Cavaliers take 2-0 series lead with 117-111 win over Pacers
BY STONE LEXINGTON
CAVALIERS BEAT WRITER
Stars usually ascend in the NBA Playoffs, and several of them have been on display in the opening round series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately for Indiana, the Cavs have three stars, while the Pacers have to rely on the extraordinary efforts of one.
Paul George and the Pacers were simply outmanned Monday night in Game 2, as the Cavs’ ‘Big Three’ dominated en route to a 117-111 victory in Quicken Loans Arena. The win gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in the series, and they’re now just two wins away from advancing to the second round of the postseason.
“Our mindset is what we can do to help each other to be successful on the floor,” LeBron James said. “We have a gameplan from our coaching staff, and we just try to execute that.”
Each of the Cavs’ trio of All-Stars had a spectacular game. Kyrie Irving led the way with 37 points, while Kevin Love added 27 points and 11 rebounds. James finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, helping the Cavs win their ninth straight home game over Indiana. It was the first time that Love, Irving and James have all scored at least 25 points in the same playoff game.
“We’re playing some really, really good basketball,” James said. “We didn’t close out the second quarter as we would like to, but we have a chance to do something that we’ve all been wanting to do all season, and that’s to put together a four-quarter game, and I think we’re right there on the cusp of doing that.”
The first half of Game 2 was eerily similar to the first half of Game 1. Cleveland and Indiana combined to score 125 points in the first half of Game 1, while in Game 2, they totaled 121. The Cavs held the lead after both halves, in Game 2 by a 63-58 advantage. Cleveland shot 60 percent from the field in the first half of Game 2, but their defense still has bugs to work out as Indiana shot 52 percent in the first two quarters.
Iman Shumpert started the second half for J.R. Smith, who did not return in the second half because of a left hamstring injury. Shumpert, who had not played a single minute in the series, provided an immediate spark. Cleveland opened the second half with a 7-0 run, capped by a Shumpert three-pointer that set the score at 70-58. It wasn’t just the five points he scored in the third quarter, it was the outstanding defense he played on George.
“Shump was unbelievable, just staying ready, being professional,” Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue said. “He came in and made it tough for Paul George. He held Paul George to four points in that third quarter, where our defense was really good, and Shump sparked that.”
George had 18 points in 19 minutes in the first half, but the All-Star scored just four points in the third quarter, largely due to Shumpert’s defense. The Cavs also trapped George, who finished with 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, on several occasions as soon as he caught the ball. Nevertheless, anything short of George completely dominating the game spells trouble for the Pacers against the loaded Cavs.
While Shumpert provided a spark to open the third quarter, Love completely took over the quarter as Cleveland led 79-70 with 4:05 remaining in the period. Love produced a personal 10-0 run and threw in a taken charge that sent The Q into a frenzy. By the time he knocked down two free throws with 2:01 to play in the quarter, Cleveland led 89-70. The Cavs led 96-78 heading into the fourth quarter, where the closest the Pacers came was a four-point deficit in the final minute.
“The guys that were out there were finding me,” Love said. “I got into a good rhythm with that…It was just a moment in the game where we took advantage of a certain situation, and they kept feeding me.”
The Cavs’ ‘Big Three’ helped Cleveland shoot 55 percent from the field in Game 2. Since March 25, 2014 (regular season and postseason), the Cavs have won 56 consecutive home games when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
The Cavs have never lost a playoff series when leading 2-0 (12-0), and the victory over Indiana was their 13th straight over East opponents at The Q. Cleveland will now travel to Indiana for Games 3 and 4, the former coming Thursday night.
“We’re right there,” James said. “We’re right there, what we know we can become, and we’ll figure it out.”
POSTED 04/17/2017 23:30
Lake County Sentinel
