The biggest coback margin in NBA playoff history is 31 points; a 20-point gap isn’t completely hopeless.
Even on their ho court, the Heat Team didn’t give up.
They spent the next three quarters tirelessly chasing points.
In the second half, the Cavaliers inevitably started to show signs of fatigue.
By the fourth quarter, the Heat managed to narrow the lead down to single digits.
But ultimately, the hole they had dug was too deep, and they fell to a 106-113 defeat.
After the ga, Malone gave the ga’s MVP, the big gold chain, to Hansen.
During the decisive 10-0 surge by the Cavaliers at the end of the first quarter, Hansen contributed 8 points.
But Hansen placed the gold chain around Malone’s neck instead.
Tonight’s victory was one of tactical strategy, and it was Malone who seized the only opportunity on the court.
"Our opponents played well tonight; that’s all there is to it."
At the post-ga press conference, Riley made no ntion of the tactical issues in the first quarter.
Clearly, getting him to admit he was outmaneuvered tactically by Malone was out of the question.
He is the "Divine Calculator," while Malone was just a "young man" who had been a head coach in the League for a couple of years.
With the G2 win, the Cavaliers took ho court advantage away from the Heat.
However, after shifting to Cleveland for G3, the Cavaliers lost a four-quarter battle 106-114 to the Heat, handing back the ho court advantage.
Riley did not talk about the tactical battle after G2, but co G3, he proactively made a change, starting David West instead of Deng to face the Cavaliers’ small-ball lineup with a regular lineup.
Tucker couldn’t withstand West, and the Cavaliers’ defensive end needed more help and rotations, which allowed the Heat to execute more team plays.
The Warriors lost a total of 9 gas this season, and of those losses, the Heat were the only team to have beaten them twice.
When the Heat’s offense gets rolling, they’re unstoppable.
Out of necessity, Malone had to go back to TT and a regular lineup, and the ga returned to the pace of G1.
After G3, an ESPN article proclaiming "This is Kevin Durant’s year" sparked heated discussion.
Over in the East, the Heat lead the Cavaliers 2-1 with Durant averaging 36 points a ga, while in the West, the Warriors also led the Lakers 2-1.
Based on the current montum, the Finals will likely be Heat vs. Warriors, and the Heat swept the Warriors in the regular season.
If the Heat do end up winning the championship, Durant, as Nike’s leading face, is sure to be the "savior."
By then, there’s no doubt that the biography of Durant that year would blow up on social dia.
The night before the ga, Hansen invited the whole team to his estate, and everyone enjoyed a bonfire party on his lawn.
Irving showed off his Native Arican dance moves at the party, drawing curious glances from his teammates.
anwhile, Hansen sat in a distant rest area, discussing the ga with Malone.
The Cavaliers’ lineup change proved effective; against any other opponent, they would have already secured the series.
But unfortunately for them, they were facing the Heat; Riley had plenty of cards in his hand, easily finding a solution.
The next gas will only beco more difficult for the Cavaliers.
"We still need to find a way from the defensive end," Malone had seen the essence; trying to outscore the Heat was a dead end.
"I’ll defend KD," Hansen agreed with Malone’s view.
In fact, the Cavalier’s win in G2 was a bit fluky; given more ti, the Heat nearly caught up with the 20-point deficit.
This Heat team might not be the greatest in history, but their offense enters the discussion.
It’s not surprising when a team’s starting five all have All-Star credentials; that’s quite unparalleled.
Perhaps only the 2018-2019 season Warriors could compare, but they didn’t face injuries like the Warriors did.
Even now, looking back, it remains incredible what the Cavaliers managed last season.
"Can Kyrie step up?" Malone turned his head towards Irving, still dancing, seemingly entering his own world of spirit.
Having Hansen guard Durant ant reducing his offensive role, which also ant more responsibility for Irving.
Hansen also looked towards Irving:
"Isn’t this mont what our regular season was all for?"
...
For Ga 4 of the series, Quicken Loans Arena wasn’t just packed inside; a huge number of fans gathered outside as well.
The Cavaliers’ previous plans to renovate the arena had been approved by the city. Unlike the new training center, which was nearly complete, the arena’s renovation was scheduled for the off-season, so it would have to wait until this sumr.
However, the Cavaliers had already done sothing before the playoffs started; they transford the parking lot across from the arena into a temporary plaza, putting up giant LED screens to broadcast gas.
This provided a place for those who could not get tickets to watch the ga.
In the first and second rounds, due to a lack of suspense, the crowd there was small, but against the Heat, it had beco densely packed.
Trailing 1-2, the importance of this ga was without question.
If they lost two ho gas in a row, taking a 1-3 deficit to Miami, the Cavaliers were likely to be swept out of the playoffs this year.
Reviews
All reviews (0)