Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 trends from the 3-game losing streak
By Ryan Piers
3. Failure in crucial minutes
The Cavs blowout losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Raptors were stunning, like a pair of punishing punches in a boxing match. It was the first time James suffered back-to-back 20-point losses in his career.
But the 20-point collapse in the second half to the Indiana Pacers might have been more alarming. After being down 22, the Pacers destroyed Cleveland in the third quarter, outscoring them 32-16. The most crucial stretch started with 4:25 left in the third quarter.
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After a mini-Pacers run, Lue beckoned for a timeout. With his team reeling, Lue substituted Cedi Osman in for Kevin Love and Jeff Green for J.R. Smith. The two joined Jae Crowder, Jose Calderon and James on the floor. Kyle Korver checked in for Calderon minutes later and Tristan Thompson for Crowder.
The Pacers went on an 11-2 run following the timeout to take a two-point lead after the three quarters. That turned out to be the final margin of victory.
During that stretch Cleveland shot 1-for-10, not counting a last second tip from Thompson. LeBron took four of those shots, three of them coming off isolation dribbles.
That’s the first key point. With the timeout, Lue had a chance to surround James with adequate talent and a scheme to close out the quarter on a strong run. Despite multiple substitutions, he failed to do so, forcing James to take challenging shots while his teammates gawked from the wing.
Point two, the Cavaliers made multiple careless mistakes during that stretch. That includes a Calderon offensive foul, Crowder clanking a 29-footer and LeBron missing two layups. Damage done from these types of errors doubles in crucial minutes. Cleveland went through similar stretches against Toronto and Minnesota.
It shows this Cavs crew struggles to tighten its play in tense moments, potentially a sign of mental weakness. That could be especially significant in the postseason.