Cavs have to play better

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) questions a call against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of Game 4 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland, Friday, June 10, 2016. AP

YOU’VE heard it from LeBron James and Stephen Curry and almost everybody else who has been interviewed for the ongoing NBA Finals: We or I have to play better.

In a media-intense world where there are more platforms to deal with, you can’t blame the interviewees at times for coming up with hackneyed responses. A game has just been lost or won or an injury is still nagging a player and it’s really difficult to come up with something very witty or original.

If media questions can be as boring as “Talk to me about…,” (which is really not a question) or “What were you thinking?” then the responses of the personalities can also be tired and worn out.

But for the embattled Cleveland Cavaliers, now down 3-1 in the series, there is no choice.  They simply have to play as well as they did in Game 3, when they shackled the Golden State Warriors and forced them into turnovers and awful shots. They have to come together with steely resolve to win Game 5 in a crazy atmosphere where Dub fans at Oakland’s Oracle Arena will want nothing else than to celebrate a back-to-back title on their turf.

First on their list is the need for James to dominate the scoring. He still pocketed 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists but passed up on too many open shots and driving lanes.   Kyrie Irving is already showing the fire he wanted to unleash in last year’s finals but couldn’t because of an injury. But even his 34 points in Game 4 were not enough to stem the tide when the Warriors started connecting on treys in the third canto.

But the two stars need some break time on the bench, simply to catch their breath, even for a minute or two. Ronnie Magsanoc always tells me that stars simply need a gulp of water and some bench moments to clear their head and assess the game from a different viewpoint.

So much has already been said and repeated over the inflated minutes of James and Irving in Game 4 but Cavs coach Tyronn Lue had no where else to go when the Warriors waxed hot in the third quarter. Tristan Thompson was a contributor early on but was not a factor in the second half.

In the playoffs, coaches shorten their lineups but the Cavs ended up with two tired superstars when it mattered the most. Even with their superior physical conditioning, players at this level of play are simply human and do get tuckered out when they have to play defense as well on the other end.

The second adjustment for the Cavs will have to be a defensive one. Because of the energy shift in Game 4, the Cavs defense could not double-team or switch on Curry and Klay Thompson as quickly as they did in Game 3.  This is where James and Irving can use their rest: When a different defensive look can be thrown on the Splash Brothers and force the Dubs frontline to pick up the attack. The Dubs are simply not as potent when its frontline has to carry the onus.

So it’s the Cavs who have to play better in Game 5. Unless they do, Cleveland will still be without a professional sports title and the waiting will continue.