The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Isaiah Thomas and Cavs eager to face Warriors
Point guard hoping to make difference in matchup of perennial contenders
The Cavs host the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in an 8 p.m. tipoff.
Isaiah Thomas is back, but only sort of back, and that’s one of the reasons the Cavaliers have lost three straight and eight of their last 11 games.
Thomas will be in the lineup on Jan. 15 when the Cavs host the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena in an 8 p.m. tipoff.
Thomas missed the first 36 games of the season rehabbing from a hip injury suffered last May when he was with the Boston Celtics. He made his Cavaliers’ debut on Jan. 2 at
The Q against the Portland Trail Blazers — a game the Cavs won after three straight losses. He scored 17 points in his first game as a Cavalier, but he has not been a super hero in wine and gold — at least not yet.
Coach Tyronn Lue chose to rest Thomas on Jan. 3 in a game the Cavs lost in Boston.
Thomas played in the next three games (the Cavs went 1-2) before Lue rested him against the Pacers in Indianapolis on Jan. 12. He played 24:34 against the Raptors on Jan. 11 but made only two of 15 shots and finished with four points.
“I’m excited to get back to playing again after getting a few days off,” Thomas said on Jan. 14 after practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence. “I knew it was going to be like this. I have no legs. It’s going to take time for me to get it back.
“Even when I played well those first two games, I told coach Lue it didn’t feel
right. It was kind of fool’s gold. The shots were just going in, but none of my movements, none of the things I usually do felt normal. I just have to be patient. I’m used to stepping on the court and being special. I have to figure it out and once I do (Thomas snapped his fingers) it’ll be smooth sailing.”
Lue has a much simpler explanation for why the Cavaliers are struggling. The slump began is Milwaukee on Dec. 19, five games before Thomas was activated.
Despite the recent struggles, the Cavs are 10 games over .500 at 26-16. They are third in the NBA East and get to play the 35-9 Warriors at The Q, where the Cavaliers have won 13 straight.
“We’re back at The Q, baby, and excited to be home,” Lue said after practice. “I’m pretty sure our fans are excited.
“Hit the reset button. We just have to get back to making shots. We didn’t make shots the whole road trip. So just get back to making shots, continue to play with pace, and we’ll be fine.”
The Cavs went 26 games scoring at least 100 points. They were held under 100 in six of their last nine games beginning with a 99-92 loss to the Warriors on Christmas Day in Oakland.
Thomas missed the Christmas Day because he was rehabbing from the hip injury.
Warriors guard Steph Curry was a spectator because he was out with a sprained ankle. Curry is expected to play against the Cavaliers in the rematch.
The Warriors, 19-3 on the road, are 8-2 over their last 10 games.
“It’s going to be a good game. We’re up for the challenge,” Lue said. “You have
to get up (for the challenge). If not, it would be embarrassing. The guys are ready to play. We’re playing the defending champs. They’re a tough team, a good team and we’re ready to play.”
The Warriors eliminated the Cavaliers in five games in the 2017 NBA Finals.
The game Jan. 15 at The Q might provide a preview whether Thomas could make a positive difference if the same two teams meet for a fourth straight championship.
“He’s someone who can attack, just scoring the basketball,” Lue said. “We know (Golden State) will switch a lot of things. (Thomas) is someone who can get to the paint and create something for himself or somebody else. We’re going to need that.”
Thomas started the last three games he played and is expected to start against the Warriors.