Cavs clobbered without Big 3
LOS ANGELES — Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said all there really was to say about this one before it even started. "Sorry, ABC."
For the third time this season, the Cavs played without LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love on Saturday night. It went how you'd think: a 108-78 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
Blake Griffin led all scorers with 23 points and DeAndre Jordan contributed 13 points and 17 rebounds. The Cavs were led by Richard Jefferson's 12 points.
Kyle Korver (sore left foot) didn't play for the Cavs either. It means Cleveland's top four scorers this season were unavailable — not what ABC had in mind for its weekly Saturday night "marquee" NBA game.
The Cavs scored their fewest points this season and in the first half (31).
Cleveland is now 0-3 when it sits Love, Irving, and James, 0-6 when James sits this season, and 4-21 without him since the start of the 2014 season. The Cavs' lead over the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference is down to 1 games with 14 to play.
Lue chose to sit his Big 3 because Love wasn't going to play on consecutive nights — Cleveland plays the Los Angeles Lakers tonight — and Irving probably shouldn't after experiencing knee soreness in Thursday's win over Utah. Rather than wear down James or stunt the overall growth of the team (the thinking being if everyone sits at the same time, there is no interruption in chemistry), Lue wanted to get it over with Saturday.
A loud chant of "We want LeBron" broke out at Staples Center during the first half. Today, folks. James will play here today.
Then again, Cleveland still put on the floor a lineup of accomplished NBA veterans. Deron Williams (11 points) is a former AllStar. Fans throughout the league know J.R. Smith (10 points, 4-of-17 shooting) and Tristan Thompson (11 points) and Iman Shumpert (10 points) and Channing Frye (10 points). Kay Felder also scored 10.
Their roles usually are to support James, Irving and Love. Not replace them. Against a fully functioning Clippers team, it's just not going to work. Shumpert, by the way, was playing after spraining his left shoulder Thursday. Lue said Irving could've played Saturday despite his injury.
Lue said he was "was very surprised," Shumpert could play, but, "that's who he is.
"That's why we call him bionic man," Lue said before the game. "He's ready to go, he's ready to play, so that's a good sign for us."
Smith's jumper at the buzzer gave the Cavs a 16-14 lead after one quarter. Fourteen points are the fewest Cleveland has allowed in the first quarter all season.