Game Report - Wolves v. Cavs
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:02 am
Obviously a great game tonight if you're a Wolves fan. Not so great if you root for the Cavs. :). Great playoff-type atmosphere in the arena tonight. This one had nearly all the ingredients that make for a great NBA show, matching our home Wolves with a capacity crowd against the best Eastern Conference team in recent years, led by the best basketball player on the planet the past 12 years along with a former Wolves player who Wolves fans love to hate as the guy who whined his way out of Minnesota. I didn't see an empty seat in the entire arena. The energy and noise in the arena matched the size of the crowd.
Beyond the great atmosphere in the arena, what I loved was how the Wolves made the most of the moment with a dominant performance over the Cavs. Admittedly, the Cavs played an usually bad game tonight. And the Cavs have been bad defensively all season. So this wasn't a game that puts the Wolves in the same category as the Warriors. But the Wolves did play extremely well against a very good team. Very impressive.
There were also a lot of great moments in this one. My favorite moment was the Tyus Jones dunk on LeBron. That kid is all heart. He had just had his shot blocked by LeBron after LeBron essentially sucked him into floating a layup rather than passing to Jimmy Butler on the break. But Tyus had too much pride to just sit with that, so he stole the ball on one end and then dunked on the other. The crowd erupted into perhaps the loudest ovation I've ever heard in that arena. The crowd reached a similar crescendo just after IT horse-collared Andrew Wiggins and then went wild again when the flagrant 2 was assessed. Another great moment was Jimmy's 3-pointer at the end of the first half. There was the slam by Wiggins as he came flying down the court. There was also the put-back slam by KAT on a miss by Wiggins. The list goes on.
That's two nice games in a row from Wiggins. He had 6 boards tonight and watching him closely tonight I thought he played really well defensively. KAT was absolutely stellar -- scoring, rebounding, passing and defending. He was the total package again tonight. What can you say about Jimmy. 21 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes while essentially shutting down LeBron. Jimmy is so tough. LeBron likes to bully defenders, but from beginning tonight, Jimmy wouldn't back down. LeBron would get the ball just inside the paint and bang his shoulder into Butler. Most defenders eventually cave and end up giving up a dunk or layup. But not Jimmy. He didn't give LeBron an inch, yet avoided getting called for a foul.
My favorite player tonight was Tyus Jones -- and not just because of his monster dunk. He did such a terrific job of running the offense while also playing well on the defensive end. The box score grossly understates what Tyus contributed tonight. He had a ton of hockey assists in addition to the 8 assists listed in the box score. He made quick, pinpoint passes in the right place at the right time. He forced turnovers and kept the ball moving. He blends really well with our starters. I wouldn't say he's a better player than Teague, but I think he's a better fit as PG with KAT, Wiggins and Butler. And credit to Aaron Brooks. The guy plays his ass off on both ends.
There should be no doubt that the Wolves have the talent to be a top 3 or 4-seed in the West. It's whether this team can consistently and collectively get the most out of that talent. They did that tonight - for 3 quarters anyway. These next three home games are critical. We need to carry the energy and focus from tonight into the next three games, starting with a tough match-up Wednesday night against OKC. Win one and carry the momentum forward into the next two games against the Knicks and Blazers. The Wolves have a chance to get on a nice run here and build the team's record to 13 games above .500 by next Monday.
Beyond the great atmosphere in the arena, what I loved was how the Wolves made the most of the moment with a dominant performance over the Cavs. Admittedly, the Cavs played an usually bad game tonight. And the Cavs have been bad defensively all season. So this wasn't a game that puts the Wolves in the same category as the Warriors. But the Wolves did play extremely well against a very good team. Very impressive.
There were also a lot of great moments in this one. My favorite moment was the Tyus Jones dunk on LeBron. That kid is all heart. He had just had his shot blocked by LeBron after LeBron essentially sucked him into floating a layup rather than passing to Jimmy Butler on the break. But Tyus had too much pride to just sit with that, so he stole the ball on one end and then dunked on the other. The crowd erupted into perhaps the loudest ovation I've ever heard in that arena. The crowd reached a similar crescendo just after IT horse-collared Andrew Wiggins and then went wild again when the flagrant 2 was assessed. Another great moment was Jimmy's 3-pointer at the end of the first half. There was the slam by Wiggins as he came flying down the court. There was also the put-back slam by KAT on a miss by Wiggins. The list goes on.
That's two nice games in a row from Wiggins. He had 6 boards tonight and watching him closely tonight I thought he played really well defensively. KAT was absolutely stellar -- scoring, rebounding, passing and defending. He was the total package again tonight. What can you say about Jimmy. 21 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes while essentially shutting down LeBron. Jimmy is so tough. LeBron likes to bully defenders, but from beginning tonight, Jimmy wouldn't back down. LeBron would get the ball just inside the paint and bang his shoulder into Butler. Most defenders eventually cave and end up giving up a dunk or layup. But not Jimmy. He didn't give LeBron an inch, yet avoided getting called for a foul.
My favorite player tonight was Tyus Jones -- and not just because of his monster dunk. He did such a terrific job of running the offense while also playing well on the defensive end. The box score grossly understates what Tyus contributed tonight. He had a ton of hockey assists in addition to the 8 assists listed in the box score. He made quick, pinpoint passes in the right place at the right time. He forced turnovers and kept the ball moving. He blends really well with our starters. I wouldn't say he's a better player than Teague, but I think he's a better fit as PG with KAT, Wiggins and Butler. And credit to Aaron Brooks. The guy plays his ass off on both ends.
There should be no doubt that the Wolves have the talent to be a top 3 or 4-seed in the West. It's whether this team can consistently and collectively get the most out of that talent. They did that tonight - for 3 quarters anyway. These next three home games are critical. We need to carry the energy and focus from tonight into the next three games, starting with a tough match-up Wednesday night against OKC. Win one and carry the momentum forward into the next two games against the Knicks and Blazers. The Wolves have a chance to get on a nice run here and build the team's record to 13 games above .500 by next Monday.