Despite a subpar shooting night, LeBron James still put up 15 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. He only shot 7-23 from the field and 0-4 from behind the arc though. Although the Cavs still won, LeBron seemed to struggle. Yes, he was 1 rebound away from a triple-double, but he still seemed to struggle. When you're the King, good is not good enough. He has to play perfect from now on in order to chase his dream of winning a title in Cleveland.
While the Cavs were cruising to victory, they still needed people to score the ball. With Kevin Love out for the playoffs, Kyrie Irving banged up, and LeBron struggling, it was another player's time to shine. Matthew Dellavedova did just that and racked up 19 points off of the bench.
Production off the bench will be crucial for Cleveland as the playoffs carry on. They await the winner of the Wizards and Hawks series, both of which are deep teams. The Atlanta Hawks are arguably the deepest team in the NBA. They are often considered the Spurs of the Eastern Conference because of their deep bench, full of talented players. On the other hand, the Wizards boast the best back-court in the Eastern Conference. John Wall and Bradley Beal will pick apart any defense that they face whilst they make everyone around them better. Playing against the top talent in the league, the Cavs need everyone on their team to produce.
After a 5 year hiatus, the Cleveland Cavaliers are back to the Eastern Conference Finals. During those 5 years, LeBron went to the ECF every single year but one, his last year with the Cavs. After that he went to Miami and has been to the Finals every single year. This year is different though. LeBron has had to build his team almost by himself. Kyrie Irving is good, but he is not always enough. James has had to develop his team all season long and prepare them all for this moment. For Cleveland, the time is now, it's time to get back to the NBA Finals.
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