Cavs, Warriors make eyes at each other
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – As the sports world salivates while awaiting a seemingly inevitable NBA Finals, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue is keeping his undefeated team focused on its next unknown opponent.
And keeping an eye on the Warriors.
“I’m always watching,” Lue said. “I’m watching everybody.”
But maybe that Northern California team a little more. With both Cleveland and Golden State at 8-0 in these playoffs and on a collision course toward a potential third straight Finals, there has been heated debate about whether Cavaliers-Warriors 3.0 is good for basketball.
It’s the first time two teams have swept through the first two rounds, and with the way the Cavaliers and Warriors are playing, it doesn’t seem to matter who they’ll face once the conference finals get going.
Lue isn’t overlooking Boston or Washington, one of which will play Cleveland next, but he isn’t buying into this notion that a third helping of Cavaliers vs. Warriors is somehow a hoops overindulgence.
“I think a lot of people wanted to see Boston and the Lakers back in the day,” he said. “I think nowadays, a lot of people want to see Golden StateCavs. And it’s not a problem. Right now, it’s two of the teams playing some of the best basketball. So, two of the teams that have been in back-to-back Finals, so, why not? “Why not want to see it again?” Draymond Green has no objection. “I know as a basketball fan that’s what I’d want to see,” Golden State’s loquacious forward said. “You hear all the talk about it. You know it’s there, but we’ve got four more games to win before we can reach an NBA Finals. ... We’ve got to stay locked in and focused
on the now. If that happens, it happens. I know we’ve got to take care of our business and I’m sure they think the same way.”
Following two days off after sweeping Toronto in the second round, the Cavaliers got back in the gym on Wednesday to work on some defensive schemes and push through conditioning drills while DJ Steph Floss, who spins records during games at Quicken Loans Arena, filled the facility with thumping music.
It’s the same routine the Cavs have used while going 16-0 in the first two rounds the past two years, so Lue isn’t changing much.
“We’re just sticking to it and I think with the DJ, it just gives them a different look and it gives guys motivation to work out to the music and just something different,” he said. “I don’t know, it’s worked the last couple years for us, so we’re just going to continue to do it.”
Winning has worked as well, and after staggering to the finish line in the regular season, LeBron James and the Cavaliers have taken their game to another level.
James, who will be appearing in his ninth Eastern Conference finals in 14 years next week, has never been better. He’s averaging 34.4 points – up 8.1 over last year – with 9.0 rebounds and 7.1 assists in eight games. The extra rest between series has kept him fresh, and the 32year-old seems extra motivated following a regular season in which Russell Westbrook and James Harden dominated the MVP conversation because of the triple-double exploits.
James has found another gear in the postseason and Lue believes the Cavaliers are capable of shifting even higher – if that’s possible.
“We definitely can get better,” he said. “We know that.”
Celtics 123, Wizards 101 Playing in the Garden has brought out the Boston Celtics’ best basketball this postseason.
Wednesday night it was home to one of the best nights of Avery Bradley’s career.
Bradley scored a playoff careerhigh 29 points, and the Celtics beat the Washington Wizards 123-101 to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
After being thoroughly picked apart in losses at Washington in Games 3 and 4, Boston shared the ball in Game 5, and again resembled the team that entered the game having won seven straight and 11 of 13 in the Garden against Washington.
Al Horford added 19 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Isaiah Thomas scored 18 points and handed out nine assists.
“We’re a team. And it’s going to take a team effort to beat the Washington Wizards,” Bradley said.
Game 6 is Friday night in Washington, where the Wizards easily won their two games. If the Celtics win, they would move on to host the Cleveland Cavaliers to open the Eastern Conference finals.