Warriors VS Trailblazers (Game 3)

Warriors Lead Series 2-1

I want to start out this post by saying that Damian Lillard did what Damian Lillard needed to do to win this game. The kid had 40 points and 10 assists in the game. He took over for this Traiblazers team. He took advantage of this team not having the defensive presence of Steph Curry. No matter the shot Lillard was given, he made sure he made it.

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were amazing. Klay had 35 points! But Draymond had 37 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and he shot 8-12 from 3-point range. A lot of his shots were wide open too. He played great but the Warriors couldn't come out with the W.

There were two reasons why the Trailblazers won. First, they didn't turn the ball over. They took great care of the ball. They only had 10 turnovers on the night. Portland made sure that they always got back in transition and the best team in transition only had 2 fastbreak points. When you limit the Warriors to 2 fastbreak points, you are doing a pretty good job at defending them.

The other reason was that the Trailblazers hit tough shots. The Warriors did a good job defensively but the Trailblazers just hit tough shots as they were lead by Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

As you can see, the Trailblazers deserved to get this win because they worked hard. If they keep this up, they could look and making this series a lot more interesting.

Raptors VS Heat (Game 3)

Raptors Lead Series 2-1

Happy Mothers Day everyone! In this post we will look at the game between the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors and how this game came out with the outcome it had.

Kyle Lowry made shots. It took him 10 games! But Kyle Lowry actually made shots. The guy shot 11-19 from the field. However, Raptors fans, do not get your hopes up, because Kyle Lowry shot 10 uncontested shots and made 8 of the. Only 3 of his shots were defended. However, this does force the Heat of making the adjustment to actually play him.

While we aren't sure if Valanciunas or Whiteside will be back in the next game or even the series. Both of these injuries are a devastating loss. Valanciunas was honestly the best player on the Raptors. His pick and roll with Lowry and DeRozan was really key in the 2 wins that the Raptors had in this series.

The Heat finally stopped turning the ball over. They only had 9 turnovers in the game. However, the Heat only had 11 assists. Do you remember when the Heat bought out Beno Udrih's contract? They probably they wish they had Udrih now. They could sure use his play making ability and defense.

Dwanye Wade really carried the Heat. He had 38 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Nobody on the Heat team had more in any of those 3 categories. It doesn't help when your team shoots 22.2% from 3. Part of this is the stagnant offense is helping guys get open at all. In fact, Miami took 55 contested shots in the game and only 22 uncontested shots. This didn't really have to do with the Raptors defense, it was more because the Heat wouldn't get into their offense.

 Obviously some changes need to be made for both teams but game 4 is a must win for the Heat. They need to win at home, if they can't this series might just be long gone for them. They need to tie it up.

Spurs VS Thunder (Game 3)

Spurs Lead Series 2-1

The Spurs came through as they took back home-court advantage. They looked great defensively and fought to the end.

Defensively, the Spurs were sound. They gave Westbrook the shots they wanted him to take. As a result, Westbrook ended up shooting 32.3% from the field. The Spurs also did a great job containing Kevin Durant as they limited his shot attempts by squashing him in the pick and roll. Westbrook and Durant had a combined total of 10 turnovers due to the Spurs defense. The Spurs as a team only had 8 turnovers.

Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge were amazing for their respected teams. They played with heart and scored at will. They both had a combined 55 points. I don't see how a team could even stop these two. And when you throw in the fact that Tony Parker was playing great, you really can't beat them. Tony Parker had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Russell Westbrook has been very lackadaisical on defense and really allowed Tony Parker to score. Tony Parker took 11 uncontested shots and made 7 of them. He took only 3 contested shots and didn't make 1. Westbrook has played horrible defensively and that defense will not win you games.

The Spurs are in control of the series and the effort from Westbrook isn't helping them. I'm sure the Thunder wish they still had D.J. Augustine because they could sure use a talented point guard like him right now.

Cavaliers VS Hawks (Game 3)

Cavaliers Lead Series 3-0

This was a must-win game for the Hawks, and they lost. This series doesn't look good for them. Game 4 could be a closer for the Cavs.

The Hawks had the lead in the 4th quarter but ended up playing really careless. They had 4 turnovers in the 4th. They also played very poor defense. Kyrie got tons of open looks. He had 12 points in the 4th. Channing Frye had 11 in the 4th as he made all of his shots in the quarter. The Hawks offense was scrambling and they could not get any shots to fall.

The Hawks need more production, they just can't match the Cavs. The Hawks need much more production from their bench but they can't seem to get enough. The Cavs are shooting the lights out from deep which is really hurting them. They have such a deep roster, it's hard to compete with.

This was the Hawks chance to win, they just were sloppy towards the end of the game. They need to take care of the ball and play better defense. They need to be the Hawks.

Clippers VS Trailblazers (Game 3)

Clippers Lead Series 2-1

Portland went home. This was a game that they needed to win, and they delivered. Everything I said needed to happen in my Game 2 breakdown, they did. Let's take a look at this game.

First off, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum both decided to finally have a productive game on offense. Lillard had 32 points while McCollum had 27. I was very happy with McCollum's defensive effort too. He was a big benefactor to have on the defensive end. Both of these guys really helped their team win and they both had a superior offensive game unlike in games 1 and 2.

Mason Plumlee was a big part of Portland's win. While he only had 6 points, he had 21 rebounds and 9 assists to go with that. He out rebounded DeAndre Jordan, which is pretty impressive. As a result of this, Portland won the rebounding battle as they had 56 rebounds while the Clippers only had 44 rebounds. This is something that the Clippers have to do better. If they are going to win next game, they have to keep the Blazers off the offensive boards. The Blazers had 18 second chance points.

The Clippers took some really tough shots in the game. They tried to get into the paint but a lot of their shots were at tough angles when they tried to get in close. A part of that was Mason Plumlee's great interior defense, but they need to do a better job of penetrating.

I also think that they need to get Redick involved more in the mid-range game. Redick didn't take many mid-range shots and they weren't in his hot spots. They need to get him coming off screens from the top of the key. While Redick is a good 3-point shooter, he is a great mid-range shooter. They need to get him going with his mid-range shot.

I think that Portland can very well win this series if they keep up what they are doing. As for the Clippers, this wasn't that great of a game for them and they kind of strayed away from what they do. They need to get back to that.

Heat VS Hornets (Game 3)

Heat Lead Series 2-1

The Heat lost their hot shooting. This is not why they lost though. They lost because totally different reasons. Let's take a look at those reasons, shall we?

While the Heat only shot 34.2% from the field, the Hornets only shot 38.9% from the field. Neither team actually shot well. However, the Hornets valued each possession. They only had 3 turnovers in the game! Only 3! On the other hand, the Heat had 14 turnovers. That is an 11 turnover difference.

That wasn't the only big difference that I noticed. I also saw that Miami had 28 points in the paint while the Hornets had 52. The Heat just weren't able to finish, and part of it was because of the interior defense that the Hornets had. It was so strong that it forced up some tough shots. While Luol Deng played great, the Hornets were fine with it as they were focused on other players. They realized Deng couldn't beat this team on his own.

Frank Kaminsky got to start in his playoff game. It was proved as a good move for the Hornets as he put up 15 points in the game. He just took it at the Heat in the post not matter who was guarding him. Another guy that played great was Jeremy Lin, who had 18 points off the bench. He was able to get into the paint and make some big plays. He had 10 points in the paint alone. Marvin Williams also had 12 points with 14 rebounds. This balanced scoring helped them win this game without a good game from Kemba.


The Hornets also hit 21 of their 22 free throws while Miami hit only 19 of their 30. The Heat left 11 points at the line. The rebounding battle was also big. While the Heat had 53 rebounds, the Hornets had 47. It wasn't really lopsided and the Heat didn't convert efficiently after they got the offensive rebounds.

Don't sleep on the Hornets, they are a great home team and this series could come down to a game 7.

Spurs VS Grizzlies (Game 3)

Spurs Lead Series 3-0

This was the best Spurs VS Grizzlies game we have seen in this series. It was close throughout the whole game. The Grizzlies fought and they really battled through this game. I'm sure Dave Joeger is proud of what the team did.

First, I'd like to point out that Zach Randolph finally had that 20 point game. He played well which really helped out the Grizzlies. Matt Barnes also had 17 points. This team just wanted to win. They had a total of 18 second chance points. They just battled their way to the finish line.

There was just one problem. They Spurs could get production from anyone no matter who they put in. 10 players on the Spurs registered at least 2 points. The Grizzlies don't have a deep bench, and they couldn't afford to keep their bench in the game. The starters go too tired and fatigue set in. The Spurs didn't have that problem simply because they have such a great bench.

I think this series will be a sweep. I don't think there is much the Grizzlies can do to win a game in this series. Matt Barnes guarded Kawhi Leonard and Kawhi had 32 points. They just can't stop this Spurs offense. The Grizzlies had a great night, but they still couldn't mangage to grab a win. 

Hawks VS Celtics (Game 3)

Hawks Lead Series 2-1

Last night was Isaiah's night. Isaiah Thomas came out and won the game as he finished with 42 points. The Hawks couldn't seem to match it, but could've they won the game?

The Hawks were brutal from 3-point range. They couldn't get a 3-pointer to fall. They were 2-17 in the1st half. That was their big problem, they wouldn't stop shooting them. They took 36 threes and only made 9 of them. And it wasn't like they were taking a lot of open shots either, they took a lot of contested ones, which was very strange for this Hawks team. When the 3 isn't falling you have to take it inside.

Atlanta Hawks - 3-point Shot Chart - www.nba.com/stats

They Hawks did a great job fixing this in the second half though. They finished the game with 52 points in the paint which is how they made their comeback.

Evan Turner was a big reason for the Hawks win. He had 17 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals as he filled the starting role for Avery Bradley in the game. But that wasn't the only lineup change that really lead to the Celtics win. They also put Jae Crowder at the 4 to guard Millsap and Amir Johnson at the 5 to guard Al Horford. This proved to be a great move as Millsap and Horford had a combined total of 16 points. They really took away the Hawks advantage that they had over the Celtics. The defensive effort really lead to the Celtics win.

Overall, Isaiah Thomas just had a really good night. He was very aggressive, realizing that his team needed him to produce. This ultimately lead to the a Celtics win. The combination of the defense and offense from the Celtics was just too much for the Hawks and you have to really credit Brad Stevens and the great job he on making changes.

Cavaliers VS Pistons (Game 3)

Cavaliers Lead Series 3-0

The Pistons home court was lit. All of the fans in the arena were just happy to see their team back in the playoffs again, and the Pistons put on a show. So far in this series they have been a challenge for the Cavs, but the Cavs have had no problem conquering them.

The Pistons starters were great. They played really well on the court as all of them had double-figure scoring. Their bench was brutal though. They only had 14 bench points total. The Cavs completely destroyed them when the bench was in the game. They can't have a great performance from their starters and them have the bench come in and ruin it. However, I was impressed with Stanly Johnson, he did a much better job defensively this game and he had 9 points off the bench. He was very efficient on the floor.

Defensively, I thought the Pistons did a great job. They let LeBron shoot jump shots and really get into him in the paint. This worked well as LeBron shot just 33.3% from the field. He also shot 1-6 from 3-point range. I thought that they really contained LeBron which put them in a much better position to win.

The Cavaliers killed the Pistons on the boards. The Cavaliers had 46 rebounds while the Pistons only had 32. If you looked at what the Cavs were doing, they were sandwiching Andre Drummond so he couldn't get the rebounds. Stan Van Gundy needs to bring this up to his players. If a guy is being sandwiched, then someone isn't being boxed out. This is the player that needs to crash the offensive and defensive boards. I also thought that it was very strange that  Stan Van only played Drummond 27 minutes in the game. Aron Baynes was horrible on the floor and Drummond was a lot better to have on the floor. 3 of 5 starters for the Cavs had at least 10 boards. J.R. Smith had 9. They need Drummond in there longer. The Cavs had 17 2nd chance points. That is just too many, especially when the Pistons have the best rebounder in the league. The fact that Drummond only got 7 rebounds in the game and J.R. Smith had 9 just tells you that the Pistons just need to crash the glass harder.

The Pistons could really just use a playoff win for some confidence. They are having a tough time against the Cavs but they have to keep their eyes on the target of winning the game, throughout the game.

Warriors VS Rockets (Game 3)

Warriors Lead Series 2-1

The Rocket finally decided to take advantage of the Warriors sitting Curry out of the game. The Rockets were great offensively and looked like they actually wanted to play defensively, or did they. Let's break it all down.

If you look at the Rockets defense, you will notice it wasn't all as it seemed. They did a good job of contesting field goals shot by Klay, but they failed to contest any other shots. This actually worked with them somewhat as the Warriors couldn't hit shots, but then Maurice Speights was left wide open. He took advantage of this as he contibuted to 22 points off the bench and was a big reason why this Warriors team stayed in the game. If you take a look at the shotchart you will notice that the Rockets defense wasn't that great. Guys were left open but were just missing outside shots. The shots inside were usually not defended well and they got quality looks inside. 

Warriors Team - Shot Chart - www.nba.com/stats

James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Motiejunas were the guys that really made this Rockets offense go 'round. The pick and roll with Dwight Howard and James Harden wasn't guarded that well by Golden State until the second half where Motiejunas started spacing the floor and hitting shots. The Warriors got off to a very poor start defensively. It wasn't til the 4th quarter where the Warriors really cracked down defensively.

The Warriors did not rebound well. They lost the rebounding battle to Houston as the Warriors had 43 rebounds while the Rockets had 52. The Rockets had 16 second chance points. The Warriors also didn't take care of the ball well. Draymond Green had 7 turnovers in the game and had a turnover at the end of the game in which the Warriors could have possibly won the game. The turnovers really hurt Golden State and it kind of cost them the game. The Houston Rockets had 20 points off turnovers so it was a case of not getting back on defense either.

Stephen Curry has said that he would be very surprised if he didnt' play in game 4 so the Rockets should expect him to play. They have a lot of changes that they must make if they are going to keep this series alive.

Raptors VS Pacers (Game 3)

Raptors Lead Series 2-1

The Raptors have home court advantage once again! They took it back in Indiana where they beat the Pacers by 16 points. Let's take a look at how this game played out.

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry didn't have the best games, but it was sure better than how they were in the first 2 games of the series. Both of them combined shot 37.5% from the field. While there play wasn't the best, it was crucial for the Raptors win. However, someone that stepped up was DeMarre Carroll. He had 17 points in the game and played great defensively on Paul George. PG-13 shot just 6-19 and that was mainly because of DeMarre Carroll. This really hurt the Pacers which ultimately lead to their demise in the game.

The Pacers didn't do well in responding to George having a bad night. Monta Ellis had just 7 points. If George is having an off night, Ellis needs to produce for the Pacers to even have a shot at winning. And with the team shooting 38.2% from the field, that is where you tell Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey to just go out there and score and that is where Frank Vogel messed up. Sometimes, you need guys to go into isolation or pick and roll and just tell them to score. The Pacers never really did that and scoring guard, Rodney Stuckey only played 16:55 minutes in the game and only put up 2 shots.

Toronto's bench played very well and just had an all out duel with Indiana's bench. Both bench provided a great lift in the game for both teams so it was nice to see the benches duel it out. It was great to see competition from the bench and I was really hoping it would carry over to the starters but it never did. It was a good game to watch, but the Pacers just didn't get enough offense at all and if they are going to win game 4, they need offense from their star players.

Thunder VS Maverick (Game 3)

Thunder Lead Series 2-1

The Mavs looks great in this game despite loosing by 29 points. The Thunder just looked even better. This was really anyone's game til the 4th quarter, which is the Thunder just finally pulled away from the Mavs. The Thunder shot over 60% from the field and from 3 in the fourth quarter, giving the Mavs no chance to catch up.

I was very impressed by the Mavs guard play. J.J. Barea looked great in his return. He had 15 points and 7 assists. Raymond Felton also had 18 points. They were just great offensively, but they were great defensively as they were very physical. Westbrook shot only 4-9 in the paint. Also, Westbrook didn't get 1 rebounds in the game. This was the first time this has ever happened to Westbrook in the playoffs and only the 7th time in his career where he didn't record 1 rebound in a game. Westbrook also had 6 turnovers in the game.

Durant was defended really well. While he had 33 points, most of them were free throws. Durant only shot 8-22 on contested field goals and only had 3 uncontested field goals in which he made all of them. It really the bigs for Dallas that didn't do a great job defending the rim. Dirk was their best big man defender and the bench really hurt them when Barea and Dirk were out of the game. If they played the whole game, Dallas would have theoretically lost by 3 points. Big difference. Barea and Dirk in pick and roll were so great. They dominated the floor and sent Dallas on some big runs during the game. They will be a crucial part of this series if it is going to be pushed to a game 7.

I though OKC was very comfortable in moving the ball around and finding open players unlike in game 2. Dion Waiters and Serge Ibaka had a combined 35 points and Kanter had 21 points to add to that as well which really took the pressure off Westbrook and KD a little bit. They looked very comfortable on offense but on defense they need to figure out a way to stop the Barea and Dirk pick and roll because it's killing them. 

David Lee Saves The Warriors

"David Lee Warriors" by Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA - David Lee. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

David Lee just saved the Warriors hopes of winning a championship. How? Well, Steve Kerr finally listened to me and put David Lee in. It took him a while but he finally did it. Bogut is really not able to run in transition and has not really been great on defense. Once they put Lee in, the offense was flowing for the Warriors.

David Lee is really known for his passing and his great ability to finish at the rim, and it showed in the game. When he was on the court, the floor was spaced and when he drove, he either had an open layup or someone would be spaced out and open for a shot on the perimeter.

If David Lee didn't play in game 3 and game 4, the Warriors would be in most likely in a 3-1 losing in the series. He probably just saved the Finals series for the Warriors. Honestly, I don't understand why Steve Kerr hadn't played him before. Why was Ezlie playing over an All-Star PF? David Lee is very talented and for some odd reason, Kerr wasn't playing him.

The Warriors are now going back home as they tied the series. David Lee provides this team with a great moving and flowing offense that Andrew Bogut just doesn't provide. I honestly don't think that Andrew Bogut will play much and I doubt Kerr will put him in the lineup. One thing is for sure though. He will play David Lee, because David Lee just saved their championship run.

Warriors VS Grizzlies (game 3)

Final Score: Grizzlies win 99-89



Grizzlies lead series 2-1

The Grizzlies won another. Both teams needed the game. Now the Warriors are finding themselves in a position where they need to win the next game. Here are the things they need to change.

The Warriors need to shoot better. They shot under 25% for the second straight game. That can't be happening with this team. Curry shouldn't be missing wide open 3s. They also need to shoot better from free throw. 67.9% isn't enough. They also can't allow 19 second chance points. They really need to get their posts involved more so that Curry and Thompson can space out more. Also, Draymond Green should not be dribbling the ball all the way up the court in a late game situation. None of these things should be happening with the Warriors. None of these things. They need to change them or they will keep loosing to the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies are doing great. They aren't allowing any momentum for the Warriors. They do an excellent job of closing out. Tony Allen again had 4 steals and also had a block. They shot about 31% from 3 which is great for the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol did great as he had a total of 21 points and 15 rebounds. They are doing great when they have someone for them to take on a scoring load and the rest of the team can focus on defense. Zach Randolph also scored 22 points in the game which allowed this team to outscore the Warriors. Without their contributions, the Grizzlies would end the game with points scoring in the 70s so they absolutely need some scorers on the floor. They passed the ball really well to find lots of openings with 327 passes while the Warriors only had 256. That is great for this team to get their offense going because they need offense and great defense against a top offensive team like the Warriors. If they keep the Warriors 3 point percentage low and they have good offense, this team is likely to win the series.

Hawks VS Wizards (game 3)

Final score: Wizards win 103-101



Wizards lead series 2-1

Paul Pierce wanted to win more than anybody else. He wanted to make that shot. He had to fade-away just to get up a shot. And he made it. Pierce lied on the floor as Marcin Gortat and Bradley Beal came running toward him full speed. Of course, the Hawks made a great run to get the game tied up. Let's take a look how they managed to do that.

The Hawks had a great 4th quarter. Dennis Schroder had 16 points in just the fourth quarter. Al Horford, Paul Millsap, and DeMarre Carroll didn't really even play in that quarter. They relied on their bench for the whole 4th. In the first 3 quarters the Hawks only scored 66 points. In the 4th they had 35. A big factor was that they shot just 25% from 3 in the first 3 quarters. Kyle Korver made just 2 shots in the entire game and he ended with 6 points. That can't happen. He needs to get into the game more. Jeff Teague shot 33% from the floor and missed both the 3's he attempted. Their starters just did play well. They played bad transition defense and didn't close out. They need to change a lot and get off to a great start next game.

The Wizards had an extraordinary game. They had great ball movement and had a total of 340 passes as the Hawks only had 270 passes. You know your passing well if you out pass the Hawks. Bradley Beal did great on offense having 17 points and also 8 assists! Otto Porter had 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench. After having no field goals in the first 2 games, Nene had 17 points shooting 7-9 from the floor. Will Bynum had a great game as he shot 2 very important free throws and made them both. He also knocked down a three and had a nice layup in transiton as it was an and-1 opportunity. Paul Pierce. Well, he just won the game, that's all. Marcin Gortat had 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks as he shot 6-7 from the field. This team had great individual and a great team performance. If they keep this up, they have a good shot of moving on to the next round. The only thing that they need to work on is transition defense. They didn't do too great and really need to just get back. A casual jog isn't good enough. You need to beat your opponent back on defense. Otto Porter really went after the ball and went for everything. He had great hustle at both ends. Like I said, the Wizards have a great shot at making it to the next round. Let's see what they can do.

Rockets VS Clippers (game 3)

Final Score: Clippers win 124-99



Clippers lead series 2-1

This was a game that both teams needed. Only one could win it of course. This game was won by the Clippers. Let's see how they won this game.

The Clippers stayed calm and got their bench involved in the game which I though was surprising. The Clippers played a total of 13 players. Austin Rivers had 25 points. The whole bench had 46 total points. The best thing about their bench was they played great defense. Except for Glen Davis. He sucked on defense. The Clippers had 50 points in the paint and had only 32 contested jumpers. It is hard to complain with how they did, but they could get J.J. Redick more touches. He only touched the ball 34 times. That should increase and it needs to. This guy plays the most for the team. That's about it though. Blake Griffin played great. As long as Chris Paul has no more delays, I don't see why they can't make it to the next round.

The Rockets did a lot wrong. They shot 58.1% from the free throw line. The team had a defensive rating of 125.1 and an offensive rating of 98.4. That can't happen. They did do great with their turnovers as they kept it under 20. So they fixed that a little. James Harden was great with his passing as he had not only 11 assists but also 4 secondary assists and 1 free throw assist. That is impressive. They really have to pick up the defense for them to win though. That is just to start with. They also have to find a way to contain Blake Griffin. They have a lot of work to do. Let's see what they will change in game 4.

Cavaliers VS Bulls (game 3)

Final Score: Bulls win 99-96



Bulls lead series 2-1

I have to say, the officiating wasn't that great in this game. LeBron fouled Butler on that 3. Butler traveled on the reverse layup. LeBron fouled Derrick Rose with about 4 seconds left as he knocked it out of bounds. But the ending was great. I saw Derrick Rose put up the last shot. Then I exploded. "OH MY GOODNESS!" I yelled about 23 times. I'm sure the whole neighborhood was all like, "what's happening over at Aaron's place." "someone probably dunked it." Yeah, well guess what. That wasn't a dunk people. That was a game winning shot. But the game winner wasn't the only thing that won that game. It was everything that the Bulls did leading up to that. Let's take a look at what the Bulls did to have that game tied to those last 3 seconds.

Well, Derrick Rose got to the free throw line and he had a great game overall. He scored. Jimmy Butler did great too. Also, Derrick Rose kept Kyrie Irving to 11 points and 3-13 shooting. That is great. Joakim Noah didn't score or shoot well, but he did great on rebounding and defense. That's all you can ask from him. The whole team did a great job of limiting the Cavs to 39% shooting from the floor. Nikola Mirotic had a great game as he had 12 points and 8 rebounds but his defense was the biggest thing. He had a defnsive rating of 88.4. That is great. Aaron Brooks is still struggling and he really needs to pick it up on offense. He shot 1-7 from the field and 0-4 from 3-point range. They also controled the rebounds as they had 54 while the Cavs had 39.

The Cavaliers have a lot to change. With Kevin Love gone, they don't have a big to really spread the floor. Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov seem to clog up the paint and it becomes harder for guys like Kyrie Irving and LeBron James to make shots in there. They obviously could use Love right now. Especially against a match-up like Pau Gasol. LeBron needs to calm down a bit and stop taking too many shots. He was just 1-7 from 3 point range. And let's face it, LeBron isn't the best 3-point shooter. He just needs to get his teammates involved more. Not to mention, LeBron had 7 tunrovers. J.R. Smith had a great game. He shot 4-8 from 3-point range and 2 of those were in the last 2 minutes. Clutch. One thing that the Cavs did great was forcing the Bulls to shoot contested shots. The Bulls shot a total of 63 contested shots! They only had 27 uncontested. That is great contesting by the Cavs. The Cavaliers need Love. If this team even beats the Bulls, they need him for the next round, because without him, they will have lots of troubles.