Dribbles: LeBron's had better days, but loss hardly crushing for Cavs
Random dribbles on the Cavaliers, who dropped a toughie of a 105-103 overtime decision to the host Houston Rockets on Sunday:
1. Let's start with LeBron James' two missed free throws at the end. They came with just 4.2 seconds left in overtime and the Rockets clinging to a one-point lead. Make one, and the game likely goes into a second OT. Make both, and the Cavs likely win. James made neither. I don't really have a major problem with that.
2. For one, James earlier drilled a 3-pointer that trimmed the Rockets' lead to 104-103 in the first place. He finished with 37 points. He did a lot of things very, very well -- including his defense on Rockets star James Harden in the fourth quarter.
3. Secondly, players who constantly put themselves and their teams in winning situations are bound to slip up once in a while. That was James on Sunday. He just missed a couple shots from the line. Actually, he missed a bunch, as LeBron finished a miserable 3-of-11 shooting on free throws. But hey, it happens.
4. Even Boston legend Larry Bird missed two free throws with a (regular-season) game in the balance. It happened in April 1986, and the Celtics leading the Philadelphia 76ers, 94-92. The Celtics had the ball with 8 seconds left, and the Sixers were forced to foul. Bird went to the line and clanked them both. The Sixers then won after Julius Erving heaved in a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
5. P.S. The Celtics went on to win the championship that season.
6. So missed free throws happened to LeBron. They've happened to Bird. They've happened to a lot of people. These guys are indeed human. As long as it isn't a regular occurrence, well, it's not that big of a deal. Bird won more games for his team than he lost, and the same is true of James.
7. LeBron also manned up and took the blame. "I failed my teammates," he said. He actually didn't, but it's the right thing to say if you're a superstar. James understands that.
8. That said, LeBron probably spent too much time in this game just dribbling, dribbling, and dribbling some more. The Cavs (37-24) didn't really have much of an offense late, because James tried to do it all himself. Yes, he almost succeeded. But that doesn't make it a good idea. Like every basketball team, the Cavs are usually at their best when the ball moves.
8. James also finished with 35 field-goal attempts. That's probably too many. Then again, the Cavs needed the points. They needed the aggressiveness in attacking the basket. James may not have gone about it entirely the right way, but 35 shots is not something he does often. He clearly felt that, without the injured Kyrie Irving, his team was looking for a boost.
9. Michael Jordan put up 35 or more shots 46 times in his career. Kobe Bryant has done it 32 times. Allen Iverson did it 21. But Sunday's game in Houston marked just the fourth time for LeBron. When it comes to high-scoring superstars, James is hardly a gunner.
10. Overall, LeBron was doggone good. I like how things got chippy, how the Cavs didn't back down when the Rockets just wanted to fight. I admired the Cavs' overall ability to fight back, on the road, without Irving, when they fell behind big in the third quarter. The Rockets (41-18) are a top-level team, even without the injured Dwight Howard. Sometimes, I think they're even better with Donatas Montiejunas manning the middle. He spaces the floor with his ability to hit perimeter shots. On this Rockets team, that's a valuable skill for a center.
11. As you probably know, the Rockets tweeted out a picture of Harden (33 points) with the headline, "King James." They were obviously just having fun and promoting their own star. Nothing wrong with that. But let's be real here: LeBron has been to four straight Finals, five overall, and won two championships. Harden went to the Finals with Oklahoma City back in 2012, played poorly, and lost to James and the Miami Heat. There's no comparison.
12. Tristan Thompson was magnificent off the bench with 14 points and a whopping 19 rebounds. He kept the Cavs in it, almost single-handedly at times. It's been a pleasure to watch that guy play this season. He's become the ultimate garbage man. And by "garbage man," I mean a player who is entirely willing to clean up other people's messes and receive little of the credit.
13. I sometimes wish Kevin Love played with the same fire as Thompson or point guard Matthew Dellavedova, who started for the second straight time in place of Irving. Love scored 21 points, but he's still settling for long jumpers too often. The Cavs don't need him to be a 6-foot-10 shooting guard. The occasional 3-pointers is fine, but he's more of a threat when he backs his way to the basket and shoots one of those baby hooks or passes out of a double-team.
14. Don't misunderstand. Love is having a fine season and takes way too much grief from (social) media and fans. But there are times he just seems a little too casual. Go get the ball, make a play, score a basket, draw a foul, get fired up.
15. It also probably wouldn't have hurt for Timofey Mozgov to play more than 18 minutes against the Rockets -- which was 18 more than Kendrick Perkins. Mozgov is a 7-footer and Perkins is a mean 6-10. I understand that the Rockets spread the floor and shoot lots of threes, including their big men. Defending the perimeter is not the strength of the Cavs' centers. But the Rockets couldn't guard Mozgov early in the game, and Cavs coach David Blatt should've considered that, too.
16. Still, I'm nitpicking. LeBron makes those two free throws at the end and I'm writing an entirely different column. It was THAT close. Without Kyrie. On the road. Against a Western Conference power. Everything was set up for the Cavs to lose, and they did. But barely.
17. Thompson on the loss: "We had two chances in regulation and OT to win. That's on us. We gave them the game. They didn't take it from us."
18. James returned after sitting out to rest during Friday's loss at Indiana. He is averaging 32.5 points in the games in which he returns from injury/rest. But the Cavs are just 1-3 in those games.
19. Finally, it sounds like the Cavs fully expect Kyrie Irving (shoulder strain) to return for Tuesday's home game against the Celtics. His status is likely to be updated during or shortly after Tuesday's morning shootaround.
