Many people around northeast Ohio, and national pundits too, had it as a foregone conclusion that the Cleveland Cavaliers would win the Eastern Conference and return to the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year.
Instead, they are lucky to head to Indiana with a split in the first round series after winning Game 2, 100-97 at Quicken Loans Arena.
And they needed a virtuoso performance by LeBron James to do it.
James had 46 points (on 17 of 24 shooting), 12 rebounds and five assists, scoring the Cavs’ first 16 points helping Cleveland have a 33-18 lead after the first quarter.
The Pacers spent the rest of the night slowly but surely getting back in the game, but came up just short.
Still, if you are a fan of the wine and gold, you can’t be feeling all warm and fuzzy after this one. Only two other Cavaliers, Kevin Love (15 points) and Kyle Korver (12) finished in double figures as coach Tyronn Lue used a series of odd lineups in this one.
First, Lue changed the starting lineup, but went smaller, going with JR Smith, Korver, and George Hill with James and Love.
It worked in the first quarter because James went berserk offensively and Victor Oladipo picked up two quick fouls and missed much of it.
But Lue’s move, as is most of his strategy benefits the team on the offensive end, and he continues to ignore the defensive side of the game.
Once the Pacers’ star got back in the game, it became one as for the second straight game, Cleveland struggled to contain him and his backcourt mate, Darren Collison, as the duo combined for 38 points on 16 of 29 shooting.
The Pacers started getting back in the game by using Myles Turner inside (18 points on 7 of 12 from the floor), but the Cavs seemed content to allow this as their two legitimate inside defenders, Tristan Thompson most notably, did not play.
Have you ever seen a team give up so many open layups in the half court game than the Cavaliers?
Hill got into foul trouble as well, although he played well, but the coach allowed him to pick up his fifth foul late in the third quarter instead of sitting him after his fourth. Jordan Clarkson and Jose Calderon replaced him, but weren’t effective, so Cleveland played much of the fourth quarter without a legitimate point guard on the floor.
Larry Nance played 24 minutes, the only member of the bench to play more than 20, and he took just one shot and had five rebounds.
The Cavs were at home and their bench played tentatively, what is going to happen when they visit Indianapolis?
Rodney Hood hit a couple of shots in the first half, but after intermission lost the ball twice trying to dribble. Clarkson isn’t playing with the confidence he showed after coming to Cleveland, and the Pacers made runs when Calderon was in the game.
Right now, the offense and defense seem to be disjointed, the Cavs play like there is no philosophy or structure on either end of the floor. We understand the roster upheaval and injuries have led to constant changes in who is playing, but what does it say that the wine and gold don’t have a system to fall back on?
If the Cavs want to advance to the next series, they will need someone besides LeBron James to start playing at peak efficiency. Right now, with the system the team is playing with, we aren’t sure that can happen.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 