Game 32 | Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) @ Milwaukee Bucks (15-13)

[KilgoreTrout]

Amazing how we pulled back from being down 20 in the fourth. It's actually encouraging despite the loss, that we have that ability.
It all came down to the last couple of shots in the end.

We were playing really lazily for 3 quarters though. Maybe it's the schedule.
But we do have a bench to trust and that's a very good sign.

We have the Bulls next and I think it's a good game to give LeBron and possibly Wade a rest. I do think we can beat them with just our bench and Love.

We don’t beat ANYONE, with just our bench and Love.

 

[Gus Zing]

LeBron should have attacked in the last 3 minutes, instead of shooting jumpers and passing to Numbnuts Korver. We had them in the bonus. Green got us in the bonus by attacking. And then Bron came in, and we stopped attacking.

This.

No idea why he was settling or forcing passes to Korver.

He rested most of the quarter so he should have been attacking. No problem if he was playing 40 mins and started to just jack up 3s late. Bad loss.

We also must not get predictable late in games.
LeBron 3
LeBron drive and kick for 3.

Now we did have a play where LeBron cut to the hoop, but they didn't pass it to him in time. However, watching those last couple of mins and imaging us playing the Warriors I started to panic. Those are not the things we need to be doing against high level teams when we play them.

We gotta run offense.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Just call it what it is, great entertaining game and as usual in a Cavs loss, they beat themselves.

That 4th quarter defense was swarming.

Yep we beat ourselves tonight. Bucks played good, but they are a very limited offensive team, especially without Giannis on the floor, and we made them look elite.

We are a very versatile team, but gotta know which players to put on the floor on any given night. Celtics defended the Bucks the best I have seen and they basically put Horford on Giannis.

You don't really need rim protection against the Bucks, you just need to stay with your man and prevent penetration and defensive collapse by Giannis, and in order to do that you need to put a lengthy and girthy defender on him. I would have liekd to see Tristan on him and Green way earlier. You give him space and give him the 3 and just not allow him to gain any ground inside by puttign a body on him. We just over helped and that was game... as soon as we stopped doing that they had very difficult time getting looks.

This.

No idea why he was settling or forcing passing to Korver.

He rested most of the quarter so he should have been attacking. No problem if he was playing 40 mins and started to just jack up 3s late. Bad loss.

We also must not get predictable late in games.
LeBron 3
LeBron drive and kick for 3.

Now we did have a play where LeBron cut to the hoop, but they didn't pass it to him in time. However, watching those last couple of mins and imaging us playing the Warriors I started to panic. Those are not the things we need to be doing against high level teams when we play them.

Lebron should have just posted down low, they have no one to match his strength, especially on a switch, but we put Wade, Jae and Green in the same lineup as well so that really limited the spacing. This 1 on 1 hero ball looks bad if it doesn't go in, and it shouldn't be like this given the physical edge.

 

[tocov]

We don’t beat ANYONE, with just our bench and Love.

Yes we do.

 

[Andrew]

I literally am over this game already, like it left a sour taste in my mouth and I am just ready to move on. Literally mixed emotions, happy the bench mob got it going without LBJ, angry at that horrendous second quarter.

Why did Korver revert back to his finals alter ego? Ugh.

Yeah, its weird. I am taking this loss weird. Not mad, not content, just weird.

 

[SmudgeHog]

Korver better make up for this goddamn shit come Christmas

Cavs wont need Korver. Curry has been ruled out for Christmas day. Cavs get the freeware version of the warriors.

 

[Chris]

I mean...the Warriors have 3 other All Stars on their team including another MVP?

 

[Mavaliersfan]

That's obvious looking at his defensive advanced stats. He just allows too many good looks inside and he isn't a good rebounder... problem is that he just isn't a SG and LEbron doesn't want to play the 4.

True. He shouldn't be in the starting lineup period. He should be 1st off the bench to give Bron a blow. Another issue is Love playing the 5. Sure he can get away with it most nights, but against more athletic teams like the Bucks, Warriors, Rockets, we get killed trying to double team when Love has to switch. Our defense looked down-right nasty last night with TT, Green, Crowder, Korver, and Wade. We were able to switch everything without trapping, which allowed us to play the passing lanes.

We just need a two-way center to pair with Love. Not even someone who's necessarily a rim-protector, but someone with size, good team defender, veteran, and can hit open shots.

I think Zach Randolph or Derrick Favors could fit that mold.

Starters:
IT
JR
Bron
Love
Zbo/Favors

Bench:
Wade
Korver
Crowder
Green
Frye

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

True. He shouldn't be in the starting lineup period. He should be 1st off the bench to give Bron a blow. Another issue is Love playing the 5. Sure he can get away with it most nights, but against more athletic teams like the Bucks, Warriors, Rockets, we get killed trying to double team when Love has to switch. Our defense looked down-right nasty last night with TT, Green, Crowder, Korver, and Wade. We were able to switch everything without trapping, which allowed us to play the passing lanes.

We just need a two-way center to pair with Love. Not even someone who's necessarily a rim-protector, but someone with size, good team defender, veteran, and can hit open shots.

I think Zach Randolph or Derrick Favors could fit that mold.

Starters:
IT
JR
Bron
Love
Zbo/Favors

Bench:
Wade
Korver
Crowder
Green
Frye

Id be fine with Favors, but zbo isnt a center.

 

[Jake]

We lost the game to the Bucks cause half out team didn't show up. JR two points, huh? He must of figured that nice grab he made in the last game was reason enough to take the next 5-6 games off. Of course Korver missed his share but he at least makes some effort.

 

[Cavatt]

We lost the game to the Bucks cause half out team didn't show up. JR two points, huh? He must of figured that nice grab he made in the last game was reason enough to take the next 5-6 games off. Of course Korver missed his share but he at least makes some effort.

There were 4 plays that sealed the loss. TT traveled or lost the ball right under the basket dribbling when he should have gone up to draw the foul at least. Korver missed 2 wide open 3;s, and then Lebron's turnover in the last 10 sec.

That's not a bad loss in my opinion. That is one they would usually win along with an unusually hot shooting game for the bucks. they hit contested 3's. Teams in the NBA just get hot and the Bucks defense can be the very best in the NBA when they want it to be.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

I literally am over this game already, like it left a sour taste in my mouth and I am just ready to move on. Literally mixed emotions, happy the bench mob got it going without LBJ, angry at that horrendous second quarter.

Why did Korver revert back to his finals alter ego? Ugh.

Yeah, its weird. I am taking this loss weird. Not mad, not content, just weird.

I’m still fucking bitter about that game.