Buckeyes outlast Northwestern to get back in win column, 24-20
October 29, 2016C-Cap Recap: World Series Game 4 – Indians 7, Cubs 2
October 30, 2016Cleveland Cavaliers 105
Orlando Magic 99
[Box Score]
While the majority of Cleveland fans were busy watching the Indians taking care of business against the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the World Series (if you were a Cavs fan that actually watched the wine and gold: good for you), including a sold out watch party inside Progressive Field, the Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business against the Orlando Magic in their return to Quicken Loans Arena.
Late in the third quarter, the Cavs held a 22-point lead but allowed the Magic to cut it to just six points with just a couple minutes remaining in the game. Whether it was the fact that they thought the game was over and eased up or Orlando just got hot, the Cavaliers could have played a much better fourth quarter. Their fourth quarter collapse also could have been blamed on the fact that they were on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Toronto Raptors north of the border Friday night and having to travel home before hosting the Magic less than 24 hours later. But, either way, a win’s a win and the wine and gold are now 3-0 on the season following their 105-99 win over the Magic Saturday night.
Following the game, Cavs guard J.R. Smith made a simple but sweet comment to the fans in attendance, both of which were correct:
“We apologize for that fourth quarter. Let’s go Tribe!”
With most Cavs fans focused on the baseball game at Wrigley Field rather than the Cavs third game of the regular season (no, that’s not a knock on the Cavaliers), lets get into the final numbers:
- 33-20 – With many Cavs fans focusing on the Indians, the wine and gold took an early 33-20 lead at the end of the first quarter, all but taking the life out of the Magic early and often. Orlando eventually made their way back late in the fourth quarter, cutting a 22-point lead to just six, but the Cavs pulled through after taking an early big-time lead.
- 23/6/9 – LeBron James had a typical LeBron James’ game, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. His five defensive rebounds made him the all-time leader for defensive rebounds in team history. While he didn’t get a triple-double, James was able to contribute in all facets of the game, including the defensive end, where he added one steal and one block as well. While his 39 minutes need to be lower this early in the season (especially on the back end of a back-to-back), No. 23 was able to fill up the stat sheet while shooting 7-of-16 from the field.
- 12 – Tristan Thompson may have only had two points, but the most important number for him is that he finished with 12 rebounds on the night. On a team with so many scorers, the big-man won’t be counted on to put the ball in the net, but will instead be counted on to get the balls that don’t get in the bottom of the net. If he can continue to grab double-digit rebounds along with playing good defense while protecting the rim, that’s all the Cavs will ask for from Thompson.
- 4-for-10 – J.R. Smith’s biggest influence on this team is his outside shooting. While he has also proven to be a lockdown defender at times, his three-point shooting is pivotal for the team’s long-term success. That proved to be true late in the game Saturday night, when the Orlando Magic were working their way back from a 22-point deficit. While he finished with 16 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block, Smith made 4-of-10 shot from beyond the arc, including three crucial three-pointers in the final 3:31 of the game in order to give the Cavs the lead for good.
- 20 – The Cavs forced Orlando to turn the ball over 20 times, which led to 23 points by the wine and gold. If they continue to do that on defense, they will be hard to beat considering the amount of scoring they have offensively, especially on the fastbreak. Cleveland had just nine turnovers, which is very good. A team usually aims to have less than 10 turnovers per game.
- 5 – His third game in the NBA, Cavs rookie Kay Felder made in the first half against Orlando, totaling two points, one rebound (offensive), and one assist while shooting 1-for-3 from the field. His lone bucket came on a buzzer-beating layup at the end of the first quarter. Along with bringing energy off the bench in his short time, Felder had a plus-10, which was second on the team (Tristan Thompson was plus-11). But, while his stats were significant, seeing him be able to play and compete with the Magic’s top players was more important than anything. Iman Shumpert may be the team’s backup point guard, but we all know that that isn’t his position and Shump wouldn’t be in that spot if the Cavs had a legitimate backup point guard. The more experience Felder gets as the season goes on, the more head coach Tyronn Lue will be able to trust him, which could lead to the rookie being Kyrie Irving’s backup.
- 3-for-5 – To continue Andrew’s tradition, I had to include the Indians. In Game 4 Saturday night, Chicago native and Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis had one heck of a game to put his team one win away from a championship. In front of his family and plenty of friends, Kip was 3-for-5, including a three-run home run to give the Indians a 7-1 lead in the seventh inning, a single, and a double. What a dream come true for Kipnis. With the Indians holding a 3-1 series lead, his ultimate dream (and goal) could happen Sunday night at Wrigley Field.
Without a game on Sunday and Halloween (Monday), the Cavs will host James Harden and the Houston Rockets Tuesday night as they try to continue their undefeated (3-0) season. Keep in mind, they haven’t lost since Golden State Warriors stated that “this is a man’s game” to LeBron following Game 4 of the NBA Finals in June.
1 Comment
These will be much better reads than the browns recaps!