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Game Thread | Knicks playoff series Game #4 | Cavs @ Knicks | April 23, 2023 | 1:00 p.m. ABC

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Wham with the Right Hand

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Game 4 and the Cavs need to bounce back from the embarrassing 20-point loss in Game 3 in which they became the first NBA team this season to fail to score 80 points. The problem was turnovers and bad shooting.

Of the Cavs’ 80 attempts in Friday’s Game 3 loss, 56 of them were uncontested. And yet, Cleveland shot an atrocious 33.9% on those looks. That had nothing to do with Robinson or a supposedly smothering defense. That had nothing to do with adjustments -- although New York made a few subtle ones that worked well. That had nothing to do with lineup tinkering.

Point guard Darius Garland, who, given the stakes and the magnitude, played the worst game of his young career, was 3 of 15 on uncontested shots. He finished with just 10 points on 4 of 21 shooting overall. Swingman Caris LeVert, inserted into the starting lineup, was 5 of 15 on uncontested shots.


So 70% of their shots were uncontested and they made about one of three. Mitchell said the Cavs were "geeked up". Yeah, the hostile environment got to them big time. For many it was their first playoff road game.

Bickerstaff feels the Cavs missing open shots in the first quarter carried over to the rest of the game.

"We missed free throws. We missed open shots and turned the ball over. Those are things that are in our control. Just have to come out, do the right things, control the controllables, play the game together and compete our asses off and see what happens. There’s opportunities to improve and to improve quickly... We'll be ready for Game 4".

We'll see if the Cavs can "improve quickly". Their much maligned bench, with Caris LeVert moved into the starting lineup for Game 3, was outscored by 25 points and managed only two field goals before a late garbage time bucket by Robin Lopez. The Cavs' starters were all between -16 and -26. Mitchell Robinson was openly laughing at the Cavs after the game, saying they were scared to attack the rim.

At this point the Cavs have played seven games against the Knicks this season and are 2-5. There's a question as to whether they can beat this team when everything doesn't go perfectly, as it did in Game 3. The Cavs went from a 27-point win to a 20-point loss - an astonishing 47-point swing.

The Cavs scored 47% of their points in the paint during the regular season, a number that ranked sixth in the NBA. But the Knicks were first in protecting the paint. - Fedor

The Knicks are a tough matchup with their strong interior defense. To beat them you need good outside shooting, which is an area where the Cavs are generally lacking as Mobley, Allen, Okoro, Osman, Stevens, Rubio, and Wade do not have reliable outside shots. So when Garland, Mitchell, or LeVert are off the Cavs don't have anywhere to turn. Danny Green has looked like Ricky Rubio so far, a year too old and a step too slow.

At least the Cavs will know what to expect in terms of the environment. The Knicks aren't going to change anything, although starting off-guard Quentin Grimes is questionable with a shoulder injury. That should not be a problem as he has 11 points and 3 assists in three games. The Knicks are just as good with Hart and Quickley on the floor.

After seven games the Cavs know the Knicks very well. The Cavs' defense has been excellent, holding a team that averaged over 115 points during the regular season to 96.7 in this series, over 18 points below their average. Julius Randle, perhaps still not fully recovered from an ankle sprain, is shooting 33% from the field and 30% on 3's. Evan Mobley is doing a great job on him.

As a team the Knicks are shooting 42% from the field and 27.5% on 3's. Those are great numbers for the Cavs.

When you hold the opponent to 101 points or fewer you expect to win every time. It all comes down to knocking down open shots, making free throws, preventing second chance points, and not turning the ball over by driving into a crowd or forcing passes in the paint. If the Cavs can do all those things they can win.

But outside shooting has been a problem all year and given the ramped up intensity of the playoffs it becomes harder if you lack confidence. After 85 games Bickerstaff is still experimenting with starting lineups and substitutions. It looks like he tries to figure out in the first half who is having a good game and who is not and then let that dictate who plays the second half. In Game 3 it was LeVert. But what if nobody off the bench is knocking down shots?



 
All I can say is today I have a daughter with sickness and diarrhea and a leaking hot water tank that has needed me to rip up a carpet. I'm not having a great day but the game is on a 6pm local time. So if they could just play properly I would really appreciate it.
 
Not feeling especially confident. Going to be very tough for a young team to win in that environment.
 
Inconsistent shooting is what will kill this team. Can get people fired. We say it every offseason, but Koby needs to bring in shooters and an athletic 3. Also if he can bring someone in with swagger. Even though KPJ is inconsistent and potentially a headcase, I would love to have him on this squad. Someone who isn't scared of the moment. At times, to our detriment.
 
sign kevon looney for 1 game
 
Inconsistent shooting is what will kill this team. Can get people fired. We say it every offseason, but Koby needs to bring in shooters and an athletic 3. Also if he can bring someone in with swagger. Even though KPJ is inconsistent and potentially a headcase, I would love to have him on this squad. Someone who isn't scared of the moment. At times, to our detriment.

KPJ will never be on this team as long as Mobley is on it. This is real life, not nba2k. What is so difficult for people to understand about this?
 
Just like in game 1, the Cavs did not perform with a "couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat" type of shooting display. Pitiful.

They were laughed at and embarrassed after laying a giant turd of a performance on national TV.

I expect them to learn from getting "punched in the face", again, by the Knicks, and respond with an improved performance.
 
KPJ will never be on this team as long as Mobley is on it. This is real life, not nba2k. What is so difficult for people to understand about this?

Why? Because Mobley is soft spoken? Do they have beef? Koby basically gave away KPJ because of personal issues instead of working on them. Or KPJ went over whatever strike system Koby has. But we would be a more dynamic team and it would have been possible for both of them to be on the same team. You can say we couldn't have had Mitchell in this hypothetical world if we kept KPJ because Utah would probably have asked for him in a trade. But I'm not sure you can say KPJ and Mobley wouldn't be on the same team ever even if Koby didn't trade him away. To make the salary work it would mean giving up Cedi and Okoro. Which I think most people would be fine with. I'm just trying to get an idea of your rationale, not trying to start an argument because I don't really care to.
 
Why? Because Mobley is soft spoken? Do they have beef? Koby basically gave away KPJ because of personal issues instead of working on them. Or KPJ went over whatever strike system Koby has. But we would be a more dynamic team and it would have been possible for both of them to be on the same team. You can say we couldn't have had Mitchell in this hypothetical world if we kept KPJ because Utah would probably have asked for him in a trade. But I'm not sure you can say KPJ and Mobley wouldn't be on the same team ever even if Koby didn't trade him away. To make the salary work it would mean giving up Cedi and Okoro. Which I think most people would be fine with. I'm just trying to get an idea of your rationale, not trying to start an argument because I don't really care to.
I believe Mobley's dad had a ton of issues with KPJ at USC and the family basically didnt want him to go to Houston (who picked before us) because of it
 
I believe Mobley's dad had a ton of issues with KPJ at USC and the family basically didnt want him to go to Houston (who picked before us) because of it
That helps.
 
All I can say is today I have a daughter with sickness and diarrhea and a leaking hot water tank that has needed me to rip up a carpet. I'm not having a great day but the game is on a 6pm local time. So if they could just play properly I would really appreciate it.
Sorry about your daughter, the water tank, and the carpet, in that order.

We're all hoping the Cavs can "just play properly".

I love the Brits. My wife and I are just getting around to watching Downton Abbey (eight years late). Hilarious. Especially the Dowager Countess.
 

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