Live Thread: Cavs at Bulls
2015-02-12
The Cavs and Bulls were coronated early, and have spent the season looking up at Toronto and Atlanta. In spite of injuries, chemistry issues, and uneven play, both teams are in a position to compete for the Eastern Conference Crown. Tonight, the Cavs try to continue their march into the All-Star Break on a scintillating stretch of offensive dominance. The Bulls will play without Most-Improved Player Candidate Jimmy Butler, and the Cavs will not have Kevin Love at their disposal. In a game featuring LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Derrick Rose, this contest may be decided in the trenches: Pau Gasol has turned back the clock and Timofey Mozgov has sped it up to a place few thought possible.
I’ll post this later in the weekend, but since it’s already online, sink your teeth into my studio appearance on Dayton’s Sports Scene. We get into all sorts of cool topics and I even took some calls.
https://soundcloud.com/dayton-radio/tom-pestak-2-12-15
I’m not hearing much from the iso ball fans. How is it working? Any insight for us Cols?
Agree that this loss was infuriating. Any talk that LeBron was an MVP went out the window tonight. Cavs were better with him off the floor. The rest of the Cavs had no idea what he was doing on offense half the time. The Cavs had the chance to rip their enemy’s heart out, and instead they let them get their confidence back. In most big games this year, the Cavs haven’t shown up: the opener, the Christmas game, and tonight. Only the first Chicago game and the second Thunder game are exceptions. Some regular season games are bigger than… Read more »
James Jones played 30 minutes tonight and shot 2-8 on 3s. LeBron was 2-9 on 3s. That’s 17 3s btw both of them.
Atlanta and Chicago can beat the Cavs in a series. Cavs need to continue to improve . . . play hard . . . and jell. And not let blowout victories go to their heads. Chicago’s record would be better if not for all their injuries.
Milwaukee is only two games behind the Cavs and they are down something like three starters for the year, and James Harden has pretty much singlehandedly carried to the Rockets to a 36-17 record in the West. Good teams win even when they are occasionally or even perpetually shorthanded, and the Cavs need to do that and stop making excuses about X was hurt and Y had an off-night. Every team deals with both on a continual basis and the elite ones find ways to win anyway. I would note that the Bulls were down an All-Star tonight and we… Read more »
The thing is, I am thrilled by how great the Cavs have been playing lately. They (when I refer to Cavs hereonafter I really mean “Lebron”) laid an egg on the second night of a back to back, on the road against a very good team. They probably took their talents to South Beach the last couple of nights which I am sure didn’t help. These things happen. Which is not to say there isn’t plenty to constructively criticize with the way the Cavs played tonight. You can like the direction the team is going but still criticize bad driving… Read more »
People need to stop referring Lebron as the best player on the planet. haha
a lot of trampy vixens hanging out by the TNT all star tv studio desk. Lucky dudes!
Me gusto las vixenas trampiomentes.
You know who has really been sneakily good is Milwaukee. It’s amazing they are only 2 games behind Cleveland. They could very well catch and pass the Wizards now that Beal is out.
Thompson also looks much better coming off the bench.
Yep. We need a healthy love. We win this easily with him. Or if Irvin had shown up.
Or if Lebron had shown up. Emptiest 31 points in a long time. 7-8 from the paint, 5-14 everywhere else. 8 turnovers (rest of team had 8 total). -27 for game led team by a large margin. Lazy offense lead to turnovers and bad shots, which lead to a lot of transition buckets. Lazy defense exacerbated it. The team was playing better when he was off the court. Don’t know what his problem was, if he’s doing some BS teaching, or what, but if wanted to take the night off he shouldn’t have dressed for the game. Sometimes he is… Read more »
Did I just see Lebron smile, having a good time walking off the court? WTF
It’s fashion show time.
I’m guessing winning 14 out of 16 makes him happy. Plus winning streaks of 8 and 12 games in the first half makes him happy. Plus knowing that when the big three is healthy they can’t lose to anyone in the east in a series. I’d be smiling too. In fact I’m smiling right now. I love this team.
I love this team too. I don’t smile when they play sloppy, lazy basketball and get there butts kicked though.
I don’t love my wife and kids as unrequitedly as you love the Cavs Cols. They are a sports team whose players get paid a lot of money to score a basketball, owned by a kind of annoying person who is richer than half of Cleveland combined and could get a billion dollar check tomorrow if he wanted to sell the team. Nobody has to worship them like Gods, they have a sweet little deal going already.
I guess the lunch pail dirty work that Love gets done is pretty valuable after all. include the spacing he brings to boot.
could have been a game if Lebron didn’t play the fourth
LeBron had the worst +/-, a -27.
But he was the only one who kept us in the game, said Mac sarcastically.
Nothing like letting your arch rival get their confidence back.
They aren’t a rival though. They can’t beat us in the playoffs. Rose knows this. Thibs knows this. Check the history.
Do you listen to yourself?
They’ve never played this team in the playoffs. So I don’t know what you’re talking about?
Every year people think no rose can beat Lebron. Every year they get killed.
Last time we I checked it was a team sport.
If you’re older than 30, that’s a hilarious statement.
“They can’t beat us in the playoffs. Rose knows this. Thibs knows this.” They do? We would still need to play the games right??
I need to stress that this was a must win for the Bulls. Cavs still played well but they didn’t need this game at all. Cavs will win in 5 in the playoffss
Still don’t why you think it’s a must win for them but not us?
Because The Secret is to believe whatever you want, and it will come true if you just believe hard enough.
I agree this was a big game for the Bulls, and that this was a schedule loss in many respects. But this game shows why the Bulls are trouble when they are healthy and Rose is 85% of prime Rose.
This was a game that LeBron should have rested. We may have had a better shot at winning without him hijacking the offense with stupidity.
They did talk about resting Lebron during the season, wonder what happen to that.
His minutes have been down lately, around 32 a game.
This isn’t true at all. Lebron was the only one that could score. He gets the rest of the week off.
He was -27 for the game. He was hurting the team much more than helping them.
Lebron with 31 points. No one else shooting well at all. But I’m sure the panic blog will blame the Lebron for this loss.
Yeah 31 points on 26 shots. That’s awful!
26!?
time to get harris, miller, and haywood in there
Nice dunk, but why is he cherry picking 17 down and 2:43 to go?
So. many. bad. shots…….
I think Reggie and Marv want to be bff’s with the Bulls. Nobody mentions that if they peak early they will be exhausted going into playoffs.
By the time this is over LeBron will have more TOs than points.
He finishes with 8 turnovers, 12 field goals.
Man those long 2s and threes aren’t even close to going in for the Cavs
Lebron got no help tonight. Oh well2-1 vs the Bulls now. They are still no threat in a series.
win as a team lose as a team
Hahahahahaha… I think you meant LeBron was NO HELP!
Your favorite book is “The Secret” isn’t it?
I think coach thibs loves that book.
How could he get any help? He never passed. Just kept firing up bricks and turning it over
Is Irving drunk?
Okay game over!
Shooting percentages similar across the board.
Free throws taken within one of each other.
Rebounds within one of each other.
Cavs w/ 10 more turnovers . . . 8 fewer assists. . . and no Mozgov.
who’s guarding Snell? or supposed to be guarding Snell?
Blatt should bench ‘Bron. Cavs might be able to come back.
I just saw Big Hero 6 recently. You know how Baymax has a sweet Tadashi personality chip and a murderous Hiro personality chip? Every now and then Lebron plays like someone swapped out chips. It’s not like he has an off-night, he plays like a different guy.
Cavs on a back-to-back. Bulls’ last game was Tuesday in Chicago.
Have a good break fellas.
That 3 by LeBron was hilarious.
Only 7 and a half more minutes LeBron then you can start your fashion show.
Not a great sequence for Delly there.
Delly burned. Then fouls. Ugh. Lebron is the only ine that can score.
How did Delly get burned?
Spent too much time in the tanning salon?
you’re Delly obsessed. He does have trouble with Brooks speed though.
Cavs can’t seem to really break this 10 point lead.
AC would be talking about the infamous wall.
LeBron palmed noah’s face on that foul!
nice and 1 by james
We really needed that open shot there.
Cavs in penalty now i believe.
Yeah with Noah and Gibson in there that could be trouble.
Jesus, LeBron is awful tonight. Worst game in weeks.
I think he figures if everybody else is starting the All-Star Break today, then so is he.
Could it be a frustration that he won’t get the week off? Not sabotage but just not into this because of what is ahead.
LeBron’s no lookers for no reason are getting annoying as hell. Bad foul by Delly there.
Or if we had love we’d win
Maybe not. His shooting percentage is 20 points lower on the second night of back-to-backs this season, according to Windhorst.
killing us on the glass, and 50/50 balls. ugh.
Ugh. That foul is on Iman.
Bulls are flopping all over the place. If kyrie was playing well we’d win this easily.
Moz was unlucky because he was in the wrong place in a scramble, but that’s a foul.
Or if LeBron wasn’t chucking up bricks and turning it over.
Really could use a second stretch 4
Another big should be a bigger priority than ray ray.
Dalembert is still out there isn’t he?
He sucks. I hope not.
I didn’t say he was good, but for 10 minutes of cheap rim protection and 6 fouls a night, what better options are there out there?
I was hoping that Milwaukee would have hit the skids and traded Henson or Middleton to us. Not going to happen now.
How do you let Rose just walk to the hoop there? Despicable defense…
I think delly or whoever was near the free throw line didn’t want to foul.
Moz can’t afford to foul. James Jones cant guard anyone.
Ugh LeBron… Ugh…
Huge possession, could have cut it to 6 or 7, and LeBron shoots an off-balance pull-up three with 20 on the shot clock. Dumb.
He was channeling his inner Saint Wierdo!
He wanted the 2 for 1. I’m okay with that shot.
Not when he’s shooting as bad as he is.
he could of also gone to the hoop and still gotten the 2 for 1.
Gasol put on his big boy pants with that shove…. Or at least Moz acted like it
Gibson is killing us on the boards right now.
GET JAMES JONES OUT OF THE GAME
James Jones has been the best sub all night.
Let’s pull an Indiana Pacers and get dominated all game but pull it out in the final 5 minutes and win.
Why is James Jones playing so much?
Stick LeBron at the 4, Timofey at the 5, and play some combination of Kyrie/JR/Shump/Delly at the 1-3.
(When TT sits of course)
Our bigs (all 2 of them) are a combined 9-10 for 20 points and 15 rebounds with only 2 fouls.
Everyone else has been pretty bad.
James with 21 points. He’s pretty much the only one that can score right now. We need irving to start going nuts.
I figure i have 4 more turnovers in me before chill mode is disengaged.
In the ugly race, it’s Noah No. 1 and Gasol No. 2.
Man James Jones is awful!
Finally some make up calls.
I’m in chill mode and we only down by 15. Not bad huh? Those mvp chants were for me. Even opposing fans know my talents.
Lebron playing with barely any heart out there
Yes. I think the Bulls want it more than us.
Their bigs recognize the passing lanes. Don’t think cavs have the energy for this considering shot selection.
The referees are AWFUL.
Why isn’t Mozgov playing? Why is James Jones playing?
Moz has 4 fouls.
Mozgov has 4 fouls… Jones has looked better than Matrix so far.
4 fouls on Mozgov
Refs giving Bulls a lot of calls.
No kidding…. Vegas wants the Bulls to win, 61% of the money on the Cavs tonight.
A bad call on each of them early in the 3rd really handicaps the Cavs.
‘Each of them’ being Moz and TT.
These refs. Chicago pushing timo and TT on every play!
Might not be our night. This was a must win game for them. For us it does not matter.
Why is it must win for them but not us?
Because by saying that you can dismiss the Cavs poor performance.
Barkley speaks so country
Well, when you’re from Leeds, Alabama….
I Love Barkley
Agreed Tom! Refreshing to hear honest takes!
I love it too. Didn’t really mean that as an insult but it looks like it came across that way
We are down 7. Reading these comments you’d think we were getting blown away. No problem for this team.
Thank you Cols! I can support this statement!
Maybe. I think it is about not settling for long shots and isolation ball. Kyrie must get to free throw line.
gotta play team ball and spread the floor along with playing defense then it won’t be a problem….but easier said than done
cavs fortunate to be down 7 despite not making many 3s and having silly TOs….kyrie and lebron need to step up in 2nd half to get this victory
Agreed, said the same thing a few comments earlier… Defense is the key, get the defense going, the offense will flow better.
How about everyone chill out and stop overreacting to 24 minutes of basketball???
No idea how the Cavs are still in this. Getting manhandled. They are doing a nice job on the boards.