Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 takeaways from Game 4 in 2017 NBA Finals
5. TT lives!
Though he only finished with five points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Tristan Thompson was something of a spark for the Cavs during their 49-point first quarter. He hit the offensive glass hard and immediately established himself as, you know, a guy who’s getting paid $89 million to grab rebounds.
He only shot the ball three times in Game 4, but for the first time all series, he knew his role and actually executed it. Friday was the first game all series where TT out-rebounded Stephen Curry, and his output in Game 4 (10 boards) nearly matched his contributions for the first three games combined (11 boards).
Tristan Thompson has 5 rebounds in the first 5 minutes of this game. His high in rebounds in the totality of Games 1-3 was 4.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 10, 2017
He pounded the Dubs in the paint for four offensive boards, had a put-back at the rim and even forced a Warriors turnover in their own backcourt, pressuring Curry as the point guard dribbled it off his leg and out of bounds near mid-court.
No matter where you stand on the ongoing debate over the Kardashian curse, the Cavaliers need a Tristan Thompson who’s actually worthy of playing time for the rest of this series.