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INDIANAPOLIS — All-Star point guard Darius Garland paused for 18 seconds before he answered.
Why didn't the Cavaliers play with the requisite force in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers?
The silence spoke volumes.
It's hard to explain how the top-seeded Cavs became the epitome of no-show while facing a 2-1 deficit in their best-of-seven, second-round playoff series. After being blown out 129-109 by the fourth-seeded Pacers, the Cavs trail 3-1 and need to prevail in Game 5 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena to avoid elimination.
“They were pushing us off our spot,” Garland eventually said. “They were more aggressive than us. They were being really physical. That's what they said they were going to do coming into this game, and we had no answer for that in the first half.”
The Cavs trailed 80-39 at halftime. The 41-point margin tied the largest halftime differential in NBA playoff history. A left ankle injury prevented Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from playing in the second half, and by the time the fourth quarter began, Cleveland had inserted backups and rested its starters.
"They dominated with their force," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "They raised their game to another level, and we didn't match it. We talked about it. We knew it was coming. You try to prepare for these things. You try to prepare your guys mentally. But for whatever reason, they were at another level. Their force was greater in every sense."
Cleveland Cavs recap in NBA playoffs: Cavaliers vs Pacers, Game 4 updates, highlights
In an odd twist, the Pacers' rout really picked up steam after one of their key players, wing Bennedict Mathurin, was ejected with 4:32 left in the first quarter and the Cavs behind 22-10.
Cavs guard Sam Merrill was whistled for an off-ball foul on the wing against Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
At about the same time, Mathurin struck Hunter in the torso near the foul line, causing Hunter to double over. Then Hunter made a beeline to Mathurin, pointed at him and shoved him to the floor with two hands. Pacers center Myles Turner ran to the scene of the dust-up and pushed Hunter.
After a replay review, the officials determined Mathurin made contact with a closed fist to Hunter's sternum. They gave Mathurin a flagrant 2 foul and thereby tossed him out of the game. Hunter and Turner each received a technical foul.
It would have been easy to envision the Cavs rallying around the moment and using it as emotional fuel in a hostile environment. And it would have been logical if the Cavs were able to capitalize on the absence of Mathurin, who had been a thorn in the side of Cleveland with 11 points in Game 1, 19 in Game 2 and 23 in Game 3.
Instead, the altercation between Mathurin and Hunter fired up the Pacers and their fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It seemed to galvanize everyone in the arena but the Cavs.
Cavs injury news: Donovan Mitchell misses second half of Game 4 vs. Pacers
The Pacers continued to roll and produced their version of a Cavalanche.
The Cavs were a mess on offense, losing the turnover battle 22-10, and torched on defense, with the Pacers shooting 52.7% (49 of 93) from the field, including 42.9% (15 of 35) on 3-pointers. The 3-2 zone Atkinson deployed so well in Game 3 proved to be vulnerable with the Pacers attacking the middle of the defense.
The Cavs never led. They scored a season-low 39 points in the first half, and the 20-point loss matched their largest margin of defeat this season.
No pregnant pause occurred when Garland was asked whether he had talked to Hunter about the confrontation with Mathurin.
“It was playoff basketball,” said Garland, who led the Cavs with 21 points and six assists. “I was taught if I get hit, you hit back. So that's what it was. But the physicality has to stay the same. From the tip, the physicality was super high. Then after the altercation, everything just started just to really decrease, and we couldn't really play with that physicality that we always play with, and that was on both ends of the floor. So I wish the physicality was a little bit more consistent throughout the entire game 'cause that's what playoff basketball is about.
“I think we responded not as great, but I like the fight that we had. That's why I do like we didn't back down from none of the stuff that happened before that. So it was really good for us. I think it was like a step in the right direction with our physicality and what we're about. We're not just going to lay down and let someone just punch us in other places. So I like the way that Dre responded.”
On the other hand, Atkinson was not a fan of the retaliation.
“I was just telling our guys keep our composure,” Atkinson said. “We've got to be above. Get punched. You got to be above, right? You've got to kind of turn the other cheek.
“I said, 'Dre, you know, don't react.' It's hard. It's hard. But they obviously came out with an intent, a physicality intent.
“This is a game about force. And they were just much more forceful in every aspect.”
From the start of this series, the Pacers put the Cavs on notice. Indiana would test Cleveland's mental and physical toughness.
The Cavs flunked those tests in Game 4.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs lack force and altercation fires up Pacers in Game 4 blowout
Continue reading...
Why didn't the Cavaliers play with the requisite force in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers?
The silence spoke volumes.
It's hard to explain how the top-seeded Cavs became the epitome of no-show while facing a 2-1 deficit in their best-of-seven, second-round playoff series. After being blown out 129-109 by the fourth-seeded Pacers, the Cavs trail 3-1 and need to prevail in Game 5 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at Rocket Arena to avoid elimination.
“They were pushing us off our spot,” Garland eventually said. “They were more aggressive than us. They were being really physical. That's what they said they were going to do coming into this game, and we had no answer for that in the first half.”
The Cavs trailed 80-39 at halftime. The 41-point margin tied the largest halftime differential in NBA playoff history. A left ankle injury prevented Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from playing in the second half, and by the time the fourth quarter began, Cleveland had inserted backups and rested its starters.
"They dominated with their force," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "They raised their game to another level, and we didn't match it. We talked about it. We knew it was coming. You try to prepare for these things. You try to prepare your guys mentally. But for whatever reason, they were at another level. Their force was greater in every sense."
Cleveland Cavs recap in NBA playoffs: Cavaliers vs Pacers, Game 4 updates, highlights
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In an odd twist, the Pacers' rout really picked up steam after one of their key players, wing Bennedict Mathurin, was ejected with 4:32 left in the first quarter and the Cavs behind 22-10.
Cavs guard Sam Merrill was whistled for an off-ball foul on the wing against Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
At about the same time, Mathurin struck Hunter in the torso near the foul line, causing Hunter to double over. Then Hunter made a beeline to Mathurin, pointed at him and shoved him to the floor with two hands. Pacers center Myles Turner ran to the scene of the dust-up and pushed Hunter.
After a replay review, the officials determined Mathurin made contact with a closed fist to Hunter's sternum. They gave Mathurin a flagrant 2 foul and thereby tossed him out of the game. Hunter and Turner each received a technical foul.
You must be registered for see images
It would have been easy to envision the Cavs rallying around the moment and using it as emotional fuel in a hostile environment. And it would have been logical if the Cavs were able to capitalize on the absence of Mathurin, who had been a thorn in the side of Cleveland with 11 points in Game 1, 19 in Game 2 and 23 in Game 3.
Instead, the altercation between Mathurin and Hunter fired up the Pacers and their fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It seemed to galvanize everyone in the arena but the Cavs.
Cavs injury news: Donovan Mitchell misses second half of Game 4 vs. Pacers
The Pacers continued to roll and produced their version of a Cavalanche.
The Cavs were a mess on offense, losing the turnover battle 22-10, and torched on defense, with the Pacers shooting 52.7% (49 of 93) from the field, including 42.9% (15 of 35) on 3-pointers. The 3-2 zone Atkinson deployed so well in Game 3 proved to be vulnerable with the Pacers attacking the middle of the defense.
The Cavs never led. They scored a season-low 39 points in the first half, and the 20-point loss matched their largest margin of defeat this season.
No pregnant pause occurred when Garland was asked whether he had talked to Hunter about the confrontation with Mathurin.
“It was playoff basketball,” said Garland, who led the Cavs with 21 points and six assists. “I was taught if I get hit, you hit back. So that's what it was. But the physicality has to stay the same. From the tip, the physicality was super high. Then after the altercation, everything just started just to really decrease, and we couldn't really play with that physicality that we always play with, and that was on both ends of the floor. So I wish the physicality was a little bit more consistent throughout the entire game 'cause that's what playoff basketball is about.
“I think we responded not as great, but I like the fight that we had. That's why I do like we didn't back down from none of the stuff that happened before that. So it was really good for us. I think it was like a step in the right direction with our physicality and what we're about. We're not just going to lay down and let someone just punch us in other places. So I like the way that Dre responded.”
You must be registered for see images
On the other hand, Atkinson was not a fan of the retaliation.
“I was just telling our guys keep our composure,” Atkinson said. “We've got to be above. Get punched. You got to be above, right? You've got to kind of turn the other cheek.
“I said, 'Dre, you know, don't react.' It's hard. It's hard. But they obviously came out with an intent, a physicality intent.
“This is a game about force. And they were just much more forceful in every aspect.”
From the start of this series, the Pacers put the Cavs on notice. Indiana would test Cleveland's mental and physical toughness.
The Cavs flunked those tests in Game 4.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs lack force and altercation fires up Pacers in Game 4 blowout
Continue reading...
