same players. I get that a lot of the same posters who are pointing fingers and playing the blame game are the same posters who post a lot in the political forum and do the same thing over there every day, so that is just how they live their lives.
However, I choose to respect how much the Cavs have accomplished in the last three years and appreciate watching one of my teams succeed. It's fun to witness and it sure beats being at the bottom of the league every year like the Browns are.
I think Lebron was totally gassed by the end of that game. I don't know about Kyrie, but I don't think Lebron had the energy to drive or even defend at that point.
Kyrie and LeBron are playing the entire game at a pace they are not used to. LeBron is also the Cavs best defensive player so he is using all his energy on both ends.
I have no clue why the Cavs didn't try and slow down the game. They tried to run with the Warriors a lot of the time.
I think they almost have to run when it's there because it's too hard to consistently run your offense once GS gets their D set-up.
I think we've scored 113 points in each of the last two games. So, offense isn't really an issue. The Cavs should have won this past game. A lot of things went wrong at the end.
I just think that GS is an elite team w/guys who can score from deep. They are so tough to defend because they have been consistently hitting shots that as a coach, you would be happy w/the opponent taking.
I think they almost have to run when it's there because it's too hard to consistently run your offense once GS gets their D set-up.
Yeah, they were basically screwed either way. I just would have liked to have seen them try something different. Mostly I was trying to explain the level of fatigue that LeBron and Kyrie were dealing. What they both did in game three while playing the entire game was ridiculous.
Cavs reaching 3 straight finals is not very impressive when LeBron has gone to 7 straight finals.
Also going to 3 straight finals is not winning 3 straight finals and criticism is a great place for growth as long as it's constructive. And if that criticism is not constructive, it's still a good way to blow off steam after a tough loss. Who cares? It's not like TT and JR are forum members.
Thanks. I have been copying some of these posts on the Cavs's threads so I have evidence. I have been talking to other people about some of the things being said, like lead saying the moment is too big for Kyrie and that Griffin has done a mediocre job, and the other people think I am making them up.
Now, I can actually show them some of these comments.
Hopefully this will be enough to fire up the Cavs tonight and make sure the series heads back to Oracle for game 5 Sunday
It was disrespectable but I found it funny too. Some times you just gotta laugh.
They should feel irritated for playing like poo for three games, they deserve everything and they are too weak to stand up and do anything about it. That's the problem in this series for the cavs, they got punched in the mouth and won't answer. Golden State is just dominating them. Tonight will tell a lot, they'll either get pissed and atleast not get swept or they'll go meekly while GS celebrates for the second time in 3 years in your building
I just think that GS is an elite team w/guys who can score from deep. They are so tough to defend because they have been consistently hitting shots that as a coach, you would be happy w/the opponent taking.
+1
We won a title letting Harrison Barnes take those open shots. Too bad he's not taking them tonight.
I really dislike Michelle Beedle or whatever her name is on the ABC pregame. Skanky and b......y. I have no idea why they replaced Sage w/her. Sage has class and is not such a b.
I really dislike Michelle Beedle or whatever her name is on the ABC pregame. Skanky and b......y. I have no idea why they replaced Sage w/her. Sage has class and is not such a b.
I watched old Beavis & Butthead, from the Euclid Library. Very funny.
Does it feel to anyone else like GS just coasting to win at home
Y'know, I can stick up for your honest, albeit negative analysis, but this...?
I'm a grown man, I don't need anyone to stick up for me. I simply asked a question, because they seem to be able to score when they want to pretty easily and aren't doing anything they did the first 3 games. To me it feels like they aren't putting their best effort. Could be a lot of what we are doing or they are getting complacent because they know they have the odds
Does it feel to anyone else like GS just coasting to win at home
Hell no. It's not the first time I've said this, but if ALL of our starters play up to their contracts, we can beat these guys. They're not miles better than us like some people are saying.
Cavs suck! They only scored the most points in NBA Finals in one quarter and the most points in a half. They have reached the Finals three straight years. They won last year.
How can the the NBA have such bad refs in the FINALS
Boy that's a good question! There ought to be some kind of guidelines that you need so many years of experience as an NBA Ref, with some kind of statistical record of you being an above average ref for those many years before you can be on the court for such an important series.
I'm with lead, drain the clock. Even if we didn't score on most of those possessions, there isn't enough time left for them to score enough to catch up.
I think if we can find a way to win game 5 Monday this series is going to go 7
It's going to be a tall, tall order to win Game 5 on the road. Remember, both the Warriors and Durant lost 3-1 leads last year in the playoffs. I think all of them are going to be eager to get that monkey off their back and just go for the kill in Game 5.
... That said, if the Cavs can make a fight of it, that monkey might start to get heavier and heavier for Golden State.
I love how GS fans are whining about the game being fixed because we finally got calls for the first time in the series in the first half ... But then completely ignore Green getting a waved technical 2 quarters after the fact, and Zaza getting away with a nut punch, even after a review.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Golden State’s perfect postseason is over.
Cleveland’s coming back again.
Just like last year, the NBA Finals are at 3-1 after four games.
LeBron James recorded a triple-double, Kyrie Irving scored 40 points and the Cavs broke scoring records while outperforming the NBA’s most electrifying offense in a testy Game 4 filled with technical fouls on Friday night, beating the Warriors 137-116 and snapping their 15-game playoff winning streak.
“We have championship DNA,” said James, who broke Magic Johnson’s record with his ninth triple-double in the Finals. “We showed that tonight. We just kept our composure. We shared the ball, we moved the ball and defensively we were physical. It’s one game.”
But it’s the one they had to have, and a series that wasn’t living up to its hype and seemed headed for a quick conclusion is California bound for Game 5 on Monday night.
The Cavs scored a Finals record 86 points in the first half and then held on during a wild third and fourth quarter that included technical fouls, James jawing with fellow superstar Kevin Durant and Cleveland’s crowd roaring like a jet engine.
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs.
But until the Cavs did it last year, no team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the Finals. Cleveland took Game 3 at home, lost Game 4 and then won the final three — Game 7 in Oakland — to capture the city’s first sports championship since 1964.
As the final seconds ticked off, Cleveland fans chanted “Cavs in 7.”
“Believeland is not going to give up,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said, “and we’re going to keep fighting. We’re going to keep scrapping.”
The Warriors had swept their first three series and were 48 minutes away from a party they’ve been planning for a year. But it’s on hold and Golden State fans are holding their breath.
Coach Steve Kerr said his players aren’t worried about the past.
“I don’t think there was any concern or thoughts about history,” Kerr said. “I think it was we played a desperate team on their home floor, a great team, with great players, and they came out and handed it to us. Simple as that.”
Durant, still one win from the coveted championship he left Oklahoma City to get, scored 35 but got little help from Stephen Curry, who scored 14 on 4-of-13 shooting.
James finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and on one trip threw the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk.
Kevin Love made six 3-pointers and added 23 points for Cleveland, which made 24 3s, another Finals mark.
If not for Cleveland’s Kyle Korver missing a 3-pointer in the final minute of Game 3, the series would be 2-2.
In any event, the Cavs are still breathing and it’s now the Warriors who may be feeling the pressure after blowing a 3-1 lead last June.
The third quarter featured a confusing sequence and a scramble on the floor that resulted in two technical, a friend of James being escorted from the arena and back and forth flurries worthy of a heavyweight boxing match.
At one point, it was announced that Golden State’s Draymond Green had been given his second technical foul and security came onto the floor to usher the volatile forward to the locker room. However, a technical assessed to him in the first half was actually called on Warriors coach Steve Kerr, leading to the confusion.
Later, Warriors center Zaza Pachulia was involved in a pileup of players in the foul lane and he delivered two swipes to Iman Shumpert’s groin area as the referees tried to get control. Pachulia could have been tossed, but was only given a technical as was Shumpert. As this was being sorted out, Todd Leebow, a friend of James who was sitting with the three-time champion’s business partners, got involved in an argument with Golden State’s bench and was asked to leave.
The Cavs were determined not to let the Warriors celebrate on their floor for the second time in three years, and it was Cleveland, not Golden State, which busted Finals scoring records in the first half. Cleveland scored 49 in the first quarter and 86 during a dizzying opening 24 minutes that left players and fans gasping for air.
And beyond their firepower, the Cavs did it on defense, holding the up-and-down Warriors without a single fast-break point.
With their crowd hanging on every dribble, pass and shot, the Cavaliers came out flying.
Cleveland built an early 16-point lead and for the first extended time the series the defending champions looked and played like the superior team at both ends.
Golden State clawed within seven, but then the Warriors began fouling and Kerr got nailed with his technical — one of seven in the game. Fueled by the outburst, the Cavs went on a 12-2 run capped by a 3-pointer from Love and dunk by 36-year-old Richard Jefferson, who earlier in the day said he and his teammates would approach the 3-0 deficit like a marathon, “one step at a time.”
They’ve taken the first.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Were trying to become the first team to complete a postseason unbeaten. There have been two one-loss champions: the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers (15-1) and 1983 Philadelphia 76ers (12-1). ... Comedian Kevin Hart and NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. were among the courtside celebrities. ... Before the game, Kerr, who missed 11 playoff games because of back pain, said his decision to return to the bench for Game 2 in the Finals was easy. “It’s just fun,” he said, “and I felt better. And that was my barometer. If I felt better, I was going to do it.”
Cavaliers: James jumped Michael Jordan (1,176) on the Finals scoring list, and hopped over His Airness (1,463) for the most made free throws in pro basketball’s showcase event. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317) and Mr. Logo himself, Jerry West (1,679) have scored more points in the Finals. ... General manager David Griffin’s contract expires after the season, and it’s not clear if he will be re-signed by owner Dan Gilbert. Griffin took over after Chris Grant was fired in 2014 and has been responsible for overhauling a roster that is the highest paid in the league. ... Reserve guard Dahntay Jones was called for a technical in the first half for trash talking with Durant.
--D. Green should have been ejected. The guy gets away w/more BS than any player in the league.
--TT and JR played major roles in our victory.
--The moment is not too big for Kyrie. LOL at lead.
--Our team fights hard. GS is just really good. Sometimes [censored] happens.
--Go Cavs! Never Surrender. Cavs in 7!
I agree with all of that. TT and JR played major roles in our losses also. When they (starting 5) are all contributing to their potential, they can and will beat GS.
Sure is quiet today. Cavs lose and the roaches come out of the woodwork to throw a party. Cavs win and it's like living in a brand new, sunny house. Roach free.
I wasn't a huge fan of Kyrie a few years ago, but this guy has really stepped up his game. lead says that the moment is too big for him....LOL.....but, I think the opposite is true.
He's got stones the size of basketballs. He has stepped up on the biggest stage in the basketball two consecutive years. I think he is making a case as the best PG in the entire NBA.
Sure is quiet today. Cavs lose and the roaches come out of the woodwork to throw a party. Cavs win and it's like living in a brand new, sunny house. Roach free.
I'm thinking that everyone is sleeping in after a late night
--lead says RJ is done, but that guy is a warrior. He played huge minutes for us the last two games. His toughness--both mentally and physically--were needed.
--I am annoyed w/how much D. Green gets away with. We get a technical for a guy exchanging words w/Durant, but Green cheap-shots guys, and goes ballistic on almost every call and gets away w/it.
--lead says the Cavs are mentally weak. Once again, I disagree. If there was ever a time for a team to lay down, last night was it. This team came out and fought their butts off.
--We set two records last night. Most points in any quarter of a NBA Finals game and most points in a half. Somehow, our "fans" on this site don't appreciate that. Had we lost, they would be overrunning the place.
I wasn't a huge fan of Kyrie a few years ago, but this guy has really stepped up his game. lead says that the moment is too big for him....LOL.....but, I think the opposite is true.
He's got stones the size of basketballs. He has stepped up on the biggest stage in the basketball two consecutive years. I think he is making a case as the best PG in the entire NBA.
I agree and disagree. He's not a point guard. He's not very good at getting others involved. I'd also like to see him win a game without LeBron.
But he's a very special unique talent that to me is untradeable. You just can't trade a guy as gifted as him and with the stones he's got.
With Kyrie you have to take the good with the bad. He's a big a reason we are in a 3-1 hole. He's also a big reason we won game 4 and are competing for championships yearly.
And by far, of all the Cavs players Kyrie is probably the one who is least affected by the moment, including LeBron.
--I am annoyed w/how much D. Green gets away with. We get a technical for a guy exchanging words w/Durant, but Green cheap-shots guys, and goes ballistic on almost every call and gets away w/it.
He's such a scrub.
His mom tweeted last night that the NBA is rigged. LOL. The mom of the player who got two Ts and wasn't ejected.
Instead of Green adapting to the Refs.. the refs adapt to Green. Shouldn't be that way. Refs have to set a standard. Green jumps up and down, curses at the refs, and makes all sorts of gestures every time he gets a foul called.
--I am annoyed w/how much D. Green gets away with. We get a technical for a guy exchanging words w/Durant, but Green cheap-shots guys, and goes ballistic on almost every call and gets away w/it.
He's such a scrub.
His mom tweeted last night that the NBA is rigged. LOL. The mom of the player who got two Ts and wasn't ejected.
Screw GS. I want the Cavs to win. Never surrender!
Thank God we won so we don't have to hear all the whiny BS from the cry babies.
Instead we get your whiny BS complaining about what everyone else has to say
No kiddin', if Kyrie, Thompson and Smith played like they did last night through games 1-3, we're already planning the parade and everyone is up early hitting the newsstands to buy the next bit of collectible print memorabilia.
But if anyone points out that people aren't playing up to their potential, they're whiny haters who hate the team.
You wanna talk about someone who's disappeared? Korver. That dude needs to rise to the occasion.
Sure is quiet today. Cavs lose and the roaches come out of the woodwork to throw a party. Cavs win and it's like living in a brand new, sunny house. Roach free.
I'm thinking that everyone is sleeping in after a late night
Yeah, I stayed up and watched every interview, didn't get into bed until 2:00, didn't fall asleep until 4:00 (reruns of Frazier, some of the funniest dialogue ever written).
jc - awesome win last night, a really incredible shooting game where everything just seemed to go in.
Some thoughts on the Draymond Green situation, the NBA, and technical fouls:
- Draymond Green gets away with so much stuff. This is the NBA's own doing, because they have let him get away with it all year. The refs realize that he is a child in a man's body and can't control himself so they give him extra leeway.
- How the NBA calls technical fouls, combined with mandatory ejection after two of them, is broken. This led to a situation last night that I've never seen before-- the refs literally reversed who a previous technical was given to so as to not have Green ejected. Doris Burke even asked the official scorers and they were unequivocal that the initial technical was given to Green.
The refs have to selectively enforce what is a technical. Green's second technical would have been a ticky tack call if it was his first one, but almost unheard of for a second one (unless you're Tim Duncan and laughing on the bench). The ref knew he screwed up so they retroactively changed the first one.
That may not be the official explanation but IMO that's exactly what happened. The refs shouldn't have to keep track of that stuff, or change what a technical is based on the game situation.
Let's be real here-- while the rules state that Green should have been thrown out for the second one, a player shouldn't be thrown out of a game for some mild display of emotion like that (he regularly does worse-- at least call one of those.)
A better approach for the NBA would be to focus on giving technicals or flagrants for dirty/dangerous/unnecessary plays. Moves like putting a foot down where a shooter is going to land, or awkward crotch kicks are not punished harshly enough.
I understand that there has to be a certain limit on how you can act after a call. NBA players are notorious for whining and it it easily gets out of hand to where they show up the refs. Just change the mandatory two technical ejection.
Make it 3+, or make it an optional ejection at the refs' discretion, or create a separate category that differentiates between dirty basketball and just flailing your arms in the air after a call goes against you. I'm sure the NBA brain trust could come up with something more logical than what they currently have.
I didn't watch the game but I read about it. I saw the highlight of that deep, and that was deep, three ball by JR.
This is what happens when they make the threes. They become competitive if not victors. Glad to know we avoided handed them a record and set some of our own!
I didn't watch the game but I read about it. I saw the highlight of that deep, and that was deep, three ball by JR.
This is what happens when they make the threes. They become competitive if not victors. Glad to know we avoided handed them a record and set some of our own!
Yeah it was one of those nights. Cavs made 24 3-pointers.
I'll be shocked if the Cavs can do what they did last year (from down 3-1) but I'm glad they at least avoided getting swept on their home court.
I didn't watch the game but I read about it. I saw the highlight of that deep, and that was deep, three ball by JR.
This is what happens when they make the threes. They become competitive if not victors. Glad to know we avoided handed them a record and set some of our own!
Yeah it was one of those nights. Cavs made 24 3-pointers.
I'll be shocked if the Cavs can do what they did last year (from down 3-1) but I'm glad they at least avoided getting swept on their home court.
Luckily, all they have to do is win the next game. Is winning the next game doable? I think so.
I like your idea of having categories for technical fouls like they do for the flagrant fouls. Category 1 is a dirty play, category 2 is the other stuff 2 category 2 = a category 1
Speaking of technical fouls, when did it become possible to punch someone in the balls and not get ejected? Instead off setting technicals. Puh-lease.
Korver played just as bad last night as every other game, he was a waste of a first round pick. He's really been disappointing
Only took 2 shots and had 3 points. Our bench is a big reason we will be hard pressed to pull this out, we aren't getting much and lebron having to play huge minutes. Need to dust frye off. Our 4th leading scorer in reg season to not getting a single minute when benchbis struggling
I thought Korver hit 3 or 4 3s last night. Maybe I'm confusing it with game 3. I had a lot to drink last night. LOL.
Btw, don't say things to people like "I wish for horrible things to happen to you". I know you don't mean it and that's about as low as it gets. That's taking things too far, IMO.
I like your idea of having categories for technical fouls like they do for the flagrant fouls. Category 1 is a dirty play, category 2 is the other stuff 2 category 2 = a category 1
Speaking of technical fouls, when did it become possible to punch someone in the balls and not get ejected? Instead off setting technicals. Puh-lease.
I like that too, but it still would allow BS like we saw last night. " Oh wait, we don't want to have to eject Green, so let's go back and change the Tech 1 in the first half to a tech 2.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals was one of the most intense games in recent memory. With the Warriors trying to clinch a title, and the Cavaliers desperate to survive, there was an expectation that the game would get chippy. However, the level of chippiness exceeded what the NBA wants to see on its biggest stage.
There was a lot of trash talk with plenty of hard fouls and tense moments that led to seven technical fouls. What stood out the most was when, in the middle of a loose-ball scrum, Zaza Pachulia delivered what appeared to be a punch to Iman Shumpert's groin. That play, and others, are going to be reviewed by the league office before Game 5.
Sam Amick ✔ @sam_amick The NBA is reviewing several incidents from last night's game, I'm told. Zaza Pachulia swipe at Shumpert is among them. Standard protocol. 3:23 PM - 10 Jun 2017
Aside from Pachulia, nothing really suspension worthy took place in Game 4. Emotions definitely rose between the two sides and there might be some fines, but the only player that is likely going to earn a suspension is Pachulia for his groin punch.
Game 4 was intense, but the atmosphere created one of the most entertaining games of these playoffs and it would be a shame if the league cracked down on what made it so fun.
Something that I've been thinking about before the series and now. It's a shame the Cavs dropped game 3. I don't think that we can go back in time and say that the Cavs would have still won game 4 had they won game 3. The determination, the will to win, might not have been there. And the Warriors will to win might have been greater in game 4 as well. But I don't think it's a stretch to see a scenario where the series should be 2-2. Which brings me to the thing I've been thinking about ...
Are the Warriors really that much more talented than the Cavs? Or are they better coached and better fits for the system their coach demands they run. I mean think about ...
--LeBron vs. Durant, worst case this is a wash.
--Kyrie vs. Curry, I think this is very close to 50/50; depends on what you're looking for out of that position.
--Love vs. Green; I think this is worst case a wash as well. They give you something different. I think Green is used better on GS than Love on the Cavs but Love is capable of giving you 30 any given night and is an elite rebounder.
--Smith vs. Thompson; due to consistency this has to go to Thompson, but Smith is no slouch. While I think this is a 'for sure' in favor to GS, I don't think the margin is that great.
--Cavs Role Players vs. GS Role Players; You have to give the nod to GS, but it's more of a great system fit for those guys. Cavs have guys that are capable, but not as consistently.
I guess I just don't see this huge talent gap. I see a team that plays beautiful basketball (GS) the way the game was meant to be played. And I think that, not talent, is the biggest difference.
I think if the Cavs can get game 5, and I think that's going to be a tall order, but if they can get game 5, it's going 7. And anything can happen in a game 7. The thing with LeBron is if you give him a glimmer of hope, and he feels he has control over the outcome, he's hard to bet against. Look at Heat-Spurs game 7. That's all LeBron needed, a one game winner take all. He's at his best in this type of situation.
They need to come out with the same intensity for game 5 as game 4. A 'leave everything on the court' performance. 100 mph from the opening tip. I will be stunned if they win game 5, but damn, I'll really start believing if they do. Give the Q one more game. That place will be electric.
It is a shame we lost game 3. We outplayed them most of the way and should have won it. I also agree that game 4 might have played out differently, though.
I'll get into the coaching staff and the roster after the season. Right now, I just want to enjoy the Cavs playing in the Finals for the third consecutive year.
I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does bother me that they are complaining about the officiating. Unreal!
I thought the officiating in game 4 was suspect to say the least. AND, I am a Cavs fan! I mean...if GSW want to complain lets also reverse the lens and look at how they also benefitted. Prime example: why the hell was that 2nd technical that should have booted Green out but then it was somehow changed to a technical on Kerr? Explain. More so than any major sport I think the NBA is rife with officiating controversy and bias.
I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does bother me that they are complaining about the officiating. Unreal!
I thought the officiating in game 4 was suspect to say the least. AND, I am a Cavs fan! I mean...if GSW want to complain lets also reverse the lens and look at how they also benefitted. Prime example: why the hell was that 2nd technical that should have booted Green out but then it was somehow changed to a technical on Kerr? Explain. More so than any major sport I think the NBA is rife with officiating controversy and bias.
The refs were horrible all around Friday. Both teams got screwed multiple times.
I felt like the officiating was horribly biased the first two. The Warriors were challenging every shot with contact, which is fine, but every shot we challenged they called ticky tack fouls.
It kind of reminded how the officiating was ehen Lebron was in Miami. Every time I team started to get up or started to make a run at a Mami lead they would get 3 or 4 calls against them in a row to kill their momentum. But when Miami had a comfortable lead then all of a sudden they would give the opponent enough calls to make the stats look legit.
I'm honestly worried that with our first win coming after an increase of intensity.
That the refs in Game 5 try to "rein in" the intensity.
I would spend the entire first quarter driving the lane. Forcing contact. Find out how the refs are ganna run it.
Also. I would be constantly driving at Green. Try to get calls on him (and reactions from him)
But that is the problem, we let the refs take us out of our game. We need to be tough and physical. I am not saying cheap or dirty but hard-nosed, and in their faces and pushing the envelope of the rules. They are soft, they will fold
I think our intensity was great in game 3. We had a nice lead and things just broke the wrong way at the end of the game. It was a tough loss in so many respects.
cfrs mentioned that the officiating was bad for both teams in the last game. I agree w/that, but they are complaining. We are not complaining. That's the difference.
Also, in games 1 and 2, the officiating was clearly in favor of GS. And I am not the type to criticize officiating. My posts on the Brown's game day forum attests to that.
I'm worried that the officiating is going to favor GS big time tonight. I don't know how many of you played competitive bb, but man, it can make a huge difference. I was a PG in high school, and we would play Canton McKinley [a state power at that time] at their place. Every time up the court, they would be hip checking me, holding one arm and chopping across my body at the ball w/the other. No calls at all. Shoving you in the hips when you were in the air driving for a layup. No call. Making contact to your elbow on jumpers. They were not excessive fouls, but they threw you off because you knew that contact was always going to be there. On the other hand, you come close to them and it was a foul. GS got away w/similar tactics in those first two games. A lot of grabbing and reaching, while their shooters were awarded free throws for touch fouls.
I just hope to see the game called evenly tonight.
Golden State is certainly the darlings w/the media, but man, I don't think they are a likable team. Numerous hits to player's groins; constant whining to the officials; Durant bad-mouthing Westbrook all year; Klay calling LeBron a baby last year; and this tasteless act by Curry:
cfrs mentioned that the officiating was bad for both teams in the last game. I agree w/that, but they are complaining. We are not complaining. That's the difference.
That's because the Cavs won. If they had lost people would be going nuts over the Draymond thing for sure.
Golden State is certainly the darlings w/the media, but man, I don't think they are a likable team. Numerous hits to player's groins; constant whining to the officials; Durant bad-mouthing Westbrook all year; Klay calling LeBron a baby last year; and this tasteless act by Curry:
GSW has several players I would like to see get punched in the face... the only person I can say I really like is Steve Kerr.
Curry and Durant are both stick thin and go down with the slightest contact and almost always get the call because of it.. Draymond Green hasn't committed a single foul in the series yet (in his own mind), Zaza is a cheapshot artist rivaled only by Green... Iggy, Livingston, and even Klay aren't bad...
Well, I stayed away from game 4, and we won. That means I can't watch game 5 either.
Hopefully I won't be able to watch a Cavs game till next season.
Awww YTown. That's funny and sad at the same time. Whatever you do, I hope it works.
Me, I'm sticking w/the "No Surrender" thang. I'm saying it now and will again right before the tip. I'm also going to wear my wine colored athletic shorts and dark blue tank top tonight just like I did when we won the other night. I'm not talking online during the game except for maybe half time, just like the other night.
Kryie gets a lot of grief and I hope I don't jinx him, but the dude reminds me of an assassin. He doesn't ever lose confidence or back down. He might not play well, but he has ice-cold blood and the moment is NEVER too big for him!
I think our intensity was great in game 3. We had a nice lead and things just broke the wrong way at the end of the game. It was a tough loss in so many respects.
cfrs mentioned that the officiating was bad for both teams in the last game. I agree w/that, but they are complaining. We are not complaining. That's the difference.
Also, in games 1 and 2, the officiating was clearly in favor of GS. And I am not the type to criticize officiating. My posts on the Brown's game day forum attests to that.
I'm worried that the officiating is going to favor GS big time tonight. I don't know how many of you played competitive bb, but man, it can make a huge difference. I was a PG in high school, and we would play Canton McKinley [a state power at that time] at their place. Every time up the court, they would be hip checking me, holding one arm and chopping across my body at the ball w/the other. No calls at all. Shoving you in the hips when you were in the air driving for a layup. No call. Making contact to your elbow on jumpers. They were not excessive fouls, but they threw you off because you knew that contact was always going to be there. On the other hand, you come close to them and it was a foul. GS got away w/similar tactics in those first two games. A lot of grabbing and reaching, while their shooters were awarded free throws for touch fouls.
I just hope to see the game called evenly tonight.
THE mighty Mckinley Bulldogs have NEVER needed the help of the refs to beat Perry(I am assuming)
We really could have put our foot on their throat when we were up 8 and missed about 4 shots in a row. We should have made them pay like they make us pay when we go cold.
We really could have put our foot on their throat when we were up 8 and missed about 4 shots in a row. We should have made them pay like they make us pay when we go cold.
Missed shots killed us. Unfortunately, their foot is on our throat now.
To me? Not looking good anymore. Now I see why some people can't watch. If I was tired I'd turn the TV off, but record it and watch it in the morning. It's like I don't want my dream crushed - I just want it taped delayed instead!
Cavs drowned a long time ago, not playing with intensity or accuracy like friday. Cant afford to suck down the stretch.
Yea, that second quarter killed 'em.
GSW has had an answer for every Cavs run but can't help but wonder how that 2nd quarter might have been different if KD had spent most of it on the bench with 3 fouls like he should have.
I dunno, I kinda feel like the Warriors play like the saying about OL in the NFL-You could call holding on every play. I feel like the refs letting them play that way but not allowing us much contact at all contributes to us being more worn out.
Y'know what, Kevin Love was absent tonight. I can kinda understand Korver needing to adjust to the pressure, but not Love, he's been here two times and he was just sorry tonight.
Haven't been posting but have been watching the game.
Just have one parting shot. Cleveland went 52 years without a championship and we were fortunate to get one last year. We owe everything to LeBron for that. But isn't it so Cleveland that the best player in the world chooses to come play for them and there's another team out west that can't win championships on their own so they form a super team at the same time and Cleveland is left with just the one? I mean is there anything more Cleveland than that?
Durant is soft as hell. And he's rewarded with a championship and MVP. It just seems wrong.
Y'know what, Kevin Love was absent tonight. I can kinda understand Korver needing to adjust to the pressure, but not Love, he's been here two times and he was just sorry tonight.
Rebounds are necessary, points are life & death.
It's like muscle memory. This is what happens when your coach reduces you to a spot up shooter. Love isn't part of the offense. He's an afterthought. Can't blame him for that.
Y'know what, Kevin Love was absent tonight. I can kinda understand Korver needing to adjust to the pressure, but not Love, he's been here two times and he was just sorry tonight.
Rebounds are necessary, points are life & death.
It's like muscle memory. This is what happens when your coach reduces you to a spot up shooter. Love isn't part of the offense. He's an afterthought. Can't blame him for that.
Nah, he had how many points doing what he's been asked to do a mere two days ago? Enough to have made all the difference tonight.
That was the most subdued championship celebration I've ever seen. It's like they didn't sweep, so they failed to live up to expectations. I'm sure Golden State fans will be up till 9:30 tonight partying it up as well.
I guess I'll take a celebration like last year over anything Golden State just had. Just a cheap win all around.
As for the team itself. I think we could beat these guys. We picked a bad week to go into a team-wide shooting slump. I feel like we showed we can still hang with these guys these last three games. If we played like this the first two games, maybe we actually steal one. We probably should of won Game 3 too. We don't need to blow things up, but there are things we need to work on.
Y'know what, Kevin Love was absent tonight. I can kinda understand Korver needing to adjust to the pressure, but not Love, he's been here two times and he was just sorry tonight.
Rebounds are necessary, points are life & death.
It's like muscle memory. This is what happens when your coach reduces you to a spot up shooter. Love isn't part of the offense. He's an afterthought. Can't blame him for that.
Nah, he had how many points doing what he's been asked to do a mere two days ago? Enough to have made all the difference tonight.
Man, watch the games and understand what you're watching. Don't be that fan.
Y'know what, Kevin Love was absent tonight. I can kinda understand Korver needing to adjust to the pressure, but not Love, he's been here two times and he was just sorry tonight.
Rebounds are necessary, points are life & death.
It's like muscle memory. This is what happens when your coach reduces you to a spot up shooter. Love isn't part of the offense. He's an afterthought. Can't blame him for that.
And it didn't help he got 2 quick fouls and had to sit like 8 minutes of the 1st quarter. Not exactly the way to get into the flow of the game
That's the key, if we don't blow the end of game 3, if we can just get a couple shots to fall, it's 3 games to 2 going back to Cleveland like it's supposed to be. And I don't know what happened in games 1 and 2 but it became obvious in 3 that we had this revelation that we could beat them, not sure why we played games 1 and 2 like we were scared.
That second quarter just killed us. I wanted to post "that's it!" at halftime, but still had high hopes. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking? All-in-all it wasn't a bad game. In the end the better team won.
The Cavs are still a great team - just not the best one this year.
We need Irving and Love to be as consistent as Lebron is EVERY NIGHT for starters. If they did that, and played the defense we played in games 3 & 4, it would've been over for GS last Friday.
We then need more points off the bench. Korver, wasn't himself, Deron Williams, ain't ever been all that since he got here.
We had other guys on the bench that were key players last year no matter how minor the role that made significant contributions that never saw the floor this year. Channing Frye, not a great guy, but serviceable and good for a few points, not bad from 3 point range either. Dante Jones, played just a little bit last year, but he provided a great spark.
Y'know what, Kevin Love was absent tonight. I can kinda understand Korver needing to adjust to the pressure, but not Love, he's been here two times and he was just sorry tonight.
Rebounds are necessary, points are life & death.
It's like muscle memory. This is what happens when your coach reduces you to a spot up shooter. Love isn't part of the offense. He's an afterthought. Can't blame him for that.
Nah, he had how many points doing what he's been asked to do a mere two days ago? Enough to have made all the difference tonight.
Man, watch the games and understand what you're watching. Don't be that fan.
What fan? Don't ask me for deep basketball analysis, I just know that a guy that's supposed to be good with the ball in his hands, wasn't good when it counted.
3 straight in the Finals ain't bad though. Let's just win it all again next year.
Me too.
And I agree. If you told me moments after Lebron announcing his return to Cleveland that we'd go to three Finals in a row and win one, I would have taken it without question. I don't know how long that content feeling will last, eventually 2016 will be way back in the rearview mirror.
Looking forward to the Cavs vs Warriors Finals in 2018.
Going to be an interesting offseason. Bottom line, Cavs need another star player if they want to compete. I expect a major acquisition in the offseason.
LeBron, Kyrie and Love are the only non-tradeables. The "Big 3" is outdated. It's "Big 4" or bust.
Is it just me or was there was a severe lack of emotion when the game ended. Like. Watch the Cavs win last year. Then watch KD on the court right after the game.
He's just kinda like.
"Yay we won" "Woohoo I'm a champion"
In the world of people creating "super teams" because they need to win a title for their "legacy"
KD joined the "wrong" team.
Because this actually hurts his "legacy".
He wins a title in OKC, or even Washington or Boston or heck in LA. It's different.
I would love to add another star but the Cavs don't need to in order to compete.... as I said, they should have won game 3, it should be 3-2 now going back to Cleveland like it was supposed to be.
The Cavs need to up their defensive intensity and maintain it the whole game, they give up too many easy baskets, especially in delayed transition simply because they don't hustle back.
They also need a rim enforcer. As much as I hate Zaza and think he should have been suspended, they need a guy like that in the paint.... nobody ever pays a price for getting to the rim against the Cavs.
Looking forward to the Cavs vs Warriors Finals in 2018.
Going to be an interesting offseason. Bottom line, Cavs need another star player if they want to compete. I expect a major acquisition in the offseason.
LeBron, Kyrie and Love are the only non-tradeables. The "Big 3" is outdated. It's "Big 4" or bust.
Better get Griff re-signed, too.
Cavs don't have a lot of wiggle room. If they want to get better, they are probably going to have to trade Love or Irving.
I'm sure the Paul George stuff will heat up, but it's going to be really tough for the Cavs to get better. They shouldn't have to, but apparently that's the way it is now.
But hey, since GSW won, it wasn't a rigged finals, right? At least we have that going for us.
I'm just glad it's over. Tired of seeing that team.
Is it just me or was there was a severe lack of emotion when the game ended. Like. Watch the Cavs win last year. Then watch KD on the court right after the game.
He's just kinda like.
"Yay we won" "Woohoo I'm a champion"
In the world of people creating "super teams" because they need to win a title for their "legacy"
KD joined the "wrong" team.
Because this actually hurts his "legacy".
He wins a title in OKC, or even Washington or Boston or heck in LA. It's different.
But to join THAT team? Whatever.
Unfortunately, this isn't true. The media is going to put him on such a pedestal it's insane. Check out ESPN's home page right now.
He's passed LeBron as the best player. You didn't know that?
lol
