Cavs Vs. Pistons game three: 5 things we learned

The Cavs are in command of this series after going to Detroit and pulling out a gritty 101-91 win over the Pistons. There was a lot of talking from the young Pistons squad after game two. Unfortunately for them, the game is played between the four lines and is not simply a war of words.

The Cavs were able to get key contributions from all five starters to get the win. Here’s what we learned from game three.

1. The Cavs can win when LeBron isn’t shooting well.

Many expected James to have a huge scoring game after all of the trash talking that came from the Pistons and Stanley Johnson the last few days. Detroit packed the paint and didn’t let LeBron get anything easy at the rim. They forced him to settle for outside shots which is what you want when you’re defending LeBron. He finished with only 20 points on 8-of-24 shooting including 1-of-6 from three.

Although James didn’t have a good day shooting, he was able to make his presence felt in other ways. LeBron contributed 13 rebounds, seven assists, and a block. He also had a good defensive game as well. LeBron led all players in plus/minus by being a +17. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving helped make up for the scoring production by combining for 46 points of their own.

2. Cleveland did a good job of staying focused on the game.

The Cavs did not fall into the same trap they fell into last spring when they played the Celtics in the first round. Boston tried to make the series as physical as possible last year. However, Cleveland did not handle that situation as well as they could’ve and it resulted in a suspension for J.R. Smith.

This series with Detroit has been very physical since it started. However, the Pistons turned it up a notch with their postgame remarks after game two and by throwing a couple of wayward elbows towards LeBron’s head. The best way to get even is by winning the game, and that’s exactly what the Cavs did. They didn’t let the Pistons’ antics effect the way they played. The Cavaliers did an excellent job of staying focused on what was important.

I imagine game four will be just as physical. Let’s hope the Cavs have the right response to that game as well.

3. Tyronn Lue continues to press the right buttons at the right times.

Coach Lue has done an excellent job of making adjustments all series. His idea of playing Love at the five for much of games one and two resulted in positive outcomes. However, Lue went away from that strategy in game three and it worked out just as well.

Tristan Thompson didn’t have a big impact on the first two games of the series, but he made his presence felt on Friday night. He was a difference maker on the offensive end by coming down with eight offensive boards. Those second chance opportunities take the life out of a team in a close game like this. You have to give credit to Lue for switching up the game-plan in game three.

Lue has also done an exceptional job of drawing up inbounds plays coming out of timeouts all series. On Friday night an inbounds play he drew up resulted in a wide open shot in the corner for Kyrie put the game on ice.

Going into this series I believed that the biggest advantage the Pistons had on Cleveland was their experience at head coach. It’s unfair to say that Lue has completely outcoached Van Gundy considering how much less talent Van Gundy’s team has. However, you can certainly say that Lue has had an excellent response to everything Van Gundy has thrown his way.

4. Free-throws matter.

Such a simple thing has become a big deal in this series. Coach Lue has sent Andre Drummond to the line early and often this series. Drummond is statistically the worst free-thrown shooter in league history and it has come back to bite the Pistons time and time again this series.

Detroit was forced to take out their best player halfway through the fourth quarter because of his inability to score at the line. The Pistons suffered because of it. Drummond was one of two players on the Pistons to not finish on the wrong end of the plus/minus stat. However, his replacement Aron Baynes was a game low -16 in less than 16 minutes of play.

The Pistons hardly have the talent to beat the Cavs with their best player on the floor, and this game proves that they don’t have a chance when he’s not out there. Something as simple as being able to shoot a respectable percentage at the line has played such a huge role in the outcome of this series.

5. The Big Three can play good together in the playoffs.

Basketball pundits have spent a lot of time breaking down how the Cavs’ Big Three doesn’t fit well together. There have been many times throughout the regular season where it appears that their unique skillsets clash with each other in every way imaginable. However, that hasn’t been the case in the small sample size that they’ve played together in the playoffs.

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This was only the seventh playoff game that all three players participated in together, and they were great once again. It’s premature to say that this Big Three was a match made in heaven because of this small sample size, but their effectiveness in the playoffs isn’t something that should be overlooked.

Love and Irving stepped up big in game three when LeBron was struggling shooting. Love contributed 20 points on an impressive 7-of-10 shooting and grabbed 12 boards. He also did this without being a liability on defense. Kyrie led the team with 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting.

Both Love and Irving made big shots down the stretch to close the game out. Kyrie put the game away by nailing an impossible corner three to beat the shot clock, but that wasn’t the only big play that they made. Both players have proved throughout this series that they aren’t afraid to take and make big shots late in the game.

The Big Three combined for an impressive 66 points on 26-of-54 shooting. They have also done an excellent job at giving the ball to each other in their best scoring areas on the floor.

So maybe they can play well together after all.

The Cavs will look to complete the sweep in Detroit on Sunday.