Cleveland’s Big Three became the Big One by the time the NBA Finals rolled around last season. With the three stars in the lineup and healthy, the Cavaliers are expected to make another long playoff run. The Big Three combined for 81 points in Game 1 and look to put the Pistons in a big hole on Wednesday.
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LOOK AHEAD
The Pistons came close to upsetting the Cavaliers in Game 1, but eventually did not succeed. On the strength of a lineup that featured Kevin Love as the lone big man, The Cavs outscored Detroit 30-18 in the final 11 minutes of the game to pull away with a 106-101 win. The Cavaliers have now won as many games in which they trailed entering the fourth quarter as they did in the 2015 postseason.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love missed Cleveland’s charge to the Finals last year and both are back healthy hopeful of getting the Cavaliers back into the final series. Whether or not the Cavs could have won a championship last season if both stayed healthy will never be known, but they were crucial in the Cavs’ opening playoff victory Sunday. Love, Irving and LeBron James lived up to the Big Three’s billing by combining for 81 points. All three made critical plays in important moments after the Pistons seemed poised to pull a stunning upset.
INJURIES
Cleveland’s Mo Williams was not available for Game 1 due to soreness in his knee. Coach Tyronn Lue said it is possible Williams could be activated for Game 2. Even if he does return, it’s unlikely Williams would be used much considering he’s the third point guard on the roster.
KEY MATCHUP
Cleveland’s Big Three of James, Irving and Love combined for 81 points in Game 1, the seventh time the trio has hit at least 80 points in a game, pushing the Cavs’ mark to 7-0 in those games. And this is exactly what the Cavs envisioned when they put the lethal trio together.
Love is the uniquely skilled power forward who can space the floor and pull bigger defenders away from the basket, creating driving lanes for Irving and James. He could also knock down three-pointers at a high rate. Then, when the Cavs needed, Love could also take advantage of smaller defenders in the post, bullying his way into the paint.
In his return to the playoffs, Love scored 28 points on 10 of 22 from the field, including 4 of 8 from three-point range, to go along with 13 rebounds. Love has an edge against Detroit’s small-ball style, the same one that allowed him to average 24.0 points against them during the regular season.
QUICK PICK
The Cavs knew this first round matchup was going to be difficult. If Game 1 was the gauge then that is exactly what’s going to happen. Cleveland’s postseason experience showed late when the Cavs were able to pull away. It wasn’t the blowout victory that some expected in the No. 1 versus No. 8 series. Mainly because the Pistons are a decent team and provide matchup problems for the Cavs.
Rookie coach Lue made an adjustment and looked like a veteran on the sideline. The Cavs were down seven early in the fourth quarter when Love moved to the five spot on the floor. The lineup featured five shooters and is capable of scoring outbursts. It worked. Cleveland outscored Detroit 30-18 after that move to claim the Game 1 victory. It’s Detroit’s turn to adjust and you know they will with Stan Van Gundy running the show, but the Cavs have too much firepower and will take a 2-0 series lead.
NBA Odds: Cleveland 108, Detroit 101
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