After the broom against the Heat, Cleveland rediscovered the fight worthy of a playoff match. The riders had only been led 17 minutes on the entire first round? They were for almost 41 minutes on Sunday during Game 1 against the Pacers. Well embarrassed by the game of Indiana, the number 1 serial number 1 in the East fell in its rare through the season.
« They were better than us, we have to pay tribute to them, it’s as simple as that Summed the coach of the riders Kenny Atkinson at a press conference.
Always deprived of Darius Garland, Cleveland this time suffered much more in attack. If Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome have accumulated 54 points, the back line in particular struggled to find solutions in front of the defense tightened around the paint of the Pacers. The limited spaces, the Cavs could not find their cruise rate, the one who had exploded in Miami flight during the third and fourth games.
23% 3-point for riders, 53% for Pacers
« Michael Jordan won the game 1, not me Reacted Donovvan Mitchell, who seized an “MJ” record with an eighth series of consecutive playoffs started with an outing at 30 or more. “” The Pacers came here and managed their business. We would have loved to make a 16-0 in playoffs, but that’s not how it works. »
« We only committed seven lost bullets, they simply did a good job by their physical impact “Said Kenny Atkinson. “” Their defense intensity was excellent. It’s crazy, I have almost the feeling that it is almost our attack that hurt us the most, sometimes it affects your defense. We did not have enough to circulate the ball, we kept it too much in hand. »
Trapped, the riders hung on by their slaughter with an offensive rebound (13 sockets, 21 points on the second chance). But they finish with five less assists less than their opponents with a successful more successful shot throughout the match. And failing to reach the circle, Cleveland has sometimes stubbornly stubbornly, without success.
The contrast is total, faced with incandescent pacers behind the arc (19/36) with many well -found positions, launched for a certain number in transitions on long rebounds and poorly managed opponent possessions. “” It took us a little time to get used to their speed » a admis Kenny Atkinson. « At the start of the match, they passed us little in the mixer. And their ability to create their shot was another world. We finished at 9/38… they were elite shoots on their part. »
Too much inaccuracies
Cleveland, however, will not have everything to throw away from this first game and the Ohio team will be able to hang on to its 20-4 series in the third quarter, which had allowed him to go back a delay in twelve points. Before returning to the strings, especially when Tyrese Haliburton was back on the field.
The All-Star leader was remarkable for management, and the premises never found the solution to limit it. “” Tyrese is a master in the matter, he is like a distributor with hockey » image Kenny Atkinson. « It’s an excellent attack team, and I think we have not only had trouble with their pace, but also with their ball circulation. »
The riders, them, accumulated the small errors to derail Indiana, from their circulation on the screens, with defensive aid sometimes excessive and ultimately more penalizing than beneficial.
Enough to make the difference at the end of the match, while the two teams were still back to back seven minutes from the end. “” It is a fight at all times, and it will always be “Said Donovan Mitchell. “” These are the playoffs. It’s an experienced team. They will never tremble, they have already been there. Mentally, physically, they will come back to you again and again, and again. They hit you first and you have to answer. »
What Donovan Mitchell promises from Game 2 Tuesday evening to the Rocket Arena. “” There is nothing to be shot. It will go for us and we will be better. »
| Shots | Rebound | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| Donovan Mitchell | 71 | 31.4 | 44.3 | 36.8 | 82.3 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 24.0 |
| Darius Garland | 75 | 30.7 | 47.2 | 40.1 | 87.8 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 6.7 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 20.6 |
| Evan Mobley | 71 | 30.5 | 55.7 | 37.0 | 72.5 | 2.3 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 18.5 |
| De’ other hunter | 27 | 25.1 | 48.5 | 42.6 | 82.1 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 14.3 |
| Jarrett Allen | 82 | 28.0 | 70.6 | 0.0 | 71.8 | 2.6 | 7.1 | 9.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 13.5 |
| You Jerome | 70 | 19.9 | 51.6 | 43.9 | 87.2 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 12.5 |
| Caris delivers | 38 | 23.8 | 45.3 | 40.5 | 69.9 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 10.2 |
| Max Strus | 50 | 25.5 | 44.2 | 38.6 | 82.4 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 9.4 |
| Georges Niang | 51 | 20.7 | 47.7 | 40.0 | 79.3 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 8.7 |
| Nae’qwan Tomlin | 5 | 12.7 | 40.6 | 20.0 | 72.7 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 7.2 |
| Sam Merrill | 71 | 19.7 | 40.6 | 37.2 | 96.6 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 7.2 |
| Isaac I | 55 | 19.1 | 46.4 | 37.1 | 71.7 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 6.1 |
| Dean Wade | 59 | 21.2 | 41.3 | 36.0 | 53.3 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 5.4 |
| Craig Porter, Jr. | 51 | 10.1 | 51.4 | 43.8 | 71.9 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 3.7 |
| Jaylon Tyson | 47 | 9.6 | 43.0 | 34.5 | 79.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| Emoni Bates | 11 | 6.8 | 34.2 | 36.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3.4 |
| Javonte Green | 18 | 9.2 | 36.5 | 24.2 | 50.0 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| J.t. Thor | 9 | 4.7 | 60.0 | 50.0 | 87.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 3.1 |
| Chima shape | 2 | 12.6 | 28.6 | 16.7 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| Tristan Thompson | 40 | 8.2 | 43.7 | 0.0 | 23.3 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.7 |
| Luke Travers | 12 | 7.3 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
