Kevin Love got a lot of heat during the first round matchup against the Indiana Pacers. But against the Toronto Raptors, a switch flipped and Love was a big reason why the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to finish the series in a sweep.
Love talked about the surge in his play after Game 4 and he said it was his aggressiveness that made all the difference.
“I said after Game 2, I didn’t forget how to play basketball, I was just ultra aggressive. I found myself missing little chippys, missing shots that were uncharacteristic for me to miss, but I continued to be aggressive, continue to put in the work everyday, and more than anything just continue to be myself.”
Over the last three games, Love scored at least 21 points in each of the contests and looked like once again LeBron James’ right-hand man.
One thing he wasn’t doing during the beginning of the playoffs was getting to the free-throw line, which usually shows a lack of aggressiveness. In the last three games, Love was 18-of-20 from the charity stripe and that type of trend is going to be expected in the Cavs next season.
It wasn’t just Love who was aggressive in the Cavaliers’ series sweep against the Raptors. It seems like most of the role players took on that role.
Instead of waiting for James to carry the team, Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith, and others took it upon themselves to look for their own shots and contribute any way they could.