Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 3: What We Learned

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May 21, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue during the first half in game three of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

4. The defense needs to readjust.

The defense let the Cavs down in the end. It was their inability to get stops at the end of the game that cost them. The Celtics were able to convert every possession they had in the final two minutes to seal the victory.

The Cavs were a terrible defensive team in the regular season. The Cavs’ 117 defensive rating in Game 3 was a painful reminder that not all of the defensive issues have been completely ironed out.

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Cleveland has done a good job of playing defense throughout the playoffs. They will never be the best defensive team in the league, but they don’t have to be. Their offense is what’s going to win games for them. Their defense just needs to keep them in games.

The Cavs have played good defense throughout the playoffs. Coach Lue has done a good job of utilizing their length and speed on defense. He’s done this by blitzing and doubling the opposing team’s best offensive player. We saw how Paul George, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Isaiah Thomas’s style of play had to alter because of this defense.

The defense didn’t have anyone to double team and blitz in Game 3 with Thomas out of the lineup. As a result, they looked lethargic at times.

The energy on the defensive end wasn’t there for times. Many of the miscommunications we saw in the regular season were evident once again in Game 3.

Being forced to adjust to a different style of defense now could be beneficial for Cleveland. The aggressive trapping defense worked well against their previous opponents, but that style won’t against Golden State. The Warriors have too many weapons for that defense to work.

It is up to Coach Lue to find a defense that will work for the remainder of the series, and one that would work against the Warriors if both teams make it to the Finals. It’s better to experiment with a different defensive scheme in the Eastern Conference Finals than it is in the NBA Finals like they did last year.

While the defense did look bad at times, especially throughout the fourth quarter, it should be noted that much of Boston’s points came from shots the Cavs were willing to live with. Marcus Smart for example was 7 of 10 from 3. His career average from behind the line is .291 percent. That’s generally someone that the Cavs are willing to let take open 3’s. It just came back to bite them in Game 3.