The Cleveland Cavaliers will head home down 3-2 and facing elimination against the Boston Celtic after the Celtics took Game 5 at home with a 96-83 victory.
The Cleveland starting backcourt defined the game.
George Hill and J.R. Smith again shot the ball poorly just as they did in Games 1 and 2. The two have combined to score 21 points in three games in Boston this series compared to 46 combined points in two games at home.
The Cavaliers need Hill to play much better they need him to be their third best player behind James and Love. He came out early in the Cavs home games and was aggressive, attacking the basket and shooting the ball.
In Game 5, he was 1-5 with just 7 points and attempted zero threes. The zero threes are the most upsetting part of his stat line.
For the highly praised Kyle Korver, he played 19 minutes but wasn’t substituted into the game until the second quarter.
Korver has played extremely well in this series and should be getting more minutes, but for whatever reason, Lue fails to play him 25-30 minutes per game. In games 2-4, Korver averaged 13 points while shooting 65 percent from the field and 57 percent from three.
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Korver obviously spreads the floor and provides excellent spacing when playing with James, an attribute that allows James to thrive.
Rounding out the backcourt struggles was Jordan Clarkson. He played 15 minutes and managed to go 3-10 from the field and 2-7 from three. He was second on the team with a 31.1 usage percentage.
Looking at the differences between wins and losses in this series, the first thing you notice is three-point shooting.
In wins, the Cavaliers are making five more threes and shooting 19 percent higher than in losses. As well as getting to the free throw line 10 times more per games than losses. Finally, offensive rebounding, the Cavaliers pull down nine percent more in wins than losses.
The Cavaliers are going to need their role players to step up and start contributing consistently. If the Cavaliers are not going to start Kyle Korver than they have to make sure he gets more minutes.
In Game 6, Hill will have to come out aggressive again attacking the basket and pushing the pace. To add on, he has been much better in Cleveland in the playoffs compared to on the road.
It’s all about the backcourt. When Korver, Smith, and Hill are aggressive and making their shots, this team is a completely different monster.
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The Cavaliers are facing elimination and will be coming home on Friday where they have played well and hoping for a Game 7 back in Boston to secure a trip back to the Finals for the fourth consecutive season.