Hoops Habit
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Forcing A Game 7

By James D. Tillman III

June 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James speaks to media following the 104-91 loss against the Golden State Warriors in game five of the NBA Finals. at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
June 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James speaks to media following the 104-91 loss against the Golden State Warriors in game five of the NBA Finals. at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Jun 11, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23), forward Harrison Barnes (40), Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (top, left) and center Tristan Thompson (top, right) rebound during the first quarter of game four of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 11, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23), forward Harrison Barnes (40), Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (top, left) and center Tristan Thompson (top, right) rebound during the first quarter of game four of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Abandon small-ball lineup

After Cleveland defeated Golden State in Games 2 and 3, Warriors coach Steve Kerr opted to go with a small-ball lineup in Game 4. And as a result, his team won by a 103-82 margin. Being that he had so much success with the lineup, it was of little surprise that Kerr opted to go with same group again in Game 5.

Being that postseason success is mostly predicated on how teams respond to adjustments made by their opponents, Cavs coach David Blatt chose to go with a smaller lineup as well. Unfortunately, this strategy proved to be problematic on multiple fronts.

First of all, in going with a smaller lineup, Blatt kept one of his best players off the court. Who is that player in question? Timofey Mozgov.

During the regular season, Mozgov was mostly regarded as a rim protector and a decent rebounder. However, during this series, he has proven that he is a cable scorer as well. Not only did he reach double figures in three of the first four games, he also poured in 28 points on 9-for-16 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in Game 4. And in a series where secondary scoring options have been almost nonexistent for the Cavs, this move didn’t make much sense.

Secondly, while the Cavs lost the battle of the boards by a slim 43-37 margin, they gave up several key rebounds in the all-important fourth quarter; two of such instances occurred after missed free throws. That being said, having size on the floor would have prevented the Warriors from having multiple possessions. Because when you give a talented team like that multiple scoring opportunities, they are going to make you pay.

Next: No. 4

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers