When the Browns would play a playoff game in the late 60’s, Plain Dealer sports editor Hal Lebovitz would do a preview of the game and write about how if the Brownies had “zero defects”, they would win the game. That meant they would need to eliminate mistakes. Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed a game with zero defects to beat the Boston Celtics in Beantown. They didn’t get it, and so their backs are firmly against the wall after they lost Game 5, 96-89, and now trail the best of seven series, 3-2.
Having more turnovers than assists, missing 12 free throws, and getting your second best player just five shots does not constitute a flawless game. The Cavaliers made too many mistakes to beat a good team like Boston on the road. On defense, the superb performance the wine and gold put on the first four games deserted them with four minutes left in the second quarter, and didn’t return until the fourth quarter started. In that time period, the Celts outscored the Cavs 43-20, and that was essentially the game.
Rajon Rondo was a huge factor in this rally, hitting two consecutive threes to start the Boston comeback, and then penetrating and either hitting the short runners in the paint, or hitting his teammates for open shots during the Celtic surge. Rondo finished with 20 points and 13 assists. Kevin Garnett was also strong, getting 26 points and 16 rebounds, and scoring on some resounding dunks when he went inside. Paul Pierce wound up leading the C’s in scoring with 29, but many of those points came late when the wine and gold were fouling to stop the clock, sending Pierce to the line.
The ball movement on offense, which was a key to the Game 4 win, went missing last night. The Cavs had 11 assists and 12 turnovers for the game, a terrible ratio in such an important game. Two of the assists were by Anderson Varajao, of all people. Other problem with the attack was that Zydrunas Ilgauskas was ignored for the entire game. Arguably, the team’s best perimeter shooter, he took five shots all night. The wine and gold must make it a priority to get the ball to the big man. This is a problem that rears its ugly head every so often. Unfortunately, it occurred last night.
However, it was on the defensive end that the Cavaliers needed to hang their collective heads in shame. The Celtics hit 72% of their shots in the third quarter, most of them drives to the basket or uncontested jump shots. That’s the problem this team has with penetrating point guards, which Rondo became last night. When he gets into the paint, it causes the interior defenders to collapse on him, which leaves others to finish at the basket or have wide-open jumpers. It was only one quarter, but it was enough to bury the wine and gold in Game 5.
That was the game the Cavs needed to win in order to advance. It will be very, very difficult to win a Game 7 on the road. LeBron James and his teammates have their backs against the wall. However, if they lose this series, they can look back to games one and five, when the Celtics didn’t play well, and the Cavs let them escape with victories.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 