Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets Play-in Game Thread

[Goldstar88]

Well, that game went exactly as expected. I do think the C’s will win a series vs the Nets, but it will probably go 6 or 7 games and then they get Bucks after that. Not ideal, at all. Philly and Milwaukee were smart to avoid Brooklyn.

[Yuckabuck33]

Ok, I've only watched the Celtics this year until tonight. But HOLY COW are these Cavs BAD on defense. They don't know where to be at any time. There is no way the Nets will score like this on the Cs.

[scaryjerry]

Cool, after the season we have had we get to play KD in the first round.
Prepare for a first round loss

Stop being so dramatic. We'll smoke them.

Highly doubt it, gonna be a drawn out series and KD will have to get injured for us to “smoke” them
I get we had a really good second half of the season but don’t get that level of overconfidence

Why? Just give me reasons. Brooklyn is currently struggling to beat Cleveland without their best big man. They need Kyrie and KD to both play 40 minutes every game to beat the straggler teams of the East. Brooklyn is a mediocre team.

What evidence do you have that the series is going to be drawn out? We've dominated them in 2022.

Hopefully you’re right but I have my doubts
I see us sweeping Toronto or bulls
Don’t like the nets matchup, easily see kd being impossible to stop and the Celtics choking

[Yuckabuck33]

Lol, Nets fans calling for Boston.
Be careful what you wish for!

[mef730]

Cleveland beating themselves. This game was there for the taking.

If after watching this game anyone is afraid of the Nets, then I have no response. It baffles me that anyone can be afraid of that team. Nets Might have best and 3rd best player in the series. The Celtics have the 2nd best and 4th best through 10th best.

Seth Curry and Patty Mills always play us well, although they weren’t impressive this game. I shut it off with the Nets up 20 in the 3rd. WTH happened?

[Who]

Within reach here. 

Somebody needs to step up and help Garland generate shots in half court.  Levert and Markkanen have choked so the dude is having to do everything himself.

I've thought that a few times this season. I've been watching old 80s games lately and the comparison that struck me between this Cavs team was the Pistons with Isiah Thomas before Joe Dumars arrived (82-85). Zeke had no secondary ball-handlers or passers. He had to do everything on-ball for that team. They were extremely predictable and easy to game plan for. Then Dumars and Vinne Johnson show up and now they have two ball-handlers on the floor at all times making plays allowing Isiah to move on and off the ball & giving Detroit a playmaker on the weakside when the defense overloads on the ball.

Anyway, back to Cleveland, Colin Sexton really should have been that guy for the Cavs. That secondary ball-handling guard. That extra off the dribble scorer, floor spacer and secondary playmaker. He never had the defense of a Joe Dumars but he could have done the offensive job ... if he wasn't so selfish.

It's a shame that Garland & Sexton backcourt hasn't worked out. That Cavs really needed it to in order to have a balanced offense. You must have two ball-handlers / playmakers on the floor if you want to be a good team. It makes life very hard to have only reliable ball-handler & playmaker.

[nickagneta]

Expecting an 8:00 start time with C's vs Nets being the prime time game.

[tenn_smoothie]

We ought to be very motivated to beat these prima donnas.

Irving just sealed it with an assist, then pointed at himself for the crowd to worship. He is everything I despise in an athlete.

See today's ESPN article about the Nets & Lakers, Lessons from the Brooklyn Nets' controversy-filled season: Is the Superteam Era over?
Lots of comments about what an ass Kyrie Irving has been at every stop in the league.

[scaryjerry]

Lol, Nets fans calling for Boston.
Be careful what you wish for!

Nets can beat anyone in the nba in a series because they have Kevin Durant, im sure they’re perfectly fine not facing giannis

[mef730]

Cool, after the season we have had we get to play KD in the first round.
Prepare for a first round loss

Stop being so dramatic. We'll smoke them.

Highly doubt it, gonna be a drawn out series and KD will have to get injured for us to “smoke” them
I get we had a really good second half of the season but don’t get that level of overconfidence

Why? Just give me reasons. Brooklyn is currently struggling to beat Cleveland without their best big man. They need Kyrie and KD to both play 40 minutes every game to beat the straggler teams of the East. Brooklyn is a mediocre team.

What evidence do you have that the series is going to be drawn out? We've dominated them in 2022.

Hopefully you’re right but I have my doubts
I see us sweeping Toronto or bulls
Don’t like the nets matchup, easily see kd being impossible to stop and the Celtics choking

I’ve spent almost 50 years as a Boston sports fan, so I respect your fear of choking. But this Celtics team just doesn’t seem like the type of team that chokes.

[blink]

Nets are going to be gassed every single game in the playoffs.
I have changed my tune after watching this game.
I want the C's to play the nets now.

[PAOBoston]

Cool, after the season we have had we get to play KD in the first round.
Prepare for a first round loss

I’m not sure how you can come to this conclusion after watching this game. They literally needed an insane adopting night from Irving to beat these sad Cavs team.

The cavs were a decent team all year that regressed towards the end.
Kyrie can play like that every night
Ben Simmons coming back
Seth curry did nothing tonight
They have the best player in the series
No rob williams

But yeah be overconfident

There’s a better chance of Timelord coming back for this series than Simmons playing a single minute.

[gouki88]

Cool, after the season we have had we get to play KD in the first round.
Prepare for a first round loss

I’m not sure how you can come to this conclusion after watching this game. They literally needed an insane adopting night from Irving to beat these sad Cavs team.

The cavs were a decent team all year that regressed towards the end.
a) Kyrie can play like that every night
b) Ben Simmons coming back
c) Seth curry did nothing tonight
d) They have the best player in the series
e) No rob williams

But yeah be overconfident

I put letters in front of your points to address them more pointedly.

a) No he cannot. He has never been able to put up 31-12 on 80% shooting every night, because nobody in NBA history has.
b) No he is not. He has not even been cleared for contact drills, and has yet to train with the team a single time. I actually hope he does come back, because he will be terrible.
c) Seth Curry is injured, that's why. Doesn't seem like his injury is going to be over by the time we play them.
d) Sure, but it's fairly marginal. Tatum is not that far off Durant on offence, and is a better defender. Brown has been awesome recently too.
e) Maybe, but I've seen reports that say he might be back by late April.

You call it overconfidence. I call your posts irrational pessimism.

[Walker Wiggle]

Cool, after the season we have had we get to play KD in the first round.
Prepare for a first round loss

I’m not sure how you can come to this conclusion after watching this game. They literally needed an insane adopting night from Irving to beat these sad Cavs team.

The cavs were a decent team all year that regressed towards the end.
Kyrie can play like that every night
Ben Simmons coming back
Seth curry did nothing tonight
They have the best player in the series
No rob williams

But yeah be overconfident

I just watched the Nets beat a team by 7 on their home court that played an old Rondo heavy minutes and had Lauri Markannen as the primary defender on Kevin Durant for much of the game. Not sure how else I should feel.

[scaryjerry]

Cool, after the season we have had we get to play KD in the first round.
Prepare for a first round loss

Stop being so dramatic. We'll smoke them.

Highly doubt it, gonna be a drawn out series and KD will have to get injured for us to “smoke” them
I get we had a really good second half of the season but don’t get that level of overconfidence

Why? Just give me reasons. Brooklyn is currently struggling to beat Cleveland without their best big man. They need Kyrie and KD to both play 40 minutes every game to beat the straggler teams of the East. Brooklyn is a mediocre team.

What evidence do you have that the series is going to be drawn out? We've dominated them in 2022.

Hopefully you’re right but I have my doubts
I see us sweeping Toronto or bulls
Don’t like the nets matchup, easily see kd being impossible to stop and the Celtics choking

I’ve spent almost 50 years as a Boston sports fan, so I respect your fear of choking. But this Celtics team just doesn’t seem like the type of team that chokes.

Except for the cores history in the playoffs and the fact they have been awful in close games all year?