Cavs, Warriors rematch
There’s no doubt that the Cavaliers’ inspired play against the overmatched Kings stemmed from their desire to be prepared for the next set-to. Tomorrow, they’ll be meeting the vaunted Warriors. With their foils in the last two Finals still smarting from a
If there’s anything the Cavaliers showed in their road victory the other night, it’s that they need to be reminded occasionally, if not regularly, of the ingredients for success. The absence of organized practice since late December took a toll on their competitiveness, especially with starting two guard J. R. Smith out due to injury. Losses in three of their last five outings prior to their trip to Sacramento, not to mention the arrival of key trade piece Kyle Korver, prompted head coach Tyronn Lue to schedule an extensive on-court back-to-basics session. The result: A quick start en route to a relatively safe triumph.
Not that the Cavaliers were perfect against the Kings. On the contrary, they continued to exhibit laxness for significant stretches, allowing the hosts to climb back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit and make things interesting anew. Nonetheless, the improvement was stark and evident from the get-go; when they’re motivated, the ball moves crisply from player to player and smoothly into the net. It’s no coincidence that they finally registered a collective assist total in the high twenties as opposed to their mid-tens norm for previous outings in January. Needless to say, the disappearance of sticky fingers is directly attributable to the increased focus of top dog LeBron James to set up teammates; that he finished with 15 dimes and two buckets short of 20 markers is reflective of his purpose. He preached efficiency for the Cavaliers, and he got it. And for the first time in three outings, Korver managed to exhibit flashes of the marksmanship that should help the wine and gold in the postseason whether or not Smith returns in the pink of health.
Still and all, there will likely be more backsliding for the Cavaliers for the remainder of the regular season. As play-off veterans, and, more importantly, as defending champions, their mind-set is borne as much of confidence as of preservation. They look to play an additional 20 games en route to their expected third consecutive Finals stint, and so they’re pacing themselves somewhat for the grind ahead. It’s also why they appear to play to the level of the opposition.
Parenthetically, there’s no doubt that the Cavaliers’ inspired play against the overmatched Kings stemmed from their desire to be prepared for the next set-to. Tomorrow, they’ll be meeting the vaunted Warriors. With their foils in the last two Finals still smarting from a Christmas Day heartbreak, they cannot but expect determined competition. James & Company insist that their match tomorrow at the O is just one of 41 away from home, but it’s clear to all and sundry that they want to win, and badly.
True, the outcome will not matter in the final analysis. On the other hand, there can be no underestimating the power of bragging rights. Make no mistake: The Cavaliers will exert every effort to win against the Warriors for the fifth straight time. Nothing
seems to be at stake. Everything is at stake.