INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Cavaliers continued preparations for their playoff series with Orland by dialing up the physicality during practice Thursday.
Here’s our top Wine & Gold Nuggets from Thursday’s practice availability that saw Tristan Thompson, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland handle podium duties.
Getting’ after it – The intensity and physicality of playoff basketball are on a different level and after getting pushed around by the Knicks in Round 1 last year, the Cavs have spent the week working on handling some extra pushing, shoving and grabbing. “Just in practice, I mean we’ve just [been] physical with each other, really just bumping each other while we [are] going through plays, holding each other, grabbing,” Garland said. “So yeah, just in practice, just trying to be physical with one another and we just got to translate that into the game on Saturday, and for the rest of the series.” Orlando boasts a lengthily and athletic team that gave the Cavs fits in two of their four matchups this season. “They're a team that was or is like us in similar ways, has some size,” center Jarrett Allen said. “I mean I know we got Darius and Donovan, but other than that we still have a big lineup everywhere else and they're fighting for something and obviously we're fighting for something too and it's just, there's a lot of similarities between us.” Postseason basketball is officiated much differently than the regular season and the Magic will be looking to attack Cleveland’s ball handlers defensively, something Garland, who has been streaky committing turnovers, believes he is ready for. “Just try to take care of the ball as best I can,” Garland said. “Try to look for open guys, be strong with the ball. I know it's going to be a physical game, it's not going to be a lot of calls in the playoffs and they're really scrappy too, so they're really handsy. So just try to take care of it, hit open guys and be aggressive whenever I can.”
Bright lights – Allen’s comment last year about the lights being too bright for the Cavs during that first round series loss to the Knicks hasn’t been forgotten, but Cleveland’s big man in the middle is confident they’re ready for them this time around. “After the eclipse we kept staring into the sun so nothing can be as bright, so we'll be all right,” Allen said with a smile. Allen, who is as thoughtful and candid as they come when responding to reporter's questions, doesn’t regret what he said even in the wake of criticism of the Cavs that followed them. “I've said a lot worse stuff in my life, so that doesn't mean much to me,” Allen said. Thompson, who was a Laker last year, was asked for his outside perspective of Allen’s honest observation. “One thing about Jay, he's going to be true to himself and of course with his first playoff he probably didn't know what to expect,” Thompson said. “So that's just not knowing and not having that experience. But I feel like this season was great for him because there's a lot more pressure on his shoulders just because we didn't have Evan and DG was out for some time, so he's answered the call.”
School of hard knocks – While the quick and early bow out to the Knicks hovers as the Cavs begin this series with the Magic, Thompson had an interesting view on the benefit that experience could have on this playoff run. “I think the guys that were on the team last year, I think that was good for them to get their ass whooped by a very tough New York team because it lets them know how tough the playoffs are,” Thompson said. “And then for the veterans that came in myself, max George, we've been in playoffs series, been in a handful, whether up or down, we know what it takes. So I think it's a good combination that you had guys that have had success but also guys that have had failure that are hungry for more.”
My kinda guy – Thompson revealed why he is such a big Max Strus fan. “I always call him the angry white guy. He's always, he don't take s*** from nobody and that's what I love about him. I think that's the demeanor that he's kind of been brought up with coming from DePaul and being cut, being a two-way guy earning a standard contract. So he earns that, he earned that right to kind of not take s*** from nobody.”
Round 1 schedule – Game 1: Saturday, 1 p.m. on ESPN; Game 2: Monday, 7 p.m. on NBATV; Game 3: Thursday at Orlando, 7 p.m. on NBATV; Game 4: Saturday, April 27 at Orlando, 1 p.m. on TNT; Game 5: Tuesday, April 30, TBD; Game 6: Friday, May 3 at Orlando, TBD; Game 7: Sunday, May 5, TBD.
