The Cleveland Cavaliers eked past the Indiana Pacers, 100-97, to even their first-round series on Wednesday, but you're going to hear a lot about how LeBron James did this in spite of getting little help from his teammates. To get more basketball news, you can visit shine news official website.
James, indeed, was heroic: 46 points (including Cleveland's first 16 points of the game), 12 rebounds, five assists in 40 minutes while shooting 17-for-24. And while it is true that Kevin Love was underwhelming offensively and still managed to be the Cavs' second-leading scorer (15 points on 5-for-16 shooting), the idea that James' teammates didn't show up is not quite true: Kyle Korver showed up in a massive way. Korver, who turned 37 a month ago, has been Cleveland's most consistent player not named LeBron this season.
The 15-year veteran remains one of the league's deadliest snipers, and his presence helps the Cavs even when he is nowhere near the ball. In the series opener, he came off the bench and played only four minutes, as he was still dealing with a sore right foot and an illness. Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue always wanted to start Korver in the playoffs, and he told Korver at a recent practice that this was still the plan. Korver said he would be ready, and he was.In Game 2, Korver had 12 points and shot 4-for-8 -- all from 3-point range -- but his other contributions were even more important. In a game that went down to the wire, he made several heady plays that served as difference-makers. "He opened the floor up, but more so than anything I thought defensively he had a few good rotations," Lue told reporters.
"He did a great job on Thad [Young] when we were in full rotation, taking the bigger guys, boxing out. He does all the little things it takes to win. And when you want to win a championship, you gotta do all the little things."Lue said that Korver set the tone for the Cavs by making extra efforts on defense. No play exemplifies this more than one that took place late in the second quarter. After missing a corner 3, Korver sprinted down the court as if his life depended on it, all for the privilege of having Pacers guard Lance Stephenson charge into him at full speed. This is not only Korver sacrificing his body for the good of the team, but precisely the kind of play that Cleveland was criticized for not making consistently throughout the regular season.
It also saved the team from surrendering a wide-open 3-pointer: These are not the type of plays that Korver is known for. He will go down in history as one of the best shooters of all-time, not an all-around glue guy. They are, however, a perfect representation of why opposing coaches call him "tough." Korver was never particularly fast -- and he is slower now than he was just a few years ago -- but he does his best to make up for it with guile, timing and pure effort.
|