Kevin Love breaks out of his playoff slump to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 2-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors, proving he’s the key to the team’s explosive offense
Kevin Love finally showed up.
After an underwhelming start to the playoffs, Love broke through his shooting slump to help the Cleveland Cavaliers go up 2-0 on the road against the Toronto Raptors.
Love finished the Cavs’ decisive 128-110 win with 31 points on 21 shot attempts, and a game-high plus-21
In his first eight playoff games, Love shot an inefficient 31.9 percent on 11.8 field goal attempts per game. But in Game 2, he managed to shoot 52.4 percent on nearly twice as many shots.
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All playoffs, the Cavs have sought offensive production outside of LeBron James. Love provided that in Game 2, and it resulted in a blow-out win.
In Game 1, the Raptors exploited Cavs lineups with Love at center by attacking the paint and feeding Jonas Valanciunas when he had Love on him. Valanciunas abused Love for 21 points and 21 rebounds, forcing the Cavs to bring Tristan Thompson in at center for much of the game.
In Game 2, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue decided to stick with Love as the starting center, rather than moving him back to the power forward spot, his natural position. The decision paid off.
Love’s shooting ability provides spacing at the center position, and theoretically forces opposing centers to follow him out to the perimeter where Love has the advantage.
However, his offensive effectiveness is contingent on him making his shots, keeping the defense honest. When he’s missing his shots, the Cavs’ offense doesn’t click, and the team struggles.
Love is not a great defender. His offense compensates for his poor defense, but when he is missing shots, there’s little justification for having him on the floor.
Credit Lue for sticking with Love at center. The Cavs looked better with Thompson starting in game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, and again in the minutes he played in Game 1. But the Cavs highest potential offensively comes with Love at the five, accompanied by LeBron and three shooters.
Love started the game strong, and the Cavs continued to run offense through him despite trailing for most of the first half.
The Cavs’ persistence paid off in the third quarter, when Love demoralized C.J. Miles in the post, and scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting as the Cavs outscored the Raptors by 13 points.
The Cavs’ 37-point third quarter opened up its lead much in part to Love’s efficiency and LeBron’s monstrous second half.
Love established and stabilized the Cavs’ offense early in the game, and LeBron took over in the fourth to seal the win.
LeBron finished the game with 43 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds. He toyed with the Raptors in the fourth by repeatedly isolating mid-range and hitting contested, fade-away jumpers as if they were layups.
When he plays like that, there is no one that can guard him.
The Cavs have waited for the supporting cast to show up, and they finally did.
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Much in part to Love’s strong performance, the Cavs head back to Cleveland up 2-0 with a chance to clinch the series at home against the top-seed in the East.
The Cavs are a different team when Love plays like he did in Game 2.
Somehow, the same Cavs that almost lost in round 1, are looking like the strongest team in the East again.