6-7-17 vs. Warriors

clejgabriele

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Wrap-Up -- The Cavaliers gave everything they had in Game 3 on Wednesday night at The Q – so much so that they simply didn’t have enough gas in the tank to finish off the white-hot Warriors.

Golden State outscored Cleveland, 11-0, in the final three minutes of Wednesday’s decisive battle – pulling away late to hand the Cavaliers a crushing 118-113 defeat, putting them in a 0-3 hole with Game 4 of the 2017 Finals slated for Friday night at The Q.

The dynamic duo of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James were outstanding in defeat – combining for 77 points and nearly willing the Wine and Gold to the victory. But both played almost the entire second half and couldn’t close the deal in Game 3.

Cleveland took its first second-half lead of the series early in the second half and led by five after three quarters.

The Cavs extended their edge to seven early in the fourth, but Golden State wouldn’t go away. After cutting Cleveland’s lead to just a single point with 4:28 to play, LeBron’s two free throws and a triple from J.R. Smith gave them a six-point edge, 113-107, with 3:09 to play.

But that was as good as it would get for the reigning Champs on Wednesday.

Steph Curry scored quickly on the Warriors’ next possession and, after a LeBron miss on the other end, Durant scored on a short pull-up to get Golden State to within a deuce, 113-111.

After Kyle Korver missed a three-pointer, Durant came right back and hit a bomb from the top of the arc – giving the Dubs their first lead of the fourth quarter.

On Cleveland’s next possession, Kyrie Irving’s step-back three-pointer was off target. Curry grabbed the rebound and fed to Durant, who was fouled by Korver. The eight-time All-Star drilled both free throws to put the Warriors up three, 116-113.

After their final timeout, the Cavaliers botched the in-bounds play as LeBron stepped out of bounds – with Curry sinking a pair of free throws on the other end to seal the deal.

”I knew it was going to be a tough game for us,” explained Tyronn Lue. “And for us to win, I knew I to give LeBron at least a two-minute blow in that first quarter because in the second half he might not get a blow. Kyrie was playing well, the game was on the line, so I decided to stick with those guys, being at home, down 0-2.”

The Cavaliers now need to win on Friday night just to stay alive in the series. No NBA team has ever won a Playoff series after falling behind, 0-3, but the Wine and Gold made history one season ago – and if they’re able to get a win in Game 4, they’ll at least have some historical precedent heading back to Oakland.

LeBron put together another herculean Finals effort – leading both squads with 39 points, his 12th 30-point game of the 2017 Playoffs but first in the series.

On the night, the four-time MVP went 15-for-27 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from long-range, adding 11 boards, a game-high nine assists, a steal and a blocked shot in nearly 46 minutes of work.

After struggling for most of the night in Sunday’s Game 2, Kyrie was aggressive from the opening tip on Wednesday – netting 16 of his 38 points in the third quarter, finishing 16-for-29 from the floor overall, adding six boards and three assists in the loss.

”It's the Finals; we had our horses in,” said Irving. “Myself and Bron eclipsed the 43-minute mark, playing pretty well, then they made some big-time plays down the stretch. They're a juggernaut of a team, do a great job of spacing out the floor, keeping a high tempo, and just made some big-time plays down the stretch. You got to give credit when credit is due.”

LBJ and Kyrie combine for 77 points as the Wine &amp; Gold fall in Game 3.

J.R. Smith finally found his shooting stroke in Game 3 – finishing with 16 points, going 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

But again, the Cavaliers didn’t get big contributions from their bench – with the reserves combining for just 11 points – and for the third straight game, Tristan Thompson was completely neutralized, going scoreless for the second time the series, adding just three boards in 23 minutes of action.

Kevin Love had his toughest scoring game of the Finals – finishing with nine points on 1-for-9 shooting – but he did manage to lead Cleveland with 13 boards, four off the offensive glass.

The Warriors were led once again by Durant, who posted his third 30-point game of the series – netting 14 of his 31 in the final period and going 10-of-18 from the floor overall. The lithe superstar added eight boards, four assists, a steal and a block.

Klay Thompson bounced back from a rough opener to net 30 points in Wednesday’s win. After going 3-for-16 from the floor in Game 1, Thompson is a combined 19-for-30 over the past two contests.

Curry was tremendous again for the Warriors – finishing with 26 points and leading Golden State with 13 rebounds – five on the offensive end. Over the past two games, the two-time MVP is averaging 11.5 boards per.

Wednesday night’s thriller featured 10 ties and 19 lead-changes. The Cavaliers were beat on the boards, 44-37, on the break, 24-13, and on second-chance scoring, 46-38.

Cleveland was a little better from long-distance on Wednesday – drilling a dozen threes. But the Warriors were that much better, going 16-for-33 from deep. The Dubs also canned 22 of their 24 free throws in Game 3 and are 44-of-48 over the last two games of the series.

Turning Point -- The third quarter had been Cleveland’s Achilles’ heel through the first two games of the 2017 Finals. But behind Kyrie’s outburst, the Cavs reversed that trend on Wednesday – opening the second half on a 10-2 run and outscoring the Warriors by 11 in the period.

The Cavaliers kept the heat on Golden State early in the fourth, but the Warriors were never far from striking distance. And after Swish drilled his fifth and final three-pointer of the night nine minutes into the quarter, the Wine and Gold just didn’t have anything in the tank for the remainder.

Over the last three minutes, Cleveland went 0-of-8 from the floor and didn’t attempt a free throw. The Cavs shot 26 percent to the Warriors’ 53 percent from the in the final period.

By the Numbers – 93 … combined points from LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith – tying the second-highest three-man scoring performance in Cavaliers franchise history (tying the mark set by James, Irving and Love in Game 4 vs. Boston). The highest mark – 94 points – was scored by the triumvirate of Brad Daugherty (40), Mark Price (35) and Hot Rod Williams (19) against New Jersey in 1992.

Quotable – LeBron James, on dealing with the high-powered Warriors …

”Before the series even started we knew what we was dealing with. I said it after we won the Eastern Conference Finals that we're getting ready for a juggernaut. It's probably the most, most firepower I've played in my career. I played against some great teams, but I don't think no team has had this type of firepower. So even when you're playing well, you got to play A-plus-plus, because they're going to make runs and they're going to make shots and they got guys that are going to make plays.”

Up Next -- The Cavaliers season comes down to Friday night’s Game 4 at The Q. If they’re able to get the win, they leave the next day for California – where Game 5 is set for Monday night in Oakland. If Cleveland can continue from there, Game 6 is slated for next Thursday night at The Q. If the series goes to a Game 7, that’ll be played on June 18 back at Oracle Arena.

warriors-big-finish-pushes-cavs-to-the-brink

Warriors' Big Finish Pushes Cavs to the Brink

clenadams

cavswarriors-game-3-photos-june-7-2017

#CavsWarriors Game 3 Photos - June 7, 2017

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At the media session that began the Finals last week in Oakland, the first question asked to LeBron James was the major difference between this year’s Warriors team and last year’s. “KD,” was LeBron’s simple answer.

It took the Wine &amp; Gold seven grueling games to dethrone the Dubs one year ago, and that was without the eight-time All-Star forward. Right now, the Cavaliers are seeking answers after dropping two games decisively at Oracle Arena.

They were down, 2-0, last June – but this Warriors squad is a different animal than the one they faced then. By the same token, the Cavaliers haven’t played anywhere close to their best game and were still well within striking distance in the third quarters of both contests.

On Sunday night, Cleveland got big games from LeBron and Kevin Love, but Kyrie Irving struggled well into the second half and the remaining two starters – Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith – combined for eight points in Game 2 and just 11 so far in the series.

The Warriors mitigated their 20 turnovers by canning 18 three-pointers and going 22-of-24 from the stripe – winning their 14th straight Playoff contest, including 29 of their last 30 games overall.

The Cavaliers need to get Wednesday’s win – playing at home for the first time since May 23. They made history coming back from a 3-1 deficit one year ago; they’d rather win it without overcoming even greater odds this season.

Through the road portion of the 2017 Finals, Kyrie Irving’s stats look pretty solid – 21.5 points per, 40 percent from the floor, 50 percent from long-range. But through the first two games of the series, Kyrie hasn’t quite looked like himself, especially around the rim, where he’s one of the best finishers in the NBA.

In Game 2, Irving struggled to find his stroke – going 8-of-23 from the floor. But what might be even more troubling about the first two games of the series is that Irving only made three combined trips to the stripe in Oakland.

Last year, Kyrie finished with just 10 points in Game 2 before going off for the rest of the series – averaging 30.8 points per over the final five games of the Finals, including his 41-point outburst in Game 5 at Oracle Arena.

Kyrie will also benefit from some home cookin’ this week. In six home contests this postseason, Irving is averaging 29.5 points on .512 shooting – going 32-for-36 from the line and adding 6.7 assists and 1.3 steals.

Steph Curry has been outstanding through the first two games – tallying the first triple-double of his Playoff career in Game 2 – finishing with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 boards.

Unlike Irving, Curry had no trouble finding the stripe on Sunday night – hitting all 14 free throws he attempted. The Cavaliers did force the two-time MVP into eight turnovers – a trend they’d like to continue on Wednesday night at The Q.

When reminiscing about last year’s epic Game 7 victory, the basketball world focused on the Block, the Stop and the Shot – courtesy of each member of Cleveland’s Big Three.

And while those plays were all enormous in their own right, it might have been the unsung heroics of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert who put Cleveland in that position – with J.R. Smith’s three-point outburst early in the second stanza and Shump’s first-half four-point play and his defense against Steph Curry on Golden State’s final possession.

In the two previous Finals matchups against the Warriors, J.R. Smith hadn’t shot the ball well, but still averaged 11.0 points per in those 13 meetings, including a much-needed 20-point outburst in last year’s Game 3 at The Q.

Through the first two games of this year’s matchup, Swish has struggled mightily – combining for just three points on just six field goal attempts. His offensive struggles finally affected him on the defensive end on Sunday night when foul trouble limited him to just two minutes of action in the second half.

Though he’s not exactly tearing it up either, Shumpert has been the steadier of the two so far in the series – averaging 4.5 boards and leading all reserves with three steals in Game 2. Shump started all six games against Golden State back in 2015, but he’ll remain a reserve on Wednesday night, with Tyronn Lue insisting that he won’t make any lineup changes for Game 3.

On the other end, Klay Thompson bounced back from a cold-shooting Game 1 in which he went just 3-for-16 from the floor to finish with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-7 from long-range in Sunday’s Game 2.

The Warriors were nearly impossible to guard in the previous two Finals matchups, and the addition of Kevin Durant has made them a defensive nightmare.

He’s been the best player in the series so far – averaging 35.5 points on 56 percent shooting, including an even 50 percent (7-of-14) from beyond the arc, adding 11.0 boards and 7.0 assists. In Game 2, Durant was bear on both ends, frustrating LeBron James and finishing with three steals and a game-high five blocks.

LeBron came into the Finals having notched at least 30 points in 11 of Cleveland’s 13 Playoff contests, but he has yet to reach that plateau against Golden State – averaging 28.5 points on 55 percent shooting to go with 13.0 boards and 11.0 assists per.

On Sunday night, the King notched his eighth career Finals triple-double – tying him with Magic Johnson for the most in NBA history. He’s also scored at least 25 points in 27 NBA Finals games – good for third-best in NBA history.

Those numbers are all impressive, but if the Cavaliers hope to rally past Durant and the high-flying Warriors this year, they might need James to revert to the nuclear version that dominated the previous two Finals matchups.

While most of the star-power comes from the wing positions in this year’s Finals matchup – the dirty work being done in the trenches is just as vital to the outcome.

Like many of his teammates, Tristan Thompson has yet to get untracked in the Finals – combining for just eight points and eight boards through the first two games. The Cavaliers have found themselves down double-digits far too often in this year’s matchup, mitigating Thompson’s effectiveness as Tyronn Lue looks for more scoring punch.

The Cavaliers don’t need Thompson to light up the scoreboard, but they do need him to crash the boards – especially on the offensive end, where he leads the NBA Playoffs.

The sixth-year big man has had great success against the Warriors in the past – grabbing double-digit boards in all six contests back in 2015, averaging 13.0 boards per and doubling up in each of the final four games. Last year, Tristan averaged a double-double – 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds in the seven-game series.

The Wine &amp; Gold will feed off his energy and intensity on Wednesday night as they did in the pivotal Game 3 meeting at The Q last June.

Zaza Pachulia has been a tough cover for Thompson through the first two games of this year’s Finals and JeVale McGee has been impressive off the bench. But Tristan has the experience and the edge in this matchup. He’ll need to assert himself in Game 3 if the Cavaliers are going to rally from a series deficit for the second straight season.

keybank-five-keys-cavaliers-vs-warriors-game-3

KeyBank Five Keys: Cavaliers vs. Warriors, Game 3

admin

Cavs.com's Sunshine Analyst Checks in from The Land

As-salamu alaykum, die-hard Cavalieros. I’m the one they call “Optimist” – back on the North Coast, refreshed, reloaded and ready to rumble.

While the national punditry poops its collective pampers, you and I – seasoned Championship-winning veterans that we are – take solace in the fact that we’ve been here before.

Oh-2 ain’t no thing to the Wine and Gold. We spotted Golden State two wins after four games last June – and that all seemed to turn out pretty well.

Am I saying there isn’t a sense of urgency as the high-powered Dubs – winners of 29 of their last 30 games – roll into Cleveland for the first time since Kyrie Irving egested a steaming lump of coal into their eggnog back on Christmas Day?

I’m saying that we know from experience that it is an obstacle that can be overcome.

But the Cavaliers are gonna need a whole lotta mo’ from everyone to overcome this new-and-improved version of the Warriors. Kevin Durant has been the difference in the series. And Cleveland will need production from everyone who sees action to offset his presence.

So, if you tuned in today to see me flailing about, barking out rally-platitudes and instructions on where to hide the womenfolk and children, you done picked the wrong column.

In fact, I’m gonna do what I always do when I need to calm down and focus (so I don’t hurt myself or others): I’m gonna take a deep breath, channel my inner-T. Lue and make myself a nice List.

I’m not here to set strategy. I’m just here to provide a firm – but in no way intimate – crack on your rear end that says: “Let’s defend the Land, yo!!
Photo by The Optimist

Most people (especially in Cleveland) know from the exterior packaging of the famous window leg-lamp that the word “FRAGILE” is, in fact, Italian, meaning: “something you don’t-a wanna break”

A win streak can be fragile. One small thing can send it crashing to the ground.

Last year, the Cavaliers hit Golden State with what Steve Kerr described as “great force” at home in Game 3. Tristian Thompson set the tone early – turning the energy level to 11 and hitting the Warriors – who’d won Game 2 by 33 points – with something they didn’t see coming.

The Warriors won a close one in Game 4, but the Cavaliers were off the ropes and swinging again.

Fans of the fight game remember a run back in the mid-80s in that weird Post-Ali / Pre-Tyson Era when the last Russian heavyweight to hold the belt – Ivan Drago – had an utterly dominant run: knocking out and killing former champ Apollo Creed and brow-beating reigning champ Rocky Balboa in successive fights.

But after a while, all the winning, all the training, the hair care, the weight of a nation and the completely ridiculous amounts of HGH he was spiking caught up with Drago. And when Balboa – whose training included running up mountains and dead-lifting mule-carts – drew blood in Round 3 of their rematch, it was all over but the shoutin’.

The Warriors haven’t seen any semblance of adversity this offseason.

Do you – as I do – get the feeling that Uncle Drew is about to go on an offensive rampage?

The four-time All-Star was rock-solid in Game 1, with numbers comparable to Curry’s. And the Cavaliers Big Three was on point – like the power trio of Athos, Aramis and Porthos. But for much of Game 2, the Cavaliers were reduced to a dynamic duo – like Tango and Cash or Chest Rockwell and Brock Landers.

More than Love – even more than TheBron – Kyrie is like a jazz artist on the floor. He hasn’t expressed himself in the series yet. He hasn’t riffed a lick. And he’s ready to jam.

On Wednesday night, the Deuce gets loose.

3. The Law of Role Players Playing Better at Home

Even the dummkopf international NBA reporters that've taken over Johnny’s Little Bar this week know this basketball truism. It’s essentially an NBA by-law – like Danny Ferry taking the ball out of bounds after a made basket or a team winning the next game after firing their coach.

The Cavaliers haven’t gotten much from their reserves through the first two games of the series.

But the Cavaliers haven’t played at The Q in a fortnight – their last home contest was May 23, Game 4 against Boston – and tonight is the best opportunity they’ll get to recharge their batteries moving forward.

Despite the final scores, Cleveland has been right in both ballgames. Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, Channing Frye and J.R. Smith can all heat up in a hurry.

It’s time for the Wine and Gold’s reserves to lead a third-quarter scoring spree.

Your support – by all NBA analytics – will help greatly.

The Cavaliers have come back from 0-2 deficits twice to win a seven-game series.

Once was last year’s Championship run against the Warriors. The other was the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons.

We all remember what happened in each of those series.

We've been here before Cavs fans, against the same foe, and not too long ago ...
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/NBAE via Getty Images

Has there ever been a Cleveland athlete in your lifetime that you trust more than TheBron to get this done?

Numeral 23 didn’t come this far just to come this far.

5. Jeff Schaefer’s Stringent Educational Demands

Believe you me, I wish we didn’t have to go to history class either. But that little PR beanpole we call “Schaef” will rat us out quicker than you can say “Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire” – who would’ve been 260 on This Day in History, June 7.

Not a heck of a lot happened on this Date – not much good anyhow.

The best thing that ever happened on this day was Priscilla Presley opening Graceland to the public back in 1982.

The worst thing that ever happened on this date was when anti-alcohol crusader Carrie Nation kicked off her reign of Temperance terror back in 1899 – traveling around the panhandle, singing church hymns and smashing up saloons with her trademark hatchet while a bunch of old-timey drunks yelled “WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!”

Schaef is really lucky that today’s Birthdays – smack-dab in the middle of the NBA Finals, when we have more important things to worry about – are off-the-charts mint.

Today’s Birthday boys and girls include super-heavyweights like broadcasting legend Jim McKay, Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, late-great musical icon Prince, current tennis pariah Anna Kournikova, Rafa Hernandez-Brito’s baseball idol and the pride of Canton – Thurman Munson, literary genius Henry Miller, Steubenville’s own Dean Martin, the Vice President of the United States Mike Pence, Nets legend Drazen Petrovic and actor Liam Neeson – who has a particular set of skills, but none of those skills include being able to make foxy women throw their underpants at him on stage.

That expertise belongs to legendary Welsh recording superstar and timeless sex machine, Tom Jones, who turns 77 years young today.

Plenty of so-called bigshots Died on This Day and if I had to guess, I’d say nearly all of them still are. But talking about dead folk when we’ve got Game 3 on tap is a bigger buzzkill than Carrie Nation and her coven of church-ladies, smashing up perfectly good kegs of booze with their axes, singing “Bringing In the Sheaves.”

On Wednesday night we have the first of FOUR Championship games that our beloved Cavaliers need to win in order to repeat as Flat World Champs. And we need all the positive juice we can get.

They’re going to give it all to you tonight. They’ll need every bit of it back.

I’m not talking about just the 20,562 frothing lunatics packed into Quicken Loans Arena in a few hours. I’m talking about every Cavalier fan around the area, around the country and around the globe – all focusing their girded loins squarely on the mothership later tonight.

the-optimist-in-the-nba-finals-2

The Optimist in the NBA Finals

clejsykes

The defending NBA Champion Cavaliers host the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

The Wine &amp; Gold aim to bounce back following two loses in Oakland. Cleveland has won two series in their playoff history when trailing a series 2-0 (2007 ECF vs. Detroit and 2016 NBA Finals vs. Golden State).

CAVS TO DON WHITE JERSEYS.
        From where to catch all the action to Wednesday's game notes, Cavs.com has you covered.

Despite Sunday's loss, the Cavaliers had some positive takeaways at both ends of the floor.

In Game 2, Cleveland had 27 assists on 45 field goals to go with just nine turnovers. The Cavs were just one assist shy of tying their 2017 Playoff high (28, twice) and one turnover from their 2017 postseason low (eight, twice).

Defensively in Game 2, the Cavs tied their franchise playoff record with 15 steals and scored 23 points off of 20 Warriors turnovers. Cleveland
had 10 steals in the first half, setting a new team postseason record for swipes in a half (nine on three occasions). The only other time the Cavs had
15 steals in a game was also at Golden State on June 5, 2016 during last year’s title run.

Cleveland had a +20 (60-40) edge in points in the paint in Game 2, their biggest margin of the 2017 Playoffs.

The Wine &amp; Gold will look to build upon the positives as they aim to fight their way back into the series and feed off their home crowd.

Including this postseason at home (5-1), the Cavs have won 14 of the last 16 playoff games at Quicken Loans Arena.

Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 La Mega

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike, @ElalcaldeRafa and @chones22 on Twitter.

Status Update: (Cavs) - Edy Tavares (Right Hand Fracture, Out)

Status Update: (Warriors) - None to Report

In Game 2, LeBron James registered his 18th career playoff triple-double with a team-high 29 points on 12-18 (.667) shooting, a team-high 11 rebounds, a playoff career-high tying 14 assists, three steals and one block in 39 minutes. It was James’ 8th Finals triple-double, tying Magic Johnson (8) for the most all time. James (311 AST) also passed Jerry West (306 AST) for the 4th-most assists in NBA Finals history with his 10th dish in Game 2 and now only trails Bill Russell (315 AST, 3rd), Bob Cousy (400 AST, 2nd) and Magic Johnson (584, 1st).

LeBron James has now scored 25+ points in 27 NBA Finals games, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (26) for the 3rd-most since 1963-64 (Michael
Jordan – 31, Jerry West – 29).

Kevin Love posted 27 points on 12-3 (.522) shooting, seven rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes during Game 2. Since the start of last round (seven games), Love is averaging 22.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks, while also shooting .472 from the field, .500 (28-56) from three-point range and .893 (25-28) from the free throw line.

In six home games this postseason, Kyrie Irving is averaging 29.5 points on .512 shooting from the field, including .413 (19-46) from beyond the arc, .889 (32-36) from the foul line, 6.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 36.7 minutes.

After Wednesday, the series continues with Game 4 on Friday, June 9 at The Q. From there, the Finals go 1-1-1 – with Game 5 on June 12 in Oakland, Game 6 on Thursday night back at The Q and Game 7 the following Sunday night, June 18, on the West Coast, if necessary.FIND SEATS | SCHEDULE

cavswarriors-game-3-preview-june-7-2017

#CavsWarriors Game 3 Preview - June 7, 2017

Tristan Thompson Tries to Turn His Finals Around on the Home Hardwood

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
6/6/17 | Cavs.com

Even with Kyrie Irving, at times, struggling to find his shot through the first two games of the 2017 Finals, the Cavaliers essentially know what they’re going to get from the Big Three.

What the Wine and Gold have been lacking are contributions by some normally rock-solid performers – including the remaining 40 percent of their starting lineup.

J.R. Smith hasn’t shot the ball poorly through the 2017 postseason, he just hasn’t shot much – averaging just over 4.5 shots per contest, netting three points in Game 1 of the Finals and taking the collar in 14 frustrating minutes of floor time on Sunday.

Tristan Thompson has been just as quiet – finishing with eight quiet points on Sunday night in Oakland after going scoreless in the series opener. Of course, the Cavaliers don’t need T.T. to light up the scoreboard. The concern is that the postseason’s top offensive rebounder hasn’t gotten untracked off the glass – snagging a combined eight boards through the first two games.

After dominating the offensive boards in the first part of the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, the Celtics made a concerted effort to stop Thompson – throwing multiple bodies at him in the paint.

The Warriors have noticed and followed suit. The strategy has allowed Kevin Love to post some of the best rebounding games of his Playoff career, but it’s got the Cavaliers’ iron man mired in a funk.

”(Golden State)’s been out there talking a lot about trying to keep a body on (Thompson), a couple of bodies on him,” said LeBron James following Sunday’s defeat. “He’s a big piece of our success and they know that, so they have neutralized that in the first two games.”

“(The Warriors) are doing the same thing (Boston did),” agreed Thompson. “But every NBA player is different. When you’re going against Zaza, you’re not going to out-muscle him. He’s top-heavy, so you have to use your feet to get around him, your quickness. With other guys, you can just use your strength. With different guys, you have to use a different approach. So, when they send two guys, you just have to be crafty.”

In terms of offensive rebounding, Tristan Thompson's 234 career Playoff offensive boards are 44 more than the next player (LeBron) on the list.
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The Warriors have a vested interest in trying to stop Thompson – who’s had great success against them in the previous two Finals matchups.

In 2015, Tristan grabbed double-digit rebounds in all six contests, averaging 13.0 boards per and doubling up in each of the final four games. Last year, the native Canadian averaged a double-double – 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds in the epic seven-game series.

The Warriors create so many mismatches and are able to put so many different dangerous combinations on the floor, the Cavaliers have been forced to go away from some pieces that have been integral parts of the machinery all year.

Channing Frye – the most accurate three-point shooter in Cavs postseason history – was a DNP-CD in the final three games of last year’s Finals, didn’t see any action in Game 1 and was forced from the floor when Golden State went small on Sunday night.

Thompson – the franchise’s all-time best on the offensive glass – has been limited to just over 20 minutes of work through the Finals’ first two games in Oakland.

”(Golden State) is doing a good job of trying to keep him off the glass, and at times we're down and they are playing well defensively, so we decide to go smaller and kind of open the floor up and space the floor,” said Coach Tyronn Lue after Sunday’s loss. “So nothing Tristan's done, it's just basically just trying to get more scoring on the floor, more shooting, because they try to load up and help so much."

And he came into the Finals on a solid roll this season – grabbing at least 10 boards in seven games so far – averaging 8.5 points and 8.6 boards, shooting a career Playoff-best .575 from the floor and posting a pair of double-doubles along the way.

”I think I just need to get back to being more active – running around, moving around, maybe not in position to get the first offensive rebound, but keep moving, wearing (Golden State) out and then eventually, they’ll start coming my way.”

During Cleveland’s current postseason run, Thompson has passed Brad Daugherty and Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the franchise’s all-time rebounding list – trailing only his teammate, LeBron James, who’s also benefited from the extra attention Golden State is paying to Tristan, averaging 13.0 boards per through the first two games.

In terms of offensive rebounding, his 234 career offensive boards are 44 more than the next player (LeBron, naturally) on the list.

Thompson’s also posted the best scoring game of his young postseason career – tallying 20 points against Boston, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor to go with nine boards, two blocks and a pair of steals. He’s the only Cavalier in team history to make at least seven field goals without a miss in a Playoff game.

But it’s important not to get too caught up in Thompson’s numbers.

Last June, the Cavaliers returned from Oakland in a similar situation – trailing 0-2 in the series after a pair of demoralizing losses on the Left Coast. But Thompson brought boundless energy to Game 3 – setting a physical tone early and often, doubling-up and grabbing half of his 14 boards off the offensive glass.

”(Tristan) hasn’t played as well as he would’ve liked to,” said Kyrie Irving after Tuesday’s practice. “But his greatness comes in the energy and the attitude that he brings. The effort that he brings. And we’re gonna need a lot of that from him … and some. He can deliver that for us – and he will.”

The Cavaliers will need every ounce of his energy on Wednesday night.

And Thompson, who suited up for 447 straight games before being sidelined with a sprained thumb late in the season, plans to get it right back from some of the wildest fans in the Association.

”We know they’re going to be excited,” concluded the blue-collar big. “The energy’s gonna be full-tilt, they’re gonna have our back and they’re definitely gonna energize us and we have to feed off that. We have to give them the same energy back. We have to come out early and set the tone early, especially on our homecourt.”

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Getting Back to the Boards

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Behind-the-Scenes from #CavsWarriors Game 3 Practice

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6‑7‑17 vs. Warriors