2015 WFNY Author Spotlight : Best of Greg Popelka
January 4, 2016On the Cleveland Browns blowing it all up: WFNY on WKYC
January 5, 2016Toronto Raptors (21-15) 100
Cleveland Cavaliers (23-9) 122
The Cleveland Browns had their season terminated Sunday afternoon in the same sorry fashion that’s come to define them, meaning Cleveland has entered the semi-annual schadenfreude/hate-watch season of the coaching/GM search phase of The Rebuild: Year 18. All of the dysfunction of the Browns makes watching the Cleveland Cavaliers that much more refresing — the Cavs are clearing the bar set by the Browns as long as they’re not the most hapless organization in the NBA. And they’re not.
After Saturday night’s dismantling of the Orlando Magic, the Cavaliers had one more opportunity to bolster their resume and build some momentum before a six-game gauntlet on the road that includes a swing into the Lone Star State to face the murderer’s row of Texas teams. They also had a chance to exact revenge on the Toronto Raptors that spoiled Thanksgiving dinner with a win over the Cavalierss the night before Turkey Day. It was an important game for the Cavaliers — as far as relatively unimportant games go, anyway.
The Cavaliers ended up emerging with a victory, but it wasn’t as effortless as the final score indicated — and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. Let’s take a looksee at the box score and see how.
25, 6 & 8 – It was just last week I wrote that Kyrie Irving had looked “like someone who was recovering from a serious knee injury.” Because, you know, he was. “[S]hifty but hesitant; quick but cautious,” I said. Well, that hesitance and cautiousness had evaporated by Monday night, only six days after his gutsy performance against the Phoenix Suns. Irving seemed to have regained all of his explosiveness, agility, and acrobatic flair on Monday, as well as faith in his jump shot. He was absolutely fearless, tantalizing defenders with a ball that obeyed his every command.
Credit goes to Austin Carr with the call of the night after a layup over the outstretched arm of Bismack Biyombo: “KYRIE PUT HIM IN A MIXER … AND WHEN HE CAME OUT … HE WAS A SMOOTHIE.” Austin Carr is an American treasure. Irving erupted for nine points on an early fourth quarter run that concluded with a negligent three off a high pick-and-roll (he made it) and a spin move and collection of cross-overs before a reckless layup (he made it). Carr’s call and Irving’s fourth quarter field goals run from 2:30 to 3:30 in the clip below — because yes there’s already an Irving highlight reel on Youtube. Sometimes the internet is magical.
0 – There was no need for LeBron James to stand from the bench in the fourth quarter. James went to the metaphorical pine in the third quarter with the Cavs holding onto a 12-point lead. By the time the Irving barrage was complete, the Raptors were shell-shocked and unable to regain their wits. The thing that’s difficult to grasp for those who watched the game (and even moreso for those that didn’t watch it) was that the 22-point win for the Cavs was only a two-point game at the halfway point. The Raptors shot over fifty percent in the first half and it looked like a certain last-possession game like November’s contest in Toronto.
That tone persisted early in the third quarter, until James and the Cavalier defense put the Raptors in handcuffs. The Raptors’ shooting regressed toward the mean, and the Cavs were able to bust things open. James was fantastic in his three quarters of duty, scoring 20 on 7-of-11 shooting and adding seven assists. He also played solid defense, especially when he attacked Kyle Lowry and DeMarr DeRozan in the pick-and-roll. This was James’ second straight DNP in the fourth quarter, keeping his legs fresh so he can do more things like the two-handed dunk below (with a LeBron screen to start it off!).
0 – Like LeBron James, Mo Williams also got a DNP in the fourth quarter — because he didn’t play at all in the game. Dave McMenamin reported that Williams showed up just before game time on Saturday and seemed less enthused than his teammates during the big win over the Magic. I feel for Mo — who’s seen his playing time dip from 27.5 minutes per game to 11.3 minutes and has had two DNP’s since Irving’s return. Maybe Mo isn’t happy with his role as a midrange specialist for 10 minutes per game. But as long as Matthew Dellavedova — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — continues to play like a more natural point guard, then Mo’s role in the rotation is small. His only elite skill is a svelte midrange jumper; but he’s not a great defender and doesn’t improve his teammates on offense. Hopefully he accepts his diminished role, because the Cavs will need Mo Williams — even if it’s not as much as wanted.
60.0 to 39.5 – After a sizzling start in which they shot 60.0 percent from the field, the Cavaliers held the Raptors to 39.5 percent shooting in the second half. So, while they weren’t able to hold the Raptors under the magical number of 100 points, they were able to keep them to an offensive rating of 93.3 in the second half, well below the Raptors’ season rating of 104.4 points per 100 possessions. The Cavs weren’t “bad” on defense in the first half, nor were they “great” in the second half. But the Raptors started missing shots after a hot start, the Cavs helped out better on the pick-and-roll, stymied Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan without fouling (DeRozan had only five points in the second half), and discouraged the Raptors from moving the ball as well as they did in the first half (the Raptors are a top-five team in isolation possessions this season). Don’t put too much stock into Monday’s game after the Raptors had a brutal loss to the Bulls just the night before,1 but it was still a convincing performance over one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
8 – J.R. Smith made eight three-pointers on Monday night, his 13th game with eight three-point field goals, which is second only to Stephen Curry. Steph and J.R. are the only players to do it ten times. J.R. also has the most games with 14 three-pointers attempted in recorded NBA history with 17 such games. J.R. has played better defense of late, seems to have found his stroke, and has even dared to dribble a few times recently. Granted, he attempted more shots than any other Cavalier on Monday, so he better make some of them. But J.R. Smith has no conscience — and it’s lucky for Cavs fans he doesn’t. (When he hitting over 40 percent of his three, anyway.)
- And Demarre Carroll didn’t play. [↩]
2 Comments
I think back of the old Bulls games on WGN and Jordan & Pippen would be on the bench laughing in the 4Q, up 30 points with 10 minutes to play. That’s how Jordan played 80-82 games.
If Cavs can give Lebron 6-10 more of those in the 2nd half, it’d be great.
Great game with all of the Clowns coverage it’s like the Cavs didn’t even play let alone win. I especially liked Tristan Thompson reminding everyone after the game how the Raptors acted when they won earlier in the season in Toronto.