The Cleveland Cavaliers are pushing past their recent losses to the Toronto Raptors, focusing on key areas to reclaim momentum in their playoff series.
The Cleveland Cavaliers practiced on Tuesday, putting the last two games vs. the Toronto Raptors behind them. Spencer German and Spencer Davies report on the latest from Independence on Courtside with Cavs.
With Game 3 and Game 4 in the rear-view mirror, the Cleveland Cavaliers are moving forward in their NBA playoff series against the Toronto Raptors. Despite the sour taste left in the players' mouths from this past Sunday, the team itself is preaching a positive mindset.
Evan Mobley, James Harden, and Kenny Atkinson all spoke after practice about what the Cavs need to improve on in Game 5, their mindset heading into it, and how to swing the momentum back in their favor.
Spencer German and Spencer Davies share their observations from practice and analyze what was said in a brand new episode of Courtside with Cavs from Cleveland Clinic Courts.
Topics of the latest show include the following:
- To a man, each person in that building understands that the involvement of the bigs has to be the top priority. Atkinson noted Toronto's defensive scheme of packing the paint and putting smaller players on Jarrett Allen, but there are ways to get him and Mobley more involved from the tip.
- Harden fell on the sword for the costly turnovers and poor decisions. Admittedly, the lanes have been clogged by spacing inconsistencies, but there are things in the group's control that it can improve.
- Atkinson emphasized the importance of the possession game as well. The Raptors have forced giveaways and crashed the offensive glass at will, which have provided them with second chances. While Cleveland has also hit the offensive boards, it hasn't taken advantage of the extra opportunities nearly as much. Defensive rebounding after stops will be critical.
- Simple plays are the most logical plays. Instead of going for the home run, taking care of the basketball can be done by "hitting singles," according to Atkinson. Too many times, there were instances of doing the former, and that can be incredibly hurtful.
- The Cavs are coming into Game 5 with the understanding that this series is now a best-of-three. They're taking it a game at a time and will stay in the present, but in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 postseason matchup, that's normal. As long as they take care of their business at home, they will be in good shape.
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