Before Game 2, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue made it very clear what his rotations were going to be, with either Kevin Love or LeBron James on the court for the Cavs at all times.
It didn’t take long for that pattern to break. Early in the second quarter, Lue put out a lineup of Larry Nance Jr, Jeff Green, Kyle Korver, Rodney Hood, and George Hill. Lue didn’t reveal his reasoning for doing so or what exactly happened, but he said he will be better in Game 3.
“I’m not going to tell you that,” Lue said when asked what led to him starting the quarter without either of his two stars via Cleveland.com. “Something happened but we’ll be better at it next time.”
That lineup actually helped stretch out the lead, with Korver knocking down a couple of big three-pointers.
At the beginning of the 4th quarter, Lue tried to roll the dice again with the same lineup, but that time, the results were a lot different.
Without Love or James in the game, the Cavs had no chance, and by the time they came back onto the court, it was too late.
“I wanted to start Bron but he said he needed a rest so it kind of messed our rotation up a little bit,” Lue said. “I wanted to play him the first two or three minutes in that fourth quarter and get Kevin back and give (LeBron) a rest but he said he needed a break.”
The rotations are going to be crucial in Game 3, and the Cavs need to make sure James or Love are on the court at all times.