The Cavaliers once again find themselves in a must-win situation thanks to laying an egg in Game 3 on Friday night. They were flat out stomped by an inspired and fired up Knicks squad by an even 20 points, 99-79. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Murphy's Law.
But the Cavaliers don't have any more time to lick their wounds, dwell on the loss, or play scared and timid. If they do? It's practically a guarantee that they'll be heading back to Cleveland down 3-1, and one more loss away from taking an early vacation. How can they turn things around, and knot the series up at two games apiece, and rejuvenate their hopes for victory in this series? Let's check out the Keys to Victory!
Don't be stubborn if something isn't working
The only time the Cavaliers should be stubborn is when they're battling for rebounds in the paint. That's it. In terms of deciding when to mix up the game plan and approach, being stubborn in this area of the game spelled doom for the Cavaliers in Game 3. It was a straight up killer. Cleveland stubbornly stuck with jacking up threes, went 7-33 from downtown, and dug their own hole that they couldn't climb out of. If I were JB Bickerstaff, I think I would've switched things up after the team went 0-5 from deep to start the game.
I hope Coach Bickerstaff and his team learn from what happened on Friday night. If the Cavaliers start off hot, and everything is going in? Fantastic! But if Cleveland starts ice cold again, you don't settle for jumpers or threes. You dump the ball down to Allen and Mobley in the paint, go after the high-percentage shots (layups, dunks) and count on them to do their job, be physical with the Knicks bigs, and finish possessions with buckets.
Body 'em up on defense!
Cleveland had a ton of success in Game 2 when they did this. The Knicks were incredibly uncomfortable. They made stupid mistakes with the basketball thanks to ironclad defense by the Cavaliers. Not to mention you could physically see that they weren't enjoying themselves at all. They looked defeated. Their body language spoke volumes about how much the Cavs were in their heads defensively.
Cleveland needs more of this in Game 4. No more leaving Knicks shooters open in the corner for easy three-pointers. No more allowing easy buckets inside. No more allowing Jalen Brunson and his teammates to split weak double teams. It's time to clamp down. The Cavs need to be like the Knicks' shadow. If they cover them tightly, it could lead to several opportunities to set the tone of this game, and bring home a massive victory. Turnovers. Fast break buckets off turnovers. Wearing the Knicks down not only physically, but emotionally and psychologically as well. All of these things are outgrowths of fantastic defense. It's time for the Cavs to get the job done here. If there was ever a time Cleveland needed to play its best defense of the entire season, that time is NOW.
Sunday afternoon hero
I usually am against one man trying to take the team on his back. But it may be time for either Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert, or Darius Garland to explode and go off for 35-40 points. Nobody was willing to step up on Friday night. But today is a new day and a new game. And that also means there's a new opportunity for someone to show up in a big way.
The Cavaliers are like a heavyweight boxer who just got knocked to the canvas by a haymaker. They're still conscious, but the referee has already begun the 10-count. Who will answer the bell? Who will help this team regroup, get up off the canvas and fight again? True team leaders step up in times like this. If someone does show up in a big way, my money is on Donovan Mitchell being that guy for the Cavaliers. But it would be nice if it was more than one guy stepping up as well!
The Knicks have tipped the momentum in this series decisively in their favor. And the Cavaliers are running out of time. But there's still at least two chances left to win a game to keep this series going And I still refuse to believe the Cavs are anywhere near as bad as they played on Friday night. Was it an awful game? Absolutely. But is Cleveland usually this bad? No. They're a very talented team. They've already shown this to be true once in this series. Their backs are against the wall now though. But they can turn things around and tie the series at two games apiece before things shift back to Cleveland with Game 5 next Wednesday. Now we'll see what this team is REALLY made of.
GO CAVS!
Picture Credit: ESPN
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