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After a discouraging and frustrating loss in Game 1 the Cavs have their backs to the wall in a must-win game tonight. If the Cavs are down 0-2 it’s hard to see them winning four of five, especially with three of those games in New York. I doubt a team ever lost the first two games at home and won a seven-game series.
So the pressure is on and the Cavs need to respond. They let one get away in the first game thanks to blown layups, missed free throws, poor 3-point shooting, and being dominated on the offensive glass.
It all starts with being more physical than they were in Game 1. From a column in the New York Daily News:
The Cavs walked into Game 1 with the NBA’s top defense and left lamenting their willingness to get bullied and beaten up by the New York Knicks.
In response, Cleveland star Darius Garland urged his team to approach Tuesday’s Game 2 with more recklessness.
Foul first and ask questions later.
“The refs let us play a lot. So we hit first and see the refs react,” Garland said. “Instead of being punched in the face and just laying down to it. I think that’s the mentality we have to have. Go punch first and see what the refs do, see if they blow the whistle or not. Just set the tone for the game with it.”
Cleveland’s overall reaction of surprise to the physicality was a headscratcher considering it’s a staple of any team involving Tom Thibodeau and Julius Randle. It indicated either a lack of preparation or experience. Evan Mobley, an All-Defense candidate, looked especially flummoxed by the contact.
"They kind of took us out of everything because they hit first and we didn’t hit back. We just laid down a little bit. And I think that was the game.” - Garland
Isaac Okoro, who caught an accidental swinging elbow to the face from Randle, agreed that the playoffs were officiated differently. He echoed Garland’s solution with softer language.
“The refs in the regular season might call ticky-tack falls,” Okoro said. “Now knowing that I’m able to get away with a couple handchecks and nudges, I’m just going to keep doing it.”
“The game changes in the playoffs. The rules change in the playoffs,” Bickerstaff said. “What is a body-to-body foul in the regular season is not body-to-body in the playoffs.”
So Job One is to understand that the officiating is different and to get more physical. Job Two is for the Cavs’ bench to show up.
Superstars usually match up and cancel each other out. We have just as much talent as they do…in that area.…I think for us, especially in this matchup against the Knicks is gonna be what others are gonna do, what our bench is gonna do. That’s gonna decide a game and could decide a series. - Caris LeVert after Game 1
The Cavs’ bench was totally outplayed by the Knicks’ bench in Game 1. That has to change now, before it’s too late. Part of that is on Bickerstaff, who has some hard decisions to make. Does he continue to use Rubio and Wade, neither of whom looks fully recovered from injuries? He said that if the primary bench players aren’t cutting it then he needs to “go deeper”. Maybe Raul Neto or Lamar Stevens?
Bickerstaff has to get this right for the Cavs to turn it around. He made a huge blunder in Game 1 putting Rubio and Wade on the floor at the same time. That can’t happen again.
Job Three is keeping the Knicks from dominating the offensive glass, where the Cavs were mauled in Game 1.
This is going to be the story of this series, is can we limit them on the offensive glass? If we can’t, we’re going to have a hard time winning. If we can, we’ll give ourselves a chance. - JBB after Game 1
The Knicks’ guards had 22 rebounds in Game 1. The Cavs’ guards plus Cedi had 9. Too often the Cavs’ guards and small forwards were standing around waiting for Allen or Mobley to get the rebound. That has to change. They need everybody on the glass.
I think we just kind of just laid down a little bit and just let them just get a couple important offensive rebounds, and I think that’s what changed the game. - Darius Garland
Bickerstaff also talked about the need to score more points off turnovers - another area where the Knicks have been better.
The X-factor is the ankle injury that Josh Hart sustained in the final minutes of Game 1. He is listed as “doubtful” for tonight. That would be a huge loss because the Knicks are 18-6 in games he's played for them after going 29-26 before he arrived. He had 17 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1, including 5 offensive rebounds. He also nailed the decisive 3-pointer right after spraining his ankle.
Evan Mobley missed nine shots in the paint in Game 1. OK, it was the first playoff game of his career and it looked like he was rushing his shots. The Cavs need him to settle down and put the ball in the hole when he gets to his spot. He needs to figure out how to deal with the length and physicality of Robinson and Hartenstein.
Donovan Mitchell had 38 points and 7 assists, carrying the offense on his back. But he also missed 10 three-point shots and seemed to be forcing the ball into a crowd of Knicks at times. I'd like to see him draw the defense and pass off for easy buckets a little more.
The Cavs’ first game jitters should be gone and they’ve had two days to watch the film, make adjustments, and understand what they need to do. I expect them to be more physical tonight and try to “hit them first”. In Game 1 the Knicks threw the first punch, jumping out to a 7-point lead in the first 1:20. The Cavs outscored them by 3 points the rest of the way. The Cavs can’t afford to spot them 7 points before breaking a sweat.
However, given the Cavs’ bench disadvantage they can’t have starters getting in foul trouble so they can't be overly physical coming out of the gate. It's about being physical enough to compete without forcing the refs to call fouls.
So the pressure is on and the Cavs need to respond. They let one get away in the first game thanks to blown layups, missed free throws, poor 3-point shooting, and being dominated on the offensive glass.
It all starts with being more physical than they were in Game 1. From a column in the New York Daily News:
The Cavs walked into Game 1 with the NBA’s top defense and left lamenting their willingness to get bullied and beaten up by the New York Knicks.
In response, Cleveland star Darius Garland urged his team to approach Tuesday’s Game 2 with more recklessness.
Foul first and ask questions later.
“The refs let us play a lot. So we hit first and see the refs react,” Garland said. “Instead of being punched in the face and just laying down to it. I think that’s the mentality we have to have. Go punch first and see what the refs do, see if they blow the whistle or not. Just set the tone for the game with it.”
Cleveland’s overall reaction of surprise to the physicality was a headscratcher considering it’s a staple of any team involving Tom Thibodeau and Julius Randle. It indicated either a lack of preparation or experience. Evan Mobley, an All-Defense candidate, looked especially flummoxed by the contact.
"They kind of took us out of everything because they hit first and we didn’t hit back. We just laid down a little bit. And I think that was the game.” - Garland
Isaac Okoro, who caught an accidental swinging elbow to the face from Randle, agreed that the playoffs were officiated differently. He echoed Garland’s solution with softer language.
“The refs in the regular season might call ticky-tack falls,” Okoro said. “Now knowing that I’m able to get away with a couple handchecks and nudges, I’m just going to keep doing it.”
“The game changes in the playoffs. The rules change in the playoffs,” Bickerstaff said. “What is a body-to-body foul in the regular season is not body-to-body in the playoffs.”
So Job One is to understand that the officiating is different and to get more physical. Job Two is for the Cavs’ bench to show up.
Superstars usually match up and cancel each other out. We have just as much talent as they do…in that area.…I think for us, especially in this matchup against the Knicks is gonna be what others are gonna do, what our bench is gonna do. That’s gonna decide a game and could decide a series. - Caris LeVert after Game 1
The Cavs’ bench was totally outplayed by the Knicks’ bench in Game 1. That has to change now, before it’s too late. Part of that is on Bickerstaff, who has some hard decisions to make. Does he continue to use Rubio and Wade, neither of whom looks fully recovered from injuries? He said that if the primary bench players aren’t cutting it then he needs to “go deeper”. Maybe Raul Neto or Lamar Stevens?
Bickerstaff has to get this right for the Cavs to turn it around. He made a huge blunder in Game 1 putting Rubio and Wade on the floor at the same time. That can’t happen again.
Job Three is keeping the Knicks from dominating the offensive glass, where the Cavs were mauled in Game 1.
This is going to be the story of this series, is can we limit them on the offensive glass? If we can’t, we’re going to have a hard time winning. If we can, we’ll give ourselves a chance. - JBB after Game 1
The Knicks’ guards had 22 rebounds in Game 1. The Cavs’ guards plus Cedi had 9. Too often the Cavs’ guards and small forwards were standing around waiting for Allen or Mobley to get the rebound. That has to change. They need everybody on the glass.
I think we just kind of just laid down a little bit and just let them just get a couple important offensive rebounds, and I think that’s what changed the game. - Darius Garland
Bickerstaff also talked about the need to score more points off turnovers - another area where the Knicks have been better.
The X-factor is the ankle injury that Josh Hart sustained in the final minutes of Game 1. He is listed as “doubtful” for tonight. That would be a huge loss because the Knicks are 18-6 in games he's played for them after going 29-26 before he arrived. He had 17 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1, including 5 offensive rebounds. He also nailed the decisive 3-pointer right after spraining his ankle.
Evan Mobley missed nine shots in the paint in Game 1. OK, it was the first playoff game of his career and it looked like he was rushing his shots. The Cavs need him to settle down and put the ball in the hole when he gets to his spot. He needs to figure out how to deal with the length and physicality of Robinson and Hartenstein.
Donovan Mitchell had 38 points and 7 assists, carrying the offense on his back. But he also missed 10 three-point shots and seemed to be forcing the ball into a crowd of Knicks at times. I'd like to see him draw the defense and pass off for easy buckets a little more.
The Cavs’ first game jitters should be gone and they’ve had two days to watch the film, make adjustments, and understand what they need to do. I expect them to be more physical tonight and try to “hit them first”. In Game 1 the Knicks threw the first punch, jumping out to a 7-point lead in the first 1:20. The Cavs outscored them by 3 points the rest of the way. The Cavs can’t afford to spot them 7 points before breaking a sweat.
However, given the Cavs’ bench disadvantage they can’t have starters getting in foul trouble so they can't be overly physical coming out of the gate. It's about being physical enough to compete without forcing the refs to call fouls.
