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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 14:00:54 GMT -5
5 Key questions heading into Games 3 of Celtics vs. CavsBy: Greg Cassoli The Boston Celtics have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. While Boston entered the contest the higher seeded team, its early victories came as something of a surprise. The Celtics roster has been ravaged by injuries to key players. It was presumed by many that the Cavs would lean on their experience and the otherworldly talent of LeBron James to relatively easily dispatch of Boston. Things haven’t played out that way, and the two teams are set to face off in a critical Game 3 matchup on Saturday. A loss for Cleveland would all but end things. A victory may be enough to put the Celtics on their toes and build momentum towards taking the series back to Boston tied at two. We’ve broken down several of the most pressing questions to be answered heading into Game 3. WILL BOSTON KEEP ITS ENERGY IN CLEVELAND?The Celtics have overwhelmed the Cavs with their energy through Games 1 and 2 of the series. Boston always plays hard, but it feeds off the crazy TD Garden crowd to reach another level of maniacal intensity at home. The Celtics haven’t lost a single game in Boston during the postseason and have just one victory to their name on the road. Some of the reasons for that reality are random, but others are attributable to the impact of the team’s fans and the support they provide. Boston has simply outworked Cleveland through two games. If it can find a way to continue to do so without the support of 17,000 people cheering them on than it will be in a good position to continue winning games. The Celtics are on the record as believing that their struggles on the road during the playoffs are overstated. That may be fair, but the evidence against them is severe. They’ve been outscored by 9.4 points per 100 possessions away from home. Winning in Cleveland will inevitably mean taking a proverbial shot in the mouth from the world’s best player in a hostile environment. If any team has the gumption to recover from such an experience it’s the Celtics, but they’ve shown a propensity to get knocked out from such blows against lesser opponents. CAN THE CAVS PLAY DEFENSE?The Cavs defense has been a train wreck thus far. Cleveland has surrendered 112.8 points per 100 possessions behind a staggering number of blown rotations and miscommunications. ssl.cdn.turner.com/nba/big/nba/wsc/2018/05/16/league_883e1acd-aab0-d8f6-d4fd-9db28b7ac2e4.nba_2368741_1920x1080_5904.mp4?_=1James remains the team’s best perimeter defender and rim protector (and damn near only quality option in those domains), but has had to conserve his energy on the defensive end as a means of ensuring he will be able to carry his ludicrous offensive burden. Such has been the problem for the Cavs all year long. An energy-conserving James is an uninspiring James. His teammates aren’t very good defenders as it is. If they’re taking their cues from the King and he’s not clawing for rebounds or treating every possession like it’s the most meaningful of the game, then they won’t either. That’s hugely problematic. It’s really hard to consistently win basketball games with a subpar defense. Cleveland has papered over that problem with an exceptional offense, but even the best units are prone to the variability of shooting. If the Cavs are having an off night scoring the ball and playing their typical defense, winning games against good teams becomes a significant challenge. That’s proven to be true against the Celtics through two games. Perhaps Cleveland will find a rhythm on offense that allows it to survive despite its many defensive lapses. The more sustainable approach would be to defend more effectively. That outcome doesn’t seem particularly likely. Whether or not is achieved will play a major role in defining the series. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF LEBRON’S HEALTH?James was absolutely amazing in the first quarter of Game 2. He poured in 21 points, despite missing 3 free throws. Every time he isolated against any of the Celtics’ defenders – no matter where he was on the court – felt like it would result in points. And it very nearly did. James took a shot to the jaw in the second that forced him to the locker room, however, and wasn’t quite the same when he returned. It’s possible he was just fatigued from the initial effort, but to rule out the potential of an injury here would be unwise. James passed all the requisite tests to return to action, so he’s at least well enough to be on the court, and 75% of the King is better than most players in the league, but the Cavs need James to be as close to full strength as possible. Their roster is just too thin for him not to be. WILL CLEVELAND HIT MORE THREES?The Cavs are most deadly when they let LeBron isolate, collapse the defense by breaking down his individual defender and zip the ball out to open shooters beyond the arc. Cleveland has been burying opponents with the deluge of three-point looks that such a strategy yields all year long, but they haven’t been dropping through Games 1 and 2. The Cavs are shooting just 24.6% from deep for the series. Kyle Korver, Kevin Love, JR Smith, George Hill, Jeff Green and Rodney Hood have made a combined 8 triples on 37 attempts. That’s just two more than Jaylen Brown has made on his own, on nearly three times the amount of shots. The Celtics deserve a lot of credit for Cleveland’s poor performance. They know that most of the members of James’ cadre of shooters can’t reliable attack off the bounce and they’re closing out accordingly. Boston has been prioritizing defending the three-point line all year long and the Cavs roster makes leaning into that strategy a fairly simple task. Cleveland should expect more from its supplementary pieces regardless. The Cavs have missed a lot of decent looks. An uptick in effectiveness from deep could go a very long way in helping them make the series competitive. It’s not crazy to think they could get one in spite of the Celtics’ excellent defense. ARE WE WITNESSING THE END OF LEBRON’S REIGN IN THE EAST?It’s a fair question to ask, albeit somewhat premature. Boston has Cleveland on the ropes in a major way. It’s hard to envision a lot of paths to success for the Cavs at the moment. But there is still one clear-cut means of getting themselves back into the series. It comes in the form of the greatest player on Earth. If the Celtics can steal one of the two upcoming games on the road, then we can legitimately start talking about whether or not this will be the first time in eight years that James doesn’t make the Finals. But until then, Boston fans would be wise to continue showing the appropriate blend of reverence and fear. celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/05/19/5-key-questions-heading-into-games-3-and-4-of-boston-celtics-vs-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-eastern-conference-finals-playoffs-2018/
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 14:05:10 GMT -5
Look for attitude adjustmentSteve Bulpett Credit: Christopher EvansINDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The 0-2 deficit has had a chance to marinate on the Cavaliers for a few days. They’ve had to deal with questions about their toughness, desire and overall talent level as the young and energetic Celtics have run out on them. LeBron James, meanwhile, has avoided the literal questions the last two days, going against league rule by declining to meet with the media after his team’s practices Thursday and yesterday in this suburb due south of Cleveland. There is little doubt, however, that, since he happens to be the best player on the planet, James’ game will speak loudly in Game 3 tonight. The Celts certainly didn’t keep him quiet in Game 2, but his 42 points didn’t buy the Cavs a win, and there is the belief on his team that the Boston defense is having an effect. “They’re putting bigger defenders on him,” said Cavs coach Tyronn Lue. “I think when they switch, you’ve either got (Al) Horford, (Jayson) Tatum, (Jaylen) Brown or (Marcus) Morris. They’re putting bigger guys on him, bigger defenders, showing two bodies when he is posting up to make it appear crowded. They have bigger defenders and stronger defenders guarding him.” The Cavs have been working on finding ways to deal with that defense, but there may be no easy answers, no glaring Celtic weakness to exploit. “You know, I think they just have a lot of versatile pieces,” said Kyle Korver, who broke out for 11 points in the second quarter of Game 2 but went 0-for-3 from the floor the rest of the night. “They’re doing a lot of switching. They’re loading up on LeBron, but they’re not double-teaming, so like everything is … it appears kind of open, but there’s nothing that’s wide open for us. They’re playing really hard. They’re only giving us one chance. They’re just playing really solid, and we’ve just been too up and down.” Lauded Kevin Love, “I think they just do a really good job of contesting shots. They’ve been physical the entire playoffs, and Brad Stevens is going to put — not only on the offensive end but defensive end — put them in really great positions to succeed. “I think their strength is their entire team. They play extremely well. Guys are stepping up throughout the course of the playoffs. Like I said, we just have to bring it at home and make sure we come out and are in attack mode.” But when it comes to LeBron, the Cavaliers are caught in a conundrum. They want/need him to take over at times, but as J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson said Thursday, James has to share the ball a little more. And know when to do each. “I think LeBron came out and set the tone early to score the basketball and be aggressive (in Game 2), but that’s what we needed him to do to start the game, especially on the road,” said Lue. “We’ve got to do more stuff with getting guys more involved, but I thought LeBron did a good job of setting the tone early. We’ve just got to be able to play off of that. No bad thing for what he’s done. We’ve just got to be better.” And the Cavs have got to hope a little that the Celts are the 1-4 team they’ve been on the road in this postseason — more prone to lose their patience. Clearly, Cleveland doesn’t want the C’s to get comfortable at all. The Cavs plan to pounce. “We have to do that,” said Lue. “We have to come out with a sense of urgency, looking to attack early. Don’t ease into the game and let this team off the hook. We know they’ve played well at home. They had two big games, so now it’s our turn.” Or else it’ll nearly be time to turn off the lights on a strange Cavalier season. What began with great anticipation — and a good measure of uncertainty in the wake of the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade — has turned into a further changing roster and the prospect that, even if the Cavs do get by the Celts, doom awaits them in The Finals. “Well, I mean, it’s been said it’s felt like a number of seasons in one,” said Love. “Frustration has … it’s always going to happen within a season. I mean, it’s 82 games. There’s highs and there’s lows. “I think the expectation is very high here because of the talent that we have and the group of veterans that we have and what we believe we’re capable of. I think any time you lose, there’s going to be some frustration and ways to get better, and guys need to pick up their level of play. But that’s all the way across the board.” The numbers don’t look good for the Cavaliers at the moment. Teams that go ahead 2-0 in a seven-game NBA series are 281-19. Then again, James has been a part of two of the 19. “We’ve got to win one,” said Lue, leaving the math aside. “That’s our main focus. We’re not looking at four out of five. We’re looking at winning (tonight) and then seeing what happens from there.” After a couple of silent days, LeBron will have a lot to say about how the narrative is scripted after tonight. www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2018/05/look_for_attitude_adjustment
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 14:11:54 GMT -5
The LeBron Letdown SpectrumWhich Cavaliers role player is most likely to disappoint King James in a playoff game? By Rodger Sherman Getty Images/Ringer illustrationThings look bleak for LeBron James, whose Cavaliers face a 2-0 deficit against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. It’s the first time a James-led team has trailed 2-0 in an Eastern Conference playoff series in 10 years. The blame, as usual, falls at the feet of LeBron’s teammates: James is averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double against Boston, racking up 28.5 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.5 rebounds per game. He’s scored 57 points on 45 shots while assisting 45 percent of his teammates’ made baskets. Meanwhile, the rest of the Cavs are shooting 38.8 percent from the field and a horrendous 21.9 percent from beyond the arc. Below, I am going to analyze which of LeBron’s teammates are most likely to disappoint him. Initially, I was going to affix odds next to each player, but that’d imply only one member of the Cavaliers is capable of disappointing LeBron in a given game. That’s not accurate; multiple Cavs are managing to let him down every time that they take the court. Consider this a spectrum of probability that estimates the likelihood of a Cleveland role player failing LeBron in a playoff game. Rodney Hood: 96 percentHood was acquired from the Jazz at February’s trade deadline and up to that point had averaged a career-best 16.8 points per game. “Hood is already shooting nearly 39 percent from three this year—imagine what he can do catching open looks from LeBron James,” Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Nadkarni wrote while grading the acquisition an A. This is not SI shade: Hood really seemed like a savvy acquisition for a Cavs team in desperate need of superior guard performance. Yet Hood is 2-of-17 from 3-point range this postseason, and those two makes came in the opening two games of the Cavs’ first-round series against the Pacers. He’s missed 12 3-point attempts in a row since. (Catching open looks from LeBron apparently did not help him.) He went 1-of-9 from deep in three games against the Raptors before refusing to enter Game 4, feeling disrespected that he was asked to provide mop-up duty so soon after being brought to Cleveland ostensibly to fill a starting role. Through three quarters of the Cavs’ 107-94 loss to Boston in Game 2, Hood recorded almost no statistics while posting a minus-8 plus-minus in nine minutes of action. Head coach Tyronn Lue was later asked why Hood remained part of the team’s rotation, and he didn’t really have a good answer besides that Hood is already in the rotation: I’m not sure what’s worse for the Cavs entering Saturday night’s Game 3: When Rodney Hood plays, or when Rodney Hood refuses to play. J.R. Smith: 82 percentSmith’s reputation as a wildly inefficient gunner who takes ill-advised 27-footers first and asks questions later precedes him. But it’s worth noting that Smith, on occasion, has proven capable of playing effective basketball at the sport’s highest level. He legitimately aided the Cavs en route to their 2016 NBA championship. That J.R. was on display in this year’s Eastern Conference semifinals against the Raptors, when he went a preposterous 10-of-13 from 3-point land—77 percent—in a four-game sweep. Seventy-seven percent. Against the Celtics, though, Smith has played some of the worst basketball of his career. He’s 2-of-16 from the field and 0-of-7 from beyond the arc. In Game 2, he went 0-of-7 from the floor with zero points. But his performance was worse than that, because Smith also delivered an unambiguously dirty hit on an airborne Al Horford. He and Dexter Pittman may be the only players to ever finish a playoff game with more flagrant fouls than points. Smith is streaky, so there’s a chance he’ll get hot soon. But it’s hard to play any worse than he’s playing at the moment. Failing to score while simultaneously committing fouls that can only hurt opponents makes him objectionable from a basketball and moral perspective right now. Jordan Clarkson: 72 percentClarkson, another trade-deadline acquisition, appeared to be a meaningful pickup for the Cavs. He’d averaged double-digit points in every season of his career prior to the deal, including 14.5 points per game with the Lakers in 2017-18. He then played in 28 regular-season games for Cleveland after the trade and registered double-digit point totals in 20 of them. He also drilled more than 40 percent of his 3s. In the playoffs, Clarkson has scored in double digits only twice in 12 games. He’s shooting 32.1 percent from the field and is 6-of-27 from beyond the arc. On Tuesday, he was benched by Lue for the entirety of Game 2, picking up his first DNP-CD since his rookie season in 2015. To add insult to extremely bad basketball, LeBron can’t always remember Clarkson’s name: Jeff Green: 58 percentIs it possible to be disappointed in Jeff Green? That’s like being disappointed in gas station sushi. You know what you’re getting as soon as you hand over the cash. Anyway, here’s Green giving the Celtics a fast break in Game 2: Green is shooting 36 percent from 3 this postseason, well above his career and season averages. But it seems like he routinely forgets how to play basketball in the middle of Cavs’ possessions—botching layups, booting turnovers, and regularly looking at Jayson Tatum like he’s a creature from another dimension instead of defending him. Kevin Love: 50 percentLove has been consistently good in this postseason—he’s averaging a double-double in the playoffs and totaled 22 points and 15 rebounds in Game 2 against the Celtics. I just feel like LeBron likes being disappointed in Kevin Love. www.theringer.com/nba/2018/5/18/17370424/lebron-james-disappointment-cleveland-cavaliers-role-players
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Post by puddin on May 19, 2018 14:25:58 GMT -5
Bunion has thus spoken.....
Pud
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Post by elvissurfs on May 19, 2018 14:48:21 GMT -5
Liking Pud's bunion...hope we bring it and shock the basketball world!...I will unbelievably be at a family event at the beach, so I will miss the entire game...a little irked, would skip it, but I am the somewhat designated driver...f!@#@$@#!?!ck...I guess there will be more games one way or the other...will DVR it and check the score on ESPN radio...go C's!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by cole on May 19, 2018 15:27:18 GMT -5
Will we see another first quarter LeBron blitz? That was a recipe for disaster. Of course LeBron is more rested this game.
If we lose a game it's because they get hot from 3. We won't give up threes but they could be deep 3s or crazy ones. LeBron can always get them off. Hard screens for deep korver.
The only way they win is if they catch lightning in a bottle like that and we are cold. It wont happen 4 of 6 but could tonight or any given night.
If we win tonight, they give up Monday. Puds bunion will be right. But if we lose tonight we will win Monday. Cleveland won't have the energy to sustain. Then Celts at home. That's my guess Celts in 5.
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Post by kyceltic on May 19, 2018 15:41:21 GMT -5
I'll just say this! As long as we don't lose at home, we'll be alright!!
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Post by DaCeltics on May 19, 2018 15:57:25 GMT -5
Brad Stevens at the end of todays walk through "DESTROYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY THEM........"
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Post by DaCeltics on May 19, 2018 18:04:21 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2018 19:01:54 GMT -5
A little concerned about where Tatum's and Brown's head will be. Tatum has got advise from Kobe. Can he just focus on playing and work on the advise later? Will all this talk of facing LeBron fearlessly mess with Brown's head?
No, and we are OK. Yes, and it becomes a learning experience for the youngsters. We have to see. Looking forward to the game any way.
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Post by fierce on May 19, 2018 19:29:15 GMT -5
Cavs are not a good defensive team.
Celts need to make open shots.
If they do that then this series will be 3-0 after a few hours.
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 19:30:58 GMT -5
Larkin still not available ... Oh, and this might get a rise out of a few looking to get a top 6 pick in this draft: Grizzlies To Explore Trading No. 4 Pick?May 18th 2018 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams The buzz at this week’s draft combine in Chicago suggests that the Grizzlies are a prime candidate to trade a high pick next month, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney hears that the Grizzlies’ preference would be to move up to No. 1 or No. 2 to grab one of 2018’s top prospects, but a trade down is probably more likely. “If you have someone you like in the first few picks, they’re the first call you’d make,” one general manager said of the Grizzlies, per Deveney. “They obviously were the most disappointed with the way the lottery went and the options they have now. It seems like they want to try to turn that pick into something else. “Everyone’s going to talk before the draft, of course,” the GM continued. “But Memphis, I think they’re the ones who are going to be more ready to do something than others.” As Deveney observes, many of the most promising prospects who would be available for the Grizzlies at No. 4 are raw and wouldn’t necessarily be able to make an impact right away. Memphis hopes to return to playoff contention with a healthy Mike Conley in 2018/19, so moving down a few spots and picking up a wing like Mikal Bridges or Miles Bridges – along with an extra player – could be a favorable outcome for the club. The Grizzlies also owe their 2019 first-round pick to the Celtics if it doesn’t land in the top eight, so if they explore a trade down, they may look to pick up a first-rounder in that draft, Deveney notes. If Memphis stays at No. 4, the team’s top options figure to include the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr., Mohamed Bamba, and Michael Porter Jr., assuming Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, and Marvin Bagley III come off the board in the top three. While the Grizzlies may ultimately stay put, especially if one of those top prospects slips to them, we should expect them to be involved in trade discussions leading up to draft night, Deveney writes. www.hoopsrumors.com/2018/05/grizzlies-to-explore-trading-no-4-pick.html
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Post by DaCeltics on May 19, 2018 19:32:00 GMT -5
Game time! Finally!
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 19:46:22 GMT -5
9-4 early ... Cavs
Lid on our basket ...
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2018 19:49:52 GMT -5
Yup! A lid of our making. We are tight. But that is good. I am not seeing any signs of lack of focus. Other than JB fouls, things are still ok.
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Post by DaCeltics on May 19, 2018 19:50:18 GMT -5
I wish we would go to the low post after missing 2 buckets in a row...
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 19:56:48 GMT -5
We did but Baynes blocked by James ... no call (no fouls called on CLE yet 1PF to 4PF on C's)
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Post by sfbosfan on May 19, 2018 19:58:42 GMT -5
WE ARE NOT GETTING BLITZED BY LEBRON BUT BY EVERYBODY. They are playing good defense and with more energy. They do not want to lose this game!
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 19:59:14 GMT -5
As expected they are already 4-6 on threes ... they had to break out sooner or later ...
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2018 20:00:58 GMT -5
Funny, I don't feel like we are out of this game. We are starting. Lets get it going guys. It is a 48 mins game.
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 20:01:55 GMT -5
Morris 1-5, Brown 2 fouls
Brown, Tatum & Horford are MIA
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 20:03:26 GMT -5
Funny, I don't feel like we are out of this game. We are starting. Lets get it going guys. It is a 48 mins game. True, getting use to being down big in Q1 ... Meh!
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 20:04:19 GMT -5
As predicted, an earlier rest for James ... must take advantage of the replacement
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 20:05:27 GMT -5
Who woke up George Hill?
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Post by Admin on May 19, 2018 20:06:56 GMT -5
32-15 Cavs (Only Down 17)
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