Cavs can use road as motivation, and put series to rest
There is when things get testy for the Cavaliers. At least, it could be.
Playing at Detroit is never easy. The crowd can get nasty. The Pistons are young, brash, physical. The coach continuously rides the refs.
That would be Stan Van Gundy â and understandably, he's looking for every edge he can get. The Pistons simply do not match up with the Cavs. Not this year.
It's true the Cavs own a 2-0 series lead. It's true LeBron has never let such a postseason lead slip away (he's 15-0 in these situations). And it's true it would take a basketball miracle for the Pistons to come back and win now.
But the Cavs don't want this thing to drag out. They want to get to the next round, and do it as quickly as possible.
"We did what we're supposed to do," coach Tyronn Lue said. "We took care of home court. ... Now we have to go to Detroit. We know it's going to be a hostile environment, and we have to play well."
In order for that to happen, the Cavs will have to do four things especially well on the road:
1. Defend the perimeter. The Pistons' outside shooting was a major area of concern in Game 1, helping them believe they could pull an upset. They almost did.
2. Stay aware of Andre Drummond. It's hard to ignore the man, thanks to his overall height (6-foot-11), width and overall strength. The Cavs did a nice job on the Pistons center in Game 1, but were much too soft in Game 2. They'll have to be even tougher on the road.
3. Keep things moving. Just like any team anywhere, the Cavs are at their best when the ball doesn't "stick," when bodies move and shots are open. For the most part, the Cavs have moved the ball well in the first two playoff games. That's even more significant on the road â and frankly, tougher to do.
4. And again, prepare for things to get physical. The Pistons have no hope of winning this series if they rely on basketball alone. They're too young, inexperienced and frankly, not as talented. That may change in a couple of years, but right now, their only hope is to try to make the Cavs mad. The Cavs can't take the bait.
The Cavs actually lost the season series, 3-1. The final game hardly counts, though, as neither team played its regulars just before the start of the playoffs.
Still, the fact remains the Pistons have given the Cavs problems -- both in the regular season, and at times, in the playoffs.
And it is likely to only get tougher for the Cavs -- with two games in the enemy's building, where the environment will indeed be hostile.
James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and several others have all been in this situation. Intense, physical playoff games on the road are nothing new.
Now the Cavs must put their experiences to use, and try to put this series to rest.
