Buster Skrine signs four-year deal with the Jets
March 10, 2015Holy NFL moves, Cavs day-by-day, and “The Crusher”: While We’re Waiting…
March 11, 2015Cleveland Cavaliers (41-25) 127
Dallas Mavericks (41-25) 94
[Box Score]
The Cleveland Cavaliers met the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, a brief encounter as the teams headed in two completely different directions. It was only two months ago that the teams met in Cleveland in what feels like a baseball season ago. At that meeting, the Mavericks were a swaggering 25-10, while the 19-15 Cavaliers were only a week away from their depressing nadir. Matthew Dellavedova and Mike Miller started, while Dion Waiters continued to torment Cavs fans with errant shots and Alex Kirk played nearly six minutes. The Cavs lost by nearly 20 at home.
The teams’ fates reversed after that chance meeting. Since thumping the Cavs in Cleveland, the Mavericks have gone 16-15 and are locked in a tailspin. They’ve looked decidedly “off” and entered Wednesday having lost four of six and having nearly lost to the lowly Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cavs are 22-5 in 27 games A.B. (After Bowling). Each team would continue on its previous trajectory on Wednesday. After it was over, both teams would have the same 41-25 record, but you wouldn’t think it from watching the game. Let’s take a peek behind the box score.
33 – The Cavs played a complete game on the way to a 33-point rout of the Mavericks. The game ties the seventh worst home loss in Mavericks history, and is one point away from tying the worst loss in the history of the American Airlines Center. The Cavs lost the rebound and free throw attempt battles in the box score, but it hardly mattered because they dominated in every other facet. Eleven steals helped generate 25 fast break points in a game in which the Cavs led by 35 at one point in the second half. It’s hard to do justice to a thoroughly dominant performance with a more effective number than the score itself, but tried-and-true old fashioned field goal percentages comes close: the Cavs shot 50.6 percent from the field, contrasting with the Mavericks’ anemic 40.7.
+28 – The title of this post is a nod to the catchphrase/phenomenon from the 80s associated with the soap opera Dallas. It’s a piece of worthless American pop culture trivia that some people under 40 know for reasons that are unclear, and (if you didn’t surmise) it had to do with a main character getting shot in an episode of Dallas. Grantland writer netw3rk tweeted out the relatively obvious joke weeks ago, but the lazy pun warranted being this post’s title because it was especially appropriate given the location (Dallas); JR Smith’s 21 points scored while jacking up 8 three-pointers; and, well, my laziness.
Who shot? JR.
— ☕netw3rk (@netw3rk) January 20, 2015
But I don’t just want to applaud JR for his 21 points and 5-of-8 shooting on three point field goals, but give him an extra slap on the rear and for his +28 plus/minus on Wednesday night. Smith boasted the highest plus/minus of all players on Wednesday, a game in which folks like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were in top gear. Smith has never had a reputation as a defensive stopper, but rather a pipe-laying fadeaway artist. But he’s played fantastic perimeter defense in his time as the Cavaliers starting shooting guard. Though he only had one steal Wednesday, he helped hold Monta Ellis to only 8-of-18 shooting while adding 8 rebounds. His persistent peskiness on the defensive end has helped the Cavs starting lineup achieve the fourth best defensive rating (yes, you read that right) for lineups with over 150 minutes, and by far highest net rating of such lineups. It’s easy to cheer JR when he’s knocking down 22-footers, but let’s give him some props for transforming himself into an all-around team player.
21 & 14 – Kevin Love just dropped another 21 point and 14 rebound game. Nbd. The much-maligned and oft-rumored unhappy Love is still tenth in the NBA with 32 double doubles. There are frequent stretches where Love disappears from the offense that confuse and annoy fans like me who see how he helps the offense when he’s an integral part in it. But Love led the Cavaliers with 17 field goal attempts on Wednesday, including 11 in the second half. More games like tonight will only augment the attention he receives from the ball-dominant James and Irving. Even when he’s being unjustifiably neglected, Love’s shown a workmanlike attitude I didn’t know he had. He rebounds, generates fast breaks with his outlet passes, passes up open shots to find cutting teammates, and has played surprisingly admirable defense of late now that he’s at his natural position of power forward more often with the insertion of Timofey Mozgov. All-time great scorer Dirk Nowitzki had 9 points on 2-of-5 shooting on Wednesday, in large thanks to Love vigilantly harassing him on defense and forcing him to chase Love’s own ass around on offense. I’ve no idea if Kevin Love is happy or sad or neutral or hungry. But if he’s unhappy with his role on the Cavaliers, he’s not playing like it, and he’s not looking like it in this picture.
4206 – LeBron James reached 4206 assists on Saturday night, tying the great Mark Price, who has and will presumably remain with (absent the greatest NBA comeback since Magic Johnson) 4206 assists. James passed Price on Wednesday, adding another 7 assists to bring his total to 4213. This is a good moment to recognize all-time Cavalier Mark Price. Price congratulated James on Twitter either sincerely or reluctantly. But Price hardly receives the credit he deserves. He’s one of the best shooters in NBA history, and is in the top ten in Cleveland Cavaliers history in games played, minutes played, and points scored; and second only to James in steals, three pointers, and assists. Price averaged 16.9 points and 7.2 assists as a 40.2 three point shooter over nine seasons in Cleveland. TNT’s Kenny Smith compared MVP candidate Stephen Curry’s shooting release to Price’s, and credited Price for “invent[ing] splitting double teams.” And ooeey, did Price make those classic blue and orange unis look fresh. The Cavaliers don’t have a history as rich as the Indians or Browns, but they don’t get enough credit for having a history of great players, from Campy Russell and Brad Daugherty to Shawn Kemp and Dion Waiters (just kidding). But there are Cavaliers who deserve a revered place in Cleveland sports lore, and Mark Price is one of them. Here’s to one Cavalier great passing a torch to another (and I’m sure Price and James wouldn’t have it any other way).
Congrats @KingJames for tying my Cavs assist record last night. I have always appreciated the way you look to get your teammates involved!
— Mark Price (@Mark25Price) March 8, 2015
5 Comments
“Love disappears from the offense that confuse and annoy fans”
Dude. Seriously, he’s playing with 3 of the most ball dominant person’s in the NBA.
When he “disappears” from the offense it’s not that his teammates don’t trust him; it’s that those other three are scoring 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 a piece.
Joe Harris pay attention!
Great win I thought the Cavaliers would struggle against Dallas for some reason. It was a joy to be wrong watching last night.
Love is to nice a guy he really is the ultimate team first kind of player that being said I wouldn’t mind seeing some plays with him on the block. I realize 99% of the time by virtue of what you said that he’ll end up on the perimeter but there seems to be so many more offensive options available that Blatt has only scratched the surface.
I liked seeing Mozgov get more time as well as Perkins getting in when TT was in foul trouble. I think there’s minutes for Perkins depending upon the match-up and circumstance.
The previous game I loved hearing AC talk about teams continuing to go smaller against the Cavaliers particularly western conference teams. AC said he wouldn’t mind seeing the Cavaliers make opponents adjust to the Cavs size instead of vice versa. I couldn’t agree more.
Not sure happened from the last seconds of the first quarter, when James Jones’s lazy inbounds was intercepted and put the Cavs down by 6, until after that timeout. But holy crap, the play of the Three Trade Guys, their joyful energy, gave the team quite the kick in the pants.
And something is really wrong with Dallas as they enter the home stretch. So many great players, so many alphas, and I didn’t see them once looking at each other, talking to anyone other than guys on the Cavs. Have to wonder if they’ve tuned out Carlisle, or if the Rondo trade somehow poisoned the chemistry. Even when Dirk is cold, they shouldn’t just stop fighting like last night.