CLEVELAND: It was a piece of basketball ballet, one needed to keep a Cavaliers crowd that might have been doubting its team engaged in Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Although point guard Matthew Dellavedova scored on a long jump shot with the shot clock expiring at 10:06 left in the fourth quarter, it was more how it happened that got Quicken Loans Arena rocking.
If an offensive possession can increase intensity, this one certainly did. The Cavs completed 10 passes prior to Dellavedova making the shot. After he drained it, the crowd exploded in a frenzy.
When suggested to him that the shot might have been demoralizing, Dellavedova said he wouldn’t describe it that way.
“I think with that kind of ball movement, the ball has energy and you’ve got to knock that down regardless,” he said.
Demoralizing or not, that moment played a large role in the Cavs finally seizing control of the game. With 11:04 left in the game, the Cavs trailed by seven points. Just prior to Dellavedova’s basket, forward Richard Jefferson made a 3-pointer. The momentum carried through the Australian point guard and the Cavs used those moments to grab momentum and never trailed again after taking an 86-85 lead with 8:15 left in the game.
“[The] last three, four weeks, we’ve really been sharing the ball, moving the basketball, moving bodies,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “Not to try to play as much one-on-one, isolation basketball. I think we have two great [isolation] players in Kyrie and LeBron, but it’s a fine line. I think they’ve been doing a great job of moving the basketball. Well, if we can continue to move the ball like that and guys get open shots, I think we’ll be tough to beat. It’s a tribute to those guys for working and trying to play basketball the right way.”
Streak continues
LeBron James continued a remarkable streak of not having lost the first game of an opening-round playoff series. He’s also never lost a series to start the playoffs.
“As far as the streak, I don’t get caught up into it,” James said. “I’ve been fortunate to play with two great organizations — here and obviously Miami. We prepared ourselves the best we can going out into a playoff series no matter the opponent and I’ve been fortunate to get to the second round every single time in the postseason.”
Jackson strikes out
Pistons guard Reggie Jackson gave his team 17 points and seven assists. He also gave them a technical foul with 3:24 left in the game, which helped the Cavs pad a 96-92 lead. In protesting a non-call, Jackson drew the attention of official Derrick Stafford, who called the technical. Cavs guard Kyrie Irving made the free throw to give the Cavs a 97-92 lead.
When asked if he had any regrets, Jackson said: “Naw.”
He added: “I wish I get the call from it. I wish they’d seen me get slapped on the arm. It felt to me blatantly obvious, so I had to let them know.”
From the other side
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said that his young team, which features four starters who’ve never appeared in a playoff game, had to treat their playoff series against the Cavs as much like a regular-season game as possible.
“It’s just a matter of being ready for ramped up intensity,” he said.
Correction, please
Van Gundy was asked what it felt like to be back in the playoffs after being out for so long. He jokingly took umbrage at the question.
“I only missed one year,” said Van Gundy, who has been coach of the Pistons for two seasons. “For two years I wasn’t coaching. Let’s keep it somewhat clarified.”
Special visitor
Former LSU forward Ben Simmons, who is expected to be the No. 1 choice in the NBA Draft this summer, was spotted behind the Cavs bench with Akron native Maverick Carter, who runs LRMR Management, a marketing company that he, James and friends own.
Dribbles
James, Irving and Kevin Love scored, 22, 31 and 28 points respectively. The last time three Cavs scored 20 or more points in a playoff game came April 21, 2009, when James (29), Mo Williams (21) and Delonte West (20) accomplished the feat. … Iman Shumpert returned after missing the final two games of the regular season. He played 22 minutes, scored two points and grabbed two rebounds.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ.