CLEVELAND — In theory, the conference finals should be more difficult than the conference semifinals, and the semis should be more difficult than the first round.
That theory is being tested – perhaps refuted – in the Eastern Conference finals between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers eliminated the Detroit Pistons in four games, winning each game by an average of 8.5 points. They swept the Atlanta Hawks in the conference semifinals, the average margin of victory at 12.5 points.
And now in the conference finals, against the Raptors, who finished second in the East with a franchise-record 56 victories, Cleveland has won the first two games by an average of 25 points.
Cleveland took a 2-0 series lead with a 108-89 victory over the Raptors on Thursday, following up Tuesday’s 115-84 victory.
The Cavs will never admit this, but the next round has been easier than the prior round. They have won 10 straight playoff games, and if they win Game 3 Saturday in Toronto (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), they will tie the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2001 Lakers for best start to the playoffs in NBA history.
Where is the challenge? And is this road through the East to the NBA Finals adequate preparation for what the Cavs will get in the Finals? Either Golden State or Oklahoma City will have fought through much tougher scenarios to get there.
The answer to the second question will play out, starting June 2 when the Finals begin. Maybe the Cavs are playing the kind of basketball that will be successful regardless of opponent.
The answer to the first question is more complex. Yes, the Cavs had to prepare for Detroit, Atlanta and Toronto, and they had to execute.
But the challenge also comes from within the Cavs’ locker room. Pointing out mistakes on video and correcting them. Working on specific plays for specific situations. Conditioning bodies so they have fresh legs after an eight-day layoff. Eating the right foods. Drinking enough fluids.
“How do we prepare and be better the following game,” LeBron James said after his 23-point, 11-assists, 11-rebound performance in Game 2, his 15th career playoff triple-double. “We’ve taken one step at a time. We’ve haven’t overlooked any steps along this process thus far, and that’s part of the reason we’re in this position today.
“We’ve enjoyed the process to this point, and we got to it, we’ve tried to take care of business. Then, once it’s over, we want to learn from that instance and move on and see how we can get better the next time.”
Tyronn Lue and his coaching staff haven’t stopped scheming or dreaming. “There are a lot of nights we don’t get a lot of rest, a lot of sleep,” Lue said. “You’re dreaming of ATOs (after-timeout plays) and plays you can run and things that can happen, so a lot of sleepless nights, but the way things are going right now, it’s worth it.”
While the Cavs haven’t had adversity in the postseason – and James guaranteed they would at some point – they had adversity during the season. In January, they fired Coach David Blatt who was 30-11 and who took the Cavs to the Finals in his first season as an NBA coach a year ago. Kyrie Irving missed a stretch of the season recovering from the knee injury he sustained in last season’s Finals.
Even late in the season – an odd loss to the Brooklyn Nets and indifferent loss to the Miami Heat – it wasn’t clear if the Cavs, including the Big 3 of James, Irving and Love, would or could figure it out.
They have played individually and great collectively.
“We do a great job of having each other's backs, and it just makes our job a lot easier out there,” Irving said. “We know what to expect. But this is high-intensity basketball that we've all been waiting for, and to all be healthy at the same time and doing whatever it takes to win.
“This is what we want to be part of, and we've been waiting for. We missed out on our chance last year, we're relishing the moment and we just want to continue that going forward.”
Perhaps, figuring all that out has been Cleveland’s biggest challenge. Figuring that out has allowed the Cavs to power through the East.
