Drawing Tribe Town’s Perimeter
April 23, 2015Ray Farmer: “It’s always about finding the best players to make your team better”
April 23, 2015The Cleveland Cavaliers threw several punches in their Game 2 fight against the Boston Celtics at the Q Tuesday evening. They landed one particularly strong blow, an overhand right that staggered Boston midway through the third quarter. It wasn’t a knockout — the frisky C’s stayed close and were within four points with less than four minutes to play — but it was one of those plays that made a statement. It was a display of power, a declaration of intent, a Tony Stark Expo conducted on hardwood.
It doesn’t look like much in the play-by-play —
— but if you were watching, chances are you already know what I’m talking about.
With 6:54 remaining in the third quarter, Boston’s Marcus Smart missed a three-pointer. Kevin Love grabbed the rebound. He pivoted upcourt and flicked a chest pass to LeBron James floating up the right wing. LeBron caught it over his head and in one motion bounced it crosscourt to Kyrie Irving. Kyrie, seeing the scene unfolding before him, took a single two-handed dribble. From just inside the left elbow, he lofted the ball some six feet to the right of the rim. LeBron sprang off of his left foot, caught the ball high, and threw it down with two hands.
Cavaliers 68, Celtics 54.
Lest you’ve forgotten:
It’s a highlight that you could watch a hundred times. Love’s pass is sadly left out of this clip — rather on the nose as far as symbolism goes — but it was the flint that sparked the fire. That pass immediately put the Celtics in an impossible situation: LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in a 2-on-1. The 1 could be a combination of Bill Russell and Scottie Pippen — you ain’t stopping LeBron and Kyrie on the break, and especially not when a quick outlet has you on your heels. The finish was elementary.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the highlight, however, was the bench reaction that followed. Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova and the gang all sprang off the bench like it was Cotton Bowl bleachers in July. Their celebration was immediate and visceral, the sort of thing that must have inspired live television in the first place. This was not the 2009 Cavs setting up a mock photoshoot. This was unscripted and unfettered. It’s the same thing you see at every level of basketball, from elementary school all the way up: sudden, pure delight.
Let’s take a closer look.
The play hasn’t quite happened yet. It’s about to. The anticipation has taken hold, and the most eager players on the bench — Delly and Tristan, naturally — have already popped up. Some fans are already on their feet, including part owner Jeff Cohen (the bald gentleman wearing his “Together” t-shirt under his blazer), but many are not. This is the final moment before 20,000 strong explode. Notice also Mike Miller, who saw plenty of such fast breaks conducted by LeBron and Dwyane Wade in Miami, calmly rising in the back like a boat captain feeling a change in the wind.
It just happened. LeBron threw it down. He swung his feet toward Marcus Smart’s head, adding technicolor hexagonal insult to injury. The bench is up, the crowd is up — to borrow from Common’s NBA commercials, everybody’s up. Look at Thompson and Shumpert, both caught mid-scream. That’s what sports are about, in a sense: two guys losing their minds celebrating because their teammates did something awesome.
Whereas the previous picture was celebratory reflex, the players are a little bit more self-conscious in this one. They’ve had a split second to synthesize what they just saw, and now they can decide which posture best fits the moment. Tristan opts for holding everyone back. Anderson Varejao (behind Shumpert on the right side) offers a modest fist pump. Brendan Haywood takes young Matthew Dellavedova by the shoulders and makes sure he doesn’t get out of hand.
Jeff Cohen is still primal. Mike Miller remains unmoved.
The celebration has matured a bit. Haywood tightens his grip on Delly’s shoulder. Miller maintains his stone face. Andy’s fist pump has turned to applause. Tristan and Shump have joined their arms, forming a celebratory barrier that no man shall pass. Cohen still looks super-duper intense. Shawn Marion appears between Thompson and Shumpert, showing signs of what some industry analysts refer to as a stink face.
Is there anything to be gleaned from all of this? Maybe. Maybe one could use it as a sign that this team is indeed close-knit, and that the crucible of the playoffs is bringing them closer still. Maybe this celebration signifies something larger, an invisible corner that the Cavaliers have collectively turned. Maybe the image of bench parts young and old banding together speaks to the potential for an even greater sum. Maybe it means all of that. Maybe it means none of that.
In truth, it doesn’t matter. All this celebration means is that the Cavs did something spectacular; something worth celebrating. They made the sort of play that explains why we watch sports in the first place.
All you need to take away is that it don’t get much better.
12 Comments
Whoever the bald headed gentleman is (unless I’m reading/looking at the pictures wrong, there’s only one bald headed gentleman and you call him Len at first and then Jeff later), you can clearly make out his “F yeah!” in the video. Love the emotion, as well as the guys on the bench covering all of the stereotypical big play bench celebrations.
I remember seeing this celebration live (on tv live) and I couldn’t stop smiling either. Think we got something special here, the right combination of personalities and talent.
You read right; it’s Cohen (and has since been corrected)
Mike Miller is unimpressed.
The real question is where is the confetti? I was led to believe that Cleveland celebrates anything and all things with confetti. -Shaughnessy
Breaking down film like this is not a skill that can be taught.
When I saw it, my first thought was “I hope he doesn’t get a T for that kick at the end”.
Tell me Varajao doesn’t regret not flying in a Brazilian shaman to touch his achilles with the magic stick. Three years next to Alonzo Gee, as good as a thousand miles away from this.
The Kevin Love half-court alley oop from LBJ is a play I’ll remember for a long time!
Obliged http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXQkxiPSnVA
Yep. Getting a Brazilian would’ve been a smooth move.
Yeesh…