Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Amazing what can happen in the span of a few days.
As of last Tuesday night, it was the Cleveland Cavaliers who were on the brink of history. It was LeBron James throwing a team of misfit toys on his back and carrying them to the verge of an NBA Championship. The city of Cleveland was giddy, convinced this was finally the moment when the sports gods stopped picking on them.
And suddenly, all of those good feelings, all of the positivity surging throughout Northeast Ohio vanished in the blink of an eye.
The Golden State Warriors spanked the Cavs up and down the court Thursday in Game 4, and tonight, they may have landed their KO punch. Cleveland, which received another Herculean effort from James, just couldn’t hold Golden State at bay. Steph Curry was too much, James didn’t receive enough help, and as a result, Cavs fans may be forced to watch another team celebrate a championship on Cleveland’s court.
It certainly didn’t seem like things were going to fall apart for the Cavs early. Despite a start which was every definition of the word “clunky,” Cleveland was able to hang with the Warriors through most of the night. They were tied at the end of one, down a point at halftime. For a split second, it started to feel like it did a week ago, when an undermanned Cavs team stole a win in Game 2.
Then, the fourth quarter happened. Curry went off, pouring in threes and hitting the kinds of shots that made him this year’s MVP. James, for what it’s worth, did his best to hang with him. But, any time he failed to score, the Warriors landed another blow.
It’s a shame, really, James’ night is essentially all for naught, a footnote on an otherwise sad night for Cleveland. 40 points, 14 rebounds and eleven assists. That’s a stat-line you would think would come with plenty of celebration. Instead, it’s really one of the lone positives for James to take home with him as he and his teammates attempt to stave off elimination in Game 6 this Tuesday.
James received a little more help tonight than he did on Thursday, but none of it appeared sustainable. J.R. Smith finally arrived, hitting plenty of three-pointers early on which hinted he was going to have the hot hand. He didn’t make another shot after the second quarter. Tristan Thompson had another solid night on the boards, as well as on offense, but his -22 plus/minus is one heck of an eyesore.
Unlike Thursday, Cleveland didn’t appear as gassed tonight. However, it didn’t seem to matter. The Warriors just kept coming. Any time the Cavs clawed their way into a lead, Golden State simply dropped a three-pointer or two and erased any momentum.
So now, Cleveland has to prep for Game 6, which is life or death for their playoff hopes. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t seem like there’s much left in the tank.
This was the Cavs on as much rest as they’ve had since coming into Game 2. They knew a win had to come tonight, as trying to force a Game 7 on tired legs was an enormously uphill battle. And, despite yet another gutty effort from a team which has had more than a few this postseason, it just wasn’t enough to get the job done.
It wasn’t enough to overcome playoff hero Matthew Dellavedova’s -19 plus/minus and absolutely heinous night of shooting. It wasn’t enough to overcome Iman Shumpert who, despite a few clutch threes, had a game littered with brain-farts. And it wasn’t enough to prevent the league’s MVP from absolutely lighting the rim on fire in the fourth quarter.
Knowing they would be without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the Cavs essentially had to play perfect basketball to stand a chance at winning the title. They seemingly found that in themselves for Games 2 and 3, but now it appears they’ve lost it again.
The series isn’t technically over, and with this Cleveland team, anything seems to be possible. That said, the Cavs received a monster night from James, and still lost by 13. It’s been a miraculous run, but it’s starting to feel like the magic may be all but used up for Cleveland.
Casey Drottar is the Cleveland Beat Writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter or “Like” him on Facebook
