After spending most of The Finals opener looking like traffic cones that the Warriors just drove on by, the Cavaliers say they plan to put a few bodies on Golden State in Game 2. Power forward Kevin Love and coach Tyronn Lue told Dave McMenamin of ESPN that the defending champs plan to body up:
Cleveland became the first team in NBA history to fail to record a steal on the defensive end in a Finals game. After reviewing the tape, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue identified a point of emphasis: Up the physicality to disrupt the Warriors’ potent offense.
“I think, just make them feel us,” Cavs forward Kevin Love said on a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon. “That’s something that I imagine Ty probably talked about [with the media] and we can definitely do a better job of.”
Helped by the fact that the Cavs didn’t take the ball away from Golden State, the Warriors tied an NBA record for the fewest turnovers in a Finals game (four). The Cavs, meanwhile, committed 20 turnovers, leading to 21 points for Golden State.
“They were really good on both sides, being in attack mode — whether it was playing downhill [on offense] or on the defensive end pushing us out, making the catches tough for us,” Love said. “I think at certain points we did that, but we have to do that throughout. That’s how you have to play against a team like them, because if they’re able to move freely and set good screens, the guys are able to just get a little bit of space or a little bit of breathing room [and] be so effective. That’s what makes them tough.”
