The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon in Game 7 of their first round series, advancing to the second round where the Toronto Raptors have been waiting the last couple of days. The seventh and final game in the series saw Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue alter his starting lineup in surprising fashion, inserting Tristan Thompson alongside LeBron James, Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith, and Kevin Love.
The game-time announcement was questioned and talked about by many as, but it proved to be an absolute game-changer. After combining for three points, six rebounds, and two assists in a little over 23 total minutes in Games 1-6, Thompson finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 35 minutes of action. The key stat, however, was the five offensive rebounds he grabbed to provide extra opportunities for his Cavs to score.
After the game, coach Lue was asked about his decision to change the starting lineup heading into the do-or-die Game 7. He said he decided to go with the main guys who had been in a Game 7 before.
As everyone can recall, James, Smith, Love, and Thompson all played on the 2016 Championship team that won Games 5 and 7 in Golden State being down 3-1 in the series. Korver was a part of last year’s NBA Finals and had 115 games of playoff experience coming into the game.
Thompson, who tormented the Pacers for six points and seven rebounds in the first quarter that led a 31-19 Cavs lead, says coach Lue approached him prior to Saturday afternoon’s practice to let him know he was going to start.
The Cavs will now prepare for the Toronto Raptors, the team they’ll face in the second round. That series will begin on Tuesday night at 8PM EST.
