Cavaliers To The East Finals

Lebron James will be in the East finals in 4 consecutive seasons, beating the Chicago Bulls wickedly at United Center Thursday night, 94-73. He missed another triple-double by a single rebound, finishing with 15 points, nine boards and 11 assists, and was the dominant player in the series, the focal point of Cleveland's attack and Chicago's attempted resistance. 

Despite James poor shooting, he got helped from young teammates in Thompson and Dellavedova. He turned over the ball four times. And he probably wouldn't have eliminated the Bulls and reached the Eastern Conference finals for a seventh time, not yet anyway, without the work in Game 6 of the two guys next to him. 

Both Thompson and Dellavedova had just played in the 10th postseason games of their young careers. And they went podium. 

At one point during the postgame questions and answers, Thompson referred to James as "this great father over here." And despite the impossible math of that -- James is 30, Dellavedova and Thompson both 24 -- that's really what he was. Beaming between them and proud as any papa. 

"I just try to bring that leadership to these guys," James said, "that energy, to make these guys even believe they're [more] supernatural sometimes than they are. The things they did tonight was unbelievable. These two guys right here? Wow. They were spectacular." 

This had been coming, and it was a fitting finish to a trying, challenging, transformative series for Cleveland. In the time between its start 10 days earlier and the end of this Bulls business Thursday, the Cavaliers seemed to grow and develop exponentially. 

 

James, Cavs coach David Blatt and his staff and most of northeast Ohio faced a bunch of unknowns and more than a little apprehension when it began. Losing forward Kevin Love to postseason-ending shoulder surgery. Missing gunner J.R. Smith for the first two games to suspension. Worrying about Kyrie Irving and the All-Star point guard's gimpy wheels. Wondering, not really knowing, how the jumbled pieces left behind would fit. And hoping that the least experienced of them, guys like Dellavedova and Thompson more than Irving, wouldn't cave, never mind their contributions. 

But get a load of the contributions: Thompson scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as Cleveland toyed with the Bulls on the glass, 53-32. The kid from Toronto who lost his starting job when the Cavaliers' ambitions ratcheted up -- James coming home, Love added for the three-starred stool, Timofey Mozgov acquired to replace Anderson Varejao -- wound up as the leading rebounder on either team in the series. And this thing was decided by rebounds, the winner in each game owning that category. 

Then there was Dellavedova, a 6-foot-4 gnat from Maryborough, Australia who had gone undrafted after a modest college career at St. Mary's College in California. Already disliked in Chicago for the leg lock he put on the Bulls' Taj Gibson in Game 5, leading to Gibson's ejection, Dellavedova made more enemies by scoring 19 points -- more than James, more than anyone on the floor besides Jimmy Butler (20). 

The pesky Aussie eased the loss of Irving, who exited after playing 12 minutes when he aggravated what the Cavs have been calling tendinitis in his left knee. Dellavedova scored 16 of his points after halftime, 11 in the fourth quarter that forced the Bulls to perish any thought of late heroics. 

Dellavedova 19 points, Derrick Rose 14. Dellavedova-Thompson 32 points and 19 rebounds, James-Irving 21 and 10. 

Dad loved it. 

Nodding to Thompson, James said: "He's not the most athletic guy right here, he's not the tallest power forward in our league, he's not the strongest power forward in our league. But not too many guys can keep him off the glass." 

Thompson playfully scrunched up his face as James ticked off all his shortcomings, but he knew there was a heavy compliment in there. Ditto with Dellavedova. 

"This guy right here," James said of the guard, "he's not the most athletic, fastest, doesn't shoot it as great as all the other point guards in our league. But I'll put him out there versus anybody. This guy has to guard Kyrie Irving every single day in practice." 

Anyone paying close attention to James when the series began, and even when the Cavaliers fell behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, could see a superstar who had reservations about the crew with which he was working. He knew how raw some of the supporting cast was. He did not know how they would perform or respond. 

Now, while admitting he was a "little bit surprised," James knows much more. Thompson and Dellavedova got tested like never before in their careers and, in James' view, aced them all. 

Ten days ago, so late in the long NBA season, he still was shepherding them. Now he's rolling with them.

"Throughout the playoffs, I have never seen a shadow of doubt, fear or [loss of] focus on anyone's face," Blatt said. "I have to give LeBron a lot of credit. He is a true leader here. He is vocal, willful and committed to helping this team succeed. He is really leading these guys to believe in what they can do." 

Salty vets such as James Jones, Mike Miller, Shawn Marion and Kendrick Perkins have been relegated to bit roles. Love is out. Irving is hurting. Dellavedova and Thompson? They're up on that podium. 

"I just think it's the development of the mind more than anything," James said. "Then the game'll take care of itself. These guys work their tails off before and after practice. ... But I think the development of the mind -- how you think the game, how you approach the game mentally -- will take you a lot further than just going out and dribbling the basketball and shooting it. 

"Obviously we have stats sheets and we have highlights that everyone sees after the game, and things of that nature. But how you approach the game mentally will take you a lot further." 

From their side, Dellavedova and Thompson have both an opportunity -- playing alongside the game's best player, in his prime, while soaking up everything they can learn from him -- and a responsibility not to mess it up. Free agents alter their careers for the chance to play with James and here they are, so young, having him plopped into their midst. 

"The biggest thing for me is, how much he takes care of his body, I've really learned that," Dellavedova said. "I don't think it's a responsibility, it's just a big opportunity. So you want to make the most of the opportunities that come and we've obviously got a great opportunity here." 

Said Thompson: "It just motivated us to work harder, because at the same time, we want to be great in our [own way]. It started from Labor Day -- LeBron's the first one in the gym working out, getting ready for the season. And as a young player, that just shows you he's never stopped working on his game. 

"If he's doing that, we need to do probably triple. Because this opportunity's definitely been a blessing for us and we've got to make the most of it. And help him, especially in the playoffs, just have success."

Father's Day, after all, is coming, synched up pretty nicely with the end of the NBA Finals.

Warriors Advance to Second Round

The Warriors defeated the Pelicans and advance to the next round of the playoffs with a 109-98 win and a 4-0 sweep on Saturday night. 

The Warriors did a great job prior to the 20-point comeback lead by All Star point guard Stephen Curry in the fourth quarter of Game 3 and simply take the win. The Warriors overwhelmed the Pelicans in scoring but All Star Anthony Davis wouldn’t give up and push hard for the Pelicans. As the team that has set the pace in the NBA practically from opening night of the season and won more games than any other in the history of the franchise, this Golden State bunch still steps into new territory each night it goes out onto the court with more to learn. 

"I think just feeling the pressure at home and on the road," said rookie coach Steve Kerr. "We're a favorite with the best record. This team has playoff experience the last few years as an underdog. I think it's easier as the underdog. You just come out and run loose. When you're the favorite it's a little different feeling. So I felt that was important. 

"Both home games we felt a lot of pressure. They outplayed us several segments of each game and our guys needed to respond and that was good. To come on the road and win two is a really good accomplishment and something that we can build on." 

The Warriors lead by the “Splash Brothers” and Green combined for 86 points, 21 rebounds and 18 assists while shooting 30 of 53 (.567) from the field and 13 of 21 (.619) on 3-pointers. Moreover, with the Warriors tight defense, they limit the Pelicans fast break points. Curry and Green lead the first quarter for the Warriors and not letting the Pelicans fill their heads with any more cute notions of pulling off the upset. And when New Orleans put together a couple of runs to get what was a 24-point lead down to seven on a couple occasions late, Green took a feed from Curry for a tourniquet of a layup and then Thompson buried one more three. 

"I'd say we reacted pretty well at the end of Game 3 being down," Kerr said. "But that was a little different because it was desperation and we just had to let it rip. 

"Tonight was more indicative of the feeling of being the favorite. You play a great game. You're in control and all of a sudden you're not...Yeah, it was good composure." 

Kerr told his team to focus and be serious following the morning shoot around for what he perceived was a less than laser focus. 

"To be totally honest, Coach got into us," Curry said. "He didn't feel like we had a sense of urgency. But I think if you ask the players, we knew what the mission was and what was at stake." 

 

Anthony Davis did a great job for his team leaving the game with 36 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks once again on the Warriors. So much so that Kerr embraced him at mid-court and told Davis that he was happy not to have to see him again until next November. 

Finally, the Warriors are now at the top of the NBA with a lot of expectations. But this is the situation that any NBA team wants as far as building the team. They have built a team from underdogs to favorites. The team’s management did well in terms of finding the right pieces for the team’s success.

"It's a huge difference," Thompson said. "But this is the spot you want to be in. It's what we worked all summer for and all regular season. Still a long ways to go to accomplish what we want to do, but it feels a lot different." 

Harder?

"No," Thompson said. "We've had a bullseye on our back the whole year, so we're used to playing as the hunted. I don't think it makes it any harder. It makes it more fun actually. It's great to have expectations." 

Good luck for the Warriors in the next round.