Practice makes perfect: Baker Mayfield receiving a bunch of snaps under center
May 7, 2018WWW: What’s in a (Nick) Name?
May 8, 2018Cleveland Cavaliers 128
Toronto Raptors 93
[Box score]
Cavs win series, 4-0
Not one, not two, but it’s now been three (3!) straight years that LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have eliminated the Toronto Raptors from the playoffs. James’ hometown may be listed as Akron, Ohio, but Toronto,1 Ontario, Canada may as well be listed as a place that No. 23 owns as well.
The Cavs not only swept the Raptors to beat Toronto for the 10th-consecutive time in the postseason,2 but they did it in dominating fashion. Whether it was their seemingly unstoppable offense or defense, it was hard to find a flaw in the Cavs’ Game 4 performance. Now they advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to take on either Boston or Philadelphia.3
29/11/9 – Although MVP voters seem to every season, you can never get tired of LeBron’s greatness, especially if you’re a Cavs fan. He may not have scored 40-plus like he has many times already this postseason, but No. 23 had an average 29 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and one block in Game 4.
Although he missed all three of his three-pointers, James was a very efficient 12-of-19 (63 percent) from the field in 38 minutes. Whether it was his ability to find the open man or knock down a shot when needed, James continued his dominance this postseason, especially against the Raptors.
23/6 – What happened to Kevin Love between Game 1 and Game 2 this series? Seriously, something took place that not only rejuvenated the big man, but got him back to his dominant self as well. After an impressive performances in Games 2 and 3, Love continued his stellar play with 23 points, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 30 minutes. He also knocked down 8-of-13 from the field, 2-of-4 from deep, and 5-of-6 free throws on his way to a team-high plus-31.
I’ve made it known already, but if Love continues to play like this, the East (and even whoever comes out of the West) better keep an eye out for the Cavs because they have gotten their groove going on both ends of the court.
12/5/3 – The numbers won’t jump out at you as you look over the box score, but George Hill dominated tonight and was one of the many reasons why the Cavs played so well. Whether it was his defense, ability to get to the basket, or finding the open guy offensively, the starting point guard played one of his best games of the postseason Monday night.
Hill finished with 12 points, five assists, and three rebounds while knocking down 5-of-8 from the field and both of his free throws in 29 minutes. It’s not a coincidence that Cleveland’s offense seems to be at its best when the veteran point guard is in the game.
5 – Remember that time when some analysts were saying that this is the worst supporting cast LeBron has had since 2007? Those critics have been much quieter lately, haven’t they? In Game 4, the Cavs’ starters outscored the Raptors’, 95-45.
James, Love, and Hill did their thing, but Kyle Korver and JR Smith also played well offensively, leading to all five starters notching at least 12 points in the game. Both Korver (6-of-8 from the field, 4-of-5 from long distance) and Smith (6-of-6, 3-of-3) were about as perfect as you could get. When that duo is hitting their shots, the Cavs are about as close to a juggernaut offensively as there possibly can be.
37-for-54, 9-for-16 – The starters not only dominated (and all scored in double figures), but they did it efficiently as well. They shot 69 percent from the field and 56 percent from long distance to help lead the Cavs to score 128 points, even with the the reserves playing for around the last eight minutes of the game and head coach Tyronn Lue clearing the bench.
With their effectiveness, the starters help lead the Cavs to shoot almost 60 percent from the floor and 46 percent from three-point range Monday night. They did very well defensively, but with how efficient Cleveland was offensively, it was their best overall game in quite some time.
16-of-20 – Not only were the wine and gold seemingly making every shot in Game 4, but they were doing so from the free-throw line as well. The Cavs connected on 80 percent of their free throws as a team. Even when the Raptors tried to slow them down and foul them, Cleveland was still coming away with points. It was one of those kinds of nights.
38 -For just the second time this postseason, James played fewer than 40 minutes.4 It may not seem like that big of a deal, but pair that with the fact that the Eastern Conference Finals won’t begin until Sunday or next Tuesday and that is plenty of rest for the King going forward.
21 -After seemingly being out of the playoff rotation prior to Game 4, Cedi Osman not only led the reserves with 21 minutes, but he made the most of them as well. The rookie was a plus-9 with five minutes, two rebounds, and two assists. Whether it’s his energy or hustle, Osman provides a spark off the bench that is hard to match.
0 – To say that Rodney Hood has been struggling during the postseason would be an understatement. He not only has lost his touch offensively, but it he’s lost it so much that he didn’t score a single point in the Toronto series. Although Lue cleared the bench, allowing ever player to play at least three minutes Monday night, Hood didn’t see the floor and was the only member of the wine and gold to do so.
Whether it’s his confidence or not being able to fully grasp playing next to No. 23, Hood seems to be a completely different player than what he was in Utah prior to the deadline. It will be interesting to see if he’s back in the rotation next series.
2 – To cap off an absolutely miserable series for Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan, he received a Flagrant 2 and was ejected in the third quarter of Game 4. To say it was a series that he would love to forget would be quite an understatement.
